CHAPTER ONE: Life Goes On
October 15th 1912
"So Jack, are you going to the harvest bash at the
Anderson's this year?" William Townsend, one of Jack's best
friends asks.
Jack and his two friends are at the town market, shopping for
fruits and vegetables.
"Yeah Jack. Ma's expecting to see ya there," Carl
Anderson pipes in. "And so is Becky. In fact, she's
expecting you to ask her."
"I'm not expecting to take anybody if I go at all,"
Jack shruggs.
"Oh come on Jack. It'll be fun, something you need right
now. You've been down in the dumps since you came back to town.
You'll have a blast with my sister as your date," Carl tries
to convince his friend.
"I'll think about it," Jack sighed. "That's all
I'll say right now."
"Hey there's Mrs. Bloom. Let's go up and say
hi," William smiled. "Maybe she'll put a good word in
with her daughter for me."
Jack and Carl following their friend up to the woman who's in
middle of a conversation with another lady.
"Hello Mrs. Bloom," William greets.
"Hello William. How are you doing today?"
"Pretty good. Me and the guys are out shopping. I was just
wondering if Gretchen had a date for the harvest bash. I was
wanting to take her myself."
"I'm sure she'd like that," Mrs. Bloom nods, turning to
Jack. "And how are you Mr. Dawson? Better I hope."
"I'm the same," Jack shrugs and forces a smile.
"No better, no worse."
"Oh Mildred, that reminds me," the other woman, Mrs.
Wilson, the biggest gossip in Chippewa Falls interrupts.
"What are you going to do about that girl? It's a disgrace
for a single pregnant girl to live by herself. To even be
pregnant and single is a disgrace in itself."
"Oh Clara, leave her alone. I don't think she was single
really. I think she's a widow. Her eyes show that she's lost
someone she loved very much. But she hasn't opened up and I'm not
going to ask," Mrs. Bloom shruggs. "Poor Rose is
welcomed to stay at my house as long as she wants."
Rose? Jack becomes alert, but the small glimmer of hope burns
out. Rose was a popular name. There was no way it could be his
Rose. Besides, the girl is pregnant. Rose couldn't be
pregnant...could she?"
"We better be on our way now," Carl nods. "I have
to get this back to mom before she throws a fit."
"Well then, I"ll see you boys later," Mrs. Bloom
waves as they exit the store.
"Who was that she was talking about?" Jack asked. Even
though he's been back in Chippewa Falls for five months now, Jack
was still behind on the happenings in town. He's mostly been in
his house, mopeing over the loss of Rose.
"Oh, four months ago a girl showed up on her doorstep. Turns
out the girl is very pregnant and very alone. She hardly talks to
anyone except for Gretchen. Gretchen thinks that she lost someone
very special to her, that's why she's so sad and so protective
about the pregnancy," William explained. "A shame
really. The girl's very beautiful, and I think she comes from
high society by the way she talks and holds herself.."
"But Jack, back to my sister. She really wants you to ask
her to the bash. I think you should. It'll cheer you up."
Carl pleads. "And it'll get her to stop pestering me to ask
you to ask her."
Jack sighed. He's tired of resisting his friend's efforts to
convince him to go to the dance. He might as well go, it'll get
him out of the house, and just maybe it'll take his mind off
Rose. "Ok fine. I'll take her. I'll ask her tonight when we
take this stuff back to your place."
Jack looks up at the sky once more and thinks of Rose. He hopes
she doesn't think he's betraying her or forgetting her. That's
one thing he could never do. He still loved her that much. He'd
give his own life if it had meant she lived.
"Come on Jack, my sister's waiting for you," Carl
laughed, putting his groceries in the carriage.
Rose is in the sitting room with Gretchen
Bloom, Mrs. Bloom's daughter, reading a book and messaging her
swollen abdomen.
"Rose, you need to get out and get a social life,"
Gretchen replies, taking the book away from Rose. "You need
to find a daddy for that baby of yours."
"What?" Rose is taken aback. She's been friends w ith
Gretchen since she got here and Gretchen always comes with ways
to shock her, but this outburst was more shocking than others.
"You need to get out and find a daddy for that baby and I
know the perfect place to do so."
"Gretchen...I don't want another relationship. I'm not
ready."
"Rose...who was he? Was he your husband?"
"Gretchen I already told you. I don't want to talk about it.
It's too painful," Rose feels the hot tears in her eyes at
the thought of Jack.
"Rose. Talking about him will help. You can't keep it
bottled up forever, or how else are you going to talk to your
baby about him? And the baby will have questions you know."
"His name was Jack and was the love of my life," Rose
cries, realizing that Gretchen was right. She had to talk about
Jack sooner or later, plus she trrusted Gretchen. She knew she
wouldn't judge her.
"Your husband?"
"No. My fiancee," Rose lied. She didn't want to tell
Gretchen that she had gotten pregnant by a man she had only known
for a day. "We've known each other forever."
"What happened to him? Where is he
now?" Gretchen asked, her eyes full of sympathy for her
friend.
"He died. He died a horrible death. He was only twenty years
old. He should have lived a long happy life," Rose begins to
sob.
"Oh Rose...I'm sorry. I didn't know...I'm sorry,"
Gretchen immediately apolagizes. "I should've been more
sensitive."
"It's not your fault Gretchen. In fact, you're right. It was
time I talked about it. It wasn't good keeping that grief to
myself all this time. So tell me, what were you talking
about."
"...Well, there's a bash out at the Anderson's tomorrow
night. I was thinking it'd be good if you went. Maybe meet a
couple of suitors. Find this baby a suitable daddy, but you're
right. You're not ready for dating. But still, it wouldn't hurt
to have a little fun. So what do you say? Do you want to join us
at the bash tomorrow night?"
Make it count Rose, she can hear Jack's voice. Make it count.
That what he had wanted her to do and that's exactly what she
hadn't been doing. She's just been sitting in this house for the
past five months and mopeing over what she had lost, not enjoying
what she had gained...her freedom to be herself and to do as she
pleased. This party was something Jack would have wanted her to
do and something she was going to do. To honor Jack's memory if
nothing else.
"Ok. I'll go. It'll be fun," Rose smiled for the first
time in months.
"Great! Believe me Rose, you will have the time of your
life!" Gretchen squeezes her friend's hand, her blue eyes
lighting up with glee.