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The first time James Brown met his future wife, Theodora, the school teacher had them share the same bench in the one-room school they and most of the farm kids attended when it wasn’t harvest season. Theodora was a transfer from the next county over. Her parents had bought the farm nearest James’ property. Well, his uncle’s property. As a ward of the state, James – who preferred going by Jim if he could help it – had been living with his uncle Sal and aunt Petunia since his parents died of influenza when Jim was four. At eight, he knew his uncle’s farm better than he ever had the townhouse his parents owned before their untimely passing.
But, back to Theodora.
Despite being a year younger than Jim, she was taller. Skinny as a bean pole, as Aunt Petunia would say. She wasn’t a “sparkling beauty” as some of the girls were, with golden hair and doe eyes that could convince a boy to do silly things like sharpen a pencil or go fetch an extra textbook. But there was something about Theodora that caught Jim’s attention. When assigned to be Jim’s partner – a last resort as there were no other tables in the already overcrowded schoolroom – her nutbrown ponytail swung as she hurried to her seat, her freckles standing out against her still-pale face. She hadn’t been a farm kid long enough to develop the classic tan. She tossed her books on the desk, slid into her seat, and didn’t look once at Jim throughout the whole lesson.
Well, that was just plan odd.
She asked plenty of questions, raising her hand politely as they were all taught, and didn’t seem to mind flashing a shy smile at the girls seated nearby, but it seemed like as soon as Jim opened his mouth to say “hello” or “my name’s Jim,” she forgot she even had a partner. Jim simply didn’t exist to her.
At first, he thought she was being a bit cruel, making Jim squirm until recess. But during the fifteen-minute break – more for the teacher than the students – Jim noticed she ignored every boy. Girls were fine, as proven when some of the other eight, nine, and ten year old girls roped Theodora into playing one of those silly rhyming games that confused the heck out of Jim. He was fascinated to see her uncoil like a spring. The tension just spiralled away from her.
When the teacher called them back in for the last lesson of the day, he watched with equal fascination as her shoulders tensed up the closer she got to the entrance. Once seated beside Jim, she was a tightly wound as the spring on Uncle Sal’s buggy.
Jim didn’t attempt to talk to her again that day. He did think to offer to walk her home, being her closest neighbour and all, but when the children were let out for the day, he was surprised to see her dash over to a waiting buggy. An older boy, probably her brother based on the similar appearance, waved at her and flashed her a grin before they took off.
Jim had always wondered what it would be like to have a brother. His face flushed as he tried to smother his jealousy.
Well, let her had her stupid buggy. Walking suited Jim just fine. He cajoled another boy to tag along, at least part of the way until he had to split off onto another grid road. They ended up taking a short cut through a field that hadn’t been planted yet, trying to crush as much stubble under their boots as possible, and it wasn’t long before Jim forgot all about strange Theodora.
It wasn’t until supper that night when Theodora made a reappearance. Over mashed potatoes, green beans, and roast chicken, Aunt Petunia mentioned she had been by the new neighbours’ place to drop off a “welcome to the county” casserole. Aunt Petunia’s casseroles weren’t exactly the best tasting, but it was the thought that counted.
“You’ll never believe what they fit in that old farmhouse, Sal,” Petunia said, her voice a loud whisper, as if she were sharing a scandalous secret.
Sal, mouth full of chicken, simply raised an eyebrow. He was a man of few words at the best of times, and at mealtimes he barely did more than grunt and say “thank you” to his wife for the meal.
“A piano! Now I ask you, who drags a piano across the county just to shove it in an old farmhouse that has seen better years? And that was just the living room! She must have scrubbed that kitchen for half the day to make those walls and counters as sparkling clean as she did. A lacy tablecloth and everything for my casserole, too.” Petunia glanced at her own tablecloth, lacking all lace and frills, then resumed her tale. “Makes a good cup of tea, though. I can’t imagine what brought them from town all the way out here. She’s got at least three children that I could see, didn’t meet the husband though.”
“I think I met their daughter,” Jim said quietly, doing his best not to interrupt his aunt. She hated being interrupted, but it was so hard to tell when she was done sharing her stories, as she tended to gravitate towards long pauses and staring off into space.
“Yes, there’s a daughter! Thank you Jim, I almost forgot. Very polite, curtsied and everything. But seemed like a hard worker. As soon as she came inside she went and put on her work clothes and went out with her brothers to help them with chores. Something to aspire to,” Petunia said with a not-so-subtle glance in Jim’s direction. It wasn’t that Jim didn’t work hard, he was just a bit of a daydreamer and tended to get lost in his musings. Not always a good thing when milking an ornery cow.
Sal cleaned the last of the gravy off his plate with Petunia’s sliced bread then cleared his throat. “Man’s name is Roy. Was a lawyer but lost some money and they had to move. Met him in the field this afternoon. Said he’s going to start his practice up again in Hammond once harvest is done.”
“Wouldn’t it be nice to have a lawyer so close to us? We can finally get our wills drawn up!”
Such adult talk bored Jim to death. He asked to be excused and was allowed only if he checked on the cows in the field. Jim agreed to the terms then left before Sal could renegotiate.
Jim took a deep breath when he got outside. He loved how fresh everything smelled on the farm. Four years here had made him used to the manure and other unpleasant odours that would send city kids running. He adjusted the strap on his overalls, tugged his plaid over shirt tighter around his skinny shoulders, then set off for the cow field with the sun just starting to set. He gave two sharp, quick whistles, and within a minute his favourite farm dog Casper bounded over. A collie mix of some kind, Casper loved to herd things. Not just sheep or cows or ducks or what have you. If a visitor came to see Petunia with a child, Casper would gravitate to the guest and attempt to lead the child to the door. Most people found it endearing, but Sal always shook his head. His uncle had his own favourite dog and the two were inseparable. Casper had his uses, but he would never be Sal’s go-to dog.
Jim rubbed Casper between the ears and the pair went on their way. Jim made sure to make lots of noise so the coyotes wouldn’t be caught unawares if Jim and Casper stumbled upon them. Once in the field, Jim did a head count, giving pats on rumps and playing with the ears of the calves who were still affectionate enough to run up to Jim when he came over. He grabbed a stick and was about to throw it for Casper when he heard rustling in the nearby field. The barbed wire fence that separated the fields wasn’t far from Jim, so he went over to see what had caught his attention.
It was there he met Theodora for the second time.
Just as Petunia claimed, she wore overalls with a patch on one knee, a plaid shirt quite similar to Jim’s, and her hair was now in braids to better keep it out of her face. The children stared at each other for a moment, each unsure what to do.
Casper made the decision for them.
He dashed over, slinking under the barbed wire with the practised ease of a dog who does it much too often, and he saddled up to Theodora, leaning heavily against her legs, expecting pets.
“Casper, get back here!” Jim said as he walked closer to the fence. “I’m sorry about that, Miss Theodora. Casper often forgets his manners.”
Instead of pushing Casper away or jumping back in fear, as some girls did with big, unfamiliar farm dogs, Theodora laughed and scratched behind Casper’s floppy ears.
“You and Casper are forgiven. He’s a handsome fellow. I love dogs.” She briefly looked up from Casper, whose tongue hung out in glee, and met Jim’s gaze. “We sat together at school, right?”
“Yes, miss.”
She smirked. “No need for miss. Just Theodora. Or Theo, to my friends.” She frowned briefly. “Although I guess I don’t have many friends here, at least not yet.” She sighed.
“I’m James. Jim to my friends.”
“Are we friends then?”
Jim leaned against the nearest fence post, avoiding the barbed wire. “Depends on one thing.”
Theodora raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“Why did you act like you didn’t notice me at school? Seemed like every time I tried to talk to you, I became a ghost.”
Theodora winced. “Oh, that.” She rubbed the back of her neck, one hand still giving Casper his obligatory pets. “My brothers were on me not to talk to any strange boys at school. When we lived in the city, they didn’t like it if I had boys as friends and would make sure Mama knew if I was playing with them. It’s stupid, but they’re just protective.”
“But they weren’t in class with us, were they?”
“No, but I swear they have eyes and ears everywhere! I didn’t want to get teased by them on my first day.” She stuck a hand over the fence. “I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”
Jim thought for a moment, then shook her hand. “Well Theo, I guess we’re friends now.”
Theodora grinned. “Guess we are, Jim.”
“My aunt says you have a piano. Does your mama play?”
“Oh, we all do! My brothers and I had lessons in our old home. Mama can teach too, I think she wants to start offering lessons if there’s enough interest. Is your aunt the lady who was by with that casserole today?”
Jim nodded. “I hope it tasted better than her last one.”
Theodora studiously did not reply.
The children chatted at the fence line until the sun had almost set. Casper reluctantly went back to Jim’s side, whining all the way. Jim rolled his eyes at the theatrics.
“Does your brother always give you a ride to school?” Jim asked just before they parted.
“No, Mama just wanted to make sure I got there and home safe. Why?”
“Meet me at the crossing just past your place tomorrow morning. We can walk to school together without your brothers noticing.”
Theodora’s eyes lit up. “Will Casper come?”
“He’s not really allowed off the farm, but he might follow us along the fence line for a bit!”
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning, around seven?”
“I’ll be there. Night, Theo.”
“Night, Jim.”
A friendship that began across a barbed wire fence grew roots. The pair, whose families became close as the years went by and Theo’s father opened his law practice and her mother taught piano to the local boys and girls, attended barn dances together and went on horseback rides and soon it was more common to see Theo and Jim together than apart.
At fifteen, Jim had asked Theo if she would be his girlfriend, and she didn’t even complain about how sweaty his hands were when he asked. She was still taller than him, but only by half an inch, and she still wasn’t the most beautiful girl in the county, but she could make Jim laugh more than anyone, and she had better brains than most of the boys in school. She shot better than them, too. He found her to be prettier than any other town girls when she wore her work overalls and was chasing a runaway calf.
Unlike many farm kids, Jim and Theo attended school right up until the end. In their final year, when the eighteen and seventeen-year-olds weren’t studying for the state school exams, they daydreamed about what they would do once they had a diploma in hand. Usually this daydreaming took place under the big apple tree on Jim’s property, far enough from the farmhouse so Petunia couldn’t spy on them but Jim could hear Sal yell if he needed help moving the tractor.
Currently, Jim sat with his back against the thick tree trunk while Theo laid with her head on his lap. Their textbooks were beside them, but neither had any inclination to crack one open on such a beautiful day. They had been studying all month and Jim’s head felt like it would burst open if he tried to cram one more iota of information in it.
“Jim dear?”
“Yes, darling?”
“If we pass the exams– ”
“When we pass.”
“When we pass,” Theo amended. “We’ve got enough saved for the train tickets, right?”
The pair had been saving every penny they could from odd jobs worked for years, hopefully enough for two train tickets to the city where opportunity and a new life awaited. They knew it would be hard the first few years, what with Jim planning to attend law school (pending exam results) and Theo having her eye on nursing, but it was better than where they were now. Jim appreciated what his aunt and uncle had done for him, but there had always been a distance between them. He had grown up on the farm, but it would never be his home. Sal knew that, and didn’t expect Jim to take over once Sal grew tired on farming.
Theodora couldn’t wait to get back to the city. She had kept in contact with her closest friends and was ready to say goodbye to the farm.
“And then some. Maybe not enough to rent an apartment yet, but you said Suzie knew someone who had a basement suite.”
“Yes, but Suzie can be a bit of a storyteller. Her version of a basement suite may be less glamorous than we hope.”
“So long as I have you, I’m happy.”
Theo grinned up at him and took his nearby hand in hers. “Jim dear?”
“Hmm?”
“When we have a place of our own, can we get a dog?”
The thought of a dog of his own warmed Jim’s heart. Casper, an old dog at fourteen, had passed away peacefully the past year. Jim missed him more than words could say. The other farm dogs were good boys and girls, no doubt, but no one could replace Casper.
“Of course! As many dogs as you want, darling.”
The pair daydreamed in peaceful silence for a moment longer before Theo sighed dramatically. “I suppose we should pretend to study, at least for a bit. Hand me the science textbook?”
Jim grabbed it then leaned over to Theo as she sat up and kissed her sweetly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, threatening to topple them over underneath the apple tree. Jim would have liked to spend the rest of the afternoon that way, but he knew Aunt Petunia would come check on them eventually.
At least when Petunia did arrive with a tray of lemonade and cookies for the teens, she would see them sitting together with textbooks in hand, the strange lip-shaped bruises on their necks mostly covered by the collars of their shirts.
~*~
Theodora Brown, wedding ring winking at her from her left hand, stared out the window at her backyard. The flowers she had planted early that spring gave the once-barren yard new life and had made the first spring and summer in their new home even more wonderful. Jim had initially doubted his wife’s green thumb, but she proved him wrong, making their big yard with its white picket fence and porch swing an inviting place to have friends over for iced tea.
And the perfect spot for a dog to play in.
Theo and Jim had been married for almost a year, shaming their families by living out of wedlock until Jim had passed the bar exam and Theo received her nursing certificate. Now they had a beautiful townhouse with a wraparound porch – thank goodness the days of basement suites and apartments were gone – and there was nothing stopping them from fulfilling the final part of the daydreams from the farm.
But Jim had a plan. A member of his law office had a cocker spaniel who was due to have a litter within the next few months.
The puppy would make the perfect Christmas present. If he could convince Theo to wait that long.
Jim came up behind his wife as she stood in her pink robe at the kitchen window, the one facing the yard. It was her day off and he envied her lazy morning. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder, doing his best not to wrinkle his brown suit before he got to the office.
“I’ll be home for lunch. No meetings today, praise God. Would you like me to bring home anything?”
“A puppy?”
Jim laughed. “How many times have I told you to be patient? The right one will come along when we’re ready.”
Theo pouted. “Well, I’m certainly ready. A puppy would liven things up in the cold winter months.”
Jim rolled his eyes then kissed her cheek. “It’s not quite that cold out yet. I’ll see you at lunch. Perhaps I’ll bring home a basket of puppies.”
“Make it two baskets,” Theo said, a teasing glint in her eye. “I love you, Jim dear.”
“I love you, Theo darling.”
Jim left for the law office, hoping his wife could wait for the little lady he had in mind. If not, Santa Claus would certainly have his work cut out for him.