A Bride Worth Billions (2 page)

After dinner, which was chicken stew that tasted like flour. We discussed how my transition into married life would happen in the next few days. My father dragged crates into the house; ones, which were, covered in cobwebs and varmint feces. I was to pack all of my belongings into two of these. My mother would throw in a few pots and pans that she could spare and an iron skillet. My father would drop me off at the courthouse with my things, where I would marry Mert Flanders. I would unpack and have dinner on the table for my new husband by sundown. Every young girl imagines a dashing prince sweeping her away to a blissful life. That would not be happening in my case.

“Dinner was fabulous Mary or should I call you mom.” Mert cackled. “Although brief Faith, I think we’ve had a sufficient courtship.”

“Yep, tomorrow I become Mrs. Mert Flanders. Nothing stopping us now. Can’t wait”

“Eager are ya? When the door closes tomorrow night, you’ll be all mine. I don’t expect it’ll be long before we have a Mert Jr. Crawling about.”

I cringed at the thought of having sex with that oily beast. I was not a drinker like my parents but I would have to take a swig of whisky to get through a night with Mert Flanders.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at noon. My father will drop me off with my boxes.”

“Sounds perfect Faith. Walk me out to my wagon, as I’m sure your parents won’t mind. We deserve a short stroll together before our wedding day.”

“Let me grab my coat. It gets cool when the sun goes down.”

Mert grabbed his cane and we walked outside with arms latched. He and my Father had gotten into the whisky after dinner so he smelled like booze. We were almost to the wagon when he pulled me in tight and jammed his tongue into my mouth. He was forceful and bit my lip as he pushed me back.

“Just making sure you have all your teeth. It was also your wedding present. Your first real kiss by a man as far as I can tell. Consider it a taste of things to come.”

I felt like I was going to vomit but I was able to hold it long enough to say good night and turn away. I ran around to the side of the house and up came my Mother’s nasty chicken stew. It was not a good night.

Wearing a yellow dress, which was nothing special, I proceeded to meet my fate at the courthouse. It gave my Father the opportunity to give me last minute marital advice. I thought it was something my Mother was supposed to do but apparently not.

“You know what’s expected of a wife, don’t ya?” Abe Slyker asked.

“I expect that he’ll want his way with me and I’ll take that as it comes.”

“There won’t be any tears or denying the man what he has a right to as your husband.” Abe paused to cough. “I think that’s all you need to know. Mert Flanders will be able to provide for you and take care of the financial needs of your mother and me in the future. Your brothers both moved on to Cheyenne and as our only daughter you are required to take care of us. That’s why this match is a good one.”

It became clear that was the only reason I was being married off so quickly. I was just a guaranteed meal ticket to my parents. They hadn’t done much in the way of parenting but those were the ways of life on the western frontier. I was being called to duty. It was my time to serve.

“Mert and I will take a ride over to see you after we’ve settled into the ranch. You should consider a trip to the doctor Father. You and Mother have the same cough and it’s beginning to sound troublesome.”

Mert and I met before the justice to complete the transaction that officially made me Faith Flanders. A silver band was shoved on my finger and we rode to the ranch as husband and wife. Mert had apparently been celebrating all afternoon because he smelled of stale liquor when he kissed me. When he did, I remembered the gentle kiss on the cheek given to me by Henry Stanich. I had to shake my head to get rid of the image cuz I knew that Mert Flanders would never touch me with such tenderness.

The ranch house was a disaster. The Depew family left when they realized they didn’t have what it took to survive a Denver winter. It was obvious they left in a hurry. A table and three chairs were just about the only furniture left behind. I was afraid to peek in the bedroom to see if there was anything to sleep upon. I poked my nose in anyway and Mert pushed me through the door and onto the crude bed, which was left behind.

“It’s just the two of us now.” Mert sneered and pulled at the laces of my dress. “I’ve been waiting for this since first I saw those pouty lips of your and that wild red hair.” He grabbed my grandmother’s pin and threw it to the ground. 

With one hand, he released his tight belt and unzipped his trousers. My prayers were answered when his penis lay there as limp as a noodle. He got up quickly leaving me disheveled on the bed.

“I’m going out. I’ll expect this place cleaned up and dinner on the table when I return.” With his pudgy finger pointed directly at my face and his breath hot he said. “Not a word of this to anyone. What happens in our house is not to travel beyond these walls.”

When I heard Mert’s horse go down the gravel road I got up and composed myself. I picked up my clip from the floor and managed a slight smile as I placed it back in my hair. I wasn’t religious but at that moment I believed in angels. My Grandmother had reached out to me at the perfect time. I had brought biscuits from my Mother, which were still edible, and some soup that she had left over in her kettle. I took a quick sniff of the stuff and deemed it good enough for Mert flander’s dinner. Getting to the stream was easy from my new home so I put on my boots and started walking. I needed to shake off the feeling of having been touched by my husband.

Henry was sitting on our flat rock when I arrived. Comparison between my friend and my husband wasn’t even possible. Henry had always been gentle and understanding while Mert was course and intimidating. Were friends meant to be one way and husbands another? It would be nice if a husband could be a friend also but that didn’t seem possible.

“Thinking about jumping. There’s something wrong if you think you’re day has been worse than mine. What’s wrong did someone die?” I asked sarcastically.

Henry didn’t answer my question; he kept looking out at the mountains. I scurried up the side of the cliff and sat down.

“Someone did die today. My brother Daniel started out having a cough last week after our fiasco at the river. We didn’t think much of it because the water was freezing and thought that was the cause. He had the influenza that so many people are dying from; it’s from Russia I think but I have no idea how it got here.”

“I can’t believe I thought I had it rough warding off my ancient husband in the bedroom. I’m so sorry Henry. You were especially close to Daniel so it must be a difficult blow.”

“He was only 16 and we shared a bunk. There wasn’t a soul who could beat me in wrestling besides Daniel. We never really hurt one another; it was just horsing around. If I keep losing the people I care about, I’ll end up alone,” Henry said as he held back tears.

“Did someone else die Henry?”

“No. I lost you but in a different way. We both know that we can’t continue being friends. People would start talking because you’re a married woman now. Damn it Faith. I lost my chance with you because I settled for just being your friend.”

“Henry, you’re upset and you aren’t thinking clear. You never told me you felt anything more than just friendship for me. How the hell was I supposed to know when you never made advances towards me?”

“I was afraid of getting turned down and losing your friendship.”

“Too late now Henry. You lost me anyway and now I have to spend my life with that troll. I’m sorry about your brother Henry but I have to get home to my husband.”

Angry and confused I ran home to my ugly dusty ranch house. In the back of my mind, I was thinking about Daniel Stanich and his life cut short by influenza. I was worried about my parents and the cough they both had. They had never been stellar parents but they were all I had left after just losing my best friend. I would be forced to rely on Mert Flanders, my husband. The trip to the stream was supposed to refresh me and help put matters in perspective but it had done the opposite. I took a deep breath before entering the house.

“I thought you were hiding in the bedroom when I got home waiting to surprise me. Eating alone is no way to start a marriage but I survived. I’ve been a bachelor for enough time to know how to serve up my own grub.”

Mert was especially dirty and had probably been down by the rocks where he expected to strike it rich.

“I didn’t expect to be so long Mert. I’m sorry and it won’t happen again.”

“Your entire family is letting me down today. Your father was going to meet me at the mine at some point today and he didn’t show. I had plans to share a cut of my loot with him. I’m thinking I was hoodwinked and he was just trying to pawn off his useless daughter and then use the fact that you’re my wife to get rich.”

“My father intended to meet you today Mert; I’m certain he wouldn’t go back on his word. I think we should take a ride and check on him and my Mother. They were both coughing and there are people in the county dying of influenza.”

“I haven’t heard of anyone dying. Who died?” Mert asked.

Without considering what my husband would think, I answered honestly. “Daniel Stanich. He was the brother of my friend Henry.”

“When did you see Henry?”

“Uh – today.”

“Were you with Henry while you were neglecting me on our first night of marriage?”

“We go to the same place sometimes.”

“You bitch. You gossiped about our time spent in the bedroom earlier. You shared out marital secrets with another man.”

I didn’t see what was coming next. Mert raised his open hand and slapped me across the face. I ended up on the other side of the room.

“Get in the wagon and we’ll go check on your parents. Put a hat on before we leave and if there are any questions say you fell across the hearth. I wasn’t wrong because you made me raise my hand to you but I’m in no mood to explain myself.” He placed his hat on top of his greasy hair. “If I ever see you spending time with Henry Stanich or any other man there’ll be hell to pay. Do you hear me?” Mert wagged his fat finger in front of my face.

“I hear you Mert.”

I said one thing but thought another.

Lay a hand on me again – ever and I’ll gouge your eyes with a hot poker.

Not a word was spoken on the rough ride to my parent’s house. Mert pulled his cowboy hat low so we had no eye contact. The winter had left deep cuts in the terrain and it was difficult to navigate in the evening. As we got close to the Slyker ranch, I could hear my father’s black mutt Barney howling. The animal lived in the barn but often slept on the front porch of the main house. I felt it in my bones that something was amiss and hopped out of the wagon before Mert had come to a complete stop. I charged in the front door to find no one in the kitchen so I ran to the bedroom, from where I heard a faint cry for help.

“Mother!” I saw my Mother laying on the bed next to my Father with blood spread around her mouth. My Father was not moving and his head lay limp to one side. “Mert, I need you to fly into town as fast as you can get that wagon to travel. Get me any doctor you can find.”

My Mother had been spitting up blood and my father was dead. I opened the shutters in the house to let in the cool breeze because my Mother was burning up. She was delirious and they had probably been in their current state for hours.

“Keep your mother cool and comfortable. I’ll never make it to town with the condition of these roads. The sun has gone to bed and I‘m sure any doctor with sense has also called it quits for the night. There’s nothing we can do but wait til the sickness takes your Mother as it did your Father. You know that people die at the drop of a hat here in the west; just ask your pal Henry. I guess this means that I’m really stuck with you now. Your father has tools and such that he won’t be needing any longer; I’ll be out in the barn loading anything that’ll fit into my wagon. Those dairy cows and chickens won’t go to waste; you can start bringing em home tomorrow. I didn’t expect much of a dowry but one seems to have fallen in my lap.”

I cleaned my Mother’s face and tried to cool her with damp clothes. I was married to a man with no character and now I was forced to sit alone with my dead Father and dying Mother. I should have been spitting mad but I wasn’t going to let Mert get the best of me. I was going to handle my parent’s death with grace. I had new resolve and I was going to transform my anger into grit.

I had my mother’s head in my lap as my Mother drew her last breath. I couldn’t afford an undertaker or a fancy box to bury my parents. I had to swallow my pride and ask Mert for help. If he could help to put two pine boxes together, I could put the to rest on their property as they would have wanted.

“I see your Mother has passed. It’s time to lay them beside each other. I’ll leave you to say a prayer if you believe in that sort of thing. Tomorrow we’ll come, collect the rest of their things, and then set this old house on fire. It’s best because we don’t want it left standing; it’s got the influenza germs.”

“No Mert. No. I’ll stay here tonight. I don’t go to church much; I’ve never been to be honest. I do however believe that we should respect the dead. I intend to give them a proper burial. If we leave the house to sit vacant for a cold Denver winter, all the germs will be gone and then we can decide what to do with it.”

“If you want to stay here with two dead people go ahead. Sleep here and maybe you’ll come to your senses. You can’t make pine boxes by yourself; certainly not without tools and I took em all. You also can’t dig holes deep enough to bury em. I’ll expect dinner on time tomorrow night and every night after that so don’t get any funny ideas.”

“Can’t you show an ounce of decency? I just lost my parents.”

Mert sneered. “They weren’t my parents. Don’t get any ideas about running off Faith. I’m all you have left and I’m your husband.”

Mert stormed out leaving me shivering in my house with my dead parents.

I slept on the floor next to my parent’s bed where I felt sorry for myself for a couple of hours. I would get the useless feelings out of the way and start anew in the morning. I realized that I had only one life and I sure as hell wasn’t going to let Mert Flanders ruin it. I was able to withstand his bullying and fight back. First, I had to get my parents respectfully taken care of. I needed help; I needed Henry Stanich.