A Thin Line

by Tammy Jo Burns

  She placed a slice of bread on a small stand to toast and poured water out of the pitcher onto a cloth. Kala washed the sleep from her eyes and wiped away the sweat that had beaded on her face and neck earlier. She filled a kettle with some of the water from the pitcher and set it to boiling. After the bread had been toasted and removed from the fire, she buttered it and set it on a plate. Once the water boiled, she dropped in tea leaves and let it steep for a few minutes. Kala sat at her lonely kitchen table and nibbled at her breakfast.

  Feeling infinitely better, she left the dishes and went to change clothes. She pulled on her old trousers she had stolen from Derek years ago and a blouse. Kala began buttoning the trousers, but they were tighter than normal and she couldn’t get them to fasten. She rummaged around in her things and found a length of rope and tied it around the waist and let the shirt hang over the pants. A knock sounded on the door just as she pulled on her last boot.

  “Good morning boys,” Kala said as she opened the door.

  “You’re wearing boy clothes,” Tommy said in awe.

  “It’s easier to climb this way,” Kala shrugged. “I need to get our picnic together and then I’ll be ready.” The boys waited patiently, and Nate went to the brook and filled an animal skin with water. When he came back to the cottage, Kala and Tommy were waiting outside. “We’re ready.”

  The threesome walked almost an hour before reaching the gorge. They stood at the top and looked down at the valley below them. Kala stood in awe at the sight. It looked as if someone had taken a spade and carved out a section of the land. There were nooks and crannies everywhere.

  “Com’on,” Nate said and led the group to the left where the disparity between the bottom and top of the gorge was not so great. They carefully picked their way down the rocky slope. All three slid down the last third like a slide, laughing all the way. Once they were on the gorge floor, Kala stood and turned in a circle.

  “It’s huge,” she murmured in awe.

  “Yeah,” the boys said in unison.

  “Well, share your secrets. I want to see some of these caves.”

  “All right.” Nate led the group through the middle of the gorge about one hundred yards from where they entered. “Just leave the lunch here. No one will bother it.” Kala nodded and set the lunch down in the shade of some boulders. “Up there to our right is one of the best caves here, but we’ll have to do some climbing.”

  “Lead on,” Kala couldn’t contain the excitement that bubbled up inside. By the time they reached the mouth of the cave, Kala’s arms and legs ached, but the excitement of the unknown spurred her on. Further back in the cave, Kala could see a faint glow. “Where is the light coming from?”

  “You’ll see,” Tommy said with a grin. The trio walked toward the back of the cave with Nate once again in the lead. Kala looked around in amazement, stopping to admire the conical-like boulders that seemed to grow from the cave floor.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it,” she said in awe.

  “I know. That’s why we come here so much.” The boys let Kala look for a while longer before urging her on.

  “What could beat this?” Kala questioned and the boys only laughed. There were some points where they had to crawl through the passage, but always you could see the light. The further back they went, the brighter it became. The boys stepped aside and let Kala enter a large antechamber. “Oh, my,” she whispered and the sound bounced around the room.

  “We call this Echo Cave,” Tommy informed her.

  “I can see why,” Kala replied, their words still echoed around them. “But, oh my,” she said again. Before them was a pond lit by a hole in the ceiling of the cave that let sunlight in. The water shone clear and you could see the bottom.

  “The water is deeper than it looks,” Nate said.

  “And it’s warm,” Tommy piped up.

  “Really?”

  “We’ve all tried to touch the bottom, even some of the older kids, but we never can. We’re not sure how deep it is.”

  They all stood there at the water’s edge looking, contemplating, when something penetrated Kala’s senses. “What is that?”

  “You hear it?”

  “What is it?”

  “A waterfall. There is an underground stream that leads from this lake. It’s just a few feet down on this side.”

  “I can see the entrance. It’s a little dark.”

  “It leads to a chamber close to this one. The waterfall is only about ten feet and the pool is about fifteen feet deep. Some of the older boys can dive to the bottom of it. It’s fun to jump off with the waterfall. Some of the better swimmers go through the tunnel, but you have to be really good at holding your breath.”

  “Your mother has no idea that you boys come here?”

  “She prob’ly knows. Ma seems to know everything. She’s just never asked. Maybe she thinks it’s safer for us than other things.”

  “Maybe,” Kala walked over to the water and knelt beside it. She trailed her fingers in it. “It’s warm.”

  “Aye. Da’ thinks there are warm springs deeper underground that feed the pools. He thinks that’s why we can’t touch the bottom and it is so clear.”

  “If that’s the case, is it dangerous for you to play in it?”

  Nate only shrugged. Kids didn’t think about danger and Kala used to not. When had things changed? She started to stand but a sudden piercing feeling ripped through her abdomen. She stayed for a moment on her hands and knees breathing deeply. After a moment it went away as quickly as it appeared.

  “Mrs. Smith, you all right?” Tommy asked worriedly.

  “I’m fine. I just haven’t felt well lately. Come help me up, and you can show me the waterfall.” Tommy and Nate both helped her up and the group headed back out and moved down the escarpment a bit to the next opening. The roar almost deafened them in the silence. This time they had no tunnel to go through, the pool and waterfall were in full view when you walked into the cave. The sight was breathtaking and she found herself wishing for Gabe’s presence.

  Again the cave was littered with the same conical shaped boulders as the previous. She knew why this was such a popular place with the local children. If she had grown up near here, she would have never been at home. Kala went to the mouth of the cave and sat down. She looked up and down the gorge admiring its unique beauty. Across from her, the landscape looked like gnarled knuckles digging into the ground.

  In that moment of peace another cramp pulled across her stomach. She hoped she had not caught something on the mail coach on her ride here. Kala had never been a good patient, nor would she ever be. She asked the boys if they were ready to eat and they quickly agreed and made their way back down to the bottom of the gorge.

  “It’s hard to believe it is winter, it has been so warm,” Kala looked around, the side of her hand pressed against her forehead to try to block some of the sun.

  “There are some trees up top.”

  “Good, let’s head there.” They went back to the area they first came down and climbed back up. The trio came upon a grouping of trees, thick with leaves that would provide good shade. They all sat down, each claiming a tree to lean against. Tommy handed out the food for everyone and they ate in companionable silence. After the meal, they passed the water around.

  “I just want to thank you boys for bringing me. I know you weren’t really excited about spending the day with me, but I have enjoyed your company.”

  “We had fun, too,” Tommy said. Nate just nodded his head in agreement.

  “You’re all right for a grown-up,” Nate said eventually.

  “Thanks,” Kala said with a smile, then a yawn. “I don’t think I got enough sleep last night. I’m just going to rest for a minute.”

  “We’re going to go play. We’ll get you when it’s time to go.” She nodded her head and drifted off to sleep in no time. The sun was going down when the boys woke her up.

  “How long did I sleep?”

&n
bsp; “A while.”

  “Well, let’s go so you two can get home.” As they walked, she had no more twinges. The boys saw her to her door, and she went inside and locked things up. It was still early but she was exhausted. She began undoing the rope at her waist when a sudden, devastating thought occurred to her. She was almost certain she carried a child. What if something was wrong? Her fingers trembled as she undid the buttons of her shirt.

  Shakily she changed into her gown and climbed into bed. She wasn’t ready to be a mother, but she did not want anything to happen to the babe either. Yes, she loved Gabe beyond reason, but she knew next to nothing about raising a child. I don’t even know how to be a proper wife nor he a husband, she thought sourly. She lay on her side, her cheek cradled in her hand and stared out her window, seeing the world outside in a haze. Kala touched her stomach, then jerked her hand away as if it were being scalded.

  Kala worried her lower lip. A child would have been easier to cope with in the future. Hopefully, in the future it would be the only thing she would be dealing with. That is, if she and Gabe are living in the same house once more, and all this other is behind them.

  “But that is not how it happened, Kala,” she scolded herself. She lay awake, trying to ignore the twinges as they became more regular and more powerful. Finally, she fell into a fitful sleep.

  ***

  Gabe beat on the door of a little house early the next afternoon. A thin, harried woman opened the door and looked at him expectantly. He just stared at her in confusion.

  “Well, what is it?”

  “I’m sorry, I’m looking for my wife. Mikala Hawke.”

  “There’s no Mikala Hawke around here,” the woman paused and looked at him suspiciously. “There is a Mikala that just moved into the old Miller place, but she said her name is Smith.”

  “That must be her. Mrs.,” Gabe paused for an answer.

  “Fisher,” the woman said curtly.

  “Mrs. Fisher. My wife is in grave danger and if I found her, then the man looking for her will also be able to find her. She came here thinking to protect me. I have been recovering from an injury or would have been here sooner. I have never done this in my life, but I am begging. Please tell me how to find my wife.”

  “My good woman, I am the director of the War Office and he speaks the truth,” Mack spoke up, taking pity on his brother.

  The woman looked them up and down then proceeded to tell them how to get to the cottage. “She wouldn’t answer the door for my Nate this morning. She spent time with the boys yesterday and they came home telling me they didn’t think she felt well.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.” He gave her several coins that had her mouth dropping open in astonishment. Gabe mounted his horse and turned him in the direction she had indicated. Mack followed.

  About fifteen minutes later they came to a little cottage in the clearing. It seemed like the cottage of fairytales. There were plants growing around it making it look picturesque. His heart picked up speed and his palms began to sweat at just the thought of seeing Kala. He had almost been without her touch, her voice, her scent for over a week. Never again did he want to be separated that long. The first thing he would do is tell her he loved her. Because sometime between their fights and their shared passion, he realized he truly did love her. She had allowed him to be human again and to enjoy life, and somewhere along the way he discovered he could not live without her.

  “Let me go in by myself first.”

  “Of course.”

  Gabe dismounted and handed his reins to Mack before striding up the cobblestone walk to the door and knocked loudly. He waited for a few minutes, nothing. Gabe knocked once more, louder. He heard a faint noise now coming from the other side. The bolt on the door slid open and he heard a cry on the other side of the door. Not waiting a moment longer, he pushed open the door and saw his beautiful wife on her knees, clutching her stomach and moaning. He rushed to her and pulled her up to see a crimson stain spreading across the lower half of her nightgown.

  “Gabe,” she whispered before collapsing into his arms.

  Chapter 37

  “Mikala, Oh God, Mikala.” His shaking hand pushed back her sweat-matted hair.

  “I will be back with help.” He barely registered Mack’s words as he swung his wife into his arms, not feeling the pull of his healing wound. He took nothing in of the small cottage, except to find a place to lay Mikala down. Gabe found the room with the two small beds she had been occupying. He gently laid her down and stood watching her for a few minutes. Gabriel watched as her face began to scrunch up, and then she moaned rolling onto her side. She brought up her knees, hugging them close. One of her hands fisted tightly in the sheets and he watched as more blood spread over the nightgown.

  “Kala, talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong,” he pleaded as he knelt beside her and took her hand in his.

  “Gabe?”

  “Yes.” She squeezed his hand tightly, and he was surprised at the strength behind it. “Kala, you have to tell me what’s wrong.” He watched as tears and pain flooded her eyes. She bit her lip but couldn’t bite back the moan. Gabe waited until the pain had passed and she could think coherently.

  “Baby. My fault,” she sobbed shakily.

  “What are you talking about? What baby?”

  “I think she’s losing a babe,” a breathless feminine voice said from the doorway.

  “What?” he asked, dazed.

  “The other man is out in the kitchen,” Mrs. Fisher said matter-of-factly. “Get him to help you. We need lots of boiled water. There’s a brook out back and start a good fire in the other bedroom. We’ll move her over there afterwards. She’ll need to stay warm, she’ll be in shock.”

  “I’m not leaving her, I promised myself I would never leave her again.” Kala moaned again, curling into an even tighter ball. Gabe brushed her hair back gently.

  “Mr. Hawke, I know you want to be with her, but this is worse than childbirth. At least at the end of the suffering you have a babe to hold in your arms. When this is over, she’s going to have nothing. Let me help her through the pain, I know what to do. You help her with the afterwards.”

  Gabe looked hard at the woman, but relented. “Please don’t let anything happen to her. I couldn’t bear it if I lost her,” then he bent over Kala. She must have been in the middle of another pain, because her eyes were slightly glazed. “Don’t leave me, you hear?” He whispered in her ear. “I love you, sweetheart.”

  “No, hate me. Especially now.”

  “Mrs. Fisher, please give me a moment.”

  “Fine. I will let the other man know what needs to be done.”

  “Mikala, listen to me, look at me.” He waited until she did both. “I can’t lose you, do you understand? You have to be strong, as you always are.” Gabe kissed her lips lightly before pulling away. She looked at him closely.

  “I’m sorry. You will hate me,” she predicted

  “You must stay with me, do you understand, Pest?” He couldn’t stop the desperation leaking into his voice.

  She nodded before a hoarse scream erupted from her. Mrs. Fisher rushed back into the room and pushed him out, closing the door behind him.

  When he walked into the kitchen, two boys had joined Mack.

  “Mrs. Fisher’s boys. Friends with Mikala. I’ll start the fire in the bedroom.”

  The oldest had a worried look on his face. The younger one had tears rolling down his face.

  “Is Miss Kala going to be all right?” The younger one asked, then sniffed and wiped his sleeve across his eyes.

  Gabe dropped down to one knee needing the contact with another person and took the younger boy in his arms. The older one remained stiff, but the younger one went willingly into the arms of the stranger. “I hope so, son. God, I hope so,” he whispered, choking out the words.

  Mack had the boys carrying in the water while he started the fires. Gabe stood across from the door, wanting to remain as close to her as possible. Every
cry and moan cut straight through him. Hadn’t she suffered enough? Now she was losing their baby. He had not even known. Had she when she left him?

  “Is the water boiling?” Mrs. Fisher’s voice cut through his thoughts. He nodded mutely, left and brought it to her.

  “Is she all right?”

  “It passed and the pains are easing. I’m going to help her clean up and change and then you can carry her to the other room.” Gabe nodded and took to waiting once more. Finally, the door opened and the woman beckoned him inside. The room smelled of blood and Gabe couldn’t wait to remove Kala from there.

  She stood, holding onto the footboard of the bed. She weaved, and just before her knees gave way, he walked over and scooped her up in his arms. Kala wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her cheek on his chest. She couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks. Vaguely, she heard Mrs. Fisher talking to someone else with a deep voice.

  Gabe put her on the bed, making sure the covers were tucked up around her and then left the room. She heard a door close and then nothing. Finally a door closed again and then she saw Gabe enter the bedroom. He had a chair from the kitchen table with him and set it beside the bed before sitting. She closed her eyes afraid of the look she would see on his face. Kala felt her smaller hand clasped in his big ones and then wetness on one of her fingers.

  She opened her eyes and saw a shimmer to his eyes. Before she could ask or say anything, he simply started talking.

  “You left me. I know you thought you were protecting me, but you left me, and I didn’t know where you were. Then that damn brother of mine found your solicitor. I didn’t know what to say to you when I found you, or do for that matter. Part of me thought you deserved to be spanked thoroughly and soundly. Another part of me wanted to kiss you senseless. Dammit Kala, you left me.”

  “I know. I’m sorry, so sorry about everything.”

  “You left, and you were carrying our child.”