Another two weeks passed and the monsoon rains continued. Then, on a Thursday, Mason surprised Brandy. "I am leaving you alone for exactly twelve hours.
I'm going up north to a small town near here to get someone and bring him back here. Do you trust me?"
Brandy said, of course. Mason continued, "You know how to shoot well enough if someone tries to break it. Can you do this, I mean, could you defend yourself?"
Brandy said, I think so.
"One more thing." Mason looked intently at Brandy. "Will you marry me?"
Brandy was not surprised at her own response. She had found Mason to be one of the most interesting men she had ever met. She had tried to convince herself that she was not attracted to him, but she could not lie. But, marriage? Well, everything was new in this odd world. She did not need to consult her heart.
"Yes, Mason, I will. I really like you and I think I could grow to love you more."
Mason smiled. He gave her a little kiss on the cheek and grabbed one of his pistols. He put on heavy rain gear and left without saying anything.
Brandy watched him disappear in the rain. It would be a very long twelve hours. Who was he bringing back and why? His mom lived in Atlanta and his dad, well, he never knew his dad.
Brandy decided to spend the day praying and cleaning, as the cabin was not exactly ship-shape. She did not want to be a clock-watcher.
Cleaning did not take long, about two hours. She looked out the window. It was raining so hard she could hardly see the line of trees at the bottom of the small hill. She began to read her prayer book.
Another two hours passed. Four down, eight to go. Mason had left about ten in the morning. She thought of the past three weeks. She thought of her job in the government and her daily routine of going to the gym, going out with her friends, basically doing what she wanted to do.
She thought of all the years she wanted to be successful, moving to be one of the top administrators of her department.
What department?
Brandy shook her head. Then, she heard a strange noise outside. She felt terrified, and she felt cold. She got her gun and stood by the side of the window. She thought her breathing was really loud.
She heard the noise again. Someone, or something snorted, loudly. Brandy moved into the small kitchen and looked out the small window. There, at the back of the cabin, was a huge buck. Brandy opened the kitchen window half-way. She took aim right at the head of the buck and shot. It dropped dead. Brandy took a deep breath. Well, she would have a wedding present for Mason. She felt like a grown-up woman for the first time in her life. She knew her long adolescence was over.
Brandy knew she could not move this carcass, but she took a tarpaulin and went outside to cover it up.
The young woman look down on the huge buck and smiled, and thought to herself, "My, haven't I changed?"
Six hours passed and Brandy decided to study Scripture. But, she fell asleep in the rocking chair and woke up when Mason burst into the cabin with his guest.
He was laughing so hard she could hardly believe his mirth. "A buck, well, what can I say? But, here is your wedding present. Father Gibson from the town up the road. He is going to marry us."
Brandy got up from her chair with a smile, but then, she burst into tears. "I don't have a dress, or shoes or a veil. Look at me."
Father Gibson came over. "Brandy, look, Mason thought of that. He did a little altering of something I had from my mother. Look."
Brandy stared at Mason. "You SEW?" Mason looked a little sheepishly at her. "Yes, I sew."
They all laughed. Mason explained that Fr. Gibson had given him a conditional baptism. At least, they would have the Nuptial Blessing. Brandy asked if Fr. would hear her confession and Mason stood outside for the several minutes that took. Brandy was accepted back into the Church by Father.
Father suggested they would not waste any more time, as Mason would escort him back again after the ceremony. Brandy went upstairs and put on the 1950s wedding dress which had belonged to Fr. Gibson's mother. When she came back downstairs, with her long black hair tied up on top of her head, she felt truly like a bride.
So, while the muddy rain beat on the roof, Mason and Brandy became man and wife. Mason gave Brandy another little kiss and rushed out, but first, he hung the buck in the mud room off the kitchen.
"I shall show you how to deal with that later. I shall be back in ten hours."
Brandy ran and gave him a big kiss and the two men disappeared in the rain. Brandy decided that she should have a long shower and just go to bed. She knew Mason would come back to her. She was not afraid.
to be continued...
