Stranded On Christmas (17 page)

“
Jessie,
you do as I say. I need to have a talk with this man, in private. I
want you to go out to the barn. Start walking, now.” Gideon was
speaking to me in his strict tone, but I was too scared to move.

“
She
stays here. I haven't seen a pretty woman in a long time.” They way
he looked at me made cold chills go up and down my spine.

Gideon
tensed up and started to step forward towards the crazy man. I
followed at his heels, afraid to be away from him.

He
was moving towards the man, but in a way that covered up the
backdoor. I knew that he wanted me to run out of it, but instead I
grabbed onto the back of his shirt and held on tight.

“
My
wife isn't feeling well. She won't be cooking for you. She just lost
a baby. Please, let her go. She isn't up to snuff.” My Gideon was
protecting me.

The
man looked at Gideon like he thought that he was crazy. “I have the
gun. You do what I tell you.”

“
I'm
afraid I can't do that.” Gideon was stepping closer to the man
again. “It's my job to protect her. I'm her husband. Jessie, go to
the barn.”

I
looked at the man to see what he would have to say about that.

“
Folks,
I'm not planning on hurting you. I only want a fast warm meal, all of
your money, and a moment alone with the Mrs. Then, I’ll be gone so
quickly that you’ll forget I was ever here.” He was grinning in a
cruel way.

I
figured that Gideon would go at him. He wouldn't let anyone get away
with that kind of bad behavior. The man would shoot him, and I would
be left all alone with a madman.

“
Over
my dead body.”

“
That
wouldn't bother me in the least. In fact, I think it would be better
if you were out of the picture.”

I
saw the man's hand rising up. Gideon was charging at him. Something
in me made me shove my husband to the side. Both of us fell to the
floor. I heard a shot and wondered where the bullet now was.

I
saw the man also falling. He was holding onto his shoulder.

Gideon
was back on his feet, and he had a gun in his hands. “Are you okay,
Jessie?”

I
got to my feet and looked around for the bullet. Then I saw that
Gideon was holding his stomach with his left hand. He was bleeding.

“
Jessie!
Are you all right?”

“
You're
not,” I told him.

“
Jessie,
go to the barn. There is a phone on the wall by the door to the
office. Go call the police. Hurry.”

“
I'll
call an ambulance, too.”
I
took off for the barn. Pumpkin was barking at my feet, a day late and
a dollar short. He should have started barking long before that man
got into our house.

I
went back to Gideon. He was still holding the gun on the man, who was
telling Gideon that he didn't have the guts to shoot him.

“
He
would. Trust me,” I told the man. “You don't have to test him.”

Gideon
glanced my way for a second before he looked back at the men in front
of him. “Who are you?”

“
It
doesn't matter. I can't go back to jail. Shoot me if you have to, but
I'm not going back.”

“
Do
they mishandle you there?”

“
Gideon,
you aren't going to set him free. He shot you.” I didn't like where
this conversation was going. Gideon had never been forgiving with me.
I was starting to think that a broken heart was worth more punishment
than a shot through the liver.

“
I'm
just asking him some questions. Sit down behind me, baby. Make sure
you stay far away from him. I especially didn’t like what he said
about wanting a moment alone with you.”

“
Yes,
sir.” I took one of the kitchen chairs and pulled it over to the
door. Pumpkin was out there barking like a madman.

“
She
has to say
'sir'
to you? Some marriage,” the man commented.

I
thought about his words too. This was my chance. The police were
coming. I could confess that I was being held here against my will.
The question was; was my old life there waiting for me?

The
police came. Everything suddenly went so quickly. I was in the back
of an ambulance holding Gideon's hand as the paramedics worked on
him. He would need an operation. They were calling ahead to the
hospital, so they could prepare everything.

The
rest of the day passed like my head was buried in a grey cloud. I
paced up and down and waited for the operation to be over with.

Then
I was informed that Gideon had woken up and that he had asked about
me. The doctor told me that Gideon was more worried about me than
himself.

I
went to his side and took hold of his hand. Again I couldn't speak.
Gideon was asking me questions, and all I could do was cry. I had
been so scared that I would lose him too.

He
talked very nicely to me.

The
nurse told me that he had to rest. They wanted me to leave.

Gideon
said he wanted me to stay.

I
pulled up a chair and sat down next to his bed. I leaned over and
kissed him on the cheek. I tried to smile at him.

He
grabbed hold of my hand and held it tightly. I saw it in his eyes. He
knew that I wouldn't be here when he woke up. He was fighting to stay
awake, but the shot wound, as well as the operation, made his eyes
droop shut.

I
waited until I was positive that Gideon was sound asleep before I
pulled my hand away from him.

I
needed to get away.

Every
time I walked up or down the stairs I had to think about Aaron and
his tiny body. My baby had never gotten to take a breath of air. His
little chest had never risen up and shown a sign of life.

The
nurse found me crying. She assured me that my husband would be all
right.

I
thanked her for everything they were doing for him and asked her for
paper and a pen. I was glad that I got a few more moments with him
and a chance to explain why I had to leave him.

I
kissed Gideon's cheek and left the room. I tried not to look back,
but I ended up standing in the door, staring at him for five minutes.

A
nurse asked if I needed anything. I told her that I had to go home
and check on the animals. I explained that I hadn't taken along my
purse because I had only worried about my husband. Thus letting her
know that I didn't have any money with me. She quickly found someone
who was heading my way who agreed to take me home. They were typical
Canadians, so helpful and friendly.

Before
I knew it, I was home, walking through the door. I went to Pumpkin
and hugged him. He had been going berserk at home all alone.

I
went into the kitchen and cleaned up. The bloodstains were hard to
get out of the floor.

When
that was finished, I went out to the barn and fed the chickens.

I
didn't know how to milk cows, but Gideon had been out here before
that man came. I hoped that chore was finished.

I
was certain that Gideon had saved my life. That man had been cruel.
He would have hurt me. But my Gideon wouldn't allow something like
that. He took care of me.

I
went into Gideon’s office. He filled in charts about the livestock
in there, so he knew which cow gave the most milk and things like
that. He worked on our finances here. I looked through his accounts.

Things
were tight. We spent as much as we made.

Gideon
had been especially generous with me lately. Angela was a luxury that
we hadn't actually been able to afford. He had done it for me,
putting my health and that of our precious baby first.

I
turned around and picked up my suitcase. I had seen it in here before
when I called the police and the ambulance. I opened it up and got
out my purse. My wallet was still fat. I opened it and saw that he
hadn't taken as much as a dime out of it.

He
must have been worried about money, and I had so much.

He
never came to me with his worries.

I
laid half of what I had on his desk and covered it with the heavy
stapler. I would have given him everything but I feared that my
credit cards had been canceled.

I
went up to our room and packed the rest of my things. When I was
finished, I looked around the room. So much had happened to me in
these four walls. We had made love, and he had punished me here –
baby Aaron had been born dead in here.

I
couldn't bear it anymore. I left closing the door.

I
went back to the barn and put my suitcase in the trunk of my car.

I
had to think about the last time I drove my car. I had been so glad
to see Gideon.

I
went back into the house and got Pumpkin’s things. He had watched
me packing very closely. Pumpkin probably thought that Gideon was
dead. I grabbed my car keys off their hook and whistled for Pumpkin
to jump into the car.

I
looked around one last time before I drove off.

I
drove all night and through the next day without stopping to sleep. I
knew that Gideon wouldn't approve, but I needed to see if my life was
still there waiting for me.

When
I needed gas, I paid with a credit card that I rarely used. I wanted
to see if it would work. I had the money in cash with me in case it
got turned down. It went right through.

I
drove on. The next afternoon, I parked in the underground parking lot
for my apartment, hoping for the best. My key still worked and the
elevator doors opened for me. I took the elevator up to my floor,
feeling like a criminal. I was probably going to try to unlock
someone else's door.

The
door opened up. I worried that the landlord hadn't changed the locks
to save money. I peeked in and saw my stuff covered with dust. No one
had been in here since I left. I was greeted by nine months of dust.

I
walked through my apartment and looked at my things. Things that
weren't that important anymore. I opened my refrigerator. Thankfully,
I had cleared it out before I left, but the things that were still in
there stank. I got out a garbage bag and threw everything away. I
left the door open when I went back down to my car to get our things,
forgetting that you didn't do that in a big city.

I
had to make two trips, but then I was home, the place I had longed to
be for so long.

I
wanted to crawl into bed, but I needed to wash my bedding first.
While my things were in the washing machine, I dusted everything. I
had gotten good at the housewife thing.

A
couple hours later, I was between freshly washed and ironed sheets
lying in bed with Pumpkin curled up at my feet.

Still,
I couldn’t sleep. I got up and moved the pillows around, so they
formed a body next to me in bed. I got back in and moved in close to
my make-shift Gideon.

The
next day, I got up and dressed, strictly following my old routine. I
even stopped off at my favorite coffee shop and got my latte to go.

No
one recognized me. I had a feeling no one had missed me.

I
went to the building where my office was and walked in. The security
people glanced at me for a second, but then they dismissed me. The
fact that Pumpkin was on a leash connected to my wrist was the only
reason that I was memorable.

I
went to the elevator and pushed the button for my floor. Would my
business still exist?

I
went and saw that I was the first one to arrive. That was normal. The
name of my business was still painted on the door with my name under
it as the owner.

A
light was on in the back of the office. I walked around the
receptionist desk and went to see whom it was.

Slowly
I went back, afraid that I was about to be kicked out.

“
Hello,
Mandy.”

She
looked up and saw me. Her jaw dropped. “Jessica. We have been so
worried about you. I called the police. Where were you?” She
wrapped her arms around me.

I
let her hug me, glad that someone had noticed that I was gone. We sat
down and talked. I left out so much, but I gave the loss of the baby
as the reason for me to come home.

She
didn't understand, but she didn't drill me with questions either. She
told me that the business and my personal things were running as if I
were here. My rent, electricity and water bill were paid and I could
simply be me again.

When
the others arrived, Mandy went out and talked to them. I wasn't sure
what she said, but everyone gave me looks of pity when I came out of
her office. I went into mine and sat down behind my desk. Pumpkin
jumped into his basket like the whole ordeal had never happened. He
bounced back quickly.