by Vivi Holt
When she wasn’t distracted, she was chatty. Far chattier than any other woman Michael had ever met, and about a hundred times more talkative then he was. He didn’t mind it so much in a way — he realized that if Ramona hadn’t been so talkative and the conversation were left to him to spark there might well have been a constant silence between them. Generally he was glad that the pressure to carry a dialogue hadn’t been left up to him. However, in this particular instance he was trying to get up the nerve and find an opportunity to broach the subject of the wedding.
He watched her as she chattered away, noticing the slope of her creamy neck beneath the thick curls of her dark hair. The way she bit her plump, red bottom lip, ever so gently, when she paused to consider her next statement. He felt perspiration forming on his forehead and his heart was racing. How would he ever get the words out?
***
The following evening Ramona was unusually quiet. Michael thought it might finally be his opportunity to speak with her privately. Mary and Fred were sitting together in the living room discussing an upcoming church picnic, and Ramona sat off to one side on her own. He cleared his throat and joined her by the front window, which was fast becoming her favorite place to sit.
“I like to watch what the people out there are up to,” Ramona answered when he asked her why she liked the spot so much.
“Ramona…” Michael began, “are you, are you still happy with our…” He trailed off, clenching his jaw as he tried to force the words out, “arrangement? You’re not disappointed in me, are you? I know sometimes these things can be awkward.”
Ramona laughed a little, her cheeks flushing pink.
“Do you mean us getting married?”
“Well, yes. Actually, I was just wondering if you, when you might want to. Get married, that is.”
Ramona raised one eyebrow, looking confused.
“I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought about it.”
She hasn’t thought about it? It’s all I can think of. How can a woman travel across the country to marry a man, and when she arrives – not think about the wedding?
“What’s going on Ramona?”
Ramona’s eyes flitted across the kitchen floorboards. Her discomfort was evident.
“Please,” Michael said quietly. “Tell me the truth. Why are you really here?”
Ramona sighed, and pulled at a stray thread on her skirt, refusing to meet his gaze.
“I’m here to find my mother.” Ramona turned her head back toward the window and stared off into the distance.
“Your mother?”
Ramona nodded. She kept watching people walking by the house through the window. Finally she met Michael’s eyes with her own.
“Mother is here, somewhere in Austin. That’s all I know.”
“So that’s why you came here? That’s why you chose me?” He was barely able to shield the disappointment in his voice. It’s all starting to make sense now. A woman as beautiful and glamorous as Ramona would never choose to marry a stranger in a pioneering town.
Michael spun on his heel and strode into the kitchen. Ramona rushed after him.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
Michael heard the genuine distress in her voice.
“I never thought, oh, when the lady said I could be sent to Austin to marry a man, I guess I never really thought about the man on the other end. That he would be real. And sweet and kind like you are. I never had any intention of hurting you. I’m sorry if I have.”
Michael lowered himself into a chair at the dining table, and Ramona slumped into a matching chair opposite him. She took a deep breath and told Michael the entire story. She started with her father’s debts and the way he took his own life, and ended with her mother running away to Texas to marry a man Ramona had never met.
She leaned forward and gently placed a hand on Michael’s arm. He stared down at it in astonishment, catching his breath at her touch.
“Michael, I’m sorry that I’ve used you. And most of all I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you from the start. I was just so desperate to find Mother. I wasn’t thinking about anything else. Or anyone else.”
She withdrew her hand and Michael felt he could breathe again.
“It’s okay,” he said gently. “I know what it’s like to lose someone. I’m awful sorry for everything that’s happened to you Ramona. I had no idea. I don’t judge you for what you’ve done. I want you to know that. But I will tell you that I’m disappointed.”
Ramona managed a little smile. “You are such a kind man. I can’t see why you would need to use a mail order bride service in the first place! I’m sure woman around here would be queuing up to marry you!”
Michael blushed and cleared his throat. “There aren’t many woman around here like you Ramona. I thought, well, I was still thinking actually, I know you’re here to find your mother and all, but if you wanted I could still, I mean, we could still get married.”
Ramona leaned back in her chair, away from him, and her face dropped.
“Never mind.” Michael shook his head. “No, of course not. I’m sorry. It’s all right Ramona. Just forget the whole thing.”
“Michael.”
“It’s fine.” He managed to force a bright smile. “I’ll help you find your mother and then you can go home.”
Ramona looked at him quizzically. “Do you mean it, Michael?”
“Sure. I can help you find her. I know this town well. If your mother is in Austin, I’ll be able to figure where she’s at.”
“You really are a kind man Michael. Much kinder than I deserve.”
Chapter Ten
Ramona
Ramona felt renewed when she woke up. Reaching for the window, she pushed her head through the opening and took a deep breath of the fresh morning air. The straw tick crunched pleasantly beneath her. She noticed that the flowers in the vase were now limp and turning brown.
I’ll have to get fresh flowers from the garden. I’m sorry to think of leaving this pretty house. I was starting to believe coming here had been a mistake. I wasn’t sure how long I could keep Michael from bringing up the subject of the wedding. But it has all worked out perfectly. He’s so understanding. I thought he would put me back on the next train as soon as he found out why I was really here. I should have just told him the truth right from the beginning. He’s so kind.
She leaned farther out the window and picked a cherry blossom from a nearby tree branch.
And Austin is such a nice town. Or, at least, it will be one day. It will be a shame to leave it, in a way.
She straightened up and shut the window. She was excited to get started looking for her mother. And now, she had help to do it, so there was no need to wait any longer.
Ramona bounded down the stairs. A fire cracked and spat in the hearth, and the smell of hot Johnnie cakes wafted up to greet her.
“Good morning all!”
“Good morning,” came the reply from Michael, Mary and Fred as each looked up from the dining table where they were about to eat.
“So, Michael, when shall we start looking for Mother? I have a few ideas about where we might find her. She did leave me one clue. Do you remember I was asking you if you knew anybody at the university?”
Michael hid a smile behind his hand as Ramona sat down at the table. Clearing his throat he said, “Great. We can start after work today if you like? And yes, I do remember you asking that. We can start there if you like.”
Ramona nodded quickly. “Yes, that would be perfect. I can’t thank you enough.”
“There’s no need, really. I’m happy to help.”
“You sure don’t waste any time,” said Fred, munching on fresh Johnnie cake smothered with butter and syrup.
“Sorry,” Ramona blushed, “How are you all? Did you sleep well?”
Mary smiled, “Soundly, thank you Ramona, and how about you?”
“Oh yes, I slept like a log. It’s so comfortable in my bedroom, and the air coming through the w
indow is so fresh, the birds sing prettily, and the scents wafting up from the gardens outside are just divine. Really, it is all very pleasant.”
“I’m glad you like it,” Michael smiled at her shyly.
“It’s perfect,” said Ramona, taking a bite of the golden cake on her plate.
“Well, we’ve got to get going,” Fred stood to his feet, and leaned forward to kiss Mary on the cheek. “We’ll see you ladies this evening.”
“Oh dear, let me make some lunch for you, I’m afraid I overslept again. You’re going to think I’m such a lay-about, but honestly I’ve never had to take care of anyone other than myself before,” cried Ramona, jumping to her feet.
“No mind, I’m not used to having someone take care of me at that,” Michael’s face flushed red.
She hurried to the kitchen, and made sandwiches for the two men with cured ham and mustard on thick slices of freshly baked bread. Taking their lunch pails from beneath the counter, she filled them with apples and oatmeal cookies that she and Mary had baked the previous day. Covering the pails with a cloth which she tied in place, she reached for their water cups that were drying on the sink, and handed the pails and cups to the men.
“There. Now you’ll not go hungry.”
“Thank you Ramona,” Fred nodded his head at her, then turned to leave.
“Thank you,” Michael took the pail and cup, and stood in front of her as though he were about to say something, but couldn’t get the words out. Then he simply said, “Bye,” and ducked his head.
Ramona smiled and returned to the table to eat her breakfast. Michael threw her one last glance, then hurried out the front door after Fred, carrying his lunch pail in one hand and his water cup in the other, his black hat pushed firmly down on his head against the wind.
“Bye!” Ramona shouted at his retreating back. He waved without turning around, as he scurried down the road.
***
Ramona climbed up into the wagon holding lightly to Michaels’ hand and toting a small basket under one arm. It was still light out, but they wouldn’t have long to search before twilight descended.
“What’s in the basket?” asked Michael, steadying her and guiding her to her seat on the wagon bench.
“I’ve packed us a picnic dinner.”
Michael eyed the package hungrily. He leapt up beside her and took the reins in his hands. He hadn’t had a chance to eat anything since he’d finished work. Instead he had rushed home and harnessed Sadie in the wagon to take Ramona out searching for her mother as quickly as he could in order to make the most of the daylight.
“Thank you Ramona. We’ll be able to stop and enjoy that in a little while.”
He guided the horse out onto the street, her hooves clip-clopping on the dusty road. “So you really have no idea where she might be?”
Ramona shook her head. “Other than that she came here to marry someone who works at the University? No. He’s a professor, I believe. His name is Art Franklin.”
Michael raised his eyebrows. “Well, at least that’s something to go on.”
Ramona nodded.
“It’s a start. And better than nothing. I don’t care if I have to walk down every street in Austin and knock on every last door. I’ll find her.”
Michael looked at Ramona, impressed.
“I have to say, I do admire your courage. To come out here from New York with very little idea as to where you mother is or if you’ll find her. Most people wouldn’t even try. They’d give up. But you’re so positive, and determined.”
He grinned at her, and pushed his black hat back on his head.
“I always like to see the bright side of the situation. I try to find the positives where I can.”
Michael clucked to the horse, and she picked up her pace.
“I noticed that about you.” He chuckled. “Well, we’ve got an uphill battle ahead of us! But I’m sure we can manage it. We’ll find her, it’s just a matter of time.”
***
They spent the next two weeks looking for Ramona’s mother every day after Michael finished his long shifts at the construction site. They started with the roads and streets near the University, thinking that someone there might know Ramona’s mother or some piece of information about her whereabouts. So far, no one they had spoken to knew anything about a history professor called Art Franklin, or his new wife.
“Don’t give up,” Michael told her.
“I won’t.”
But Ramona was quickly losing hope. Surely, if they lived nearby someone would recognize their names? Maybe they hadn’t stayed long and had already moved onto a new town. She tried to hide her diminishing faith from Michael. He, in turn kept encouraging her to pray about it. So she did. She asked God for guidance. She begged him for strength. She prayed fervently for wisdom to know what to do should she never find her mother. Michael was always there, by her side, comforting her when she was turned away yet again by another passerby who knew nothing of Professor Franklin.
“You’ve just got to keep trying,” Michael said one day when he could tell that Ramona’s spirits were low.
“How about I finish work a little early this evening, so we’ve got the extra time to look. I have a good feeling about tonight. I think we’ll finally find her.”
“Okay,” Ramona nodded. “Let’s try again,” she said, forcing a smile onto her face.
***
The wind brought a change in the air that evening. Ramona could feel the temperature dropping with the breeze that blew in off the desert, carrying with it a thick layer of red dust covering everything in its path. They headed out as usual, Ramona carrying their picnic basket under her arm. They rode to the University in the wagon, the silence of the evening broken only by the early call of a screech owl gliding between the trees overhead. They found a new neighborhood they hadn’t canvassed yet, and climbed out of the wagon to investigate by foot.
Michael had to hurry to keep up with Ramona’s stride, which had turned into a nervous skip as she danced across the dirt road.
What happens when I do find Mother? I’ll be leaving here and going back to New York. Isn’t that what I want? Then, why does the thought of it make me feel so wretched? The fact is, I don’t know if I want to leave Austin. Or Michael.
The truth hit her like a slap across the cheek.
I don’t want to leave him. But how do I tell him that? He’s accepted that we’re not getting married. He seems fine with it, as if he’s relieved by not having to go through with it after all. Oh, what a mess I’ve made for myself. I should never have come here.
“What’s wrong Ramona?” Michael’s voice pierced through her thoughts.
“Nothing.” Ramona pulled her shawl around her tightly. “I just want to get home quickly tonight.”
Michael looked pleased. “Well, let’s hurry up then,” he said, quickening his own pace to match hers. They walked side by side. Michael glanced at Ramona, a curious look on his face. She smiled at him, and felt the glow of a nervous flush creeping up her neck and onto her cheeks.
The stillness of the cool evening was pierced by a sudden ‘BANG’. People ran in every direction, ducking for cover as Ramona realized a pistol had been shot. She could hear shouting, and then two more popping sounds, as bullets flew through the air around them.
There was chaos in the street now. Ramona instinctively jumped to where she thought Michael was standing. “Michael?” she called out. She heard the sound of heavy hooves pounding on the road beneath her feet. The sound grew louder. She spun around. There, thundering toward her was a white stallion with wild eyes. The beast whinnied and kicked up dust with its hind legs as it ran. A black wagon tethered behind it was bouncing up and down looking as though it might break free at any moment.
There was no time for Ramona to get out of the creature’s path. It was barreling towards her so quickly that she barely had time to think of what to do. She went to leap out of the way, but the next thing Ramona knew, her head hit something hard,
and the entire world went black.
***
“Michael,” Ramona murmured, looking up into his kind, green eyes. His arms felt so soft, so comforting, and she pressed herself into him, her head dizzy from more than the wound.
I could stay here forever.
Ramona lay still in Michael’s warm embrace.
“I don’t know what happened. There was a gunshot, and a horse. I couldn’t get out of the way.”
“Shhh,” he said, almost laughing in his relief that she was okay. “Try not to speak. Try not to move. I’m going to get you home.”
***
Once they were home, the injury was all but forgotten. Ramona sat up in bed, bright-eyed and talkative. Michael brought her a bowl of steaming hot soup and gently suggested she ought to get some rest. She agreed to sleep for a while after she’d eaten and Mary bustled about the room, plumping her pillows, and fluffing her sheets. She opened the window, then closed it again, undecided on which would be best.
“I’m fine,” said Ramona. “Really, Mary, I’m OK. Just a bit shaken up, that’s all. I’ll have a little sleep, and I’ll be as good as new, I promise.”
Mary stroked Ramona’s forehead once, pushing a few stray hairs from her face. She smiled, then turned to leave the room.
“You call me if you need anything,” she said, concern written clearly across her pretty face.
“I will. I’m fine.”
Michael checked in on her after an hour, and handed her another cup of soup as she sat up to slowly sip the steaming broth. “You know Ramona, I was so worried about you today. I thought that, I thought you’d been hurt real bad.”
Michael’s eyes searched hers, as if to look for some kind of sign. Not finding what he was looking for, he sighed and got to his feet.
Ramona wondered what she had done to cause him to leave so suddenly.