Shaking her head and determined not to cry, she placed the box down gently and looked back inside the cubbyhole. There was cola lip gloss and mascara she had secretly bought when her brother had taken her to town with him one Saturday. While he was doing business at the bank, she had sneaked into a Dollar General Store and bought the items. She knew she couldn’t wear the cosmetics, but hoped maybe one day she could. The items held more symbolic meaning to her than anything physical, they gave her a faint, almost nonexistent feeling of control in her life, a glimmer of hope. Also hidden were four tattered romance novels she had read countless times while the others slept, these she had smuggled into the compound from school. But her most prized possessions were the letters from her sister, Aisha, the stack of envelopes bundled with a long red ribbon, with a picture of the two of them, a photograph that had escaped her father’s purge, resting on top. After she had ran away, her father had had ordered every trace of his “sinful, wicked daughter” removed from the compound or destroyed. So bitter was he that no one, not even her own mother, was allowed to utter her name in his presence, or anywhere else.
She pulled the letter out of her waistband and opened it like was a rare document, and was thrilled to see some photos inside, along with the elegantly hand written letter. Taking out the pictures her vision blurred as she felt tears well up, tears of happiness. Sniffling quietly, she wiped her eyes with a trembling hand and focused on the photos once more. Her sister looked like a movie star in the long, silver dress. Looking at the exotic hairstyle, she touched her own wild mane, wishing she could be allowed to do what she wanted with her own hair. Putting the pictures down carefully she reached in the envelope and unfolded the letter. A newspaper clipping fell out. Picking it up with a trembling hand, she read the obituary. Even though she had never met Jenny in person, had only known about her through her letters, she was saddened at hearing of her passing. She knew her mother would feel the same way when she told her. She read the letter quickly, not wanting to be caught. She could read it again, a little slower, once she had all the children put to bed.
Finished for the moment, she quickly put everything back in place and made sure the floorboard was secure.
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Ezekiel clicked more pictures on the laptop. He was supposed to be writing the sermon for the evening meeting, but he couldn’t stop looking at the images on the screen and dreaming, wishing for something he could never have. If his father knew what he was looking at he wouldn’t be pleased, he would condemn it as sinful and shameful. After all, he and his father both preached to the tribe members that no member should ever covet the pleasures of the wicked world. Smiling, he looked back down at his favorite picture, a beautiful sunset over snow-capped mountains. Alaska. He had actually been able to visit the place once, when his father had wanted to relocate their group after Aisha had defected. But the price of the land there was much more than the elders were willing to pay. He often daydreamed of leaving the church, the people, and the burden his father had placed on him, and just have a little home there big enough for him, and maybe a few dogs. Yes a nice place. I could use my teaching certificate, I could leave there without……
Angrily, he closed his browser, then closed the laptop. “Foolish dreams, I have responsibilities. I can’t shame father by holding on to my foolish, sinful lusting for a life I wasn’t ordained to have.” he mumbled, verbally chastising himself.
He pushed the laptop away and began scribbling a sermon for the evening service, not bothering to look up when his door opened and closed. No one walked in the office without permission but his father and Mary, his wife. He knew his father would be doing meditation for the night, so it had to be Mary. “Wife, why are you disturbing me? You know I don’t like to be interrupted when I’m putting together a sermon.”
Mary looked at her husband’s dark head with barely veiled contempt. The man wouldn’t even afford her the respect to look up at her, but in his mind at least, he didn’t have to. All the woman in the group knew that the men didn’t have to show respect to their wives or daughters. “I just wanted you to know that the meditation room is completed.” She said meekly, casting her eyes downward. When he said nothing, she went on to disclose the real reason she had came to him. “Samuel Wagner, he was at the site, he approached me about Zamora.”
Hearing his sister’s name made him finally look up at her, and he frowned. “ And just what business does he have with my sister?” he asked, then looked on in silence as Mary nervously put her hands in front of her and locked her fingers together.
“He’s interested in marrying her, and thought I could discuss it with you.”
Putting his pen down and giving her a hard look, her leaned back in the wooden chair “Wife, haven’t I told you to never overstep your boundaries? You concern yourself with only the work of a woman, the work I tell you to do.” he admonished her sternly, as if lecturing a small child. “Since Samuel couldn’t come see me man to man, and had a woman do his bidding, his request won’t be considered. Besides, father and I feel because Zamora has tendencies that are more childlike than adult, we want to give her more time to mature.”
It was true that his baby sister seemed, most of the time, to be in a world of her own, but he knew she was smart as whip. His mother, miraculously, had managed to convince his father not to force her into marriage at such a young age, and it was agreed by him and his father she lacked the maturity to marry, so it wouldn’t offend the other church members, and have their followers thinking they were putting Zamora above her station as a woman. Even if they did allow her to marry, it wouldn’t be to Samuel. He and the elders had held counsel on several occasions about the extreme punishments the man placed on his two current wives and children.
Used to controlling her anger well, Mary swallowed it down, then looked at the floor again, knowing that if she looked at him that instant, he would finally see and recognize the hate in her eyes. “I meant no disrespect. But the other girls her age have been married and having children for quite some time. I know they have to wait to be of age now, but it has been two years since she reached the age of consent. How do you think the other members will feel? Many whisper even now that she is placed on a pedestal because of who your father is, and they’re not happy about it. Though they would never say that to your face, or his. I’m only trying to be the proper wife of a leader here, please forgive me.”
Ezekiel knew he should be more understanding, after all, she was always trying to be the perfect wife. After she given him a wonderful son, Joshua, who was two years old, he thought he could maybe even love her some day, on some level.
His steady, piercing gaze made her nervous, and she shifted uncomfortably.
With a thoughtful look on his handsome face he stood slowly, then went to her and did something that caught her completely off guard. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her, feeling her tense like she always did. He released her and stepped away “Why don’t you go get us some coffee, and you can give me your thoughts on the sermon.” he said, astonishing her further.
Mary looked down yet again in a gesture he mistook as a show of her obedience, but it was simply to hide her anger. So he throws me a bone…she thought.
As she turned to leave he put his hand on her shoulder and stopped her. “Mary, I do value your thoughts, and I will talk to father about finding Zamora a suitable husband. You are right, she should be doing the same as the other young women.”
Mildly shocked, she looked up at his chiseled features. For once they were actually soft, making him even more handsome, and after what he had just said, she had to fight the urge to keep herself from dancing. GOOD! Now sweet little Zamora will be miserable just like the rest of us! she thought with sadistic glee. The very thought made her day.
******************************************************
Rolling down the passenger-side window in Connell‘s Dodge Ram, Aisha closed her eyes and de
eply inhaled the cool night air. This had to be the best birthday she had ever had. Sure, Max had thrown extravagant parties for her birthday several times, and had given her expensive gifts, but this birthday was different. She ran her finger over her gift, an amber and citrine drop necklace that Connell had given her an hour before, when he had driven her to a local park. The place had been dubbed the ’Duck Pond’, by most everyone, named for the dozens of ducks in the park that were fed by the town’s people. He had explained that the ducks had been there for so long they were almost domesticated as a result of being fed by everyone. She wished she had brought her camera, as she had watched a chubby little toddler feeding one and squealing with delight. She had looked at Connell, wondering what it would be like to have a child with him, but quickly pushed the thought away.
Connell had gone out of his way to make the day nice for her. The day had began with him making her sautéed apples, pumpkin pancakes, and cheese grits, all her favorites, and serving it to her in bed. He claimed he had made it all himself, but she hadn’t told him she had heard Helen that morning talking to him in the kitchen. Giggling softly, she thought, Oh well, let him have his little piece of glory.
Afterwards he had surprised her with a hot bath, filled with her favorite lavender bath oil, then joined her. They both had to end up showering because they had ended up making love in the tub. He had spent the entire day with her, which was rare for him. They had also driven to Abington to the Barter Theater to see a play, “Other Side Of The Mountain.“ All in all it had been a very nice day. Even though she didn’t want it to end, she knew that he would want to get up early to make up for the day of work he had missed.
When they finally arrived home, she leaned over, meaning to kiss his cheek. Instead, he turned and kissed her on her lips.
Finally pulling away, she looked at him and said, “Thank you for spending time with me today, this was the nicest birthday I’ve ever had.”
Smiling, he got out of the truck and walked around to open her door. As he did she drank in the sight of him. Her eyes roved over him, as she looked at his black dress pants that fit him so nicely, everywhere, and the gray shirt he was wearing, one that really brought out the color of his eyes.
When he opened the door he gave her a gorgeous smile that made her heart flutter wildly. She wanted him again, and she planned on doing just that once they got inside. Reaching her arms out to him, her body tingled in anticipation of the touch of his strong hands as he lifted her out and placed her on her feet carefully.
Connell looked at her and wished at the moment, more than anything in the world, that they had a few moments of privacy. She was wearing a brown button up sweater, one that really showed off her full cleavage, a brown suede skirt and black boots. The entire outfit showed off her curvy body, and he was proud to be with her. Not because of her looks either, but because she was simply a wonderful woman all around.
Holding hands, they walked into the house.
When he switched on the lights, the loud screams of “Surprise!” made her scream herself. The room was full of people, some she knew and had become friends with, and even a few she didn’t know, like the County Sheriff and his wife Carol Ann Berry. Everyone began singing “Happy Birthday” as she blushed.
When the song finished, Carol Ann stepped forward and introduced herself, and Aisha liked her instantly. She was a ball of energy, talking a mile a minute, as she told her she was not only the mother of four boys, she was the president of the PTA. She ran the only women’s shelter for domestic violence for miles around, and on top of all that, she ran the town’s small, weekly newspaper.
After filling Aisha in on a few of her own personal details, she looked at her and said, “I would love to do a feature on you, and maybe have some of your photos featured. It would really class up the paper, especially since all we have to report this week is “Hillbilly Days.” And to be honest, I think everyone’s getting burned out on the coverage of the greased-pig race. Oh, and Lord, not to mention ’The Best Friend Festival’ in Norton! It’s a beauty pageant where all the good ol’ boys dress up like women and prance around on stage.
Laughing, Aisha said, “What now?”
“Hey, don’t laugh, for some reason that’s a big hit in these parts! But the funny thing is, when it’s all over, just try to call any of those guys a drag queen, and see what happens! They’ll be ready to fight!“
Aisha couldn’t help but laugh at the thought.
“And if you’re willing, and have time, I would love to have you autograph any spare photos you have and donate them. We can auction them off for money to help the women’s shelter, we’re always desperately short of funds. Small town and everything, we all know you’re a pretty famous photographer up north. The rich folk around here would love to bid on them. We have a booth at the ‘Rail Road’ days in Appalachia in September, and we usually raise a good amount of money there too.“
Aisha was amazed, the woman never seemed to take a breath. Smiling at her, she nodded. “Alright, I’d be happy to help out for a good cause. And if you need any volunteers at the shelter, I’m up for that too.“
Just then the Sheriff and Connell walked up to them. David introduced himself, then looked at Connell, shook his head, and gave him a look of pity. “If she puts Aisha to work,“ he said, nodding towards his wife, “you’ll never see her again. Sometimes the only thing I see of Carol is her backside as she’s running out the door, from one project to the next. I have to make an appointment with her once a week to get to take her to lunch! Magine that!“ he said, then looked at her and winked.
Carol rolled her baby blues and tossed her long brown hair over her shoulder in a dramatic fashion, and huffed, “Don’t believe him Aisha.” Turning to her husband and looking up at him, she gave him a smile that always melted him and said, “He loves me and loves my independence, and he knows it!””
Connell wrapped an arm around Aisha’s waist, pulling her to him. “Well, I’m sure she could handle it. Don’t seem like there’s much she can’t do.”
Aisha was speechless, and looked up at him in wonder, her eyes sparkling.
As the party came to an end Helen and Beth Sun, the Pastor’s wife remained behind and helped clean up.
“Connell seemed really happy, and certainly proud of you.” Beth remarked as she gave Helen a knowing smile. Actually, it had been impossible for any of the partygoers to not notice how attentive and affectionate he had been with her. Helen had told her the day before that Connell had finally packed some of Jenny’s things away, after he talked to her about their feelings of guilt.
Aisha shrugged and gave the women an uncertain look. “I guess. I don’t know what to think, we’re just going to have to go slow.”
Beth rubbed her arm in a soothing manner. “You’re too worried about people around here. Just follow your heart. God’s got a plan for you, and will take care of any roadblocks.”
********************************************************
Connell had wandered outside to lock everything up, and as he walked his fence line by moonlight, he thought about his earlier conversation with Pastor Sun:
“Well, you seem happy. Are things going well?” the man had asked him as he stood looking out over the landscape, his hands behind his back. He always seemed to have a quiet, peaceful dignity about him. Except when he got behind the pulpit at church and got “caught up in the spirit.”
“Things are good. Well, most of the time. I’ve had to …deal with a couple of people.” he had answered, not wanting to tell the man of God that he had brawled in a bar and beat up a redneck.
The man had chuckled softly and said, “The Harrington boys, I take it. I heard about that, brother. For what it’s worth, a man should be able to watch over and take care of his family, protect them, and sometimes in life you just have to use the “jawbone of an ass” to get the attention of an ass!”
He had roared with laughter, unable to believe the normally gentle, even-tempered Rever
end had actually said that. After his laughter had subsided, he had said, “Other than that, we both have feelings of guilt. You know, about Jenny. I believe Aisha thinks we’re moving too fast.”
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