Chapter Forty-Three

Wrapping her shawl around her against morning air that had yet to feel the warmth of the sun, Phebe hurried to the Walker house and knocked on the door. It opened almost before the sound of her knock had died away.

She stepped back and laughed nervously. ‘Oh, my, that was quick. You must have been standin’ right behind the door.’

Martha smiled at her with tired eyes. ‘Maybe I was. Maybe I was hopin’ you’d stop by this mornin’, and if you didn’t, maybe I was gonna walk down to you.’

Phebe laughed again. ‘So many maybes. But I must be quick – Thomas won’t sleep for much longer.’

‘We saw Sam returnin’ last night, covered in coal dust. His face was black with temper, and we’ve been worried since. Not about Joe and Charity – we reckon they’ll get where they’re headin’; Joe knows what he’s doin’ – but about you. Did Sam figure out it was you who told us about the weddin’?’

‘He didn’t have to – I told him.’

Martha stared at her in surprise. ‘From the mood he seemed to be in, that was a brave thing to do, gal.’

‘I wanted everythin’ open between us. And I’m glad I did – it turned out all right. He’s still bitter about Joe not being caught – I wish I could say other, but I can’t. He’s never really liked him so I guess that’s not to be wondered at. But he’s regretful he didn’t give any thought to you and his pa. I think he can see now that he let hate and jealousy take over, and he’s powerful sorry he didn’t think about what it would do to you if Joe was caught. He’s not gone to the mine today as he wants to come up now and tell you he’s sorry himself, but he’s kinda scared about what you’ll say.’ She hesitated. ‘I said you’d forgive him.’

Martha nodded. ‘Which we will. You can go and tell him to come up now, and why don’t the three of you come and eat with us tonight? It’ll show Sam that we truly wanna put all this behind us. Everyone has the right to do somethin’ loco once in their lives. He’s been a good son over the years, and that’s what we’re gonna remember.’

A smile spread across Phebe’s face. ‘Thank you,’ she said, her voice shaking a little. ‘You forgivin’ him will show him how much you think of him. I know he’s done wrong …’ Her voice trailed off.

‘… But everyone needs to be shown they’re loved from time to time,’ Martha said gently. ‘That’s it, isn’t it? Since he came back, we’ve been showin’ Joe how much we love him, but maybe we’ve rather forgotten about Sam.’

‘But you’ve been kind to me, and that’s bein’ kind to Sam,’ Phebe said quickly.

‘It’s good of you to see it that way, gal. And when we’re all less tired, I’m gonna be kinder still, as you put it – I’m gonna come down and help you with the cookin’. I’ll show you how it’s done instead of just tellin’ you. And I’ll do the vegetable patch with you.’

Phebe’s face lit up. ‘I’d sure appreciate that.’

Martha smiled at her. ‘Sam’s a lucky man to have you for a wife, Phebe, and don’t you forget that.’

‘How d’you know? I do a heap of complainin’ and I can’t cook.’

Martha smiled warmly at her. ‘’Cos I see me in you. You could’ve gone back east with your folks, takin’ Thomas with you, and you’d’ve had that easy life you keep sayin’ you want. But you didn’t. You don’t like your life here, but you chose to stay. Long ago, I realised how much I’d hate livin’ in a minin’ town and bein’ wed to a miner, and I could’ve taken the boys and gone back to the ranch. But like you, I chose to stay with my man. Sam did well for himself when he married you, Phebe gal.’

A blush of pleasure spread slowly across Phebe’s face.

She pulled her shawl more tightly around her. ‘I’d better get back now. Sam’ll come right on up. And we’ll come this evenin’, then; if you’re sure you’ve enough for three extra. Thomas is gettin’ a real good appetite.’

‘I’m sure, honey,’ Martha said firmly. ‘There’ll always be enough for you. You’re family, aren’t you?’

She stepped forward, put her arms around Phebe, pulled her close to her and hugged her with every bit of her strength.

‘Phebe came to see us the mornin’ after you told her, Sam,’ Martha said, putting a mug of coffee and a slice of apricot pie in front of him, and sitting down opposite him. Hiram came across to the table with a piece of pie and joined them. ‘I was darnin’ when she came,’ she added. ‘Hiram and Charity were here, too.’

Sam nodded. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, looking at the table. He raised nervous eyes to his folks. ‘I’m real sorry.’

‘We know you are, son,’ Hiram said quietly.

Sam turned to Martha. ‘And you believe me, Ma, don’t you?’

She smiled at him, and patted his hand. ‘Yes, Sam; I do.’

He nodded again.

‘Phebe didn’t find it easy to break her promise to you, son, you know?’ Martha went on. ‘You could tell she felt mighty uncomfortable about it.’

‘She told me why she did it.’

Martha leaned across the table, and stared hard at Sam. ‘I sure hope you heard more than just her words; I hope you heard the love, ’cos that gal loves you. You’d become so full of hate for the Chinee that you couldn’t see anythin’ else. But she could, and she knows you well enough to know that if Joe had been caught, you’d never have gotten over it, not only for what it did to us, but for what it did to you.’

‘Yesterday, I wouldn’t’ve agreed, but today I’m sayin’ you’re right. I’ve bin awake all night, doin’ some thinkin’, and I reckon I’ve bin gettin’ more and more jealous of Joe over the years. Minin’ ain’t what it used to be, and for years now, while I’ve been afear’d about losing my job, there’s Joe doin’ what he wants to do, and it’s makin’ him happy. I guess I wanted to wipe that happiness off his face. I don’t like that about myself, but I can see it now. I’m always gonna hate the Chinee who’ve made me like this, but I’m gonna try and think about Joe in a kinder way.’

‘I’m mighty pleased to hear that,’ Hiram said. ‘I know you’ve never bin close, you bein’ five years older and different in your likin’s, but you’re flesh and blood, and it’s good for a man to think of his brother with warmth.’

‘And with Phebe as your wife, you’ve got a chance for a happiness of your own,’ Martha said with a smile.

‘If she still loves me after all the things I’ve done or tried to do.’

‘Oh, she does,’ Martha said. ‘I’ve never been more certain of anythin’. You’ve got a good gal there.’

Sam nodded. ‘Thanks, Ma. I reckon so, too.’ And he pulled the pie towards him.

When he’d finished eating, he sat back. ‘That was a fine pie,’ he said, and he paused a moment. ‘I’m gonna ask you both somethin’ now, but you don’t have to tell me. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t trust me yet. But I sure am curious to know how they got away with it, ’cos I reckon they went through with that weddin’ of theirs and were long outa Carter by Monday mornin’. But, as I said, you don’t have to tell me.’

Hiram and Martha glanced at each other, then back at Sam.

‘We don’t mind tellin’ you, Sam, ’cos we do trust you,’ Hiram said.

‘And you know I wouldn’t want the white miners knowin’ my brother had wed a Celestial,’ Sam added wryly.

Hiram smiled.

‘It was very simple,’ Martha said. ‘They brought everythin’ forward a day, and ’cos we knew about it, we could help. They got wed early on Sunday in the tong. After that, Charity came back here and said goodbye to Hiram. Then she and I took a bag of her clothes and walked to the plain. Anyone seein’ us would’ve thought we were goin’ foragin’. Joe met us out there with the wagon. I stayed on a while after they’d left, and then went back through the centre of town so no one would notice Charity wasn’t with me any longer.’

Sam looked from Martha to Hiram. ‘Sayin’ goodbye must’ve been hard.’

‘Charity said the hardest thing about leavin’ as they’d originally planned would’ve been not being able to say goodbye to us to our faces,’ Hiram said. ‘And we would’ve found that difficult, too. So in a way you did us a favour, Sam; you and Phebe, too. Thanks to you, we got to say goodbye to them and wish them well.’

Martha shrugged. ‘Hiram’s right. But I always knew Joe would leave Carter again one day and I’d have to say goodbye at some point, and that helped, even though he’d’ve been able to come back, and now he won’t.’ She paused. ‘But we believe they’ll be happy on the ranch we’re sure Joe will get, and that makes us content. And one day, we might even get a message from him, perhaps through Seth, tellin’ us where that is. We’d know it was from him, and so would Seth, but others wouldn’t.’

‘I sure hope you get that message, Ma, and I really mean that,’ Sam said, standing up.

‘I know you do, Sam; you’re a good lad at heart.’ She stood up. ‘And now I’m gonna get some vegetables for that stew I’m gonna do for you and your family tonight.’

Martha started to move towards the store-closet, then hesitated, turned back and walked across to Sam. Standing in front of him, she opened her arms wide.

He looked at her face, at the forgiveness and love in her eyes. A choking sob escaped him, and he stepped into her embrace.

The sun was shedding a vivid red-gold glow over the plains as Joe and Charity reached a waterhole lined with trees. As Joe brought the wagon to a halt, a flock of dark birds rose from among the leaves, wheeled around in the air above them, and then sank again to the upper branches.

He glanced at the sky. ‘It’ll be dark before long. There’s wood for a fire and water, so I suggest we spend the night here. We no longer need to push ourselves in the way we’ve been doin’ for the past week.’

Charity slid along the wooden seat and nestled close to him. ‘That’s good,’ she said, smiling up at him. ‘We’ve not had a moment to think since we left Carter.’

He put his arm round her and hugged her to him. Resting her head on his shoulder, she fell silent.

‘So what are those thoughts you didn’t have time to think?’ Joe asked after a few minutes.

‘I was thinking about our weddin’,’ she said dreamily. ‘By goin’ over it in my head, I’m hopin’ to make sure I don’t forget a single detail.’

‘I know I won’t. I’m real grateful to the priest – he gave us a weddin’ that was way beyond anythin’ I’d expected.’

Charity had been the first to get to the tong. She was wearing her best blue dress, which she often wore on Sundays. Her golden tiger was pinned to its front. Joe had arrived soon after in the leather jacket and jeans he always wore to the stable.

‘You look real grand, Charity,’ he’d said, his face breaking into a smile as she turned to him. ‘I’m afraid I didn’t dare wear fine clothes,’ he’d added apologetically, glancing from Charity to the priest. ‘We’re not a family of churchgoers and I’d’ve stood out if I’d bin lookin’ unusually smart. Folk know I go to the livery every day.’

‘I know Chinese brides wear red,’ she told the priest, ‘but I didn’t have a red dress.’

The priest gave a slight bow. ‘Red colour is for strength, good luck and good fortune, and I think you and Joe need much good fortune. There is red cloth in the room upstairs. You wear this red cloth over dress.’ He turned and moved towards the stairs. ‘You come now,’ he said with a smile, and he started walking up the stairs.

Hand in hand, they followed him up to the landing, glancing as they went at the paintings on the wall of social scenes in ancient China and of carefully laid-out gardens surrounding elaborate pagodas.

The priest crossed to the right, and opened a door. A strong spicy scent instantly hit them, and they noticed in surprise that cut-outs, duck-shaped and of the phoenix and dragon, had been stuck all around the doorway.

As they went into the room, they saw a deep red banner stretching from one wall to the other, with two large lighted candles flickering on a table beneath the banner. The aroma of incense rose from a censer in the middle of the table. Glancing around them, they saw that more small red cut-outs had been stuck to a large mirror at the back of the room and on all of the cupboards.

Charity looked questioningly at the priest.

‘I get tong room ready for wedding,’ he told them. ‘It is custom to have double joy stickers throughout the house on wedding day and in bridal room, and to have red banner in front of houses of man and woman. This announce that joyous event take place.’ He gave them a wry smile. ‘I think it not a very good idea to have red banner outside Walker house today. Instead, we have banner in here.’

‘Thank you,’ she said, a wave of emotion rising in her.

‘Chinese wedding is ceremony of ritual and custom. I bring red cloth, Charity, and you put cloth on shoulders. In China, bride also wear red veil, but we not have veil. Is no need – Joe already see your face,’ he said, and he smiled at them both.

She and Joe beamed at each other.

‘It is also custom for man to give woman a pair of dragon and phoenix bangles,’ he went on, turning to Joe. ‘She wear these during ceremony and after. Dragon and phoenix symbolise great happiness of man and wife – is perfect union. This we do today.’ He slipped his hand into the fold of his outer garment and brought out two bangles. ‘I give bangles to you, Joe.’ He held them out to Joe, who took them. ‘They are now your bangles. You now give bangles to Charity.’

Joe slipped them on to her wrist, and squeezed her hand. She smiled up at him, and with her free hand lightly touched the golden tiger.

‘Come,’ the priest said, walking over to the table beneath the red banner. Taking his place behind the table, he indicated that they stand on the other side, facing him. ‘Wedding now begin,’ he said solemnly.

At the end of the ceremony, the priest led the way down to the front door. Reaching the door, he bowed to them. ‘I hope wedding bring happiness and good fortune,’ he said, ‘and many sons.’ He straightened up.

‘I’m mighty grateful to you,’ Joe said. ‘We couldn’t have had a better start to our life together. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.’

‘And from me, too,’ Charity said, a lump in her throat. ‘I haven’t the words to tell you how I feel.’ She started to slip the bangles from her wrists.

The priest had put up his hand to stop her. ‘You keep bangles, Charity. I give them to Joe. Joe give them to you. They are for you now. They are symbol of marriage.’ He’d slipped his hand into the fold of his robe and taken out a piece of paper. ‘And I have this for you, Joe. It is written in Cantonese and in American. It says you are wed. And you are wed, Joe and Charity. In my Chinese heart,’ he’d touched his chest, ‘I know that is the truth.’

Stepping forward, he’d opened the door for them and together they’d walked out, man and wife in their hearts.

His arm still around Charity, Joe looked up at the sky. The deep blaze of red was giving way to an ever-widening band of the darkest blue. A scattering of stars had appeared on the horizon.

‘If we sit here much longer we’ll not be able to see to build our fire,’ he said. ‘We’d better get movin’.’

He jumped down and held up his hand to help Charity from the wagon.

When her feet were on the ground, he pulled her gently to him. Slowly he slid his hands down the back of her bodice and over the flare of her hips. Beneath his fingers, he felt her tremble in excited anticipation.

‘I love you, wife,’ he said, his eyes burning into hers with passion.

‘And I love you, husband. Very much.’

Her arms closed around him.

As he bent his head towards her face, she raised herself towards him on her toes, and their mouths met in the heat of their mutual desire.