The Bride
Morning breaks over the hills of Kentucky and the sun is eager to erupt its glow. Birds wake to the soft scent of dew on the leaves and frost still glows in the air.
Nathan wakes to his father’s commands to prepare to enter the city, it is his big day. He is eighteen and must find his bride. Like his father and his father before him and so on eighteen has marked a day of celebration and now it is his day on the mountain. Today Nathan is a man.
A man to be sure! He is strong and full of youth and vitality. Standing at a cool six one and three quarter inches tall with thick black hair and a beginner’s mustache; it is tradition to grow one by the age of eighteen. His shoulders are broad and firm in his stature. His is back strong, long, and lean, built to withstand the hardest pull on a mules harness. His skin is tough so even the coldest bite from winter could never penetrate. But in all the rugged outer necessity, he had looks that every girl on the mountain desired. There was not a heart he did not break by the time he was sixteen years of age.
His eyes were an iridescent blue that gave way under the lads black hair and dark complexion. When he spoke, oh when he spoke, even thunder could not compare; for it rumbled with commanding utterance. He walked with the confidence of a general in command of an army and gave no way to any other boy who crossed his path. He enjoyed a good scrap on the occasion if just to show off to the girls.
When He swung an axe it was with such accuracy that it took no more than few swings to bring down a good sized tree. The power behind each blow caused the entire tree to quake from his unmerciful strength. He truly is the catch of the county but it was his father’s regret that he did not choose one of the girls on the mountain but it is not his choice it is Nathan’s choice alone.
“Come on boy, we ain’t got all day” Justin said with the arrogance of a strong father. This resulted in a humble but daring reply from Nathan: “Oh pa, give me some time to gather myself, I need to look my best for this.” Justin grunted as he walked to the kitchen to put the coffee on for the day’s adventures. Then he snorted to his son: “You know you ain’t gettin married today so don’t go gettin all fancy! Just get dressed boy.” He added, “Remember, she’s gotta be fit and strong too now so I hope you chose wisely boy.”
Nathan’s look was one of aggravation because he and his father had already discussed what must be done. “Pa, don’t you think I know this by now. We’ve been goin over this for the last two months! I know she will be jus’ fine.” Nathan’s memories took him back to the day he first laid eyes on the girl of his dreams, his future bride. Even at the age of fourteen he knew she was to be his wife. Nathan added to his plea with his father: “I hope she is just as pretty as she was then too.”
This time it was Justin who reflected the aggravation because he had told the boy not to worry so much about the looks of a woman but rather the stability of the woman.
He silently reflected: She must be able to maintain in the winters on the mountain and it sure won’t be good looks that will get her through that. The thought carried him to Justin’s mother, Katherine. She was just too weak to bear children and he had to take his own son from her belly. So his own choice in his wife was not a wise one.
It was mid January and Katherine had been eight months with Nathan by that time. She was out attending to the cattle when she grabbed her stomach. Justin recalled this moment with grief in his eyes. She fell to her knees and for the first time, called out to Justin.
The memory of her scream echoed in his ears. “Justin, Justin, come quickly, the baby is coming now! For God’s sake hurry there’s blood everywhere! Justin Hurry!” Katherine screamed with such intensity that the hair stood up on the back of Justin’s neck. He dropped the wood he had in his arms and ran as fast as he could but it was too late, Katherine had begun to bleed out. Justin did the only thing he knew to do; he pulled out his slicing knife and cut the baby out.
Justin was subconsciously stirring his coffee as he thought about the dangers of a city girl brought to the mountain. Up here there are no doctors and lawyers and all such as that so it is up to the mountain folk to git by on their own wits and if ya ain’t strong, ya won’t live. Poor Katherine just was not mountain material after all and this left Justin to raise his son alone. Justin shook his head in quiet sorrow for the girl who would be Nathan’s Kathern.
On this extremely important day, so very much was running through Justin’s own memories and thoughts that he could barely trace his own path for what had to be done. He had to prepare so much and assure that all was ready but he could not help but allow the memory of Katherine to fade into the day. He often wondered if he would choose a mountain girl for Nathan or let him go to the city to find a wife. It was Nathan that decided that factor one late summer when they took a trip into the city for supplies.
Nathan was heading into the store with Justin when he had noticed a girl of about fourteen years old by the gumball machines and was instantly in love. She had luscious, long auburn hair and the bluest eyes that even the sky bowed before their beauty. She was tall and so profoundly shaped that every eye in the world should be cast on this girl and yet did not deserve to view her beauty. Even Nathan felt he should look away before he was blinded by the aura of the vision that stood before him. She smelled like she had bathed in a river of light essences and immersed to rinse in the soft waters of Kentucky, she was fresh in odor.
Yes, she was perfect in everything she was and then she spoke. Nathan felt as though he heard an angel sing when he heard her voice. So soft and delicate and yet firm in her decision to continue in her journey. Her words were heaven on earth and a blessing in Nathan’s young ears. He watched her mouth as she spoke then she seen him, oh thank the heavens, she seen him and she smiled.
Her teeth were as white as the snow on a new winter’s day. Her cheeks full and dimples to accent each, what perfection! What art, what creation had God set before him? Yes, this was his angel and his heart felt as though it were going to leave his chest and leap straight into her hands as a gift for allowing him to view her.
He turned to his father and told him that he wanted her to be his wife one day and they must return to find her. It was in his eyes, that special glow, which told his father there was no fighting nor arguing the fact; the lad would have this girl. So Justin inspected the girl. She seemed stout enough but they would have to see her at her prime.
It was a father’s duty to keep a watch over such matters and so the task was set before Justin, he had to watch the girl’s growth. Every year he would go down the mountain and locate her and see how she progressed. Would she be fit to withstand the mountain terrain? Would she be capable of bearing children? Was she healthy? Could he trust that his son chose well? Still they would not know until she joined them on the mountain but as far as Justin could assess, the girl grew up with great strength and vitality herself. Yes, she might be good mountain material after all.
Of course she must pass the test or Nathan will just have to do with one of the mountain girls nearby. This would be disappointing for Nathan but if she does not pass the test, he would have no alternative. If the test proves her fit and strong then she would prove that she could bear children and survive many years in the mountains. So it was Justin who began to pray this day for his son’s sake - she must pass the test.
Justin knew the area he must search and he knew just about where the girl lived, it was a matter of timing and it must be right.
Rachel was in her room preparing to go to the mall with her friends. It was snowing but she was too ready to get out of the house. Winters in the valley are hard and cold but she still managed some outdoor activities such as skiing and snowboarding but she still felt caged. She also did some ice skating with Ron her newest boyfriend - now ex-boyfriend. She never understood why she couldn’t keep a boyfriend longer than a month but she didn’t have to worry because her looks allowed for many choices.
Rachel was always an athletic girl, built firm but not fat. With her auburn hair cut to shoulder length and her sky blue eyes, Rachel was more than the envy of her school. Her skin tone is a perfect accent to the color of her hair that when people comment on her beauty (which bothers her at times) they truly mean it.
She stands five-seven and a quarter which is considered perfect for a future model. When she walks it is with grace and a brazen confidence, something her mother instilled in her. All of this made temptation easy for the boys but Rachel was having no part of what they wanted to offer.
Rachel was insistent on remaining a virgin until she married so this is, perhaps, the issue that caused the many breakups. Of course, it was of no concern to her what the boys wanted - they weren’t getting it. So, she was content on dating at this time in her life and not looking for a serious commitment. She was, after all, just eighteen years old and marriage was not something she wanted at this time in her life. She had plans of college and a carrier first.
As she continued her ritual in front of the mirror she heard the phone ring. She paused long enough to see if it was for her then continued her venture. Her mother called just as she began again. “Rachel, phone for you, its Cassie.” Rachel ran out of the bathroom and down the stairs to get the phone.
They live in a split level home that afforded five bedrooms and three bathrooms, a family room, den, very large kitchen, and a three car garage. She got downstairs and her mother handed her the phone as she stated: “You look great.” Rachel simply replied: “Thanks mom, and so do you.”
Rachel inherited her beauty from her mother who is five-six and also has the auburn hair with the blue eyes. Her skin, though aged, is flawless. She speaks with confidence and dignity at all times. She is a well refined woman that grace could have been defined by her stature and demeanor. She is all that Rachel wants to be.
She is a Home Interior Designer and owns her own business. She supported Rachel in everything she ever did and has always been a wonderful mother as well as a business woman. Her name even demands, no commands respect alone. Her name is Katherine Lynn Princeton.
Rachel’s father is a doctor and has soft black hair. He is six-two and very muscular. This is where Rachel got her athletic appearances. He had always played in one sport or another as he grew up but even now at forty-six he still plays racket ball, tennis, golf, and you can even catch him on a football field at times.
He is that rugged, strong, and that clean-cut type of guy that all women drool over and most don’t approach. Most, except Rachel’s mother who approached him for a date. This is what awarded her the catch of the county, as stated by most. Rachel always told her father that her first son would bear his name: Thomas Andrew because it had meaning. This always made her father smile with the greatest of pleasure then he would add: “Let’s make that a few more years from now kiddo.”
Rachel held the phone to her ear and heard music coming form the earpiece so she yelled into the phone: “Cassie, are you still there?” There was a pause then Rachel replied to something her mother couldn’t hear. Rachel gave Cassie a quick response: “I’ll be there around three and I am wearing that really awesome jacket mom got me for Christmas. See you there, bye.”
Rachel turned to her mother and told her that she was off to the mall and not to expect her until after it closed. With that said she turned and bolted back up the stairs to finish primping and then left for the mall. She knew it was early but she wanted to get out of the house and do so for the duration of the day. To make certain that the day would be a full one; she planned it out per shop with lunch in the schedule.
Text copyright © 2009 by: Lisa R Taylor
Publisher: PublishAmerica
Thank you and I do hope you enjoyed the first chapter