Redemption Lake

by Monique Miller

  The man moved aside to let them into the cabin’s foyer.

  “Man, it’s dark out there,” Travis said. “We didn’t think that dirt path we took down here was ever going to end.” He looked over at his wife. Trying to lighten her spirit, he laughed, and then said, “She thought we were going to end up driving into the lake.

  “And I was right. We did almost drive into the lake.” She rolled her eyes at Travis, then extended her hand to the man. “Hi, my name is Beryl Highgate.”

  The man nodded his head. “I apologize for my rudeness. I’m Phillip Tomlinson.” He shook both of their hands.

  A woman sitting on a couch in the living room waved.

  Phillip gestured toward her. “And that’s my wife, Shelby.”

  “Hi,” Shelby replied. The greeting was friendly, but the look on her face, as well as her attire, suggested they weren’t expecting anyone anytime soon.

  Travis wondered if it were because of the late hour. “Sorry we’re so late. I know we were supposed to check in by five o’clock, but we ran into a few snags trying to get here.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Travis saw Beryl roll her eyes again.

  “Actually,” Phillip said, “you are early—a day early.”

  Beryl pivoted her body and folded her arms in a fluid movement. “We’re a day early?”

  Even though Beryl was asking Phillip the question, Travis saw that she was staring directly at him.

  “Yeah. Did you get the letter I sent with your itinerary? Check in is tomorrow from nine o’clock until ten o’clock.”

  Travis felt the familiar pressure of Beryl’s finger nudging into his arm. She cocked her head to the side. “Did you hear that? We’re a day early.”

  Refusing to face his wife, Travis said, “Yeah, I heard him. I made a little mistake.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Travis saw Beryl roll her eyes as she turned her attention back in Phillip’s direction. “We got the letter all right, or shall I say my husband did. Then he lost it and swore we were supposed to be here today. So—what are we suppose to do now?” She tapped her foot as she spoke. “Do we have to drive four hours back home?”

  “I made a little mistake, baby,” Travis said.

  She huffed. “Save it for someone who believes you. Honestly, Travis, just admit it. Once again you’ve gotten it all wrong. Your lack of attention to detail and irresponsibility has gotten us into yet another mess.” Beryl shook her head. “We’ve only been here five minutes and already you’re batting a thousand—a thousand in the red that is.”

  “Honestly, I—”

  Beryl cut Travis off clinching her dreadlocks with both hands and saying, “Travis, I really don’t want to hear you speak another word right now. That lake isn’t too far from here, and so help me God, if you keep it up, I will throw you in.”

  “Whoa, whoa,” Phillip said. “I’m sure it was a simple mistake. And you don’t have to drive back home. Why don’t you go ahead and get your bags, and my wife and I will show you to your room.”

  Travis smiled inwardly. This brother was all right. He was glad Phillip had his back.

  Beryl waved her hand and rotated her neck. “Oh believe me, it wasn’t a simple mistake. That’s why we’re here. It’s always a simple mistake or a simple misunderstanding with Travis.”

  Travis looked toward Phillip again for help.

  “And that’s okay. Like you said, that’s why you’re here, and we’re here to help you,” Phillip said with reassurance.

  This was gonna be all right. The brother had his back. We brothers got to stick together, Travis thought.

  Shelby joined them in the foyer. “Yeah, Beryl, I can show you your room while your husband gets the luggage.”

  Travis realized the sister had jumped in to help Beryl. Under his breath, he mumbled, “I guess all is fair in love and war. If the sisters want to unite then let them go ahead and try.”

  Beryl clutched her purse and walked toward Shelby.

  “Hey, man, let me put my shoes and coat on, and I’ll help you get your luggage,” Phillip offered.

  “Thanks, man. I appreciate it,” Travis said. He was relieved to be out of his wife’s presence for a few minutes. She’d been nagging him on the whole trip up about how he needed to find a job as soon as they got back. That was ... if things worked out at the retreat.

  Travis stepped out onto the porch as he waited for Phillip to get his coat and shoes. He popped a piece of Big Red gum into his mouth. The temperature seemed to have dropped a few more degrees, but he’d rather be outside in the cold than to continue standing next to Beryl, with her poking and prodding accusing tone, reminding him of his incompetence.

  Again, from Beryl’s point of view, he was just proving what a failure he was. And for the life of him he couldn’t understand why she even applied for the retreat in the first place. She was always complaining about money and how he needed to get a steady job. He couldn’t count the times she’d nagged him about needing help with the mounting bills. But Travis knew Beryl kept a stash of money for rainy days because every time she claimed they needed money for a bill or something for the kids at school, those things hadn’t gone lacking, and he hadn’t given her a dime.

  If he could just land the right job with the right boss, then everything would be fine. That would shut her up. But she’d have to be patient, just like he was.

  Her latest thing was to nag him about getting some marriage counseling. When she told him that their pastor at church had mentioned a marriage retreat in the mountains, he’d almost laughed in her face. They didn’t need marriage counseling; she just needed to give a brotha a break from all the nagging.

  And when she told him they’d have to pay a little over a thousand dollars to attend, he’d told her he didn’t have any money. But magically, Beryl had come up with the funds, and before he knew it, they were signed up to go.

  On numerous occasions she’d threatened to kick him out if he didn’t start pulling his weight around the house. But she’d never followed through on those threats, so he really wasn’t too worried. Travis knew this was just another ploy to try to push him into doing something he didn’t feel like doing. So to appease her, he decided to go along with her wishes for the retreat.

  The more he thought about it, he actually started liking the idea, thinking of it as a week long vacation. He’d put forth just enough effort to keep her from nagging him—for at least seven days.

  Phillip joined him on the porch. “Wow, it has gotten colder out here since we arrived.”

  Travis rubbed his hands together for warmth. “It has. And I didn’t bring a heavier jacket. Hopefully we won’t get snowed in or anything.”

  “I doubt it. Don’t quote me on this, but I really don’t think it snows this early in the fall. But then again, you know how unpredictable North Carolina can be with its weather; especially in late September.”

  Phillip gave him a pat on the back. “Try not to beat yourself up about everything that just happened in there. It’s all working out. My wife and I just happened to come up a day early, and you didn’t find an empty cabin.”

  Travis sighed. “It was a simple mistake. And she’s just blowing it all out of proportion. Thanks again, my brother, for rescuing me.”

  “Just try to relax. I’m sure she’ll calm down in a few minutes. Maybe she’s just a little tired from the long trip you took.” Phillip gave Travis another hearty pat on the back.

  This Phillip guy was nothing like what Travis expected. When Beryl first told him about the Christian Couples’ retreat, he immediately thought of some cult-like retreat in the mountains. He’d seen enough of the movies where the couples go get advice and counseling from a preacher and end up following the supposable man of God to the ends of the earth only to end up killing themselves in some sort of sacrifice.

  Phillip wasn’t a deranged looking old man. He actually looked like he was a couple of years younger than Travis. And the cabin, from what he’d seen of it so far, d
idn’t look like any of the cult camps he’d seen in the movies. And he’d seen just about every horror movie there was. One of his favorites was the Friday the 13th series.

  “Man, I wish that were true. I know she’s going to leave me. She says this retreat is my last chance. After this, if I can’t get it together, she’s going to leave.” Travis hung his head. After a minute or so, he raised it back up. “Well, there’s nothing I can really do. Guess I’ll let her do what she wants.”

  “Look, Travis. I’m sure you and your wife have probably tried to fix the problems you’ve been having yourselves, without someone neutral to intervene. You need someone with fresh eyes to help you see what’s going on. And that’s why you’re here.”

  Travis nodded his head saying, “Right, right.” What Phillip was saying did make a great deal of sense to him.

  “Don’t give up so easily. The next seven days may be the most crucial in your marriage. So you’ll need to be at your best, just like the rest of us will need to be. And if you and your wife really want to make this marriage work, then you can. You may just need some professional and spiritual intervention. And my wife and I are here to help you with that.”

  “I hope so,” Travis said, shaking his head in doubt.

  “Come on, let’s get those bags out of the car,” Phillip said.

  Phillip followed Travis to the early model Toyota Corolla. As Travis opened the back door, it creaked in need of oil. He pulled out a large duffle bag and a smaller travel bag, which he handed to Phillip. Then he retrieved two suitcases from the trunk.

  “That’s it. Thanks, man,” Travis said.

  “No problem.”

  Travis stalled, hesitant to return to the cabin. “About what just happened in there ... I’m really sorry about that display.”

  Phillip placed a firm hand on Travis’s back. “Look, what’s going on with you and your wife is real. This is not the place where you have to, or need to put up false pretences. So face it. It is what it is. Stop worrying about how you look this weekend or what anyone else is going to think. It isn’t about us or them, it’s about you and your wife.”

  Travis felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

  “Be real, be yourself. That’s the only way you’ll be able to help your family,” Phillip added.

  Travis sighed. “I’ll do anything it takes. I love my wife so much, and I don’t want to lose her.” It was true; he did love his wife, but just wished she would stop nagging him all the time, treating him like he was a kid or something.

  With a firm pat on Travis’s shoulder, Phillip said, “Why don’t you go inside and try to relax? It’ll probably get pretty intense around here soon enough. You don’t need to be worrying yourself tonight. Go get some rest. You’ll need it.”

  “I’ll try,” Travis said.

  Phillip led him back into the cabin and to his and his wife’s assigned room. Upon entering, Travis paused, looking at the separated twin beds on opposite walls of the room. “It doesn’t seem like this retreat really wants couples back together if they’ve got us sleeping in separate beds.”

  “Actually, this cabin is used for various retreats. Not just for married couples. The beds can be pushed together.”

  “Oh,” Travis said, knowing Beryl would probably welcome the idea of them having space away from each other.

  Phillip chuckled. “I was bemused by the separated beds the first time I came to this retreat too. The reverend that ran the retreat told me I’d be surprised by how many couples first come here welcoming the idea of not having to sleep in the same bed with their spouse.”

  “I’ll just bet my wife was glad to see the beds were apart,” Travis said under his breath. In the other room, Travis heard the women laughing and talking. He couldn’t think of anything funny at the moment.

  “Why don’t I let you get settled,” Phillip suggested.

  Travis nodded his head. “Thanks again, man.”

  “No problem,” Phillip said.

  After Phillip left, Travis commenced to unpack his duffle bag. He let out a huge moan when he realized he’d forgotten to pack socks and underwear. Actually, as he thought about it, it was Beryl’s fault he didn’t have any underwear. She normally packed his bag for him, but during one of her you-make-me-sick moments, she’d told him to pack his own stuff. So he had. And because of her, he didn’t have any extra underwear or socks.

  He shook his head in frustration. As soon as Beryl came into the room, he’d tell her what happened and she’d think of a solution—she always did. She’d probably packed some extra things for him anyway knowing he might forget something.

  Now that was funny. She was always trying to teach him something. Travis laughed. This was another one of her teaching moments.

  Chapter 4

  Travis Highgate

  Monday: 6:21 A.M.

  Travis was jolted awake by the slamming down of what sounded like his wife’s toiletry bag on the dresser. Then light spilled onto his face after he heard the curtains being slung open. He slid the pillow over his head.

  When he heard the bathroom door close, he slipped the pillow off of his head and pulled his cell phone off the nightstand. He groaned realizing it was only a little after six o’clock in the morning. Beryl knew he didn’t like loud noises in the morning and hated it when the lights were turned on in his face while he was still sleeping—much less the curtains and blinds being opened.

  Travis figured Beryl was just trying to get back at him and get under his skin. He wasn’t going to let it work. He felt if she wanted out of the marriage, it would be because she gave up on him.

  He turned his back to the window in order to get more rest. Her plan to get him agitated was only going to backfire. He’d stay in bed just to spite her. That would get under her skin. He hoped she’d be dressed and out of the room by the time he did get up.

  It seemed as though only a few minutes had gone by when Travis heard Beryl rustling around the bedroom. After she left and closed the bedroom door, he again pulled the pillow from over his head to peek at his cell phone.

  He shot up in the bed. It was already 8:50 A.M. “What in the world? Why didn’t my alarm go off?” he asked himself aloud, knowing the answer before he finished the thought. He hadn’t set the alarm on his phone. “Shoot!”

  Travis threw the covers off. “I’ve got to get myself into gear.” Hearing his voice out loud helped clarify things for him. He picked up the duffle bag and rummaged through it for some underwear, a pair of jeans, and a T-shirt. Then he remembered not packing any extra underwear, and he also remembered how things had gone the night before when he and Beryl finally decided to call it a night.

  When Beryl came back into their room to turn in for the night, he’d told her about his packing mishap. She’d looked at him with a smirk on her face that asked what do you want me to do about it? He’d asked if she’d packed any underwear or socks for him and she said she hadn’t.

  Then she’d had the nerve to tell him for what seemed like the millionth time that she was not his mama, and he needed to stop waiting for her to do everything. Travis had heard it so many times he was desensitized to the words coming from her mouth. She whined on and on about how she wasn’t appreciated and how she wished he’d take some initiative when it came to their marriage. After a while she sounded like the teacher on the Charlie Brown cartoon. The words bounced off his ears without comprehension.

  After she finally paused from her insistent babbling, Travis asked her what he was supposed to do about not having a change of underwear. She’d told him he’d have to drive an hour to a real store to buy some, or the ones he was wearing would have to be washed each night.

  He’d thanked her for the idea and asked where he should put the underwear for her to wash. Beryl had laughed so hard that she’d had to hold her stomach. When her laughing finally calmed down, he’d asked what was so funny.

  She’d rolled her eyes and told him to wash his own funky underwear. After that she co
ntinued to laugh as she pulled out her sketchpad to draw. As she sketched God knows what, Beryl’s laughing continued in intermittent spurts until she’d finally gone to bed and fallen asleep.

  Travis had been so upset with her that he’d jumped in the bed and went to sleep also. Now he stood with his jeans, T-shirt, toothbrush and toothpaste, but no clean underwear. He was wearing the only pair he had.

  The bathroom was small but functional. Luckily someone had not only added some feminine touches, but had also supplied them with washcloths and towels. He hadn’t even thought about packing any. Again that was something Beryl normally did. He was a grown man, and knew how to pack. And anyway, it seemed to be turning out okay. There was fresh linen folded neatly on a shelf over the toilet, and next to the medicine cabinet, Travis saw a mini blow dryer hanging from a hook.

  Travis nodded his head. “This might actually be all right.” All he’d have to do was wash the underwear and dry it with the blow dryer. In no time at all he’d have a pair of clean underwear. Beryl’s attempts at trying to make him look bad weren’t going to work.

  He began humming a tune to the song “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers. He hummed the song throughout his shower and shave. And after washing and drying his only pair of underwear, he emerged from their room looking and feeling refreshed. That was until he rounded the corner to the dining room, and his eyes fell on the scowling face of his wife.

  Travis dropped his head and looked the other way. All of a sudden, his stomach dropped as if it were speeding a downward slope of a roller coaster at Disney World, going fifty miles per hour. His stomach was the only thing that felt like it was at Disney World, because the rest of his body felt like he was in a low budget horror movie, starring as the villain.

  “Good morning, Travis,” he heard the voice of Shelby call from the direction of the kitchen. Travis hoped the woman had witnessed the angry looks Beryl had shot toward him.

  “Would you like something to eat?” Shelby asked. Her voice was soft and sweet. Travis remembered a time when Beryl’s voice had been just as soft and sweet. Not now though. Now her voice was hard and gruff. He wondered when it had changed, but couldn’t put his finger on a specific time or date.