Authors: Shirlee Lewis
My cell phone rang. Looking at the caller ID it was Jason. He hadn’t called in several weeks, so I thought everything was going okay with Abigail.
“Hello,” I said into the receiver.
“Hi Jess, it’s Jason.”
“Hi Jason, how is Abigail?”
“She
’s doing great,” he paused.
“Jason?”
“I don’t know how to put this,” he finally spoke.
“Just say it,” I said a little worried.
“Well, Abigail and I are engaged.”
“Really!! When?”
“Well, I just asked her a few minutes ago and now she’s bouncing off the walls.”
“Congratulations Jason, but isn’t it a bit soon to propose marriage?”
“I know, but Abigail gives my heart so much enjoyment.”
“I’m happy for you and Abigail,” I paused. “May I offer a few words of advice?”
“Sure, I’m so new to this,” he said.
I heard Abigail squeal in the background.
“Abby, I’m on the phone,” Jason said.
“Oh sorry, I’m just so happy right now,” she said and then went silent.
“Go ahead Jess,” he said.
“Is that Jess? Can I say hi to her?” Abigail asked.
“In a minute, we are discussing something important. Now be quiet. Please!”
“I’m sorry, but she is over the moon right now.”
“I can understand that.”
“What is your advice now that she
has left the room?”
“Have you set a date yet?”
“No.”
“That’s good for now.
“Why is that?”
“Well, most people wait until they’ve known each other for several years before getting engaged. The engagement can last anywhere from two years or more. But since you
have proposed only knowing Abigail for a month now, then my advice for you would be to wait at least a year to get married.”
“I don’t know about waiting a year. We both aren’
t going to find anyone else and,”
“And,” I said wanting to know what else was on his mind.
“And, at night,” Jason paused for a few minutes.
“Jason, she’s been staying in your room.”
“Well, yes,” he finally got out. “How did you know?”
“It wasn’t hard to guess. Remember the first night after you met her?”
He didn’t say anything.
To break the tension I figured he was feeling, I added, “I don’t see anything wrong with that. It
doesn’t call for marriage though, but if you are truly in love with,”
“Oh! Jessica. I am head over heels in love with her. I am so thankful you introduced us.”
“Is there any way to talk to Mrs. Mureaux? She could give you some insight.”
“Jess, I don’t talk to Mrs. Mureaux. Not like I do you. I am
only
her butler. I didn’t expect anyone to talk to me and I have to say, you surprise me.”
Tony came into the house. I held up my finger to say, give me a minute.
“Would you like for me to call her and talk to her for you?”
“Well, well,” Jason stuttered.
“Jason would you?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll talk to Tony and get his opinion. I’ll call you as soon as I, I mean we, figure something out, okay?”
“That will be just fine. I won’t marry her tomorrow,” Jason laughed. “I’ll wait until I hear back from you.”
“That’s a very good idea. Bye Jason.”
“Goodbye Jess. Talk to you soon.”
Tony asked, “Get my opinion about what?”
“Brace yourself, okay?”
“I’m braced. What is it?”
“Jason proposed to Abigail a little while ago.”
Tony looked at me in shock. He sat down at the table and said, “He didn’t.”
“He did. He wants to marry her as soon as he can.”
“Do my father and mother know?”
“I don’t think so.”
Tony got up, picked the phone up from the cradle and started out the back door when I stopped him.
“Tony, could we talk about this first then you can call your parents.”
Tony kept the phone in his hand, but sat back down at the table.
“They have known each other about a month now. What could he possibly be thinking? Marriage is a huge step and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Look how long it took for me to ask your hand in marriage,
” he grinned. “A year because I wanted to be sure it was what I wanted and it was.”
“Yes, but you would have married me a few months after we met too.”
Tony smiled when I said that.
“I can understand his eagerness, but he has never looked at a woman. I mean really looked at another woman.”
“I know. I tried to help him understand that waiting at least a year to officially walk down the aisle would be the best for the both of them. I think they should wait that long or even longer.”
“Good advice Jess.”
“But….”
“But….”
“But Jason wants to get married now.”
“I have to call mother. She’ll know what to do.”
Tony started dialing Jennifer’s number. I dialed Jason’s. He answered on the first ring.
“What did Tony say?”
“Hello Jason. Well—I talked to him and he thinks the same as I said earlier. You both need to wait at least a year before getting married.”
“I love her so much Jess.”
“I know you do. I don’t want you to panic, but Tony is talking to Mrs. Mureaux as we speak.”
“Oh Jess! She’ll only try and talk me out of it.”
“I don’t think so Jason. She’s very understanding
and
I’m sure she will help you and Abigail with the right choice.”
I waited for Jason to say something, but it was silent.
“Jason, are you still here?”
“I’m here.”
“Will you do me a favor?” I asked.
“What?”
“Talk to Jennifer first.”
“I don’t know.”
“Jason, you have nothing to lose.”
Jason didn’t say anything.
“Jason, please, will you talk to her?”
Jason took a long loud breath. “Okay, only for you Jess.”
I smiled. “Promise me, you will.”
“I promise Jess. Abigail is here. Will you talk to her?”
“Hi Jess,” she said in her angelic voice.
“Hi Abigail, how are you?”
“I’m over the moon. Jason wants to marry me.”
“Congratulations! I take it you are doing well.”
“Mrs. Mureaux is a dream to be around. She is teaching me how to be a proper lady. I’m having so much fun learning from her.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Have you met Mr. Mureaux?”
“Yes, I have. He’s teaching me about self-control so I won’t hurt Mrs. Mureaux. When will you come see me again?”
“I don’t know when, but I will. Just as soon as I get a chance I will, but you have to be patient though. Did Jason show you where I live?”
“Yes and it’s a long way from me,” she said disappointed.
“Yes it is. Have Jason give you my cell number and when you get to really missing me, give me a call.”
“Oh, I will.”
“Abigail?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t call me every day. Only when you are really, and
I mean really, missing me.”
“Okay Jess. I’ll remember that.”
“Could you put Jason back on?”
“Sure—bye Jess.”
“Bye Abigail.”
Jason came back on the phone. “You didn’t mention....”
“No, I didn’t. She’s too excited and probably won’t listen to me anyway. Besides, when you talk to Jennifer, you’ll have some idea of what to do.”
“I see Mrs. Mureaux outside my door. I have to go.”
“One more thing before I go.”
“Yes.”
“I told Abigail to have you give my cell number to her. She is only to call me when she is missing me. One thing, please keep her busy so she will hardly miss me. I don’t want her in bad graces with Victor or Jennifer.”
Jason laughed, “You won’t have to worry about
that.”
“Probably not,” I paused. “Anyway, I need to go. I’ll talk to you soon. Goodbye Jason.”
“Good bye Jess.”
Tony was sitting at the table waiting for me to get off the phone.
“What did Jennifer have to say?”
“She agrees with us. She’s going to talk to Jason. I hope she gets through to him.”
“You and me both,” I said cheerfully. “I’m glad they found each other, but this is too soon for a wedding.”
“Speak
ing of weddings,” Tony paused. “Have you picked out your dress?”
Not wanting to give anything away I said, “Yes I have, but you have to wait until the wedding to see it.”
Tony smiled and got up from the chair. He wrapped his arms around me and started kissing my neck. We headed to the bedroom.
Bright and early in the morning the delivery man knocked on the door. Getting up from the kitchen table, I went to the front door and signed for the packages. Tony was busy taking a shower, so I put them in the spare bedroom closet. Tonight, I would put on the
lock in the spare room door and start on my wedding dress. I couldn’t wait.
On the way to the blood bank Mildred was sitting on her front porch. As we drove by she glared at the car. Tony didn’t look her way at all, but I couldn’t help but smile.
Served her right for not leaving us alone
, I thought.
Just outside of town, Detective Sean was working an accident. Two cars blocked the highway with no way around, but to go by the diner on the old highway which was hardly used anymore.
When Mayville was barely a town, old route twelve was the only road in and out of town. Today, it was ridden with pot holes and grass growing in the cracks of the pavement. Several houses stood along the road abandoned. Pine trees and brier bushes filled in the spots where others had once sat. An opening every so often showed where the house was, with the roof caved into the floor. It was a pitiful sight. Mr. Sprague still had his farmhouse, but used it more or less as a barn for his cattle. A bull was coming out of the doorway as we passed by.
“It’s a shame these houses went to waste,” I commented.
“Yes, it is,” Tony answered.
On the outskirts of Portland the sun was peeking through the clouds. I smiled and gazed out the window as the sun bounced off the sides of cars. It was blinding, but I didn’t care. I was seeing the sun for the first time in three weeks.
Business never slowed down at the blood bank. Every day we had new clients eager to donate. Donors came from California, Washington, Idaho and Nevada. We had several tourists stop in during their vacation. They ranged from New York, Florida, and all the states in between. Tony and I couldn’t have been happier.
Customers would wait in line for hours to get in to donate. Tony had to order more equipment and
use the back end of the blood bank. I ended up helping, which Tony didn’t care for. But I missed my nursing job and was more than happy to help. Tony on the other hand hired two more nurses to take my place because he wanted me in my office and nowhere else. Some days he would leave for a business meeting and I would take the opportunity to be a nurse again. I’d on purpose send an employee on break just so I could. Tony accidentally overheard the nurses talking in the break room about how experienced I was to their surprise. I thought my helping out ended the second he knew.
“Jess, we need to talk,” he casually said.
From that statement I knew he knew about my helping out.
Tony closed the door then sat on the edge of my desk. “I know you’re helping out with the donors. I don’t mind, but.”
“Tony, I love helping out. I miss my nursing job.”
“But,” he stressed. “You don’t have to. Your job is this office.”
“I get caught up on my paperwork and I want to help out.”
“That’s fine,
but to give them more breaks than you should. Come on Jess.”