LIFE AND DEATH
IN DISCOVERY
Raymond started attending church with Victoria the week after he proposed to her. She also suggested that he take instruction classes so he could “join the church.” Then, they would be of the same “faith.” Each Sunday morning, he found himself dreading the service a little more, but he could not place his trepidations on any specific factor. As a benefit, it was a few more hours that he got to spend with her each week and less solitary time on the weekend.
Raymond ate breakfast in the dining room and stopped by to walk Victoria to church. As they walked, he asked, “Do you enjoy going to church?”
“Yes, for the most part.”
“Isn’t your dad going today?”
“He has some things to do at the office this morning. He is leaving for Wellspring this afternoon.”
“But he doesn’t go other weeks either. Why does your dad usually not attend?”
“Oh, he attends regularly on Christmas and Easter.”
As they found their pews, Raymond noticed that about half of the women were there with the children or alone. Like Mr. Thomas, the other half of the men must have found something better to do on Sunday. Reverend Pharris liked to wear the long black traditional robe for service. He also chose two hymns before the message and used the same hymn each week for the “recessional” after the message. With announcements and an Old and New Testament scripture reading, he kept the entire service to within an hour. He did not want people getting bored with church.
As Reverend Pharris stood to give the message, he cleared his throat and gave a solemn look to the congregation. “There was once a man who went out in the morning to hire some workers for his vineyard. He went to the town square and retained all the men who were looking for work. He told the workers, they would work for a dollar a day. He went out about noon and did the same. He still needed more workers, so he went out again around mid-afternoon.
“The workers who were hired early in the day began discussing working conditions with workers who were hired later in the day. When those who were hired in the morning and at noon heard that the workers hired late in the day would be getting a dollar, they were getting excited. They reasoned to themselves, ‘If they worked two hours for one dollar, we should be getting about four dollars, or even two dollars for the day.’
“When the workers who were hired in the morning received their pay, they grumbled, ‘What, we worked the whole day for one dollar and you hired these people who only worked part of the day and received one dollar!’
“The employer answered and said, ‘Is it not my money to do with as I please? Are you envious because I am generous with my money?’
“So the moral of the story is primarily - don’t grumble at work. Keep your earnings to yourself. Be good and honor authority. Follow the rules of the church and society. Secondly, God has appointed your boss over you. Respect and appreciate him and his generosity. God places each of us in our station in life. May God bless you throughout the week.”
They sang the closing song that they sang every week as Reverend Pharris made his way to the back of the church to greet the people as they filed out. On the way home Raymond felt empty and wondered why. He knew Victoria’s cooking would cheer him up.
Mr. Thomas came home in time for lunch. Victoria asked Raymond why he was so quiet. He said, “I don’t know. When I was growing up, I seemed to get more out of going to church. We sang songs that were a little livelier. The pastor taught from the Bible rather than relaying stories that were only loosely related to Scripture or a parable that Jesus had taught. It seems the pastor always gets around to ‘honoring your boss.’
At this Mr. Thomas blew up, “So you don’t think you should respect your boss?”
“I didn’t say that. I just think church ought to be about more spiritual substance. You don’t even like to go to church.”
“I am the biggest contributor to support this church. My attendance is none of your business. The pastor helps people accept and adjust to their position in life.”
Victoria interjected, “Don’t you two think you should take a breath and calm down?”
Raymond, who avoided confrontation at all costs, was wound up and could not control what he was saying. “Do you think we should attempt to improve our station in life? Should we not try to make the work place safer and more enjoyable for our employees?”
“You know reformers and socialists do not make good bosses!”
“I assure you, I am neither a socialist nor a reformer. I just think we should make life pleasant for others when we can.”
“I have had enough of this! You and your Progressive boyfriend can talk all you want, but I advise you: Don’t bite the hand that feeds you!”
“Sir, you are talking about a social gospel - one that simply keeps the people under control and is used by the government and big business.”
Mr. Thomas got up and stormed out. Raymond and Victoria just sat and stared, looking stunned. “I am sorry. I didn’t mean to set him off.”
“Raymond, if you plan to continue working for Father, you better show some respect.”
“I do respect him. Am I not allowed to have an opinion or state my beliefs?”
“Not when they conflict with Father’s.”
Mr. Thomas went over to the depot. Winston was there, too. He was done at the mine, since he only hired on as a “consultant” to supervise the installation and implementation of the Ingersoll, or “Widow Maker,” as they called it. They were to meet Mr. Connor at the spur in Junction as he was there “advising” another mine owner.
Winston asked, “What are you so mad about?”
Mr. Thomas replied, “Oh, that future son-in-law of mine is starting to sound like a bleeding heart Progressive. Did you hear any talk in the mines, Winston? You have been there three weeks.”
“No, they were still careful around me. They were not quite sure I was just a temporary consultant to get the “Widow Maker” up and running. I do have a question, though. Why do you have shoring on ten feet at the start of number five, and about twenty feet in, it starts to go to five foot sections?”
“I don’t know. I always insist on ten feet. I don’t want to waste man power and material cutting twice as much shoring as is necessary.”
They engaged in small talk and passed the pocket flask for the two hour ride to Junction. Mr. Connor boarded and sat with them in the facing seats. “Connor, will you be able to get me those life insurance policies I requested?”
“Yes. A policy on you. One on Raymond. Both naming Victoria as the beneficiary. One on Victoria, naming you as the beneficiary. Now you know suicide rules these out. You’re not thinking suicide are you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! There was no trouble with the one-hundred-thousand dollar amount? They are all legal?”
“Yes. We can get the papers signed and the checks written this week.”
Back at the house, Raymond became concerned. “Victoria, I am not sure what your dad might do. I love you and I want to marry you. Let’s run off next weekend and elope.”
“Raymond, that is a crazy idea! You know I want Father’s blessing and a church wedding with Reverend Pharris.”
“That might be, but you are the only person who can handle your dad. He might not like it at first, but I am sure he would not mind saving money rather than paying for an expensive ceremony.”
As Raymond talked, Victoria surprisingly found herself thinking it might not be a bad idea. She thought her father would come around and have to forgive her at some point. She remembered what Uncle Michael used to say, “Sometimes, it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission.”
Knock, knock. “I wonder who that could be.”
As Victoria answered the door, there was a man outside, close to her father’s age. He looked very ragged and was carrying a cane that looked more like a walking stick or a crutch. “Can I help you?”
“I sure hope so, Princess.”
Victoria brightened. There was only one person who would call her princess. “Uncle Michael, is that you? I didn‘t recognize you until I heard your voice. Come in!”
As Michael came in, he noticed Raymond. Victoria said, “Excuse my manners. This is my fiancé, Raymond. This is my Uncle Michael.”
“I am glad meet you.”
“Likewise.”
“Sit down, Uncle Michael. We have some catching-up to do.”
“I won’t be comfortable sitting down until I do what I came to do.”
“What is that?”
“I have to make amends with your dad.”
“That won’t be possible today. He left for Wellspring and will be gone all week. He left here in a huff.”
“What happened?”
“Oh, Raymond got into a disagreement with him.”
“Well, you knew that was inevitable.”
“Yes, but I thought Father would mellow with age. He seems to be getting more cantankerous. What brings you here?”
“Well, like I was saying, I need to make amends with your dad.”
“Uncle Michael, Father said you abandoned him after stealing a load of silver. I always said you probably had a good reason. After a while, I was not even allowed to mention your name.”
Victoria fixed Michael some dinner. Michael spent the afternoon telling his story about how he and Edward had their falling out. Victoria noticed how much different Michael’s approach sounded compared to her father’s version. Obviously, their perceptions of the fact differed, but Michael never sounded accusatory or judgmental. Father, on the other hand, had nothing good to say about Michael. She knew they could not both be right about something that was so different in their perspectives. Michael sounded more credible, since he had removed the emotion from his argument and even sounded forgiving.
Michael, in his nurturing manner, encouraged Victoria to be honest with her feelings. “Princess, your feelings are neither right nor wrong. They are just feelings. You have been suppressing your emotions so long, you need to let them out with people you can trust. Once you realize the depths of your feelings, you can decide what to do with them.”
Suddenly, Victoria realized she had been denying her deepest fears. She realized she had been living under the misguided assumption that she could change her father. She even wondered if her mom died because she had lived in a state of hopeless despair. With this revelation, Victoria, who was always rational, even to a fault, broke down and sobbed.
She was overjoyed to discover Michael was still alive. She was thankful for her new found love in Raymond, and yet conscious that she did not want to lean on Raymond as a crutch or as an escape from her present reality.
Victoria finally asked, “How do you plan to make amends with Father?”
“I am here to forgive your dad, and to ask for his forgiveness.”
“What do you need to be forgiven of?”
“I let my anger get the best of me. I was mad enough to kill him. That was why I fled. I figured I didn‘t need to be around people if I could get that mad.”
Toward evening the three realized they were getting hungry. All those emotions and crying had a cathartic and draining effect. Victoria decided she would put Michael up at the inn until tomorrow. She would then get one of the worker’s cabins ready for him to stay as long as he wanted. They would deal with her father when he got home. Michael warned, “Of course, he is going to say I came in and stirred all this up.”
On Monday, Victoria got Michael situated. She told him she had an idea for a job he could do. The week at the mine seemed to go extremely well. Raymond noticed that without the threat of Mr. Thomas hanging over his head, he and the workers worked harder and felt lighter of spirit and livelier than usual. They also noticed that the absence of Winston made things seem to go better.
By Wednesday morning Victoria was an emotional train wreck. In the absence of her father, she realized that she was not under the usual stress that she experienced. He had been gone before, but she had always concerned herself with running the mines so she would receive his approval upon his return.
After Michael’s gentle nurturing, she realized she did not want to please her father any more. In fact, she now wanted to establish her independence. She only wished she did not have a lingering doubt that she might be using Raymond to do so. After all, it was not independence if it depended upon someone else to accomplish it. She rationalized, “I do love Raymond, though.”
That evening Victoria made supper for Michael and Raymond. She said she was afraid to ask Reverend Pharris to marry them as he might try to delay the ceremony until Mr. Thomas returned. She said she had been checking and there was a justice of the peace in Junction. She could wire down and arrange a Saturday afternoon ceremony. They could stay over at the inn in Junction, have a short honeymoon and return on Sunday, ready for the work week. Raymond had no objections. Michael was reluctant to be part of a scheme that would definitely set Mr. Thomas off again. He agreed he would go down and witness the ceremony, and return Saturday evening, but with reservations. It was a plan!
Raymond thought the next two and a half days of work were the longest days he had ever experienced. Finally, Saturday came! He met Michael and Victoria at the depot. They went to Junction, met the justice of the peace and had the ceremony. Michael shook Raymond’s hand, kissed the bride and headed back for Discovery on the next train.
The next day, as Victoria and Raymond boarded the train, they saw Mr. Thomas. They forgot there was only one train on Sunday. He obviously looked shocked to see them and didn’t need any explanation of what had happened. He listened for a moment and got up and stormed off to the club car. After he left, Victoria said, “He will have to get over this. I am tired of him having his own way about everything.”
Raymond and Victoria stayed in his room at the inn on Sunday night. The next day at work, Mr. Thomas acted as though nothing had ever happened. He coldly said, “Good morning” to Victoria as she started her work day. He called for Raymond first thing in the morning to come to the office. He said he checked the mines and found, in tunnel five, that the shoring timbers had crept down to five feet on spacing instead of ten feet. He instructed Raymond that he would be placing the timbers at ten feet or find other work. He said, “The days of mollycoddling these workers are over.”
After Raymond left the office, Victoria came in and said, “You have somebody who wants to talk to you.”
Before Mr. Thomas could ask who it was or what he wanted, Michael walked into the office.
“Hello, Brother.”
“Just when things seemed they couldn’t get worse. You come strolling in, probably wanting a handout. I should have figured you were behind my daughter‘s coup.”
“I had nothing to do with that. I came to ask for your forgiveness and to forgive you.”
“I can understand why you would want my forgiveness, but what do you have to forgive me of? “
“I forgive you for cheating and slandering me. I ask for your forgiveness for getting so mad at you that I was contemplating on how to do you in.”
Victoria interjected, “Michael will be staying in town.”
“Alright, I am forgiven. Now get the hell out of my office! You better stay out of my way and my family’s business!”
As Raymond returned to the mines, he wondered when Mr. Thomas had time to go to the mines and check the shoring unless he went down during the middle of the night. When Raymond told the workers, they objected, but understanding the gravity of the situation, began placing the shoring timbers at ten feet.
By Friday, they had made great progress with the use of the Widow Maker. They also had a couple of extra men to clear debris who were freed from cutting and placing timbers and hand chiseling. Right after lunch the men went back into the shaft. As they started drilling, they could hear the earth settling and groaning. Some dust began to sift through the cracks in the cavern. The first man out rang the alarm and shouted, “Everybody out!”
As Raymond was shutting down the compressor, Mr. Thomas arrived on the scene. The men looked at him and started walking away. He told Raymond to get them back. Raymond just looked at him, in shock. Mr. Thomas shouted, “Alright! If you want to get back on my good side and save your job, get in there and get that Ingersoll!”
Raymond, who was usually cautious, acted upon impulse. He wanted to get back into the good graces of Mr. Thomas. As he found his way back into the cavern and reached for the Ingersoll, there was a rumbling like none of them had ever experienced.
