[2016] Widow Finds Love

by Christian Michael

  “I am going to need your help. This is a mine shaft. It’s what miners use to bring fresh air into the mine so they can work. You are the only one of us that can fit in there, so I want you to take this rope and tie it about your waist. I’ll hold onto this end, and you go in there and get her.”

  Chapter 7 – The Mine

  Jessie took the end of the rope, and looked back at Harold. All the color drained out of her face, and she felt dizzy.

  “I… I can’t. There’s no way I can go in there after her.”

  Jessie felt sick, but she knew she couldn’t go in there. There were too many things that could go wrong. The entire mine could collapse on top of them if she moved around too much.

  “Jessie you have to go get my little girl!”

  Ellie was crying, and both of her other children were pleading with Jessie to go in there, too.

  “You can do it! Please, you have to get my sister back!”

  Hannah was hanging onto her mother and crying, and Henry nodded. Jessie looked at the children and their distraught mother, then back at Harold. He looked at her with the same pleading look in his eyes that the rest of his family had, and Jessie pulled the rope around herself.

  “I’ll do my best.”

  It took Jessie a long time to get into the mine shaft. She was trying to keep everything as still as possible, but now that she was inside, it was so dark she couldn’t see anything. She slowly worked her way along, trying to feel for Sadie, but not disturb the soil.

  Finally, she felt her feet touch solid ground.

  “Sadie? Sadie are you in here?”

  She felt around in the darkness, and tried to call for Sadie, but Jessie knew if she made too much noise she could cause the mine to collapse in on itself. The silence in the mine was so loud it was deafening, and Jessie felt herself begin to panic.

  “You’re ok Jessie, you have to find Sadie. Please God, help me find this little girl and get her out of here.”

  Jessie found that speaking out loud was the best way to get rid of panic attacks, and it did help her feel better now. Just the sound of a voice telling her it was going to be ok was enough for her to remain calm. Suddenly, Jessie thought she heard something.

  “Sadie? Is that you?”

  She whispered hoarsely, trying to raise her voice loud enough for Sadie to hear, but still keep it low so she didn’t disturb the soil. There wasn’t an answer, so Jessie held her breath. As the silence ensued, she heard the sound again. It sounded like soft crying.

  She couldn’t where she was going, but she could follow the sound.

  “Don’t worry, I’m coming Sadie!”

  Jessie fell to her knees and groped around the floor, following the sound of the soft whimpering. Finally, her hands felt a dress and a pair of small legs.

  “It’s ok, Sadie, it’s me.”

  Jessie gently pulled on the dress, and she could feel Sadie shift her weight and throw her arms around Jessie. As soon as she had a firm grip on the little girl, Jessie grabbed the rope and made her way back. It was so dark she couldn’t see anything, but she could feel the rope around her waist, and follow it back to the opening.

  As soon as Jessie could see the slit of the night sky in the darkness, she gave the rope a hard yank. Nothing. Jessie yanked hard on the rope again. Still nothing. Sadie was crying against Jessie’s neck, but she still felt panic rising in her chest.

  Where was Harold? Were they ok up there? How long had she been down here?

  With a feeling of desperation, Jessie yanked on the rope as hard as she could, and she suddenly felt the rope grow taught. There was someone on the other end!

  At the same time, Jessie heard a strange sound. It was a deep rumbling that started somewhere behind her, and grew steadily louder. It only took a moment for her to realize what it was.

  “The mine’s caving in on us! Pull! Pull as hard as you can!”

  Jessie yelled as loudly as she could, and she heard a muffled voice say something in reply. Though she couldn’t hear what was said, Jessie knew Harold had heard her, the rope was pulling on her intensely.

  “Hang onto me, Sadie! Hang on as tight as you can!”

  Jessie could feel Sadie’s hands tighten on her dress, and Jessie held Sadie with her free arm as tightly as she could. The open space they were in was quickly filling with dust, making it harder to breathe. Jessie climbed as best she could with her feet against the wall of the mine, and hung onto the rope with her free hand.

  The slit in the roof was growing dimmer and dimmer, until suddenly two hands came through it and grabbed Jessie’s wrist.

  “Pull!”

  Jessie screamed as she grasped onto Sadie even tighter. Then, all at once, they were out and on the grass. Harold and Ellie were both on top of them, crying and thanking Jessie for what she had done, and embracing Sadie and telling her that they loved her.

  Jessie pulled out of the mess and sat back, in shock over what had just happened.

  Chapter 8 – Home At Last

  Jessie sat next to the fire with a cup of warm coffee in her hand. The three children were asleep in the wagon, and Ellie had just returned to the fire from tucking the children in for the night.

  Harold and Jessie sat silently, watching the fire leap and crackle into the night air.

  Finally, Harold spoke.

  “I owe you a huge thank you, Miss Krane, as well as a huge apology. I have to say that I misjudged you, and I am very sorry for that. The fact of the matter is you saved my little girl today, and that is something no ordinary person could have done. I don’t care what I said before, you are going to make a fine mother.”

  Jessie listened to what Harold said, then she shook her head.

  “I am glad I was able to help, but I’m not going through with the wedding. I can’t do this. That was the most terrifying thing I have ever done, and I know I can’t raise a little girl.”

  Jessie took a drink of her coffee, then watched the warm liquid swirl about in her cup.

  Ellie finally spoke.

  “Now you wait just a minute. You are a hero, Miss Krane. A real life hero. There isn’t another person on this planet that could have been the right person to go into that mine today after Sadie, and I think God knew that. That is why He had us run into you when we did, and that is why He is sending you to this little girl now.”

  Jessie sat silently for a moment, thinking. Her own mother had often told her God had a plan for her life, and He always put her right where He wanted her. Somehow, deep down inside of her, she suddenly felt a spark.

  “Do you really believe that? Do you think God wants me of all people to be the one for that family?”

  She looked at Harold and Ellie both, slowly watching them to make sure they were serious in what they said. Both of them nodded, and Ellie smiled.

  “Without a doubt. God doesn’t make mistakes, Jessie. It was no mistake you were hear with us today, and it certainly isn’t a mistake that you are going to be in Wyoming tomorrow.”

  Jessie didn’t say anything, but slowly finished her coffee. Harold changed the subject to a lighter story, and they chatted on, well into the night. After the fire finally died down and Jessie retired, she spent a very long time looking up at the starts, thinking.

  Maybe they’re right. Maybe God really does want me to go through with this. What’s the harm in checking it out anyway? I can meet them tomorrow, and see how I feel about it then. If it seems like the right thing to do, I’ll do it.

  “This is it!”

  Harold pulled the wagon to a stop outside of a general store, and Jessie peeked out from behind the wagon curtain. She scanned the people on the walkway, and in an instant she spotted Thomas and Olivia.

  “There they are! Oh, thank you both so much!”

  Jessie offered to pay them, but Ellie and Harold refused.

  “My dear, you have done more for us than we ever can for you. Now you go over there and meet your new family.”

  Jessie thanked them and dropped
to the ground, pulling her trunk behind her. She left it on the ground in front of the store, and made her way through the crowd to Thomas and Olivia. They didn’t see her at first, as they were expecting her to arrive on the stage, but suddenly she caught Thomas’s eye.

  A smile broke across his face, and Jessie’s heart melted. She didn’t know what came over her, but all of her doubts were suddenly erased. She could see that right here in front of her was the man she was meant to marry. The man she was always meant to marry. Everything about him seemed so right.

  Suddenly, he looked down, and pulled on the hand he was holding. Jessie suddenly remembered Olivia, and smiled as she kneeled down. Olivia was even cuter than she expected, with long brown curls framing her face. Jessie could see that she was timid, and her heart sank.

  She held her arms out to Olivia, hoping the child would come over to her. Olivia slowly made her way through the swirling skirts, keeping her hand in Thomas’s and the other hand behind her back. They stopped a couple feet from Jessie, and Thomas let go of Olivia’s hand.

  Olivia continued to slowly walk to Jessie, and stopped right in front of her. She touched Jessie’s brown hair, and held it against her own. Then she felt Jessie’s dress, and looked her full in the face. A smile slowly broke across the little girl’s face, and she pulled her hand out from behind her back.

  There, in her small fist, was a tiny little bundle of wild flowers. Jessie gasped when she saw them, and smiled at Olivia.

  “Are these for me?”

  She asked softly, and Olivia nodded. She threw her arms around Jessie, and Jessie rose to be embraced by Thomas.

  “At last! Now my family is complete!”

  Thomas held both of his girls in his arms, then Jessie pulled back.

  “Do you want me to be your mom?”

  Olivia looked serious for a moment, then she nodded.

  “I think we will make a wonderful family.”

  She put a hand in Jessie’s and her other hand in Thomas’s, and started to hum a tune. Jessie and Thomas chucked, and Thomas leaned over and gave Jessie a kiss.

  As the headed to the church, all the doubt was gone from Jessie’s mind. She knew that no matter what happened, she was now home. This was her family, and she belonged here.

  Nothing was ever going to change that.

  The End.

  The Christmas Orphan

  Mail Order Bride

  CHRISTIAN MICHAEL

  Bianca Cassidy tried to put on a brave face while being offered the condolences of so many people lined up at the receiving line. The shock was only just starting to wear off. As much as she tried to control them, her eyes kept straying to the two large wooden caskets lined up neatly beside each other. Inevitably, her gaze would eventually land on the smaller one next to them.

  God, what am I going to do?

  “Thank you for coming, Mrs. Casey. I really appreciate it.”

  “Oh my dear! You poor thing!” the little rotund woman sniffled into her lace handkerchief. “To lose your family like this!”

  Yeah, you’re really not helping me out right now!

  But of course, she couldn’t say that out loud. Bianca just nodded and hoped her smile didn’t appear too pinched. She wished it were all over. She was ready to go to her room, shut the door and bury herself under her covers.

  An orphan. That’s what I am now. And I don’t even have little Betty anymore. And those two vultures! How dare they just waltz into our house like they own it and think to stay! Oh for shame!

  Her aunt, Jessy, and her greedy cow of a husband, Gerald, had moved into her house like they owned it. When her parents were still living Jessy and Gerald wanted nothing to do with them, believing themselves too good to mess with “common folk” like May and Jim. But all that had changed when Papa had been lucky enough to strike a line of gold in the mines just two months ago. Overnight their fortunes had changed and there was now talk of getting an education for Bianca – and a good husband – and raising little Betty up right and in style. Her parents were generous souls who gave to anyone in town who was in need, even when they had little. When they became wealthy, they gave even more generously than before. They were beloved by everyone.

  When Jessy and Gerald heard of the news, they had become like flies in honey with Mama and Papa. And the poor souls had swallowed their sap, never questioning why the two vultures were all of a sudden proud to call them family. Bianca knew better. She also knew that Jessy and Gerald would soon try to marry her off to some poor fellow far away so they could keep all the money for themselves. She had heard them talk about it just the night before.

  At twenty-one, Bianca knew that she was pretty much on the shelf. When they were poor, no man wanted anything to do with her even though she was widely regarded as a beauty. When they became rich, all the eligible men began to flock to their door. But Bianca refused to let her head turn for some man who was just after her newfound money. She was a practical soul. She knew that they did not truly want her. And as soon as she realized Jessy and Gerald were planning to stay, she had gone to Mama’s hiding place and took the “rainy day” cash that was stored in the little cubby under the floor. She hid it in her bodice and rushed to her bedroom; there she was astonished to find four thousand dollars in her hands. It seemed more than enough to last a lifetime if she was careful with it. She could even live a little lavishly if she saw fit. Bianca had secretively hidden the funds in the bottom of her trunk under some old scraps of paper. No one would ever be the wiser should some be snooping.

  Now as she stood with Jessy and Gerald at the funeral, she was glad that she had taken the money when she had. No doubt, the vultures would go through the rest of Mama and Papa’s money in no time at all. And their plans for Bianca surely did not include any mercy or generosity.

  I wish they were still here. Oh why did you even have to go to that place, Papa? If you hadn’t, all of you would still be here now.

  When Papa had struck gold in the mine that everyone had thought to be useless and dry, he went out and bought it that same day. Since no one knew the value hidden in it, he practically got it for the price of dirt. Then, when he began to mine the gold, the cave’s value had soared and many people desired to buy it from him. Rather than sell, he instead took up position as an overseer of the mines and hired others to do the work for him.

  The day Bianca saw him for the last time, he had gone over to speak to the foreman about opening up another cave, connected to his own, that had just been discovered. Mama and Betty had gone with him because they were going to go shopping later for the annual town Fall Picnic and Dance. Bianca had opted to stay home due to a headache.

  When she woke up from her noon nap, and discovered no one was home, she decided to go to town herself to join her mother and sister in shopping. On the way, she saw several people milling towards the mines on the edge of town. When she heard the dreaded words “cave in” fall from the lips of several people, she threw caution to the wind and made her horse gallop there in a frenzy.

  Everything was still a blur in her mind. The only thing she remembered clearly was seeing Papa, Mama and Betty lying still and lifeless on the ground. Dr. White’s old and cloudy blue eyes filled with tears when he saw her. Bianca did not scream or cry. She slowly and unsteadily made her way over to her family. She sank to the ground, placing her head and arms on Papa’s chest for the last time. She laid there until the undertaker came to take them away.

  Now here I am, alone, without a clue of what to do.

  The funeral ended and the crowds made their out. The bodies of Mama, Papa, and little Betty had all been laid to rest in their graves. Bianca was back home, in her room while the Vultures were downstairs. She slowly pulled off her clothes and dressed in her regular woolen dress and stockings before getting into bed. She needed to sleep. When she woke, she would face her future again.

  That evening, Jessy, Gerald and Bianca all sat down for dinner. Jessy rang the bell for the servants to bring in the food. It
was an aspect of life Bianca was not used to. Even after they had money, the family still preferred to live humbly. Mama had hired a maid to help her cook and clean but she had also done a lot of the work herself. And she continued to serve the food to her family by herself as she had always done. Jessy though, loved to play Lady of the Manor. She lorded herself over the maids and demanded that they wait on her and serve her. Gerald had already set plans in motion for a contractor to come and discuss building a grand home for them because he absolutely refused to live in the “hovel” that Papa had built with his own hands, any longer than necessary.

  Over dinner, Jessy pushed some ads under Bianca’s nose.

  “Here, Be-Be dear. Take a look at these. Gerald and I think it is high time you are married. Why, you are twenty-one now – almost twenty-two! You are an old maid and no one here wants to marry you – trust me, we asked – you’re too old for their tastes.”

  Bianca nodded silently. She refused to rise to Jessy’s baits. What was the use anyway? The two of them desperately wanted rid of her and marriage would be the most logical method to make it happen. As Bianca perused the ads, she saw that they were all for mail-order brides.

  It’s not enough that I be married, they want to ship me across the country?

  “We hired an agent to help you select a man,” Gerald said as he wiped his chin of gravy. “He will be here tomorrow.”

  Select a man? As if I am choosing a horse?

  “You should be grateful girl,” he we went on. “We’re settling quite a sum on you – one hundred dollars, in fact – so that, if you’re lucky, your age won’t be too much of a deterrent.”

  If you’re lucky, you mean? If I am out of the way, and some other man’s property and burden, you will have your hands all over Papa’s money after all.