FORSAKEN AND BETAKEN

Chapter 8

Why do you keep on rebelling? Do you want to be punished even more?
— Isaiah 1:5

As soon as we feel all troubles disappeared — new dark clouds appear on the horizon.

Dearest Emmy… immobile, constantly experiencing tough luck with Aunt Flo’s family. Joyce innocently intended, or slyly fell for Thomas. Was she so guiltless trying her best to snag him from the shapely, attractive, and becoming personality that composed Emmy, who interested him? To Emmy (only interested in Eugene for their babies) Thomas could help her hock her ring and dress. Joyce seemed so innocent, but her dying interest was the worst? She finally fell back to sleep, realizing what a wonderful man Mitchell was compared to his crass father. Thomas was given the car to help her out, convincing the jewelers of a cash refund.

Aunt Flo volunteered ‘to go’ in the middle of frying pancakes. Emmy was the only one sleeping at the house, and she felt motherly as always.

“Then Thomas doesn’t require the car… Will you possibly go the hospital?”

She sipped juice.

“I’ll make a point to pick you up, you need an adult? I’ll be there, when do you finish lunch?” She went to call Marcy. Why not get the wedding dress money back. Who was minus cash to bask in the sun and sleep any old time they wanted.

“All set, we will take the ring in together? What about your gown?” How to gain cash if they only could write a book? Yes that is a good idea she dreamed for Marcy and her to make money.

“I think I’d wear a formal dress and not a fifteen hundred costly gown. Gilda bought the best in the store.”

“Her only boy and she are not around here demanding the gown back, so we will get you the money for that too? I hope you intend to save it.”

“Yes, she moaned, here I’m with a baby and school? ‘Boy oh boy’ — what does an orphan girl do — all her life?”

Flo laughed at her expression! “Don’t worry love. Is Thomas, able to marry you, he always seemed to like you?” Emmy decided to tell her.

“He volunteered to wed me. I’m waiting to give him an answer for a February wedding? I must think of myself and not worry about Joyce. Why she persisted when she knew, he liked me?” She did recall; she almost wanted Joyce for him.

“I don’t identify if they were all evilly influenced by my ex husband, but Thomas is the better one, and you are not really from this neighborhood?”

“How long will Joyce have to seek help for her obsession?” She would have never expected that behavior from Joyce — a mainstay for so long.

“She needs it forever — because she gets violent if she knows he is going to marry you? I am getting her put in a home for good until she is over this thing. Let’s hope she meets someone else. She has to be educated though. I’ll call them today to transfer her to a private home — meant for those cases. We could exchange the gown for a simple dress? You better ring Thomas? He does not need the car for this excursion?” “What ever happened to Margie the dog, you said you saw?”

Emmy embraced her. “That’s a mystery the dog wasn’t seen there when we were there….” “I should marry in October, but Marcy has to give permission for him to marry?” As far as a father, Thomas is perfect for a daddy.

“Don’t worry it isn’t ‘that long’ until he is eighteen years old? Did you cancel the October 15^th wedding at the church?”

“No. I forgot or would they marry us if they knew him?”

“You have to cancel it, he was not actively involved there?”

“Call Thomas over here, Flo insisted; we have a few minutes. Then I must pick up the jailbirds for school. They’ll have to change?”

“Will that police office keep its word? They are being investigated and many will be discharged today? That is what Mitchell Senior said.”

“I know, but us woman will just go along. The baby isn’t his child, but he seems compatible? Do not worry you were going to marry. What happened to having a family young like you wanted?” Her mind flitted to Eugene as the dad.

“It was ‘all the rage’ his family endorse me and it all died when he did? Last night, I dreamt, he was trying to tell me something….”

“You had a vision. Those up above; feel a child should have a mother and father. I see Marcy peering out the window. Now she’s opening her door.”

“You look so much like a little mother with a baby and young father… I can just visualize you as a family?”

“That is what you want Aunt Flo, you darling, it does sound so lovely with him.

When you were young how was it with that Job and how youthful were you?”

“I was twenty and ‘feeling in love’ with the world. He never stepped out on me then, I’m sure. I did wonder when the trouble started?”

“When I came, you never really knew the real him?”

“It happened before you came. After Joyce was born, he started staying out for nights. He's only with me three or less days a week.” He did step out on her before Emmy stayed the night, she mused. That tenure turned in to years. He fell out of love with her and dragged Hattie along with him…

“So? By the time… my parents dropped me here; he’d already obtained other women interests if only he could have been kept out of here…”

“I see that now. At the time, I never knew he was not working more because of a bigger family. I’m a deep sleeper?”

“Well, who knows then, so I see them walking across the road gabbing?”

“Hey there Flo, are we planning or taking up a marriage for those that don’t know he died or what?” Shocked Thomas went to sit near Emmy, this was coming off sooner not later, what ever, he thought elated. “It might look like that and the fact is there, but Thomas wants to marry her anyway, don’t you Thomas?”

“Sure. It’s the ‘result’ of my dreams! I never told Emmy that, he gazed at her with love filled eyes. I’m young and not working — why are you rushing this.”

“Well now, how come I never noticed you two?” She gawked at them so young, but her son was in love. How about Emmy, was she the same, it was hard to tell.

“You weren’t looking for it Mom? She is still from another place; I never looked at her as a neighbor? That weird neighborhood romances are they normal.”

“That’s an ‘unanswered question?’ Are you going to call the church, and tell them that ‘another man’ is marrying you Emmy — or Flo?”

Marriage excitement filled the air. Maybe Flo and Marcy wished they had a

partner that would last for good “until death do you part.” It was a good idea, but some dreams are not meant to last.

“If we all want this, we can return the wedding gown, get a formal dress. We’d again think who would be the attendants?” Marcy nodded “game for anything.” Emmy was pregnant, and hoped her son could have children?

“I have a refund for one dress and jewelry?” Emmy just sixteen seemed happy; the child needed a father.

“I’ll call the church. Later pick you up to return the engagement ring from Mitchell? We must visit that jail, finish your coffee Marcy?” She hustled about grabbing a light coat with the cool weather.

Flo backed out of the garage and drove to the police station. She parked on the side of the station, turned the car off, and pocketed the keys.

“I guess we have to carry our purses in there.” They left the car and hastened inside to get the stupid girls out. Pandemonium “filled the air” inside of the station, men swore that were fired and arrested. They over turned their desks, than more officers were brought in, and hauled them to the jail ignoring their dirty base curses. Flo finally found a good officer to help her release her girls for school only on the condition they obey and stay out of bars and men that use them?

“Follow me!”

Down stairs, it was as noisy as upstairs. The officer fit his large key in the cell lock. Eugene eyed them near by, his ma deserted him, but not, Emmy, his pal.

“Come out for school, alone?” They pouted, but moved out of the cell.

Upstairs men where fist fighting and other officers interfered as the rotten core cursed them. They were dragged down stairs just as the women made it outdoors

for safety. “Mother ‘you must” keep us out of here?”

“It is not in my hands. You do things against the law.”

She pulled in the driveway, “go inside and dress for school? I will wait for you to get changed?” She winked at Marcy. “Maybe seeing the rough and ready officers taken down stairs might cure them.”

“Perhaps things will change? I sure hope so. We sure need some coffee.

“I can’t wait to see Doctor Chad.” She romantically held her hands together like a church steeple, the jest with people coming inside. My parents knew his family. We always met when we were young.”

“I think he likes you!” Marcy liked the idea she met a man from her childhood interested in her. “Is he human some doctors don’t remind me of it, dissecting animals and insects?” They arrived back praying in the car.

“Chad worked it out to transfer Joyce to the special outpatient in Creston Home, where she’ll receive therapy? She poured a coffee. I do not need violence around with the other two getting married. Marcy stared at her ready to open her mouth? Joyce said: he’s an enemy and she’s over him?”

“What is the hurry, or did you call the church? There’s a whole month, yet. I

still don’t know why you are so hurried to get them marry.”

“What kind of outfit is she going to wear in February like, she said.”

“Okay then, why didn’t Thomas recently say anything.”

“Are you still thinking about that — her engagement to another?” She parked the car and they took their purses inside. “I have to call Mitchell about carrying around this information?”

“Put the coffee pot on, and ‘I’ll check’ the two phones for bugs? I don’t like the idea; we were followed. Anyone could have come in here? She unscrewed the receiver. This one looks okay. She went into the other room, and found one when she undid that part off that phone? Stunned… she stared at the phone bug.

“Ahem… Marcy, there’s ‘one’ in this phone. Did I leave the door open, yesterday?” She looked up from the newspaper she’s reading.

“W Why would you do that? You lock it. ‘Let’s check’ the cellar?” They carefully edged down the steps — expecting a crook to jump out at them. They felt the wintry draft wafting from the wide open window. Flo called the locksmith.

“We are going to stay here awhile — anyway I might as well call Mitchell?”

“Morrison residence,” Mitchell speaking, “What, One phone had a bug? Did you get over to the station today?”

“Oh yes, and the crooks are putting up a fuss. Off color officers knocked out different ones. What a mess, the majority are locked up, who is the new Chief? What am I supposed to do with this information? Do you have a place to hide it?”

“You should ‘keep it safe’ rather than come here. You were followed.”