Surrender to Fate (Fate's Path Part One: A New Adult Romance Series) (3 page)

By the time Sarah washed her face with Will’s handkerchief, her nerves started to calm down from her encounter with the bear. But her heart was still racing from Will’s declaration of his feelings for her and she couldn’t keep her eyes off him. Thinking about how he had rescued her, it occurred to her that in order for him to be here with her, the boys had been left alone in the pines. Suddenly, thoughts of Matty and Tommy alone in the forest with an angry bear roaming around left her feeling uneasy. “The boys, Will,” she blurted. “We have to get back to them.” She stammered as she slung her knapsack over her shoulder.

“It’s okay, they’re fine. As soon as you left for the creek, I knew I couldn’t be in two places at the same time, so I convinced them to go back home. They weren’t too happy about it, but I told them they had no say in the matter. And I was sure to get this from them, too.” He held up Tommy’s pocket knife and smiled.

A rush of relief flowed over Sarah, and she smiled back. “Well, you’ve thought of everything, I can see. And your sling shot? Thank God you had that with you.”

“I usually do have it with me, and after today, I think it’s going to become a permanent fixture in my pocket. I guess you just never know when you’ll come across a helpless girl about to get eaten by a bear.”

Sarah threw his handkerchief at him. “That’s not funny.” But she found herself smiling at him anyway. He always had a way to make her laugh. He had a way with just about everything he did; she was becoming certain of that.

“Come here, I want to show you something,” William said as he reached for her hand.

Without hesitation, she let her dainty hand become wrapped in his. With William in the lead, they walked over the tree bridge and jumped down on the other side of the creek. A foot away from the end of the bridge was the jagged stump that had been left behind when the tree had fallen all those years ago. Still holding her hand tightly, William led her to the back of the stump and stared at it for a long time.

“Will? Are you all right? What are you looking at?” Sarah furrowed her brow as she looked even closer at the stump, wondering what she was missing. But from what she could tell, it was stump, nothing more.

As if answering a question in his mind, he nodded his head and said out loud, “I have an idea, something I want to do. I’ve been waiting for the right time, and I can’t think of a more perfect time than this.”

Sarah was still confused, but even more intrigued. “All right, I trust you,” she said slowly, “but what do you mean?”

Will pulled the pocket knife out of his pocket and deftly opened the blade. He knelt down in the clumps of grass that threatened to engulf the stump. Looking up at Sarah, he said, “Watch.”

Sarah knelt beside him as he ran his hand over the bark. When he found the smoothest spot, he turned to her and smiled. “I don’t want to forget this day, Sarah.”

“I don’t think I could forget this day, even if I wanted to,” Sarah agreed.

Will then turned his attention to the stump. Holding the pocket knife blade in his fingers he began to dig into the wood, cutting out small chips until he had a crude symbol carved. He continued to maneuver the blade, each time deepening and clarifying his marks. Sarah sat quietly as she watched him carve four circles about the size of silver dollars, two next to each other, and then two more below them, with the edges of each circle touching. Inside of each circle at the top of the curve, he notched a straight line down that ended in the center of the circle. When he was satisfied with his work, he brushed the splinters away from the symbol, wiped the blade on his pant leg, and put the knife back in his pocket. He had created a beautiful carving, a talent that Sarah hadn’t realized he had.

He looked at her in anticipation. Sensing his expectation, she whispered, “It’s wonderful. But what is it a picture of?”

“Me Ware Wo.”

“Me Ware...what?” Sarah was thoroughly perplexed now.

“Me Ware Wo,” he pronounced slowly. “I learned it from an old book that I found. It was a book about West African symbols. This,” he said, pointing to the carving, “is the symbol for ‘Me Ware Wo.’”

Sarah wasn’t surprised to hear that he had found this obscure information in an old book. Will was happy to spend entire afternoons and far into the night reading by candlelight. He had a drive to fill his mind with knowledge, and Sarah found it to be just one more thing to appreciate about him.

“What does it mean?” Sarah asked as she traced over the edges, rounding each circle with her fingertip.

“It is a symbol for commitment. But its actual meaning is,” Will paused and his face flushed. Then, he quietly continued, “I shall marry you.” He looked into her eyes with sincerity impossible to ignore. Simply hearing those words from Will gave Sarah a thrill of excitement unmatched by anything she had ever heard.

“This is a symbol for you,” Will declared. “I want you to know that I meant what I said. Someday,” he trailed off as if searching for the right words. “Someday, Sarah. My commitment to you is that someday, I want you to be mine, and I will do everything in my power to make you happy.”

A myriad of thoughts and feelings coursed through Sarah as she looked into the face of the boy she had grown up with who was now becoming a man, a man who wanted her. She said the most important thing she had ever said to anyone, “Me Ware Wo, Will.”

As if he had been waiting for permission to breathe, he exhaled and beamed with relief. He was so close to Sarah that she could see the shades of blue that decorated his eyes. Though she had no experience with what was about to come, she couldn’t deny that it was the most powerful force she had ever felt. Will’s mouth descended onto hers, pressing into her lips, and as if an arid desert had just received the season’s first rain, Sarah drank in the moment of knowing that she was his, and this first kiss would be only the beginning.

Something changed in both of them. The necessity to spend as much time together was as important as air to breathe. Daydreaming of each other did not get the chores done, and both sets of parents still had set expectations of what would be accomplished before anyone could run off to the pines or the creek. Both Sarah and William became experts in efficiency, and secrecy. They agreed to keep the events—all of the events—of the day at the cove between the two of them. If anyone knew what happened with the bear, surely they would be banned from going to King’s Creek or, God forbid, the pines. Sarah wondered how her parents would react if they knew that she and Will had professed much more to each other than simply being childhood friends.

Sarah knew that anyone who looked at her long enough would detect the change in her, would know that she and Will now had a secret promise between them. How could they not? She was euphoric, and a smile would cross her lips throughout the day, seemingly for no reason. Anyone who might happen upon the carving in the stump at the creek would be none the wiser, though. Despite the irrepressible exhilaration that coursed through her, the days carried on much like they always had. The two families spent nearly every day together, sharing lunch or playing horseshoes in the evenings, but she and Will did everything they could to avoid drawing any suspicion. It became their new task to whisper to each other when they could, “Me Ware Wo,” and smile, knowing that each day brought them closer and closer to when they would fulfill their promises.

To celebrate Sarah’s birthday, the two families planned a trip to town to take advantage of the Thursday night free movie. Each week, mainstreet merchants hosted a free movie projected on the side wall of one of the old brick-faced buildings, hoping to draw the rural folks to town more often. With no extra money for frivolities, most families spent little time in town except for buying supplies. Even though the movie was free, gas for the truck wasn’t. Sarah couldn’t have asked for a more perfect birthday gift than to get to watch a movie with Will.

Being in town was an escape. It seemed that everyone could stop worrying about the crops not growing well or the livestock not selling well and enjoy some relaxation with their neighbors. Sarah knew her parents never stopped worrying. It didn’t matter where they were, or how they would smile and exchange pleasantries with everyone they saw. She was well aware of the family’s precarious financial situation, despite her parents trying to shelter her and Matty from the fears that had a stranglehold on them and the severity of their dire situation.

The movie was thrilling, although Sarah hardly paid attention to any character or plot. She and William had managed to sit next to each other. But with Matty and Tommy on her other side talking and carrying on, she found it hard to concentrate on Will. When the movie ended, the two families casually strolled down the sidewalks, glancing at the stores’ window displays.

At the end of the street, Matty spotted a farm truck loaded high with watermelons. A sign painted in bright red lettering leaned against a tire. “Watermelons—5 cents.”

Sarah and Matty instantly caught each other’s gaze. Sarah knew it struck the same nerve in both of them. She was certain that she and Matty would never look at a watermelon in quite the same way. Even though it had been seven years prior, the memory still held a very fresh sting for both them. Matty looked uneasily from Sarah, to their father, and then back to her. She smiled knowingly, and winked at him, hoping he would be able to move on from the sour memory and enjoy the rest of the evening.

For Sarah, though, the irony was too much. The conversations between the families faded into white noise as her mind took her back seven years ago. Seven years ago today. Exactly. Sarah could still hear Matty’s voice as clear as if it were seven minutes ago.

**********************

“Mama, look!” Matty screeched as he pointed to the watermelon truck. “Can we get one? Pleeeease? Can we, Dad?” Those big eyes behind his plea were hard to ignore. Sarah could tell from the way one corner of her father’s mouth dipped down and the sudden worried expression in his eyes that he didn’t want to say no to Matty but that no most likely would be the answer.

“Oh, Matthew, I wish we could, but we promised Sarah a journal for her birthday. Next time, okay, buddy?”

Sarah noticed how strained her father’s voice was and the disappointment in Matty’s face, which cut her to her core. The family probably didn’t have a nickel to spare for a book or a watermelon. “Daddy,” she said, catching her father’s hand in her own. “Actually, I would love a watermelon for my birthday. Really. They are probably perfectly ripe and it sounds delicious. If it’s okay, I’d like to change my mind about the journal.” She meant what she said wholeheartedly and hoped her father wouldn’t make a fuss about it.

“Well,” Edward looked at his daughter for a moment, and Sarah thought she might have seen his eyes begin to water. He looked away and pursed his lips and swallowed. “I suppose if that’s what you want, then that’s what we’ll get for you.”

Sarah smiled, and Matty jumped into the air. “Yea!” He ran over and tackled Sarah around the waist with a big hug. “Thanks, Sis.”

Sarah had to take a step back to keep from actually falling to the ground, and she laughed and said, “Okay. Okay. You’re welcome.”

The next morning, she awoke with happy memories of her birthday and how happy Matty was about the watermelon. When she slowly descended the steps the next morning, and sat at the table, Matty looked at their father excitedly. “Oh, Dad, I’m going to get the watermelon now,” he said as he pushed his chair back and bolted for the door.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Edward’s voice stopped Matty in his tracks. “No, Matthew, I’ll get it. In case you forgot, you picked the biggest watermelon they had and that son of a gun is heavy. I’ll get it out for you and carry it in after breakfast.”

Matty skidded to a halt and trudged back to the table. “Ah, c’mon, Dad. Really? You don’t trust me?” Matty should’ve known that his argument was pointless, but he did it anyway.

Edward gave him a look that told him he better stop while he was ahead. Matty seemed to have read that look loud and clear and returned to the table, and continued eating his breakfast in silence.

Sarah finished eating and decided that she would get started on her daily list of chores in the hopes that this afternoon she could escape to the pines. She grabbed the basket and headed out to the chicken coop. The chickens were one of the most important commodities that the Ellises had. They provided egg money, and that egg money was one of the biggest contributors to the family’s survival. They were able to sell the eggs in town for ten cents a dozen, and that was the money they used for their meager groceries and gas for the farm truck.

Even though Sarah had a very gentle, nonthreatening demeanor, the hens still weren’t happy to see her. They began to cluck and scamper about opening their wings. Sarah was patient with them and just stood quietly still until they calmed down. “Hello, girls. Whatcha got for me today? Any eggs in here?” Sarah began reaching into their nests and one by one, pulled out various shades of brown eggs, delicately placing them into her basket. “Good girls, you did good. Thank you, ladies. See you tomorrow.”

Just as she was ducking back out and reaching for the latch on the door, she heard Matty’s blood-curdling scream, “Noooo!” She lost her balance as she stepped onto the wooden ramp of the coop and dropped the basket as she fell onto her knees and then tumbled to the ground herself.

Instant fear riveted Sarah as she stood and then ran toward the sound of her little brother. She was oblivious to the pain in her knees and the blood that had begun to trickle down her leg. “Oh my God,” she thought, “is he okay?”

She turned the corner of the coop, furiously scanning back and forth for Matty. She finally spotted him. He was standing in the bed of the truck staring down at the ground.

Her parents, of course, had heard the scream too and came running out of the house with a frantic look on their faces. For a moment, everyone froze, staring at Matty. But within a second, everyone had followed Matty’s gaze to the ground. Smashed open into green jagged pieces, the watermelon had met its final destination. The dry, dusty soil sucked up the sweet red juice almost instantaneously.

Sarah felt immediately relieved that her brother was not hurt, but she was almost just as heartbroken. The look on Matty’s face was pure devastation, a look she had never seen before. Matty slowly looked up and looked at each of his parents, and then to Sarah. As soon as his eyes met hers, he burst into tears, but just stood there with his arms hanging limp at his side.

Edward was the first to respond, “God damn it, Matthew! What did I tell you?” Once again, a new look that Sarah had never seen before and a volume that she had never heard from her father either.

Anne gasped, “Edward!” She too was in disbelief at her husband’s reaction.

Edward strode over to the truck and stopped in front of the demolished watermelon. He looked up at Matty and yelled, “I asked you a question! What did I tell you about the God damn watermelon, Matthew?”

Matty was crying so hard that his breaths were jerking out of him. Trying to come up with some sort of answer for his father, he stuttered, “I …I …wanted to show you that I… I could…do it. I wanted you to think I was strong,” Matty was full on wailing. He put his head in his hands as his shoulders jerked up and down with each sob.

Edward looked disgusted and shook his head. “Jesus Christ, Matthew. Sometimes I don’t think you’ve got a brain God gave a goose!”

Matthew looked up. “But…but…can we still eat some of it?” The hopefulness in his voice was almost as painful to Sarah as look on his face.

“No! No, we can’t still eat it! Look at it. I hope you’re happy, Matthew. You’re about to serve the hog your sister’s birthday present. You know what? Go! Go!” he waved his arm furiously at his son. “Get out of my sight!”

With those final words, Matty jumped down from the tailgate and ran as fast as he could to the trail leading to the pines.

Sarah was literally sick to her stomach. She watched her father kick the remains of what started out as a very happy memory and run his hands through his hair. Her mother put her hand over her mouth, turned and rushed back into the house. She knew by now that Matty was already down to the pines, and almost went straight there to go find him, when she remembered the eggs. She better be the one to discover what damage had been done, when she’d dropped the basket, instead of her father. The smashed watermelon coupled with the loss of eggs might push him over the edge, except Sarah was frightened to even think about that because she was certain her father and the edge had already parted ways.

She quietly slipped back to the coop, hoping her father hadn’t seen her leave the scene. It was completely unreasonable to assume that none of the eggs had broken, but that didn’t stop her from saying a little prayer that they had survived the ordeal in better shape than the watermelon had. Her heart sank when she spied the bright yellow yolks among the cracked shells. There was nothing to do but quickly clean it up and discard the evidence. She hated to be so sneaky, but she knew how upset her parents would be over the loss of income. With delicate fingertips, she arranged the more fortunate eggs in the basket and briskly walked back to the house. When she opened the door, she could hear her mother’s muffled sobs from their bedroom. Sarah wanted to go to her, but right now, she knew that Matty needed her more.

This time in the pines, there wasn’t the carefree quality that Sarah had come to adore over the years. She heard a stick smacking against the trunk of a thick old spruce and followed the sound to her little brother. Matty’s face was tear-stained and dirty. He stared blankly as he hit the tree harder and harder each time. When he saw Sarah approaching, he momentarily stopped, but then started back up with new tears flowing down his cheeks.

“Hey, hey, Matty? Please stop. Stop. Put the stick down, please?” Her voice was quiet and calm. Matty finally relented on his assault of the tree and dropped his stick. He had a defeated look, with his shoulders slumped and his arms limp at his side. He just stared at her with his bottom lip quivering. Sarah went straight to him and wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. He squeezed her back but didn’t say anything.

They stayed this way for several minutes before he finally found the words. “Do you forgive me, Sis? I didn’t mean to do it.”

“Of course I do. Matty, a watermelon means nothing to me. You are my birthday present, don’t you know that? Every day you give me joy, way more than any dumb watermelon ever could.”

“But,” he looked up at her. “Dad…he was so mad that I ruined your present.”

“Well, Matty. I guess you are probably old enough to hear this. You know that Mama and Daddy don’t have a lot of money, and things are hard right now. They worry a lot, about money. When the watermelon broke, Daddy wasn’t mad about not having a watermelon. It meant that the money was gone, and we didn’t have anything to show for it. I know they wanted my birthday to be special, but now I wish they didn’t feel like they needed to buy me anything. So, I guess this is a good lesson for me. All that I ever want is to be with the people I love. Like you.”

“Really? Do you mean it?”

“You know I do, Matty. C’mon. Let’s go home.”

“I don’t think I want to. Dad might be mad still.”

“Well, let’s just go and find out. It’ll be okay, I promise.” She took his hand and they began the climb back up the slope together. She prayed that she was right and that her father had found it within himself to climb back up to the edge and get his footing.

When they reached the house, the shards had been gathered up and the only evidence that a watermelon had even existed were the few black seeds and little pink chunks of its flesh behind the farm truck. Edward was leaning against the pen that held their pig, Roscoe, but staring so blankly at the animal that he might as well have been staring at an empty pen. Sarah gave Matty a reassuring nod and pointed to go talk to him. Matty looked as if he’d rather go pet a rattlesnake, but like a brave boy, he slowly nodded, took a deep breath, and ever so slowly walked until he was at his father’s side. He looked into the pen and at the pig who couldn’t have been happier with his unexpected treat. “Dad, I’m sor—” but he didn’t get to finish.