Where Promises Die: A Second Chance Romance

by R. C. Stephens

  Grace nodded her head again, and Eisav reached down and took her hand, guiding her to the small pond. She followed willingly. As they approached the pond, she looked down at her white dress. It had been a hand-me-down from one of his sisters, but it showed no signs of yellowing from the wash. Grace suddenly looked unsure about her decision to swim. Eisav knew his mother would be angry with him, but this was also his special place a place he now shared with Grace. The others didn’t come here to swim. During their free time, they read the Bible. They didn’t take walks through nature or enjoy the cleansing and refreshing pond. The pond was his. A place he relaxed with no interference from anyone. A place he could be himself. Where he wrote songs, poems, and anything else that came to mind.

  “You can swim in that dress. I will take the blame if Mother says anything to you,” Eisav reassured her. He wasn’t scared of his parents. Getting in trouble had become second nature. He still sensed her hesitation.

  She followed him and shrugged her shoulders.

  “I’ll go first,” Eisav said, running backward in the grass as he whipped off his white T-shirt, which had stuck to his skin from the muggy May weather. He took off running straight into the pond, flying into the air and screaming loudly, his sounds freeing his expression filled with excitement. As Eisav’s body connected with the water, his head went under and came up a moment later. Smiling widely, he shouted, “Now it’s your turn!”

  He had expected her to walk up to the water’s edge and slowly slide herself inside. That was not what she did. She backed herself up as he did moments before and took off running in the same wild manner, her arms flailing beside her as she ran toward the water. When she hit the edge of the pond, she jumped high and splashed into the cool water, boisterous laughter escaping her perfect pink lips. Eisav had never felt so happy before. He had found a friend just as wild at heart as he was, which was hard to find in his neck of the woods. He decided in that moment that she was a keeper.

  Her laughter was contagious, and they spent the remainder of the morning playing in the pond, splashing water at each other and playing tag. Grace’s voice was more beautiful than Eisav could have imagined. She was special, and she was his very own kindred spirit.

  As Eisav noticed the sun settle in the middle of the sky, he realized it must be lunchtime. He also realized he’d kept Grace from church and his parents would be furious with him—again. It must have been why she was wearing the perfectly ironed white dress. None of that mattered to him, though, because he enjoyed spending time with his friend more than he enjoyed anything in life. Eisav also got her to speak. That act alone made him feel proud. It made him feel like he had goodness in him, that he wasn’t the bad son his parents made him feel like all his life. They’d always compared him to Jacob: Why can’t you study like your brother? Why do you have to give us such trouble about going to church? Why can’t you listen like Jacob? His parents didn’t understand that he was simply different. That he was intrigued by a different life. That he couldn’t mold himself into something he wasn’t. As much as he craved his parents’ approval, he was also determined to do what he felt was right. That was why he was grounded so often, but today was different. He wouldn’t meet his father’s harsh tongue or another punishment because his parents were sure to give him a pat on the back for getting sweet little Grace to speak. Or so Eisav thought.

  As Eisav and Grace grew tired and hungry from their busy morning in the forest and pond, they decided to make their way back to the main house. “Did you have fun, Grace?” Eisav turned to the pretty girl. Her auburn hair was wet and hung in thick dark strips down her back. Her white dress stuck to her skin. Even in her rumpled state, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

  Grace nodded. “I had so much fun. The most fun I’ve had since …” Grace paused and her face fell. She looked like she wanted to say something, but instead stared at him with a longing need, opening her mouth and then closing it.

  “What is it, Grace? You can tell me anything.”

  Grace clamped her eyes shut. “Maybe one day. I can’t today.” When she opened her eyes, she smiled.

  Eisav tilted his head to the side and a slow grin played across his lips. “You promise?” He repeated her own words to him about being patient and liked the idea of keeping promises that were special between Grace and himself. It made him feel like a good person. His parents had accused him of breaking promises too many times.

  “I promise.” Grace blinked and bowed her head, and he knew in that moment that he could trust her, that she wouldn’t let him down or look down on him like the rest of his family. There was something pure and trusting in her gaze and for the first time in his life, he felt deserving of that trust. After all, he got her to speak and smile. No one else had managed that.

  As they made their way through the front yard of the family home, a frown formed on Eisav’s lips. The old family van parked on the dirt road in front of the house, indicated they were home from church. His muscles strained and his stomach turned at the thought of their hateful words. He inhaled a long breath and opened the front door. It was a large home, partially built of brown bricks and white siding. The inside was spacious and basic with wide wooden floor planks that had been laid in his grandfather’s days, though his father had them refinished a while back. The door opened directly into a simple antique white country kitchen. There was nothing fancy about his home, but it was still the only home he knew.

  As he stepped through the door, he thought, the black sheep has arrived, and he waited for a scolding. Eisav’s brother, Jacob, always liked to help his father put him down, and their mother followed whatever her husband did. The only family members who didn’t completely hate him were his sisters. Greta, his eldest sister, was the epitome of a perfect Christian daughter. She did well in school, didn’t run with boys, and lived a modest life. She had a soft spot for Eisav, and when he would suffer from their parents’ cruel words, she would attempt to put the pieces of his broken ego back together. She liked to listen to him sing and enjoyed his lyrics. Ida, his middle sister, was just as wild as Eisav … but apparently smarter since she kept her antics secret. Marie, the youngest and most beautiful with fire red hair, always seemed a little too quiet as she tried to follow the path her parents set for her. She never seemed content nor did she seem sad. In a way, it looked like she was breathing for time to pass and something better to come along. She had two older sisters who were like night and day, and she was more like the gray in the middle—or maybe a rainbow waiting to shine after a sun shower. Since that sun shower hadn’t arrived yet, she waited quietly in the shadows following the ways she had been taught.

  Eisav walked through the door first, followed by Grace. He noticed his father’s jaw tensing and his mother’s mouth slackening, dropping into a wide O. Not only were they soaking wet, but Grace’s dress, socks, and shoes were covered in mud. Not the behavior or demeanor of a daughter belonging to the Duncan family. The girls were all dressed impeccably from head to toe and behaved modestly too. Grace’s white dress had turned see through and her pale skin was peeking through the fabric.

  “What have you done, Eisav?” His father growled. Eisav flinched, sensing his father’s lack of patience and anger. “When will you grow up and mature?” he yelled. “Your brother was in church today. That is how a good Christian boy behaves.” His father waved his hand over Jacob who sat with a smug grin.

  “I’ve done nothing, Father … in fact …” Eisav began to explain with a sense of accomplishment. He wanted to show them how he helped Grace speak again, but he did not have a chance to breathe the words before his father snapped again.

  “You missed church. AGAIN! You are the devil, boy.”

  “Worst of all, you kept Grace from church,” his mother cut in, her disappointment apparent. If only they would listen, they would understand. “Grace, go get yourself clean.” His mother pulled her attention from Eisav, her tone softer as she addressed Grace. “Ida, go help Grace get clean,”
she snapped. Eisav noted that his sister had barely touched her food when she was asked to leave the table.

  Eisav understood the underlying meaning in his mother’s words: being with him made her dirty.

  “Eisav, don’t just stand there. Go clean yourself up,” his father barked. “And you’re to stay away from Grace, do you hear me? I mean it. AWAY!” His father’s voice grew louder with each word, causing Eisav to flinch. Eisav bowed his head, knowing it was useless to explain he had gotten Grace to speak. He also didn’t miss that Grace had grown quiet again. He couldn’t blame her. His family could be overbearing. With his head hanging, he went to his room and took a shower in the bathroom across the hall. As the warm water ran over his body, he hummed a tune to the song he wrote for Grace out in the forest.

  Green-eyed angel, eyes so bright.

  Don’t look sad tonight. Stars are shining in the sky.

  Your dark hair flows and it’s such a sight.

  Don’t stay quiet anymore.

  Please, angel, speak to me.

  Because your green eyes they shine so bright and your dark hair is now catching the light and if I am being honest here, I’d say that you literally just took my breath away.

  Little did Eisav know, that angel girl passed by the bathroom while he belted a tune to the poem he had written her. As the words poured from his soul, her heart fluttered in her chest. She never felt anything like that before. She wanted to hear his voice all the time. She wanted him to sing to her again. It made her feel special and wanted, a feeling she wished would never end. She leaned against the wall next to the bathroom door and slowly slid down to her bottom, pressing her ear into the drywall while she listened to the special words he created just for her. Despite her mama being gone, she would never be alone. Eisav promised to be patient, and she promised to one day tell him her story.

  Two years later

  Winter surrendered to spring as Grace drifted along the concrete ground of the playground, all by herself, during recess. She realized she would never truly fit into the small town of Sade. She was now a middle-school student. She had grown in height and beauty but to her classmates she was an awkward outsider. Her classmates had strong roots in Sade, most of them having grandparents, aunts, and uncles that had gone to this very school. Her lack of connection made her feel isolated most of the time. Grace kicked at a stone in the yard, counting down the days she had left of middle school, wondering if her mother had attended this school and why her mother never spoke of Iowa. She hated that her adopted mother Dina absolutely refused to tell her anything about her birth mom. Grace tried on so many occasions to confront Dina, but she had a lock and key on her mouth anywhere Lena was concerned.

  It was the first year that Grace and Eisav found themselves in different schools since her arrival to Sade. Eisav moved to the local high school down the street in September. To his parents’ dismay, he once again chose public school instead of the Christian Academy.

  Eisav’s decision had caused an outright war in the house. Grace sat in her room listening to Isaac Duncan swearing at his son, putting him down and threatening to disown him, but then things quieted down and Eisav got his way. When Grace asked him what had changed his father’s mind, he’d said “nothing special.” Grace knew it had to be a big deal since Isaac was not the type of man to let his son attend public school, especially since it made him look bad in front of Father Joseph; everyone knew how much Isaac cared about Father Joseph’s opinions. Thankfully, Eisav’s new high school was close enough that he could walk over to the middle school to keep Grace company during lunch period. Since he was a recent graduate, the staff didn’t question his presence or see it as a threat. Today was Tuesday, and Eisav usually came to hang out on Tuesdays. He was late, which left Grace with time on her hands to think. She realized how much of her happiness in Sade depended on the dark-haired boy who’d stolen her heart two years prior. She was speaking regularly now, although she was on the shy side and mostly only spoke when spoken to. It was difficult to make friends at a school where the children had played together since kindergarten. Grace was very much an outsider in every sense of the word. The bustling, fast-paced New York City life she often dreamed of now seemed a lifetime ago. Still she held on to the happy memories of her mother as they walked down the busy streets and took a local transit bus to school. She remembered the smell of the musty New York air. Sade was the complete opposite. She loved the fresh air, but there weren’t too many people and walking to school wasn’t an option since the roads were made of dirt and there was no name or sign for them. Walking down the dirt road would only lead to another farm—a farm just like the one she was now growing up on. She learned to tend the chickens and ride a horse, which she loved. She even attended Sunday Mass—a must in the Duncan home.

  Ever since Eisav pulled her away to the forest on that fateful Sunday, their friendship was solid, but she attended church every Sunday since. She never did feel comfortable in church, even though she would never admit that to her new parents. They had been so kind, providing her with everything she needed to grow. Well, except for love. Her first impressions upon her arrival were that they were a warm and caring family like her mother had been, though it was just that: an impression. She quickly learned that her adopted father, Isaac, was a workaholic who didn’t spend much time with his family outside of daily dinners. The dinners weren’t the kind with flowing conversation either. They were more focused on saying prayers and eating, with few questions from Dina and Isaac directed at their children, asking for updates on their performance at school or referring to a lesson Father Joseph gave. Despite the lack of love and warmth, Grace knew she was lucky. Those few days spent in the foster care system in New York City taught her how different her situation could have been. As strange as Sade was for her, and as much as she missed her mother, she knew she had to make do.

  “Hey, what’s with the pouty face?” Eisav asked as he walked up to her in the playground. He was late today. “I’m sorry. I failed a math test and the teacher held me back for a lecture,” he immediately explained. She could never hide her emotions from Eisav because he was so perceptive. He must have noticed her unease from hanging out in the playground by herself. It was a terrible feeling to be in middle school and not have one friend. Grace’s eyes darted up from the pavement and focused on him.

  She was dreamy eyed, a feeling she got often when she gazed at him and hoped he couldn’t tell she had a crush on him.

  “I’m not pouting. Just hanging around,” she mumbled as she felt her heart pick up its pace just from his presence alone. If he had been cute at thirteen, then he was a hunk at fifteen. His dark brown hair had grown out a bit, he had grown taller, and he had some muscles too.

  “How about we play cards?” Eisav offered, pulling a deck out of his black leather jacket.

  His parents hated the jacket, but Eisav spent the summer gathering wood for his elderly neighbor, Mrs. Clarkson, and she paid him well. Mrs. Clarkson was a widow. Her farm was large and didn’t house animals anymore; Mr. Clarkson had run a sound cattle ranch and left his wife a nice sum of money to live out her days comfortably. When Eisav spent his time working on Mrs. Clarkson’s land, Grace would sit with her and have tea. Mrs. Clarkson revealed that she knew the Duncan’s were ashamed of Eisav since he never made it to church. Sade was a small enough town that gossip traveled fast. Mrs. Clarkson had lowered her voice as if someone was eavesdropping on her when she explained to Grace that the Duncan’s had become part of the New Age Christian Church—which seemed more like a cult. When Grace asked what a cult was, Mrs. Clarkson simply stated that their views were extreme and the expectations of their followers had nothing to do with religion. Grace didn’t understand and felt too shy to ask. Mrs. Clarkson then explained she wasn’t an avid churchgoer herself so she understood young Eisav and tried to encourage and help when she could. She was even fond of the leather jacket he bought with the money he’d made working for her and made a point of mentioning that he
r husband had a similar one in his time. It was then that Grace revealed to Mrs. Clarkson that she wasn’t a fan of Father Joseph and felt his sermons were more on the eccentric side. The old woman laughed when Grace revealed her true feelings then said, “I knew there was a reason I liked drinking tea with you.” That made Grace happy. She was glad to have Mrs. Clarkson in her life, but she also wished that she could also make some friends her own age.

  “What kind of cards?” Grace finally asked quietly as they both took a seat on the cool pavement. There was still a good half hour to kill before recess was over.

  “I’m going to teach you to play poker.” Eisav’s lips pulled at one corner. He seemed to like the idea.

  Grace had no idea what poker was, but she was willing to do anything her handsome friend wanted. He was always good at keeping her entertained and listening. She had complete faith this time would be no different. Eisav got to work setting up the cards.

  “We’re playing an open hand first. That way you learn the rules. I’ve been practicing with my friend Tim. I’ve become quite good,” he explained proudly. “Tim and I have been talking about going to Vegas when we’re old enough. I want to enter one of those poker tournaments. You can make a lot of money there,” he explained.

  Grace’s heart sank a little bit. As wonderful as Eisav was, and as good as his heart was, he had an itch that made him look for trouble. She didn’t know much about gambling and Vegas since Isaac limited what they watched on television and on the internet, but she had an idea that Father Joseph wouldn’t approve … and if Father Joseph didn’t approve, then neither did Isaac.

  “Are you sure this is okay? I mean your father wouldn’t want you gambling?” Grace said hesitantly.