Roommates

by Valerie Reyes

  An excuse sprung to Jane’s mind at once. She found it odd that she wanted to leap to Earl’s defense so suddenly. It had not even been an hour before when she had slapped him, and had wanted to do worse than that. She hated to think of herself as changeable in that way, yet there it was. She felt sympathy- actual sympathy- for the man.

  She said, “I’ve seen the wanted posters around town. I thought I’d come in and ask whether he’s been seen. I haven’t been here long, but the feeling I get is that this country isn’t exactly safe.”

  He said, “That’s true enough, miss. About the country being dangerous, I mean. I also must confess that I haven’t seen you around here before. Are you new to Sawtooth perhaps?”

  She curtsied in front of him. This time, she felt less awkward doing so. She said, “Yes, as it happens. My name is Jane Russell. I’ve come up from Texas. I expect I’ll be around for a while.”

  The sheriff tipped his hat at her in acknowledgement. He said, “Well then, welcome to Sawtooth, Miss Russell. If I might give you a piece of advice before you leave?”

  Jane had turned her shoulder towards the door, intending to walk out of the office. She stopped and said, “What might that be?”

  “Don’t let yourself fall under the power of a generous man. He might seem like a blessing, like someone you can rely upon. But in the end, no matter how you might resist, you’ll end a whore. I’ve seen it happen thousands of times. You be careful now, you hear?”

  She said, “Yes, thank you sheriff.”

  As she left the office, she wasn’t sure whether she should be insulted by the implication that she couldn’t take care of herself or by the compliment that at thirty-nine years of age, men would find her attractive enough to pay for her services- such as they might be. She decided to take it as a compliment.

  Chapter 6

  She found Earl some distance away from the town. She had to walk in the hot afternoon sun. She became short of breath easily, then remembered hearing about mountain sickness. She had wondered then if it was possible for people to get sick just because they were high up in the air. At the time, the notion seemed ludicrous. Now she believed it. Perhaps, she thought, not everyone in the world was trying to tell tall tales.

  She put her hands on her knees while she panted out her breath. Earl lay on the grass. He had put his hat over his head to make it look like he was sleeping. In fact, he was not sleeping. He had put the hat there so that anyone who came within a stone’s throw of him would not be able to recognize his face. As soon as he heard Jane approach, he reached for his gun and pointed it at the source of the noise.

  Jane said, “Why Mr. Kittredge. If you keep acting in such a manner, I might be liable to think you intend me harm.”

  It took him a moment before he gained back enough of his senses to see who stood before him. He put away his gun, then said, “Sounded like you was trying to steal a march on me. I beg pardon.”

  She put her hands on her hips. She said, “Honestly, sir. If we’re to get along, you simply must stop pointing your gun on me. It’s rather off-putting.”

  He held his hand up to apologize. Then, when he realized what she had said, he stared at her in shock. He said, “If we’re to get along? What do you mean by that exactly?”

  She shrugged, trying to pass off what she would say next as not very significant. She said, “I was wrong about you. I confess it freely. I don’t appreciate your trying to defraud me, but I think I understand your reasons for doing so. You consider love to be more than safety, do you not?”

  He sat up. He studied her face, trying to determine if she was speaking the truth. When it seemed to him to she was, he said, “A man is born into this world alone, naked, and frightened. He leaves this world alone, frightened, and- if he is lucky- with clothing on his body and a blanket to keep him warm. It’s not the coming or going that counts. It’s what happens in between. I might get strung up tomorrow. I don’t rightly know. I just know that, here and now, I ought to enjoy my time as much as I can. I’d like to fall in love with a woman and start a family with her. Maybe not here in town. Maybe somewhere else like Idaho or Wyoming. I’d like to spend my evenings with her, reading books or sitting by the fire. Whatever she likes. I’d like to get her a quilt, maybe a nice pair of mittens. We’d shovel the snow together, plant seeds together, fix up the house together. That’s what I’d like. Just a little bit of affection and tenderness before I leave this world. That’s all.”

  Jane sat down on the grass next to him, not caring about what the grass might do to her dress. She already had dirt on her boots and along the bottom hem of her skirt. It wouldn’t make much difference if she gained green grass stains on her backside. She said, “I’ve never thought of it that way. I always focused on my work to the exclusion of all else.”

  He said, “Your work? What did you do? I mean, before you came to Nevada?”

  She told him about how she had been a school teacher in Texarkana. She went on at length about what she taught, and what she was directed to teach. The two did not always go together. She talked about passionate she was to inspire young minds, for they would- she hoped- one day inspire others. She spoke of how she was concerned for her future, then said, “I believe you have the right of it. We should all try to find some love while we may.”

  He extended his hand tentatively. When he saw that she neither resisted nor slapped it away, he grabbed her hand with his own. His hand felt warm. She made a conscious decision then to stop resisting her natural impulses. She brought his hand against her cheek, enjoying the warmth that spread all along her face. She closed her eyes while she felt a shiver run her body. He used his other hand to hold on to her face. He pressed his lips against hers. She let his hand go in order to find his ribcage. She felt the bones of his ribs beneath the thin layer of his skin. She took her time, passing her fingers down the sides of his torso until she reached his stomach area. There, she began unbuttoning his shirt.

  He grabbed her wrist, then pulled his face back from hers. She leaned in, wanting to kiss him again. She wanted to kiss him over and over as often as she could until she had no more kisses left to give. She wanted to kiss him until the sun went down, then came back up. It didn’t matter to her then what the consequences of that might be. She was drawn to him as irresistibly as anything she had ever known.

  He put a hand on her chest. He said, “Are you sure that this is what you want? Even knowing my history, and the kind of life that we’re likely to face?”

  She grinned at him. She said, “I think maybe you’re right.”

  “How is that?”

  “Money isn’t everything.”

  He let out a full, hearty laugh. Then, he kissed her again.

  Idle Hands

  Chapter 1

  “I would like to have a dress made, please.”

  The shop girl looked Miriam up and down. She was familiar with the strange customs of the Amish from nearby Lancaster County, but she had never seen one venture into a shop in the city, and certainly never dreamed of one wanting to have a dress made. “Of course. I have to tell you, miss, we do not carry the fabrics you are looking for.”

  Miriam turned her bright blue eyes to the young woman. “Oh! Of course not!” She glanced sheepishly down at her own dress and noted how sharply out of place it probably looked in the shop. “I absolutely do not want a dress like this,” she said, indicating her homespun dress. “I would like a dress made just like that one, if you please.”

  Astonished, the young shop girl nodded and led Miriam to a curtained-off area where she helped her disrobe and began taking exact measurements. Finding that Miriam was the exact same size as the dress on display, the shop girl offered to sell it to her at a discount, saving on the cost and time of having a new one made. The idea sounded spectacular to Miriam, so the shop girl pulled the dress off the mannequin, helped Miriam into it, and turned her toward the mirror to see the effect.

  Miriam stood looking in the mirror. The beautiful dress was
light, almost weightless compared to the dress she had just cast into the corner. She almost felt naked in it. However, the cut and the color were so flattering to her petite figure. She stared at herself a moment before realizing something was out of place. She looked to her hair, still covered by the plain white cap, and removed the cap. Still, her hair was in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. She pulled the pins out and let the dark auburn hair fall in cascades down her back and over her shoulders. As she watched the hair fall, she saw a completely different young woman. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror, and then turned to the shop girl, who was so shocked by the transformation that she had no words.

  Thirty minutes later, Miriam left the store in her new dress, an order for two more dresses, a new pair of sensible ankle boots, an order for two fashionable hats, and a huge smile upon her face. She felt so proud of herself and all that she had accomplished on her first day of Rumspringa. She felt most proud of the fact that she had no intention of ever returning to the Amish community of her parents. If they were still alive, maybe it would have been different, but they had been dead for almost ten years, and in that time, Miriam had felt like she was a bird trapped in a cage where she was more of a burden to her uncle. He made no secret of wanting to marry her off, and made it clear that, when she returned at the end of her eighteen days in the world, she would immediately be married to Owen Miller.

  Miriam could not turn down the marriage, but she despised Owen. Despite strict Amish culture, Owen was spoiled and spiteful. His parents only had him, and as an only child to them, and for a long time the only grandchild to the leader of their Amish community, Owen was more often than not doted on and allowed to get away with all manner of shocking outbursts. Had it been anyone else’s family member, he would have been shunned ages ago. Plus, her personal feelings for Owen spawned from his mistreatment of her because she was an orphan. The community may have had strong Biblical ties, but that did not mean they were perfect, and as an orphan in many ways, Miriam was treated like one of the shunned.

  Many of her community treated Miriam differently after her parents both passed away from an illness that swept across their community. Owen, over ten years older than Miriam, had caught on to the elders’ different treatment of her, and treated her even worse, going out of his way to be cruel. Then as she got older, he started to notice her as a woman. She complained on multiple occasions to her uncle and to her closest friend’s mother, but they both dismissed her concerns as the flirtations of a man in love with a young girl. From that point on, her uncle went about setting up a betrothal of sorts between Owen and Miriam. For over a year, Miriam lived in fear. Once it was common knowledge that she was to marry Owen, he would try to catch her alone. More than once, he had cornered her, putting his hands on her, forcing her to kiss him, and on the one occasion he was caught he turned the blame on her saying she tempted him.

  So as Rumspringa neared, Miriam had made excuses to go into the local town outside their community and find a way to leave forever. On one of her excursions, as she was idly passing time in the local general store, she overheard two men joking about advertisements they had seen in the paper regarding mail order brides. Intrigued, Miriam made several more trips into town to learn as much as she could.

  As Miriam marched up the steps to the hotel she was staying at in Philadelphia, she could not believe that in less than a day, she had done so much to assure she never return to the Amish community. After she had placed the ad in the paper, which she was told was sent as far away as Denver, Colorado, she had also been informed that she could see inquiries as quickly as the next day due to agencies that acted on behalf of private parties. As Miriam made her way to her room, she fervently prayed that the Lord would bless her with a fast inquiry because she knew her time in Philadelphia would go by fast, and she wanted to be well away before anyone had a chance to come after her when they realized she was not returning on her own.

  Miriam let herself in the room and smiled at the expression on her friend’s face.

  “Did you stay in here all day, Ruth?” Miriam asked as she nonchalantly walked around the room showing off her new dress. While men from the community were allowed to take Rumspringa on their own, the young women were required to go in pairs.

  Ruth nodded mutely, still staring at Miriam with her head uncovered, dress showing off her arms and collar bone, with the beautiful doe-skin boots peeking from the hem of the dress.

  Miriam moved to sit next to her friend. “Will you come out with me tomorrow?”

  Ruth leaned back against the pillows of the bed. “No. I was going to tell you that I think I am just going to go back tomorrow. I really do not want to stay out here. Just looking at you makes me feel so uncomfortable.”

  Miriam sighed heavily. “I know, but you can’t go back yet. Please. Please stay at least for the week, just to see if I have a letter come through. Say you will.”

  Ruth stared into her dearest friend’s face. She knew all that Miriam had been through. She knew how Owen was terrorizing her, so she understood Miriam’s desire to leave. However, for Ruth it was very different. The young man she was more or less promised to was a distant cousin from a neighboring community, and he was quiet, kind, and yet was being groomed to lead that community in time. Ruth greatly admired Matthew, and this time away for Rumspringa made her wary. What if he took her absence as a sign that she was discontent? Still, she knew Miriam needed her, and should not be left alone in this big city with so much to tempt her.

  Ruth leaned forward and squeezed Miriam’s hand. “Ya. I will stay. But only until Sunday.” Then she remembered something. ”Oh! While you were out, this came for you.”

  She handed Miriam a thick envelope addressed to Miss M. Beiler. Miriam looked at it. Certainly, she had not gotten inquiries within the first day! Carefully, she unwound the string tying the envelope closed and pulled out a sheaf of papers. Her eyes opened wide as she realized she was looking at an inquiry complete with marriage contract and directions on how to complete it, travel instructions, and a bank account with money for her journey, as well as short instruction on what to do if she turned down the inquiry.

  Miriam read the inquiry and then handed it to Ruth, who read it out loud while Miriam got to her feet and paced around the room.

  To Miss Miriam Beiler on behalf of Mister Kinkade Walters, represented by Lawyers Stratt and Worthing.

  Our client, Mister Walters, an artist of growing influence and son of Mister and Missus Frank and Geraldine Walters of Topeka, Kansas, wishes to answer your advertisement regarding your ability to serve in the capacity of wife and homemaker.

  Included in the packet are all the details and directions if you are so inclined to join hands in matrimony with Mister Walters. If you are disinclined, please return the contents of this packet to the address on the envelope by 8 am on this following Friday.

  We look forward to your prompt response to this inquiry.

  Signed - Lawyers Stratt and Worthing

  Ruth put the letter down and flipped through the rest of the paperwork, her eyes popping wide when she reached the amount set aside for Miriam’s travel, three hundred dollars plus access to more if the occasion called for it.

  Miriam stopped her pacing. “What do you think?”

  Ruth shrugged her shoulders. “This is the first offer. Certainly, there will be more tomorrow? At the very least, you should sleep on it, ya?”

  Miriam, never one of the more patient ones, sat on the edge of the bed in a huff. “I don’t know that I will be able to sleep. Look how official everything looks! Do you think he is a man of great importance? He must be very busy to have lawyers handle his requests for him, no?”

  Ruth watched as Miriam played with a long strand of hair that was typically bound up and out of easy reach. She admitted to herself that Miriam truly was beautiful, and while her Amish attire did not hide that fact, the new clothes and her new hairstyle certainly accented her beauty. Ruth glanced for a moment in the mirror op
posite the bed they were sitting on. Ruth was so different, in appearance and character. Where Miriam was almost olive skinned with her dark hair and deep blue eyes, Ruth was very fair skinned with mousey brown hair that was thin and wispy, and pale blue eyes that most often appeared grey rather than blue. A hint of jealousy touched Ruth and she clamped down on it. Yes, she needed to go home, and soon.

  Ruth returned her attention to Miriam as she sat puzzling over the papers.

  “You know, maybe this is a sign. Maybe the offer came so quickly because it is the one you should take.”

  Miriam stared at the paper as Ruth’s words sank in. “I don’t know...I wonder if I should give it another full day...”

  Ruth leaned back in the bed and closed her eyes. "I think you should sleep on it, but I also think you should not take too long. Something about this particular one seems fortuitous to me.”

  Miriam sat still for a moment. "You really think so?”

  Ruth peeked out of one eye. “Ya. I do.”

  Chapter 2

  Miriam was up before Ruth the following morning and spent the early morning hours praying for guidance. She was not a person to just go with the first option, even as badly she wanted to start afresh and leave her past behind her. She considered Ruth’s words, and felt a stirring in her gut that her friend was correct, but doubts and a sudden fear of the unknown made her reconsider.

  After all, one thing about this mail order bride system was that while she had filled out a lengthy application in order to place her ad, she was warned she would learn very little of the men who sought her hand until she met her chosen in person. She feared she could end up with a drunken philanderer or someone just as bad as Owen. However, once she signed her marriage contract, she was legally bound, never mind her own convictions about marriage despite hardships.