Ginger stayed busy training and exercising horses, keeping up with spread sheets on the horses and cattle on the computer and trying very hard to do a good job keeping the ranch solvent. She began to doubt her own mind when she became so tired and under a great deal of stress.
One day, after lunch, Ginger was getting her second wind before she went back outside to work. The doorbell rang and she answered it. Looking up she was astonished to see Brandon Garrison standing in front of her.
“H h hello” she stammered. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you,” he laughed. “Aren’t you going to let me in?”
“Oh, of course. Please. Do come in.” She was embarrassed. “What brings you into this neck of the woods? Uh, you did say you came to see me. What is this about?”
“I just want to visit an old friend and catch up on lost years. Tell me what you’ve been doing since high school.”
“Brandon, I need to apologize. I have a feeling that I should know you, but for the life of me I can’t remember you.”
“There’s really little or no reason why you should remember me. I was older than you and thus several grades ahead of you, however, I knew who you were and always admired you. Other girls were fighting to get the attention of sports figures and popular students, but you sailed through with a sweet smile and were just yourself. I was impressed.”
“I don’t know how to respond to that. I’m so sorry that I don’t remember you, although you do seem familiar. There’s something about your eyes. I have a feeling that I’ve seen you before, but ---”
“Don’t feel badly, Ginger. I’m not a person who is easily offended or have hurt feelings.”
“Let’s start again. Tell me what has happened to Brandon Garrison since he left high school.”
“Really? Well, I went through college and graduated with honors. Then I was lucky to get with a company making software and I invented some items, invested well and am now, as some say, sitting pretty.” He smiled.
“I’m glad for you that you’re well off. Did you marry, have children?”
“No to both. I’ve been working too hard and too many hours to be fair to a family. Besides I’ve been waiting, and hoping that a certain young woman would find me desirable and we could have a wonderful future.”
“Whomever she is, I think she’ll be a very lucky woman to have you in her life.”
They talked for at least an hour. Juanita finally came in with small cakes and her punch of ginger ale and grape juice mixed. They ate and Brandon finally excused himself and left.
Ginger was puzzled. Why did he seem so familiar when she only met him last week at the reunion? She went into the kitchen to talk to Juanita about it. Juanita had a gift of being able to size people up and she wanted to know what impression he had made on Juanita.
“I didn’t talk to him enough to have a definite conclusion. I do feel that he has had work done on his face and changed his appearance. I certainly could be wrong. Don’t make your decision by what I say, but I have to caution you that I don’t think he’s who he’s trying to present himself to be.”
Ginger hurried to get her yearbooks. Changed his appearance ? How?
She didn’t see anyone who looked as if he could be Brandon Garrison. There was Brandon Harrison but he had a broken nose and thick glasses.
Besides the reunion committee had not been able to find Brandon Harrison.
Why did Brandon Garrison seem so familiar? She put the yearbooks away and went outside to finish some of her work.
A couple of days later Ginger had just come in for lunch when someone pounded on her front door. She opened the door to find a red-faced, very angry woman. It finally dawned on her that this was the Victoria that she met in St. Ignatius with James.
“What a surprise. Come in. What are you doing here, Vicki?”
“Don’t try to act so goody-goody with me. I know your kind and have been plagued with them all my life.” Vicki was so angry spittle was flying out of her mouth and big tears stood unshed in her eyes.
“My kind? I don’t know what you mean. I don’t even know you and have had nothing to do with you.” Ginger began to be apprehensive, but calmed when she saw Juanita out of the corner of her eye. Juanita was standing quietly to one side of the doorway between the kitchen and hallway.
“Don’t try to act so innocent. You pretended to have no interest in my Jimmy, but you’ve lived here by him and thrown yourself at him every chance you got. He now says our wedding is off!” She screamed this last bit and came running toward Ginger as if she would attack her.
Juanita hurried in the room and stood between them. “My, I didn’t know you had company, Ginger, or I would have brought refreshments. Ma’am, would you like a beverage and some small cakes?” She smiled at the now flustered Vicki.
“No I don’t want any of your poisoned refreshments. I just want this home-wrecker to keep her nose out of my business. I was supposed to marry James Deerhunter, but this - this”, she spluttered, “wouldn’t let him go.”
Juanita looked innocently at Ginger. “Do you have any claims on James? I wasn’t aware of it.”
“Absolutely not. James has been a good neighbor, but he’s older than I am and we never ran in the same crowd and we sure never dated. Vicki, if you have a problem with James, you’ll have to talk to him -- not me. I don’t even know what’s going on between you two and I can’t imagine why you would think I have any claims on him.”
“You’re all he talks about. What a wonderful woman you have become, how responsible you are and how all the community loves and respects you. I got so sick of hearing about angelic you that I could have vomited.”
A man’s deep voice broke in. “It sounds to me as if you’re jealous of Ginger. She truly is a hard working woman and trustworthy. You’re the only one I’ve ever heard say anything against her. You might try to emulate her ladylike qualities. You would find that people like you much better.”
Ginger turned quickly to see Jack walking into the room. “Ma’am, you owe Ginger an apology and then leave.”
“I have nothing to apologize for and I wouldn’t stay in this dump another minute,” Vicki huffed as she flew out the door banging it behind her.
Ginger sat down and drew a deep breath. “For a moment I thought I was going to be beaten up and for nothing. James told me he would never marry Vicki. It’s all in her head. I’m glad he isn’t serious about her because she is definitely psychotic. Jack, you sure came in like an angel.”
“Juanita had already called me at the barn. Actually she just called the barn and I happened to answer the phone. That woman has serious problems and she really needs a lot of help. I’m going to tell James what happened and let him deal with her.” Jack quickly left.
Ginger jumped up and hugged Juanita. “Once again you’ve saved my hide. I’m so blessed to have you.”
The two women exchanged a hug and each went their way; Juanita back to the kitchen and Ginger to her office to work on reports on the computer. Every few minutes she would stop and think of Vicki. At first she had been angry at Vicki and then afraid. Now she just felt sorry for her and decided to pray that Vicki would find inner peace and accept the fact that James did not love her enough for marriage.
The next day James visited and was feeling badly that Vicki had verbally attacked Ginger. “I heard all about it and so deeply sorry that you had to go through that. I had never ever given her any impression that I was interested in marriage or even remotely interested in her. I feel sorry for her. Her parents are at fault. They’ve spoiled her rotten as an only child from wealthy parents. The father worked hard and invested wisely and became wealthy through his own actions. They’re as bad as she is.”
“Couldn’t you talk to them, James, and make them understand what they’re doing to their daughter?”
“I tried once, but they bend to her will in everything. She made up her mind that she was going to be married and I was it. I tried explaining to her parents but they were oblivious to the truth. What Victoria wanted, Victoria got.”
“I can’t fathom why parents would be so cruel, because, yes, it is cruel to indulge a child in that manner.”
James smiled sadly. “There are none so blind as those who cannot see. Or in this case, won’t see. I hope it’s the last both of us have heard from her.”
“How did you get involved in the first place?”
“Years ago my father was a friend of Vicki’s grandfather and her father remembered it. He came to see us once bringing his family. I was polite to them as I would be to any guest. For some unknown reason Vicki kept coming back and asking me to go places with her. I refused a couple of times because I was busy with ranch work, but the day you saw us in St. Ignatius, was the one and only time I had given in and gone shopping with her.”
“She definitely has a mental problem and needs professional help. I hope she doesn’t decide to come back and do something drastic to you or your parents. Or even your property. Remember the news item about a month ago, where the woman, with the same mental problems Vicki has, felt rejected because the man she had selected had not given her the attention she craved? He was married and loved his family. She set his house on fire one night with his entire family inside. Thanks to a neighbor, who came home from a late work shift, the family was rescued safely but they lost all their belongings.”
“Please, Ginger, it’s bad enough without putting thoughts like that in my head. With my dad in a wheelchair and mom not really strong, they would die if I wasn’t home to get them out.”
“We’ll pray for her and hope she comes to her senses.”
James left to go back to his work and Ginger went out to work with the horses. Jack was working in the barn and she told him of her conversation with James.
“That’s nothing to take lightly. Yes, I think prayer is necessary to combat evil that plagues people. The devil does walk the earth like a raging lion. We need to be strong enough and have faith enough to know the difference. People with mental problems don’t have that possibility. Leave it in God’s hands.”
“Jack, I swear you’re an angel. I’ve never asked you, but do you attend mass?”
“I sure do. In fact I’ve sat behind you a couple of times. When we have too much work, or something comes up that I can’t attend, I read my Bible and pray. It’s the way I was taught,” he smiled.
Ginger continued with her work and felt a lot of satisfaction working with the animals. There was something almost spiritual about the horses as they trusted her and welcomed her presence.
A week went by with the usual ranch work. One evening Ginger had finished a little early and come in to take a shower, change clothes and eat dinner with Juanita and the Ming sisters. She complimented the three women on the beauty of the house. The curtains had all been taken down, cleaned or washed and hung. Every window had been washed inside and out. All of the furniture had been cleaned or polished and the entire house smelled clean and fresh.
As they were finishing cleaning the kitchen someone came to the front door. Ginger was surprised to find Brandon Garrison again. “My goodness. What a nice surprise. Do come in. The evenings are beginning to get chilly. I’ve seen fresh snow on the mountains so I guess we’ll get it before long.”
Brandon kept smiling and sat down in the living room. Juanita came in and asked if they wanted hot chocolate. They sat in front of the crackling fireplace and drank mugs of hot chocolate with marshmallows.
“Brandon, I’m pleased to see you, but I’m puzzled. We were not in the same classes and I didn’t really know you until the night of the reunion. I looked through the yearbooks and I can’t find anything about you.”
“Keep looking with an open mind and you’ll solve the puzzle. I told you I knew you back then and admired you for your gentle personality and trustworthiness.”
They visited for about an hour and Brandon left saying he wanted Ginger to go out to dinner, or a movie, or whoever she wanted to go with him. She explained how busy she was and gracefully did not promise him anything as she ushered him out.
Ginger stood thinking a moment. “Juanita. Please come in here for a few minutes.” Ginger picked up the yearbooks and sat down on a couch facing the fireplace. Juanita joined her.
“Please look through these books with me and see if you can find Brandon Garrison. He’s a mystery.” They looked together until they came to Brandon Harrison’s picture.
“Ginger! That’s the same man. See the shape of the face, the curly, brown hair and the amber eyes. I knew it. He’s had his nose fixed and now wears contacts. But why would he be here under another name and not tell anyone who he really is? I hope he’s isn’t a criminal of some kind hiding out from the law.”
Ginger laughed. “I don’t think he’s a criminal, but it is interesting that he has gone to so much trouble to change his appearance and not tell anyone.”
Ginger called Maryann and got a phone number of where Brandon was staying while in town. She called him and invited him to a Sunday lunch.
He accepted quickly and laughed. “I have a feeling you’ve solved my puzzle. Have You?”
“I think so, but I won’t know for sure until we discuss it.”
Sunday came and Brandon showed up looking like a GQ man. He had a light blue suit with vest, a pale lilac shirt and silver tie with gray stripes and a white handkerchief in the jacket pocket. His black loafers were almost twinkling they were so polished and shiny.
Juanita had a scrumptious meal topped with lemon cream pie and hot cider with a peppermint stick in it. Coffee had been served with the meal. Ginger and Brandon took the hot beverage and sat in front of the fireplace to talk.
“I have a strong feeling you’re really Brandon Harrison. What I can’t understand is why you came with a different name and you’ve obviously changed your appearance.”
Brandon smiled and put his drink on a table by the couch. “Yes, I’m guilty of all that. You see, I was known as a nerd or a geek in school because I was a loner and made top grades. My studies were all I really had and they kept me sane. None of the girls would go out with me because I was sky, I was not an athlete, and I had little to offer except myself. I was enamored of you but was too shy to ask you out; besides I was older.”
“But why the subterfuge? Why didn’t you answer the call for the one most likely to succeed? Everyone would be glad to see you as Brandon Harrison.”
“I didn’t want anyone to know, but when I was in the eight grade, my mother had taken more than enough of my daddy’s drunken beatings and just gave up living. She died. Daddy kept drinking and beating on me. That’s how I got the broken nose. I don’t know how he stayed out of jail more than he did. He would work long enough to get money to go on a drunken binge.”
He stopped and took a drink of his beverage. Ginger was trying hard not to shed tears in front of him. She sensed he wouldn’t appreciate her crying for him.
He continued. “When I started my junior year, my daddy left and we’ve never heard from him since. I don’t even know if he’s alive or not. Mother’s sister and her husband, Martha and Leman Garrison, took me into their home and treated me like their own son. You wouldn’t have noticed but I had nicer clothes and was able to do more activities.”
He took another sip. “Leman had cancer and died during my senior year. Aunt Martha took care of me and even sent me to college. With my top grades and a strong will to succeed, I did. I loved her so much and wanted her to know how much I appreciated her, so I had my name legally changed to Garrison. With the money I now had I was able to have my nose fixed and an excellent eye surgeon worked on my eyes. I can wear contacts and have no trouble. I was also able to give my aunt an easier life. She died a year ago, but I’m so thankful that she knew I was a man to be proud of because of her.”
They sat in comfortable silence until Ginger stirred and turned sideways to look at him.
“Brandon, I knew who you were back then and admired you for making such good grades. You tutored several students and helped them through school. I’m positive they would have been delighted to know who you are and welcome you themselves. I can’t understand why you hid all of this.”
“I can’t explain it. I guess with all my success, I’m still a little shy. I knew they would remember a geek and I just couldn’t face it.”
“That was cruel of them to call you that. I bet if they could talk to you now they would say they were truly jealous of you and tried to put you down to make themselves feel great. Kids are often like that. I’m sorry that you couldn’t fully enjoy your own tenth reunion.”
“I enjoyed it. I guess I’d better contact Maryann and tell her my story.”
“Yes, you should. She still has the prize for the most likely to succeed.”
“I’m not interested in a prize. I sometimes wish I could have the night of the reunion over and tell everyone who I really am. Ginger, would you go out with me -- one a date?”
“I still admire you and think you’re great. It’s nothing personal but you wouldn’t believe how busy I’ve been. You don’t know about the trouble we’ve had with thieves, arsonists and murderers. I bet Maryann will want to let everyone know who you really are.”
They talked a while and Brandon thanked her for the meal and left.
Brandon called Ginger twice more asking for a date which she was too busy to honor. He finally gave up and went back to his home in Denver.