Come, Josephine

Chapter 3

1927

   By the time we had taken a taxi from the station to Chippewa Falls darkness had fell.
   I knew why we had traveled to the small city, although no one had told me completely, and I was not surprised when mamma asked for the Dawson place.
I hadn't known what to expect; I hadn't the faintest idea on what sort of money my father had ever had, let alone what his parents had owned. I was sure that whatever he had owned would have been worth the journey if it meant escaping Cal and his wrath, but I remained cautious. What had destiny decided for us? Part of me ached to know, and the rest of me remained fearful of what might be to come.
I raised my eyes from the dark taxi we sat in, and they bulged at what I had seen; it wasn't just a house, but a large, comfortable-looking property.
   The house wasn't especially grand or large, but I took note of how proud it looked. From a distance, it looked quiet small, with a window on each side of the door, and above that, another pair. The house itself was constructed of nothing more that white boards and white paint, yet held itself with a sort of air. Upon closer inspection, the house was wider than it was broad and had three large widows on each floor. I assumed there must be at least four or five bedrooms upstairs. The land around it was wide and open, and looked almost emasculate if it hadn't been for the skeleton of an old barn, standing tall against the skyline.
I don't think mamma  had expected a house, after knowing how my grandparents died, but equally relieved there was something there.
   The taxi pulled away and we approached the house, keen to go inside and get as much rest as we could.
   We limped up the long drive, exhausted from the long journey, and I moved to open the door. It swung open, with little effort, and we stepped inside.
   The house was completely dark inside, indicating that no one lived there. It was then that mamma lit a lamp in the corner.
   She gasped and dropped the match.
   I saw the flames take off from the floorboards and I shot forward, quick to extinguish it with my foot. The least thing I wanted was a repeat of what had clearly occurred in the barn outside.
   I turned to mamma, my eyes wide and cautious. The two sleepless nights that had taken place had worn her thin, and for a moment, I was certain she had gone mad. I reached out to grab her arm, but she pulled free and wordlessly pointed to the kitchen.
   Outside, through the back door, someone sat. It was the shape of a man, sitting on the back porch. He was slumped against the pillar supporting the roof, his head pressed against the faded wood.
From his back alone, I could feel the great sadness that radiated from him. Not only was his back hunched over uncomfortably, but he appeared as if the pain from within had grown to be too much. He had seen loss, and suffering, and doubt.
And yet he sat there, obtuse to the world around him.
   As she made her to the kitchen, she called out, "hello? I'm sorry to intrude-"
   Mamma stumbled on her words as the man stood to face us. He towered over her, his thin frame covered in a shirt made a cheap fabric. His trousers too, were sewn of thin material, with the buttons miss-matched with different coloured thread. His suspenders were as worn as the rest of him, still attached to his trousers, yet freed of his shoulders.
He limped forward, golden locks falling into his bright blue eyes. He met her gaze straight on, and his eyes remained familiar to me. I had seen them before, as I had his shade of blond, and yet...
   "Who are you-" she started, but he cut in.
   "Rose?"
   "Jack?"
   I stood back while mamma fell to her knees and sobbed.
   He stood forward, equally as shaky.
   And as my heart stopped, I knew who he was.