Another Deception

by Pamela Carron

  When her face crumpled and it looked as if she were going to cry, Jacks stood up. It was obviously too soon and he was sorry to have brought it up, after all.

  “It is okay Millie. Maybe we should talk about a happier subject.”

  He gave Jessie an apologetic look and conceded to the fact he was rushing things. He wondered how long it would be before he could look to Millie for answers, which Jessie was not able to give him or be able to just call her…what Jessie called her.

  Mother sounded so formal and he remembered that most of his school friends called their parents mom and dad. He supposed it really would not make a huge difference, but still he wondered.

  They ate heartily at Sang-mi’s place, with Anna coming out to speak to them. She was surprised when Jacks introduced his guest as his family. She told him that Sang-mi’s house would always be his home and she hoped he would feel free to use it anytime. When he asked if he could keep the car until they left for Mississippi, she told him to keep it as long as he needed it. Sang-mi would be happy to know it was being utilized.

  After good-byes were said, and to go boxes filled with more of the foods they had enjoyed, the four loaded into the car and made their way through the traffic to the road, which would lead them to where Honey was waiting with great anticipation. Not only would she be seeing Jacks, but also meeting her mother-in-law. Never, did she imagine there would be two other members of his family for her to meet!

  In little less than an hour after they left the city, they were entering into the small mountain village of Canadensis. There Jacks pulled into the Post Office. He figured as small as the place was, he should be able to get directions to Romona’s house. He had charged his phone but really wanted to surprise Honey and this way he could.

  It only took a moment for Nettie to direct him and it was simple. Eight miles and they pulled into the drive of a rather large farmhouse and the first thing he saw was his wife sitting in the porch swing reading a book. She looked up but did not recognize the car and waited to see who it was.

  There were too many people in it for it to be Jacks and his mother. Therefore, when he opened the door and unfolded himself from his seat, she almost fainted from the sheer happiness to see it was he. Before she could even get out of the swing, he had taken the steps two at a time and was right there pulling her into his arms. Forgetting about the others, he held her so tight and smothered her with kisses.

  Millie, Jessie, and Abby all were just standing at the top of the steps, waiting, when the screen door slammed, Romona and Jean came running out. They stopped when they saw the two women and a child. They all stood looking at each other until Jacks stepped back and said,

  “Everyone, this is my family, Millie, my mother, Jessie my sister and Abby, my niece!”

  First, no one said a word, then all of a sudden everyone was talking at once and Millie was getting upset. She was not sure why they had left such a nice place to come with this man to a place where they knew no one. Everything was strange and she was not feeling well.

  It was Honey, who stopped all the chatter and said,

  “Jacks, she is tired, look at her. She looks as if she may cry!”

  Jacks turned his attention to Millie and asked Jessie if she would get her settled in her room so she could rest. It had been a taxing twenty-four hours for them and even he was tired. Romona directed them to the room they had prepared for Millie and Jacks brought them up to date with all that had transpired since they last saw him.

  When he finished he added,

  “They have kept Millie heavily medicated for all these years to better control her. That is the reason we have not yet told her who I am. Jessie and I agreed to wait until she is completely off the drugs before we tell her. There are things only she knows which will make this last year make more sense. If you all would, please do not refer to her as my mother until we have the opportunity to explain everything. I would appreciate it.”

  Honey was as close to Jacks as she could get and they had their arms around each other. She looked up at him. He was such a caring man. He constantly amazed her at how far he had come since they first met.

  “Of course darling. The poor thing! Can you imagine living with that monster that long without being suicidal? One week was way too long for Sheila and me. Where did he keep them or do you know?”

  Jacks nodded his head.

  “I do. Jessie said most of their time was spent at the stone house. Remember Honey, when I took you there to meet Asa? Do you remember the two women we saw there? Millie was the one who opened the door for us and we thought she was weird because she barely spoke.”

  “Dear Lord! I do! Jacks it was them, even though it was so dark in that place, I am sure it was them.”

  Jacks kissed her forehead. How he loved having her right in his arms!

  “Yes, it was. Jessie told me that she spent most of her growing up years away at boarding schools, until Asa got her hooked on all sorts of drugs. That is a story for another time. Right now, I want to hold my wife and just be with her alone, if I may.”

  Jean blushed and took Hidey by the arm, pulling him with her, as she answered,

  “I guess so! Enjoy the fresh air out here. We have to get another bed downstairs for the extra company anyway. Welcome back Jacks!”

  He smiled and when they were out of hearing range, he asked Honey,

  “Is it just me or is there something weird going on there?”

  Honey laughed,

  “It is definitely not you. There is a lot of something going on there. Can you believe it?”

  Jacks laughed too.

  “Well, I’ll be darned!”

  After that a few minutes went by of silence, with the swing swinging gently so that it swayed them into an almost sleep state. Jacks raised up first, for he was thinking how wonderful it would be to get back to Philadelphia, Mississippi.

  “Know something sweetheart?”

  Without waiting for a reply he continued,

  “I think we really do need to work on that large family we want. Now that our children will have a grandmother, an aunt, and a cousin, it will make it nice and rounded. Don’t you think?”

  Sleepily, Honey murmured,

  “Anything you desire, my love.”

  “I like the sound of that. You say anything?”

  “Yep.”

  “You know you are in trouble, right?”

  “Yep.”

  She smiled.

  33

  It was another week before the doctor felt that Honey was healed enough to make the trip home. During this time Millie was waking up from what seemed like a long dream filled sleep. As the drugs wore off, she began asking questions about where they were and why they were staying with strangers. It was on the third day and she was sitting in Romona’s garden enjoying all the blooming flowers and plants, when Jacks joined her. He sat on the bench and breathed deeply, enjoying the diverse fragrances, which surrounded them. He did not expect conversation, he just needed to feel close to the woman who had borne him and nursed him for the first two years. So he was surprised when Millie looked at him and said,

  “It was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my entire life.”

  “What is that, Millie?”

  “Give up my baby. To leave you there at that place, knowing that I would never see you again.”

  Jacks started,

  “Millie, what are you saying?”

  “I know that you are him, you are my son. You grew up to look like your father, you know. It was so long ago and for you to survive, I pretended you died. It was the only way to save you from him.”

  Jacks leaned over and took her hands tenderly in his and said to her,

  “It is all going to be better now. I will take care of you. I will take care of all of you. I promise…Mother.”

  She got that far away look back in her eyes and smiled.

  After then, she began to have longer spans of reason and would talk to him and about the past. By the tim
e they were to leave, she was more times lucid than not. Piece by piece the story of how Asa managed to control first her husband’s father, and then her, slowly evolved.

  The real Asa Jackson had been an upcoming political figure who thrived on challenges. When an elderly man who propositioned him with an incredibly prosperous excursion approached him, it was too tempting to turn down.

  The only thing, it was a trap and his son Glen tried to tell him, but he would not listen. He was gone five weeks and when he came back, he was a different person. Glen knew something terrible had happened but he had no proof. He confided his worry to Millie and confronted his father. The next day he became ill with a strange virus and never recovered.

  Millie had no idea of foul play and when Asa provided for her and her baby girl, she was grateful. She discovered she was pregnant soon after the funeral and Asa was joyfully hoping for a boy child. Millie thought he was just being a doting grandfather and settled comfortably into the stone house where he had moved them.

  At first, things were good for them. Asa spent much of his time away growing more powerful each time he left, but then the visits started coming from all sorts of people and secretive meetings were taking place below the stairs. One evening she eavesdropped and heard a conversation between Asa and the then Governor of the state. It was then she found out what had happened to her late husband and what was planned for her baby son. Immediately, she had gone and scooped him from his bed without taking anything else and took him to the orphanage. Her intentions were to take Jessie away and eventually go back for Jacks when it was safe. However, Asa was furious and when she told him she had no idea what happened to him, he did not believe her. That was when he started giving her the drugs. Life after that was like being a zombie, she did as she was told and ate, slept and lived day after day and year after year. Though she went through the motions of living, there was no life in her. Now she felt like she was awakening from a dream, only her children were not babies anymore, but grown adults and she was a grandmother. Her life had been stolen from her. That caused Jacks want to go back and kill the man himself but he forced a lighter mood so that Millie would not feel so sad.

  He also told her stories about his childhood, but only the good ones and he told her all about Sang-mi.

  The day came when they would leave to go back to Mississippi. It was a happy day in one respect and sad in another. There was an abundance of tears as Romona cried over both Honey and Jean

  The only consolation there was that she would be flying back next month for a week or two.

  Hidey was smiling as he gave her a last kiss and hug, for he was as sure of her love as she was of his. He was a happy man and it showed.

  Jacks thanked them for their hospitality and the great care they had taken of his wife and invited them to come for a visit any time. Jessie and Millie also conveyed their appreciation for them accommodating yet another three guest for the last week and all felt they had made lifelong friends.

  Finally, they were packed in the car and on the way to the airport. Anna insisted that they take the car to the airport and she would have it brought back the next day. Without any reservations about leaving, the six of them boarded the plane that would take them to Jackson.

  For Millie, Jessie and Abby, it was a scary transition. They had never known anything other than the life Asa had given them and the change would be difficult.

  For Jean, it was a revelation to find that every minute she was separated from Hidey was pure agony and by the time the plane landed in Jackson, she was ready to turn right around and go back, but she did not. What she did intend to do was go home and settle her business and get back to her mountain man as soon as she possibly could. If home was where the heart was, then she knew where her new home would be.

  An excited Dwight had offered to meet the group of them in the church van as it would hold more than the car and Sheila could accompany him. They were waiting to welcome them all as they exited the security check.

  It was chaotic for a while, with everyone talking and asking questions but when it quieted down a bit, Dwight and Sheila was able to understand most of what had transpired since they left the Poconos. They were just happy Honey was recovering as well as she was and that Jacks accomplished what he set out to do. Seeing him with his mother made Sheila want to cry but she did not. A sister and niece were over the top. All she could do was say ‘wow’ to everything they were telling them. It was close to unbelievable.

  They delivered Jean to her home first and then took Jacks and Honey with their guest, to their home. Everyone was tired, so goodnights were said all around, after beds were made up for the extended family.

  When Honey was finally alone with Jacks, she thanked God for bringing him back to her safe. With her curled up in his arms, he was thankful she was almost back to normal. As bad as he wanted to make love to her, he had refrained, not wanting to hurt her. Prepared to do the same this night, sure that she was exhausted as well, he kissed her and said goodnight to her. She responded by saying,

  “Not.”

  “No? Why not?”

  “Because my doctor told me yesterday when I saw him that it was now perfectly safe to make love with my husband.”

  “You asked him?”

  “I did.”

  “Then I suppose you are not too tired from the trip.”

  “I am never too tired for you.”

  “Hmmm.”

  “Why the Hmmm?”

  “Because we have a lot of catching up to do!”

  “Then why are you wasting time?”

  He began kissing her face and neck, breathing in the sweetness of her smell. Whispering in her ear, he said,

  “Am I still wasting time?”

  It was all she could do to reply.

  “No, not at all!”

  34

  Nine months later

  “It’s a boy! It’s a boy!”

  Jacks yelled as he came out of the delivery room. There were shouts of congratulations from family and friends who were waiting for the news.

  “They are cleaning him up and in a little while they will show him from the nursery. He is beautiful…no, handsome. Seriously, he is beautiful! Honey did a fantastic job. I have to get back in there! I do not want to miss anything.”

  Sheila was so excited the baby was a boy. Johnny would have someone to grow up with. She pulled her phone from her purse to call Dwight. He too, would be happy the baby had arrived.

  They had all been surprised when a routine checkup, connected to the accident, her doctor found her to be pregnant. At first, Jacks was concerned, but the doctor assured them both that her body should be able to withstand a full term pregnancy.

  He was right, for she did exceptional well in spite of her internal injuries. It was true that she had to spend the last month taking it easy, but the result was a perfectly normal delivery. Together, they looked at their son in awe, as he lay nestled in his mother’s arms. Jacks thought he would burst with pride.

  Reluctantly, they finally handed him over to the nurse, so he could be taken to the nursery to be gawked at by many people who waited patiently to get a look at him. Honey said,

  “He looks so cute with the little hat on his head. I want to go with him!”

  “Me too, but you need to rest after all the work you did to get him here. I thought for a minute, I was not going to make it. Do you think we will want to go through this again?”

  Honey could not help but to laugh.

  “Right this minute I am thinking he may be an only child but I hear that you soon forget all the pain and remember only the joy. Look at Sheila! Johnny is only six months old and she is pregnant again already! Plus, at least it was just one; there is Jean and Hidey expecting twins! I bet Romona is beside herself with excitement.”

  Jean came home for a month before going back to the mountains to live. She and Hidey had a simple ceremony and reception in Romona’s flower garden and Honey could just picture it. For their honeymoon,
Jean brought her husband to Philadelphia to meet all of her friends and family before going to Flagstaff to see the Grand Canyon and hike the trails.

  “Women are born with the desire to have children. They start with baby dolls right away, you know.

  This was true and Jacks supposed it was a woman thing.

  “We haven’t decided on a name yet, maybe we should think about what we are going to call him.”

  “At least we know what his last name will be. I am so happy your mother is here to enjoy her first grandson. I know it will not make up for not having you, but maybe it will help. I wonder if she has seen him yet and what she thinks of him.”

  “She will love him, just like we do. I was thinking, if you are not set on a name, if we could use my father’s first name. I know I never knew him, but I like to think he has watched over me. If you do not like it, we can think of another. I promise not be a spoiler if you do.”

  “What was it? I don’t remember.”

  “Alton Glen, but he was called Glen.”

  “Alton.”

  “Yes.”

  “Hmmm, I think I like it. Alton. We would of course call him Al, you do know that.”

  Jacks shrugged,

  “Al is not bad, is it?”

  Honey reached over and kissed his cheek.

  “Al is not bad at all.”

  She smiled at him.

  “Why don’t you go see what good stuff everyone is saying about our little Al? When you do, find out when they are going to bring him back to me!”

  “Okay, you rest and I will do that.”

  He started whistling as he left the room. When he got to the nursery, the window was closed, and all the people were about to leave.

  “Well? What do you think about our little guy?”

  He got so many responses that he could not process them all so he laughed and told them, “Thank you for all the compliments and Honey thanks you too. Right now, she is having a fit to get him back into her arms, so I got to give the nurses a heads up.”

  He took time to ask his mother if she got a good look at Alton and she looked at him in surprise.