And Along Came Jake (10 page)

"It's okay to cry, Jake." Big Paul replied, as he sat next to him, putting his arm around his shoulder. "You've been through an awful lot. I'm really sorry Jake. I was going to tell you your mother stopped by, after we ate dinner, but it seems she beat me to it."

"Why Big Paul? Why did she have to come here?" Jake asked, wiping tears with his sleeve.

"I'm not sure." he answered "but everyone deserves a second chance. What do you think?"

"I guess so, but she quit caring about me Big Paul, she just stopped!"

"Jake" Big Paul handed him his handkerchief. "It's not always easy to forgive, and frankly, you don't have to, but either way, you'll have to live with the consequences of your decisions."

"What do you mean, consequences?" Jake asked, blowing his nose.

"Well" Paul now folded his arms and took a deep breath. "When I was about your age, maybe a couple years older, I ran away from home, just like you."

"You did?" Jake asked with surprise in his voice.

"Yep, my mother died giving birth to me, so I lived alone with my father. Anyway, I was fifteen years old, and one day, my friends invited me to a festival. I wanted to go so bad––Jenny Andrews was gonna be there, could you blame me? Oh, that girl always made me smile. Anyways, my father told me that I couldn't go, because of something I did wrong earlier that day––come to think of it, I can't remember what it was that made my father so angry."

"So what'd you do, Big Paul?" Jake asked inquisitively.

"Well" he sighed "I snuck out and went anyway. We had a great time, and it was actually the first time I kissed Jenny Andrews."

"So what happened when you got home? Did you get grounded?" Jake asked, now hanging on Paul's every word.

"No, I didn't get grounded when I got home. My father was sitting in his favorite rocking chair in the living room, the one he and I built together. When I walked in, the first thing he did was ask where I'd been. He told me that I was forbidden to see any of my friends, and that included Jenny Andrews."

"So, what happened?" Jake asked "Let me guess, you forgave your father, and everyone lived happily ever after, right?"

"Oh no Jake. In fact, quite the opposite." Big Paul began. "You see, I ran away that night. My father tried to contact me time and time again, but I was so angry and bitter inside, that I never saw him again––well, I take that back, I did see him one last time."

"but you made up, right?" Jake said, as he smiled and snapped his fingers together.

"No." he replied, as his eyes began to water. "We never made up––you see, the last time I ever saw my father was fifteen years later, at his funeral. I was only thirty years old Jake."

"I'm sorry Big Paul." Jake said, putting his arm around him. "What about your friends, and Jenny Andrews?"

Mr. Sutton chuckled. "Me and my old friends parted ways, but Jenny and I––well, we got married in the spring, exactly one year to the day we met, we were only sixteen."

"Wow...really?" Jake asked.

"That Jenny Sutton, what a gal she was." Big Paul sighed, and looked toward the ceiling and smiled.

"You said was." Jake mentioned. "What do you mean, she was?"

"She passed away two years ago." He said, taking a deep breath in and exhaling slowly. "She died exactly three days after our 45th wedding anniversary."

"I'm so sorry to hear that Big Paul, I'm sure she was an extra special gal. Did y'all have any children?" he asked.

"You know Jake" he said, looking down at his shoes. "Jenny and I were only three months apart, she'd be 63 now." He shook his head and continued, "Well anyway, to answer your question, we tried having children, but for some reason we weren't able to. The good Lord has his reasons, but despite not having kids, Jenny and I had a wonderful life together. We were the best of friends from the day we met, until the day she closed her eyes in death, nobody could ever pull us apart."

"How'd she die?" Jake asked. "Well, I-If you don't mind me askin."

"I don't mind." Paul took a deep breath. "She's been sick on and off the last year of her life––I can remember the last moments with her. She was lying in bed, and I was by her side, holding her hand, she reached up, put her hand on my face and
said 'I sure do love you, my beautiful Paul.'
Then she put her hand to her side and looked into my eyes. I knew the end was near, so I told her I loved her one last time. She gave me a slight smile and said that she loved me too. Then her eyes closed, and she peacefully left this world. I kissed her forehead, and sat looking at her beautiful face until they came and took her body away. We buried my lovely Jenny three days later." Mr. Sutton wiped his eyes, then changed the subject back to Jake and his mother.

"Jake" he continued "I regret not going to my father. He died trying to make amends with me, but my stupid pride got in the way. My grandma was right; she wrote me a letter just before she died, I was only a baby then, not more than a few weeks old. But I'll tell you, that letter got me through a lot in life. I must have forgotten all about it when it came to making up with my father.  Even my dear Jenny tried to convince me to make things right with him, but I never listened. I'll never have the chance that you have right now."

"I get it Big Paul, so what was the letter about––the one your grandma wrote?"

"It was about living life to the fullest, and living life with no regrets, stuff like that––One day I'll read it to you."

"Big Paul" Jake said "I don't wanna' regret this–– will you go with me?"

"Absolutely Jake––absolutely." He said as he smiled, reached over and lightly squeezed his shoulder.

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As they walked back into the house, they saw Madison at the table finishing up her dinner, and her parents getting to know Mrs. Patterson in the living room. Jake walked up to his mother and gave her a big hug.

"So how are you ma?" He asked. "How have you been?"

"I'm better Jake––Well, I'm getting better." She said, as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"What happened to you? What happened to us?" he asked.

"It's a long story son." She said as she sighed. "Perhaps we could spend some time together and talk?––in fact, why don't you come back home Jake, come back to Round Rock with me, we have so much to catch up on."

"Ma" Jake said, kneeling down and taking her hand. "I am home. I hope you will visit me sometime, but I live in the old barn, about a quarter-mile from here, I'm working with Big Paul, and I'm learning a lot about life. I'm sorry ma, but my home is here in Blackwater."

"I understand son." She said, nodding. "I've put you through a lot, and for that I'm sorry, I would like to visit you from time to time, and I hope that someday we can become close again."

Then she gave Jake a warm hug, stood up, said her goodbyes and left. After his mother was gone, Jake was feeling good that he and his mother finally made things right.

"Well everyone," Jake said "I don't know about y'all, but I sure am hungry."

Jake, Mr. Sutton and the Brierly's sat at the table, and finished their dinner. Madison on the other hand, who finished eating while the scene unfolded, took out her easel and paints, and began to paint the group having supper together. Although she was no longer sitting with them she took the liberty of painting herself, sitting in her normal chair enjoying the meal with her family and friends.

—

The Truth Revealed

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Five years have passed since Jake first moved into the old barn, and overall, not much changed in the town of Blackwater. By this time, Jake and Madison, now seventeen, had remained close friends, and including Little Edwin to the mix, made life just right.

Edwin could always find a way to make anything interesting, much more interesting. He was still playing baseball, and still the worst player on the team; until one day his coach offered him a position of equipment manager, and third base coach.

Edwin still played occasionally when one of the other players were injured or absent, but he really had a knack for the mechanics of the game. He soon came to be the coaches' right hand man. Although he may have been the worst player on the field, it seemed he understood the game better than anyone. He would often make small suggestions to the coach, and whenever the coach utilized those suggestions, they worked like a charm.

Mr. and Mrs. Brierly steadily worked on their crops and continued making a great life for themselves. Also, Jake and his mother regularly kept in contact, visiting one another when they could.

As for the others—well, Smitty was still Smitty and the others haven't changed much either. Big Paul was very successful with his furniture store. In time, Jake became very skilled at building and repairing all types of furniture, and Madison—well, that charming young lady could sell milk to a dairy farmer. Big Paul let her sell furniture on commission, and she proved to be a very convincing, wonderful saleswoman. Her beautiful smile mixed with her vibrant attitude was a sure sale to anyone who walked into the store.

Apart from running the furniture store, Big Paul also managed to become the town's adviser. After getting past Madison, buying items they didn't really want or need, they'd make their way to Mr. Sutton's office to ask his advice and opinion on just about any and every subject. As a result, Big Paul would often stay late in his office, catching up on paperwork bookkeeping, etc. However, this never mattered much; Mr. Sutton simply loved to help people, in whatever way possible.

<><><> 

One day, while working at the furniture store, Jake became a bit agitated with Madison as he was repairing a rocking chair in the workshop. He started to become upset, when he noticed her flirting with one of the older boys in town. Although he was in the back, he could see and hear everything transpiring through the open doorway which separated the workshop from the showroom. Jake continued his repairs, but a bit louder than normal, in hopes to get Madison's attention.

Madison glanced towards Jake, shrugged her shoulders then continued her conversation with Chad Westfield. Jake kept working until he heard the chime of the bell. He looked and noticed Chad Westfield finally left the store. Jake stopped what he was doing, brushed himself off, and walked over to Madison.

"So," Jake said. "What was Chad Leftfield doing here? Like the saying—
out in left field.
"

"It's Chad Westfield, not Leftfield!" She corrected, rolling her eyes and folding her arms. "And oh by the way, Chad Westfield just asked me to have a picnic with him tomorrow in the park."

Jake didn't know why, but when he heard those words, it tore him up inside. Nevertheless, he struggled to appear happy for his friend. "That's great Maddie!" He said "You should wear something really nice!"

Madison was shocked. It wasn't the reaction that she was hoping for. Deep inside she expected Jake would be just a little bit jealous. "You wanna help me pick something out?" she asked.

"Sure" he replied "Why don't you try on some clothes after we have supper tonight? I'll tell you which one to wear."

"Okay, I'll tell you all about how he asked me on our way home!" She said smiling.

"Well" he sighed "I was planning on stopping by Misty McFarland's house when I got off."

"Oh?" Madison questioned, being somewhat surprised.

"Yep" he said "I've wanted to ask her out for a while. I was planning on going yesterday, but I lost track of time, so I'm heading there today instead."

Jake Patterson was lying through his teeth, and although he did find Misty McFarland attractive, he never had any intention to ask her on a date. Now Madison had the overwhelming feeling of jealousy, not really knowing why.

"Well that's nice Jake" she said. "Let me know how everything turns out."

Jake expected Madison to be upset, as Misty McFarland was one of the most popular, beautiful girls in town. But now he was confused, because instead of resentment, she wished him luck.

About that time, Little Edwin and Mr. Bird walk in the store. Mr. Bird, ironically owned the town's pet store, and came to ask Big Paul's advice on how to deal with his unruly child. Before he was able to make his way to the office, Madison stepped in front of the man and smiled. Mr. Bird returned the gesture and tried to walk around her, but Madison mirrored his every move.

"Hello Mr. Bird!" she said "Welcome to Big Paul's furniture store. Can I interest you in some lovely new or restored furniture?"

"Not now Madison!" He grunted "I really must speak with Mr. Sutton."

As Mr. Bird walked around her, Madison caught him by his sleeve and whirled him around; escorting him to a newly built rocking chair Jake finished building yesterday. She sat him down, gave him a slight push, and allowed him to feel the smooth motions of the rocker.

"I like you, Mr. Bird!" She said, matter of factly. "And if you buy this chair today––today only, I'll take an extra ten percent off, how's that?"

Mr. Bird brushed his hair back and furrowed his brow "If it'll allow me to talk to Mr. Sutton, then I'll take it!"

"Great!" she smiled "I'll have everything ready for you when you're done with Mr. Sutton. Thanks again, for shopping at Big Paul's furniture store!"

As he walked towards Big Paul's office, Mr. Bird looked back at Madison, glared and shook his head. Madison sweetly smiled and waved, as he disappeared into the office.

"Th-Th-That was great Madison!" Little Edwin chuckled. "Hey, so Ch-Ch-Chad Westfield just t-told me th-th-that he w-was taking you out t-t-to a picnic tomorrow!"

"He sure is!" Madison said. "And Jake here is gonna ask Misty McFarland out when he gets of work today. Ain't that right, Romeo?"

"J-J-Jake's gonna ask M-Misty M-M-McFarland out on a date?" he said as he chuckled, slapping his leg. "Sh-Sh-Sure Jake, w-when p-p-p-pigs fly!"

"What?" Jake said as he shrugged his shoulders. "You don't think she'll go out with me?"

"C-Come on J-J-Jake!" Edwin replied, placing his arm around his friends shoulder. "Girls like M-M-Misty McFarland don't g-go out w-with g-g-guys like us!"

"Well" he said as he hung his head. "Maybe you're right Edwin."

When Madison heard that, she smiled, thinking Jake would forget about asking her out altogether, but to her disappointment, it didn't last long. "I'm gonna try anyway." Jake said "The worst she can do is say no, right Madison?"

"Whatever you say." She said, shaking her head.

Madison immediately went over to one of the chairs and began slowly wiping the dust off the top of the arms and seat. Jake and Edwin looked at each other puzzled, unsure why Madison got quiet all of a sudden. Edwin quickly changed the subject.

"Hey J-J-Jake why don't we join t-t-the Army and s-s-see the w-world?"

Before Jake could respond, Madison marched towards them, put her hands on her hips and began loudly tapping her foot on the floor. "No, no, no, no!" She demanded "It's a very honorable thing to serve this great country, but I do not want to risk losing either one of you!"

"Yeah Edwin" Jake said, nodding his head in agreement with Madison. "There are plenty of soldiers already."

"W-W-Well, I'm j-joining!" Edwin said, stomping his foot. "They m-may have plenty of s-s-soldiers in the Army right now, b-but they don't have E-E-Edwin Birch yet!"

Edwin gave a sharp military salute, and stormed out of the furniture store, leaving Jake and Madison with their mouths wide open. Little Edwin was destined for one of two things in life; he would down in history as the world's worst baseball player, or the next United States Army's most decorated soldier.

Shortly after Edwin left the store, Mr. Bird and Big Paul emerged from the office. Big Paul had his hand on Mr. Bird's shoulder, softly giving him a few more words of advice while leading him to the front of the store.

"Thank you Mr. Sutton" he said, as he rubbed the brim of his hat. "I believe things will work out just fine. I'll be sending my boy to pick up the rocker Madison sold to me."

"That'd be fine Mr. Bird; I'll be seeing you around." Big Paul said.

Mr. Bird left the store with a smile on his face and hope in his heart, believing the situations he faced would improve, following Big Paul's advice. As Mr. Bird walked away, Big Paul went and sad down in the rocking chair Madison sold.

"Who was the boy you were talking to earlier?" He asked Madison. "The one with the dirty-blond hair? I've seen him around before, but I've never talked to him. Was he here to see me, or to buy something?"

"No Big Paul!" Jake said, rolling his eyes. "Chad Leftfield was here to see Madison and––"

"First of all!" Madison interrupted "It's Westfield, not Leftfield, and Chad Westfield was here to ask me out on a picnic date for tomorrow!"

"Oh?" Said Big Paul "And where will you go?"

"We're going to the park, where all couples go on Saturdays." She responded.

"That's real nice, Madison." he said. He then turned to Jake and continued "And what about you Jake? Do you have anyone special in mind to ask on a picnic?"

Jake smiled, but before he could even open his mouth to answer, Madison rolled her eyes and sighed deeply. "He's going over to Misty McFarland's tonight to ask her!" she said "She's not even that pretty, if you ask me!"

"She's plenty pretty!" exclaimed Jake. "You just won't admit it!"

"Well" she said, flipping her hair. "I suppose she's kinda pretty––but she's as dumb as a rock!"

"Hold on, what's going on here?" Big Paul interrupted. "You two have been best friends for the last five years, what's with all this bickering? You should be happy for one other." Madison and Jake both nodded, looked at each other and began to smile. "Now that's better––well I guess y'all should be on your way, take care and be safe."

Big Paul smiled as Jake and Madison left the store, talking and joking around. He began to chuckle, knowing the truth of how they were both jealous of each other's situation. He knew deep in his heart that they both really liked each other, but were too embarrassed to admit it.

"Oh how I remember my teenage years."
He thought to himself as he sighed and walked back to his office to close the shop.

<><><> 

As they walked together, Jake suddenly stopped. "Well" he said, "Misty's house is just up this road, so wish me luck."

Madison proceeded to tousle Jake's hair, running her fingers through it for a few minutes, until she was satisfied with her work.

"Yep!" she said looking at the strands. "That'll do. Don't worry Jake, she'll say yes. Let me know how it goes at dinner, okay? I'll go home and start getting outfits together for you to look at."

"Sounds good Maddie, See you in a bit." He said.

Madison walked home and Jake went to try his luck with Misty McFarland. As they walked their separate directions, each one glanced back at the other, however, they never looked back at the same time, so neither one, ever knew the other was glancing.

<><><> 

As Jake neared Misty McFarland's house, he began to break out in cold sweats, fearing rejection. On one hand, he hoped she wouldn't be home, and maybe he could forget the whole thing, but on the other hand, he was actually eager to take a chance. With his heart pounding, he walked up the steps to the front door and gave a soft knock. He then placed his ear to the door and listening for a voice or upcoming footsteps. He began biting his nails, and paced the small porch. After a few moments, Jake thought maybe he should leave, but then curiosity got the best of him, he put his hand up and lightly knocked a second time.

He was completely startled when he heard a perfectly accented southern voice in the near distance behind him.

"Jake Patterson?" The female voice said. "You gotta knock louder than that if you want someone to come to the door."

Jake knew that voice well, it belonged to none other than Misty McFarland herself. She was sitting on a swing tied to a tree near the front corner of the house. Jake swallowed hard, faked a smile, and turned toward the voice.

"H-H-Hi Misty, h-how are y-you?" He nervously stuttered.

"Oh stop!" she playfully replied, getting off the swing, and making her way to him. "You sound like that boy, Edwin Birch." she smiled, and started twirling her hair "You got a message for Pa or somethin'?"

"Umm, I was just gonna ask your Pa if he wanted some furniture built." He lied.