Melinda and the Wild West (11 page)

Her father had put his arm around her
shoulders and said, “When you were a little girl, did you picture
the palaces of kings and queens to look like this?”

The three of them walked together into this
magnificent man-made creation. Inside the palace, there was a dance
floor, a restaurant, a gaming room, and an ice rink. It was
illuminated with electric lights that sparkled against the ice
blocks.

She remembered how her father had danced
with her mother on the dance floor of this Ice Palace and how
lovingly he had held her in his arms. Her father was deeply in love
with her mother and Melinda longed for a marriage such as they had:
one of equality, where the man respected the woman and supported
her education. Her father had never taken her mother for granted.
She wondered if she would ever find a man like her father.

Then her thoughts turned to Gilbert. Would he treat
her in such a loving manner? Would he respect her and treat her as
an equal? Or would he be opinionated and stubborn? He did know how
to cook, however. That was one point on his side. But on the other
hand, he certainly had been stubborn that first day they met.
Melinda laughed as she remembered the little arguments they had had
and when he had called her “self-willed.” She hated that word.
Melinda quickly shook the memory of him out of her mind.

Just then the train pulled to a stop and she
saw her father and mother waiting for her with smiling faces. As
soon as she stepped off the train, she leaped into their arms.
Tears were shed and hugs were exchanged and all the way back home
there was constant chatter.

That evening, as soon as she got settled
down, she walked down the staircase to the living room where she
found James waiting for her. He was a former boyfriend who had been
courting her before she left for Idaho.

“Melinda, you look even more lovely than I
remember.”

James took her hand in his and kissed it
tenderly. Melinda noticed that she did not respond the same way to
James as she had to Gilbert’s kiss. Her heart did not flutter and
her hand did not tingle from the softness of his lips.

Her mother walked in with a smile. “I
invited James over for dinner. I thought the two of you could catch
up on old times.”

Melinda smiled. Her mother and Aunt Martha
had so much in common. They were both matchmakers. Melinda knew
that her mother wanted her to marry James, but she couldn’t help
but wish they would both relax and let her make up her own
mind.

James was a good man and they had much in common,
but she didn’t love him. He did not make her heartbeat quicken; he
did not make her blush at the thought of him. When James kissed her
hand, it felt like nothing more than the kiss of an old friend, but
James did not seem to realize that.

On the other hand, Gilbert and she were as
different as night and day, and yet she felt attracted to him. Why?
She remembered his lingering kiss and how warm and tender it had
been. The memory of it seemed to linger in her mind. Her heart had
raced when he had touched her hand and when he kissed it, and a
tingling sensation seemed to start at her knuckles and make its way
to her heart. As she thought of Gilbert and her last night with
him, a tingle of excitement went through her and she smiled.

After dinner, she and James made plans to go
to Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet. “It’s a new ballet,” James told
her. “Only three years old. I know you’ll enjoy it. Then I’ll take
you to the Messiah on Christmas Eve.”

James spoiled her each day and the week
passed quickly and soon it was Christmas Eve. James arrived to pick
her up and was waiting in the living room for her. When he saw her
descend the stairs, his eyes happily swept over her.

Melinda was dressed in an elegant silk
violet gown with sleeves that were gathered at the shoulders and
hung freely to her elbows. Her hair was secured loosely upon her
head with silver combs.

James looked into her eyes and smiled. “You
look absolutely lovely tonight, Melinda.”

She smiled in a coy manner. “Why, thank you,
James.”

James took her by the arm and walked her toward the
carriage. The carriage ride was pleasant and she enjoyed seeing her
hometown once again. Melinda had many lovely memories growing up
here and joy filled her soul as she looked around at the
scenery.

It did not take long before they arrived at the
concert hall. James held his hand out to help her down from the
carriage and they walked into the building arm in arm. Melinda
noticed three gigantic chandeliers that glimmered and sparkled from
the light in the room. People were dressed elegantly and bustling
about.

They found seats in the auditorium and sat
whispering together until the performance was ready to begin. James
told her of all the success he was having as a lawyer, how much he
wished that she would come back home to stay, and bragging about
how important she would be if she married him.

The performance began and all was quiet. As
they sat listening to the magnificent music of Handel, James leaned
over and whispered, “I bet they don’t have this type of
entertainment in the Wild West.” Then he chuckled softly as if the
West were a big joke to him.

As the choir sang, the rich voices filled
the concert hall. Melinda’s heart was touched when they sang the
“Hallelujah Chorus.” Her eyes filled with tears because of the
beauty of that magnificent song and its message, and a reverence
filled her soul.

When the concert had finished, Melinda took
James’s arm and walked toward the carriage. As they headed home,
James said, “I enjoyed being with you tonight. I can see that you
really enjoyed the concert, too. You must have missed the East with
all its balls, concerts, ballets, and parties. The West doesn’t
have the sophistication that the East has. It’s no place for a lady
like you, Melinda. Stay here. Marry me. And you will never have to
work again.”

Melinda looked into his eyes, astonished by
his words. “James, you don’t understand. No, the West doesn’t have
the concerts and ballets that you have here, but it has something
the East doesn’t have. It has heart. It has no pretense. You know
where you stand with people out there and you don’t have to put on
fancy gowns and finery, trying to outdo one another. And about
working…you don’t seem to understand that I love it. Of course, it
isn’t easy and I get frustrated at times, but it’s all worth it.
Those children need me. And besides, I love them dearly.”

“But Melinda, it’s about time that you
settled down and had a family of your own.”

Trying to remain calm, she answered with a
bit of frustration, “James, I’m tired of men who don’t believe
women can do more with their lives. Yes, I want a family. I want a
family very much, but the only words that seem to come out of your
mouth are about me forsaking my job and marrying you so that I can
wait on you hand and foot.”

James’s eyes widened at that statement. “I
didn’t say anything about you waiting on me. Although it doesn’t
sound like a bad idea. I’d like to be spoiled by a woman. Doesn’t
any man?”

Melinda shook her head in frustration. “Take me
home. I don’t want to discuss this any longer.”

James looked into Melinda’s eyes, as if he
were trying to understand her. He looked confused. Then, as if to
persuade her through what he perceived to be of interest to all
women, he changed the subject to shopping.

“How you can stand such an uncivilized world
is beyond me!” he exclaimed. “They don’t have the shopping stores
and the social life we have here. If you marry me, I’ll buy you
whatever your little heart desires.”

Melinda shook her head. “I can’t. I don’t
love you, James. I told you that before I left.”

The carriage stopped in front of her home
and James once again put his hand out to help her out of the
carriage. Then he smiled and said, “Well, I still have a week to
convince you until you go back.”

Melinda grinned and decided to forgive his
inability to understand her. “You’re incorrigible, James.”

“I know. And I’m not giving up until you’re
on that train heading west.”

Melinda smiled as he took her hand and led her
to the front door.

The rest of the week went by much more
quickly than she realized, and before she knew it Melinda was
packing to leave for the West. After she packed, she hurriedly
dressed for the New Year’s Eve party. She was happier than usual
that evening, not for the fact that she was going to the dance, but
because she was returning to her second home in the morning.

As she walked down the stairs, James was
waiting. He gave her a hug and said, “Melinda, you look lovely.
I’ll be the envy of every gentleman tonight.”

He escorted her to the carriage and they talked all
the way to the dance. As they entered the party, Melinda saw a few
of her friends and they had a brief visit before James escorted her
onto the dance floor. She spent most of the dances that night with
James and several friends whom she had not seen for months before
she stopped to rest.

While conversing with her friends, one young
woman inquired with derisive laughter, “Well, what’s the Wild West
like, Melinda? How can you stand being away from society that
long?”

Melinda did not comment because the rest of
her friends roared in laughter. Nothing she could say would make
her friends understand the peace and tranquility she felt among the
mountains and the countryside.

Melinda looked around at everyone. The room
was a clamor of noise and the people were bustling about. Women
were flirtatious with anyone who noticed. Men responded with
insincerity. Both men and women had drinks in their hands and acted
as if there were no tomorrow and they didn’t care about anything
but the moment. And especially on this night, fidelity and respect
did not seem important to anyone. To these people, money was
important. Women sat around admiring one another’s dress and waving
their fans in the air with feigned sophistication, batting their
eyes at anyone who was male.

There was such worldliness in the air and it
bothered Melinda. She neither smoked nor drank and she had high
standards—among them, fidelity towards one’s spouse. These beliefs
were part of her upbringing and religion and she practiced them
faithfully.

When the New Year’s chimes rang, they all cheered
and threw their hats in the air and blew their horns while music
played on stage. James grabbed Melinda and kissed her. “Happy New
Year, sweetheart.” Then he went down the line kissing a few more
friends in a most jovial manner.

Melinda felt numb from all the cacophony of
noise in the room. She felt out of place. She had been to New
Year’s Eve parties before, so why was this year so different to
her? As she stood in thought, she wondered how those in Bear Lake
were celebrating. Her thoughts began to stray to Uncle William and
Aunt Martha and she wondered how they celebrated the New Year. Then
her mind wandered to Gilbert and Jenny and she wondered how they
were celebrating.

Meanwhile, back in Bear Lake Valley, Gilbert
and Jenny celebrated a little differently. They sat together at the
table playing checkers and card games, laughing each time someone
would win.

“How about an arm wrestle, Pa? I’ve been
workin’ extra hard lately and I think that I’m up to it now.”

Gilbert grinned at his daughter’s confidence.
“Sure. Let’s have a try at it. But I have to warn you, I feel
mighty strong tonight, Jen.”

“You sure sound confident, Pa. Now don’t get
a big head or I’ll have to whop you at arm wrestlin’ to humble you
a bit.”

Gilbert chuckled as he clasped Jenny’s hand
firmly and grinned. She was sounding mighty grown up for an
eight-year-old girl.

“Ready, Jen?”

“Ready.”

Jenny pulled with all her might, squinting
her eyes and pursing her lips together in concentration. Gilbert
allowed his arm to be pulled back a bit and exclaimed, “Oh,
no!”

Then he pulled hers in his direction and
watched her trembling arm as she pulled with all her might. Her
face reddened with exertion as she struggled to pull her father’s
hand. The knuckles of her fingers turned white as she struggled to
keep her arm from collapsing.

After a while Gilbert
moan
ed
and then
he weakened his grip, which gave Jenny leverage, and she gradually
pulled her father’s arm toward her side. When she had him two
inches from the table, he gave a slight groan and finally allowed
his arm to be pulled to the table.

With a whoop and a holler, she jumped from the
table with joy. “I did it! I did it! That’s my first time to ever…”
she stopped in mid sentence and peered into Gilbert’s face. “Pa,
you cheated.”

“No, I didn’t, Jen.”

“Yes, you did. You cheated. You let me win
on purpose.”

“No, Jen. You won fair and square.”

She shook her head vigorously and grinned,
“I know you, Pa. You were feelin’ sorry for me because I’ve never
won and you just let me win. Confess, now.”

“I’m confessing nothing to you, Jen,” he
said with a teasing glint in his eyes.

“Admit it, Pa. I can read the expression on
your face. You can’t hide it from me.”

Gilbert guffawed as he held both hands up in
surrender. “All right, I admit that I let you win and I promise you
that it won’t ever happen again. But if you want to know, you’re
getting mighty strong, young lady. And I had to struggle a
bit.”

Jenny giggled at his statement. “If that’s
supposed to make me feel better, it don’t, Pa. One of these days
I’ll win at arm wrestlin’. You just wait and see.”

“That’s a deal,” Gilbert chuckled between
his words.

While Jenny set up another game, Gilbert
stood and walked into the kitchen to get some treats to eat.
Throughout the evening, they ate a few snacks that had been
prepared along with cookies and punch. Gilbert read a few
nonsensical poems by Lewis Carroll and made Jenny laugh until her
sides ached. When they noticed the time, they both started the
countdown, “Ten, nine, eight…”