Dear Mama,
California is pretty, I can see why Ruby would like it so much, it suits her. How are the boys doing? Gerald has given me $20 to leave in here for you. He’s doing everything he promised, and then some. He wanted a wife from the get go. You know, the kind of woman that will rub his feet and some other stuff when he comes home. I haven’t done any of that. I’ve been having the lady next door show me how to make casseroles for me. It’s fair that I make him something to eat other than eggs and grits after a long day in the mines. I keep his house clean. I can’t complain.
I hope all is well, Mama.
Love, Marilynn
Gerald finished another beer and signaled to Jeff, the new barkeeper, to keep them coming. Joseph cackled as Gerald braced himself on the counter.
“You’re having too many, how are you gonna have the energy to go home and make love to your wife?”
Gerald scoffed. “That girl will not touch me. I don’t even know if she likes men. I told her where we sleep, and she threw a fit.”
“Did she? Ruby jumped into bed with me.”
“Well,” Gerald slurped all over his beer, and some dribbled down his shirt. “Shit- anyway, some of those southern belles only think about marriage and babies their whole lives. I think a married a damn nun.”
“She is mostly with you to take care of her family. Have you tried wooing her instead of just expecting her to roll over for you?”
“She didn’t seem interested.”
“She’s a healthy, attractive, twenty two year old woman, she is interested in a man wooing her.” Joseph took a nice sip of beer, and fished in his pockets for his matchbox.
“Want a cigarette?”
“What did I do to her, Joe? Ruby was so happy to be here, Marilynn smiles and she’s damn polite but won’t let me do anything wife like.”
“I’m telling you she wants to be wooed.”
Gerald slammed his beer down on the counter and Jeff glared at him. “S-sorry.” He slurred. “Let’s say I woo her Joe, what do I do if she doesn’t want anything to do with me still?”
“You try again, Gerald.”
“Well, shit. No one made it seem like wives were gonna be this much work.”
“I think you’ve had enough to drink, Gerald.”
Marilynn rolled over on her back in bed. She spread out like a snow angel, grinning.
‘These sheets feel like lotion, or butter.’ She thought, and with her hair fanned out around her and her night gown barely on the right way, she enjoyed the sunlight coming in through the windows.
Her partially closed eyelids flew open when she heard the doorknob jiggle. “What the hell?” She muttered, she sat up and Gerald came in. For once, he wasn’t wearing the uniform they forced him to wear in the mines. He wore a pair of complimenting brown trousers a vest with brass buttons.
‘He is handsome.’ Marilynn thought to herself. “What is it, Gerald? Do you need something? I’m not really dressed all that well.”
Gerald smiled, and said, “I would like for my wife to come out with me for the day.”
“Well, wife is kind of exaggerating isn’t it?”
“No.” He said. “It isn’t, and I don’t see what either of us lose by giving this a for real try.”
“I don’t know you.”
“Sure you do. You live in my house, you cook my meals, press my shirts. I want to get to know you, Marilynn.”
“I was born in Jackson, Mississippi. I’m the oldest of four children, my Mama was the most beautiful woman in town.”
“Before you were born, I bet.”
“Papa still had to chase a few fellas away when I was a baby, he’d grab his gun if anyone tried to seduce his gorgeous Madison.”
“This is better. But get dressed, come outside with me.”
Marilynn sighed, and threw the blanket back. “Fine. Stand outside the door, though. I’d like to get dressed without you watching.”
Gerald shut the door without complaint and Marilynn rose out of the bed. She walked over to the vanity and pulled out a fine, light blue, cotton dress. She ran a brush through her hair a few dozen times. She pulled out a drawer filled with makeup that Madison had given her years ago.
‘How the hell does this work?’ She thought, gawking at the blushes and eye shadows. She opted for a tube of crimson lip stain, and pulled on a pair of white shoes.
She opened the door and Gerald grinned as he offered his arm. She flashed him a dubious look.
“Come on,” he urged, “give me a try.”
Reluctantly, she looped her arm in his and they strolled out of the front door.
Marilynn flinched as another bullet fired from Gerald’s gun but Gerald whooped and hollered.
‘Who the hell can enjoy this?’ She thought, as he shot at another empty beer bottle and it exploded all over the yard.
“This is what you use your beautiful, big, back yard for?” Marilynn asked, wiping her dress in case any dust landed on it.
Gerald gave her a piercing stare. “I would like to populate it with children running around, irritating the neighbors, but for now this will have to do.”
“I don’t want children.”
“Oh, Lord. What do you want, huh? You didn’t want a husband, fine, you don’t want kids either, but you didn’t have any other plans. What do you want, Marilynn?” Gerald reloaded his pistol.
“ I want- all I’ve ever wanted is a big, happy family. That’s why I’m here so that my family is happy and cared for back home.”
Gerald took her smaller hands in his rough ones, and pushed the pistol into her palm. “Here, come on, take it.” He said, and she glanced at him, and at the bottle he was setting up.
“I’ve never shot a gun before-“
“You’re about to learn. Suppose someone breaks in before I come home, I want to know that you’re safe.” He walked back over to her and stood not even an inch away from her.
“It’s pretty simple. Just straighten up, both hands on your gun- this here is the safety,” he instructed, “now pull the trigger.”
Marilynn looked at him for confirmation. “N-Now?”
“Yes, let it fly. Go ahead.”
She squeezed the trigger, and yelped as the bullet flew out and hit the white shed instead. Gerald chuckled, and let his finger s graze her back. “That’s alright, Marilynn. Try again.”
She looked at him and braced herself this time, she aimed for the bottle. She only flinched a little when the bullet went sailing out of the gun and created an explosion of glass.
“Great, Marilynn!” Gerald said, he squeezed her in the crook of his arm as his left hand reached for the pistol. “Maybe I can find you some game to shoot.”
“Game? I’ve never hunted.”
Gerald smirked. “It seems like you haven’t done a whole lot. Including, get to know a man, let him take you out to dinner. “
Marilynn said nothing as Gerald set his gun down and wrapped his arm around Marilynn’s waist. “I know that you were raised to sacrifice and suck it up, and I find that to be an admirable quality in a person. But, that’s no way to live. Not all the time. Marilynn?”
“Yes?”
“Will you give it a try, please? I’m a nice man.”
“I know you are.”
“I would love the opportunity to make you very happy.”
“Hey, Gerald?”
“Yes?”
“I’ve never kissed a man before, besides my Papa.”
“I’d like to be the first and only man to.”
“I’m probably no good at it.”
Gerald sat down on the grass, and tugged on Marilynn’s arm. She sat down at an angle so that she wouldn’t flash her underwear. His hands were warm on her face, his rough skin like being enveloped in the world’s thickest blanket. His eyes narrowed as he kissed her on the lips, quickly. Marilynn blinked. “Is that it?”
“How much were you wanting?”
Marilynn felt the redness growing on her neck. “I just thought you might want to do a bit more, since we’re married and you’ve waited months for something small like this.”
“Who says this is small?”
“Well, I know that men have needs and such.”
“It aint just men.” Gerald, said delivering another swift peck to the lips. Marilynn leaned in and kissed him, and then she kissed him some more. And then, well, she might have kissed him all afternoon.
And then some.
They had a hard time finding a blue crib, but after days of searching, Gerald had given up completely, and invited Joseph to come and help him build one.
Feet elevated, Marilynn watched from a good enough seat on the sofa for over a week. ‘I mentioned that a pale blue crib would be darling, but I didn’t think he’d stop the world to build one.’ Marilynn thought, with a small smile at the edge of her lips. One hand continually drifted towards her belly.
“Watch out for that wood right there, Joe, it’s fragile!” Gerald hollered.
“Then why the hell would you put your infant in something made of fragile wood?”
“Because I could get a whole lot of it at once- did you come to be useful or criticize?”
“I came because I was hoping you would offer me one of Mary’s casseroles in exchange for building this death trap because Ruby’s cooking tastes like seasoned dirt!”
“I will not have you bad mouth Ruby in my house it’s been so great having her a few blocks away again.” Marilynn yelled.
“Don’t frustrate my pregnant woman!” Gerald ordered, and Joseph mumbled something in response that didn’t quite fall into Marilynn’s ear shot. Wood snapped and Marilynn could hear Joseph’s whining about paints and reinforcing the crib that Marilynn and Gerald’s son would sleep in.
“I cannot believe you were down the street the whole time!” Ruby said, as she passed Marilynn a pillow to slide behind her back.
Marilynn scooted up as best she could and offered Ruby a smile. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was coming to California before I got so fat.”
“Not fat- bringing life in to the world.” Ruby shifted, grinning wide her red braids falling over her shoulders. “Starting a family. I can’t believe it, Mary.”
Ruby grinned and patted Marilynn’s belly. “I bet Miss Porter is elated about this baby.”
“Truthfully, she’s surprised.” Marilynn said. “She didn’t think this would last, seeing as how, at first I only came here to help my family.”
Ruby set her long glass of black iced tea down on the wooden coffee table in front of her. The glass sweat onto the wood- Joseph had chewed her out plenty about setting glasses of cold liquid on furniture that had yet to have a proper finish put on.
Marilynn gleamed, she looked as if her belly was more of a roadblock than a blessing but Ruby knew she was happy better than anyone.
‘She looks like she swallowed a basketball.’ She thought, and Marilynn offered her some sponge cake. Ruby waved it off as Marilynn deposited the piece into her mouth.
“More sponge cake?”
“I can’t stop eating this.”
“You better relax on the baking, your belly is going to get in the way.”
Gerald eased onto the amber colored sofa and Ruby smiled in acknowledgment. “That’s sexist of you, Ruby. I bake the cakes around here.”
Marilynn nodded, another piece of sponge cake between her fingers. “Its some of the best cake in California.”
Gerald ran a hand along Marilynn’s swollen belly. “Whatever your heart desires. “
Marilynn rested her hand on top of Gerald’s and she leaned into him.
“Nothing more than this.”
THE END