Melinda and the Wild West (17 page)

He remembered how she had blushed when Jenny
caught him hugging her in the kitchen just as he was about to give
her a kiss, and he remembered how her blush had affected him,
also.

Gilbert knew that he had to do something if
he didn’t want to lose her. He had to write a poem and he had to go
to the dance. He also needed to have a long talk with her about
something he had held inside for years.

Gilbert never cared for dances because he
had never learned how to dance. But if Melinda was going to be
there, he had to be there, too. He could socialize and that
wouldn’t be so bad. Gilbert had a few friends who went to the
dances every month. He could visit with them until he had a chance
to take Melinda aside. His plan was to talk to Melinda and let her
know his concerns and see what she had to say. Gilbert had never
expressed all his concerns to anyone before. He had been too
embarrassed. This would be his first time. How would she react to
it?

Gilbert sat at the table with a pencil in hand and a
paper before him. After giving it much thought, he knew what to
write. The first encounter they had had was so delightful that he
decided to put it into poetry. After an hour of writing, erasing,
rewriting, and suffering through a bundle of nerves, he finally
finished his rough draft. Then he very neatly wrote his poem on a
fresh piece of paper, put it in an envelope, and sealed it.

Looking at the envelope, Gilbert breathed a
deep sigh, wondering how Melinda would respond to such an
unprofessional poem as his. He wrote her name on the envelope and
stuck it in his pocket. Immediately he saddled his horse and rode
out to Martha’s home. He hoped to surprise her by leaving the poem
where Melinda could find it before she arrived from school. His
heart was beating erratically from nervousness as he knocked on the
door. When Uncle William answered, Gilbert asked for Martha. For
some reason, he felt it would be easier to give the envelope to
her.

As he stood in the living room waiting for
Martha, he noticed a large box of chocolate candies on the coffee
table with Melinda’s name on it. Gilbert inched his way over to
them and peered down at the box, which read, “Happy Valentine’s
Day, from Henry.”

A twinge of jealousy and embarrassment shot
through him. Gilbert was giving Melinda a silly poem while Henry
had given her a large box of chocolates. She would surely love the
candy so much more. Feeling embarrassed, he was about to slip the
envelope back into his pocket and leave just as Martha entered the
room.

Before he had time to hide the envelope,
Martha spoke. “Is that for Melinda?”

She pointed to the envelope in his hand and
he looked down at it. Melinda’s name was written upon it in plain
sight. There was nothing he could do about it now. He nodded and
gave it to her reluctantly.

Feeling embarrassed and awkward, Gilbert didn’t
know what to say, so he turned to leave.

Martha touched his arm and said with
kindness, “She really likes you, Gilbert. She likes you a lot.”

Surprised, he turned around and asked. “Do
you really think so?”

“I know so. It’s in her eyes. Whenever I
bring your name up at the table, her eyes will sparkle and she’ll
listen tentatively. When I bring up Henry’s name, she doesn’t seem
to care. And this week when we saw you riding your horse in town
and you waved to us as you passed, I looked into her eyes and they
were glowing. Gilbert, she’s in love with you. I can tell.”

Gilbert gave a broad smile.

With deep concern, she asked, “What are you
waiting for? Are you not sure of your heart?”

He shook his head and sighed. “Martha, we
are so different. That’s what bothers me. She may not be able to
handle the West. It’s tough here and she may not be happy after a
while. An Eastern lady and a rancher is not a great
combination.”

“Do you love her, Gilbert?”

He looked into her eyes and saw tenderness
and understanding. He hesitated and then answered, “Yes, I do.”

She smiled. “Did you know I came from the
East?”

“But everyone isn’t like you, Martha. You’re
a tough woman and the West didn’t scare you.”

“Gilbert,” Martha said softly with concern
lacing her eyes. “I know that something is bothering you and I
don’t know what it is. But I have a feeling that it’s much more
than just your differences. What are you afraid of, Gilbert? Why
are you worrying so much about Melinda becoming unhappy here in the
West or even being tough enough?”

Without thinking, Gilbert blurted out, “I’m
not making the same mistake twice.”

Then he abruptly turned and walked out the door
without further explanation.

When Melinda arrived home from school, she
immediately saw the gifts on the coffee table. She noticed the box
of chocolates from Henry and then saw the envelope that read, “To
Melinda, from Gilbert.” Her spirits soared and her heart fluttered
with joy as she quickly ran upstairs to open her letter.

After placing her books on a small table in
her room, she sat upon her bed, crossed her legs, and opened the
envelope with care. Sliding the paper out excitedly, she unfolded
it and read:

When first I came upon you

Wading in the stream,

You held your skirts with one hand.

You were barefoot and free.

Your cheeks were rosy from the sun,

An auburn curl upon your cheek,

Your eyes were green like shamrocks,

And your laughter delighted me.

Who is this creature, I asked myself?

A nymph, a charming lady?

Who is this beautiful person

That brings happiness to me?

Tears of joy filled her eyes as she pressed
the poem to her breast. The poem was beautiful and she was
impressed that he remembered each little detail about her on that
first day they met, just as she remembered him. She remembered his
soft, deep voice and the flushed look of embarrassment when he had
caught himself staring at her.

As she prepared for the dance that evening,
she wondered if Gilbert would be at the dance so she could thank
him for the poem. Henry had asked her if he could escort her to the
dance and she had accepted. Anxious to get ready, she hurried
downstairs to get something to eat.

When she entered the kitchen, Aunt Martha
looked at her and asked nonchalantly. “Did you see the gifts on the
coffee table?”

“Yes, I did,” she said in a coy manner.

“Wasn’t that sweet of Henry?”

“It certainly was.”

“I noticed that Gilbert dropped something
by, also.”

When she saw Martha searching her eyes
curiously, Melinda nodded with a smile. The happiness she felt was
indescribable and she could not put it into words.

As she helped her aunt fix the meal, Martha
looked at her and said, “I finished your dress today. It’s going to
look lovely on you, Melinda.”

“Do you think so?”

“I know so. I hung it up in your wardrobe.
After we eat, go try it on.”

Melinda immediately wrapped her arms around
her aunt and gave her a lingering hug. “Thank you, Aunt Martha. I
truly appreciate it.”

When Henry picked Melinda up for the dance,
she was not quite ready. He waited impatiently and paced the living
room floor. It took Melinda a little longer than usual to get ready
and they were about half an hour late to the dance. As they entered
the Social Hall, the music was already playing. Henry took her coat
and left the room to hang it up while she stood alone at the
entrance.

Melinda looked like a valentine, dressed in
a red silk gown that gathered at the waist and hung gracefully
around her hips, skimming the tops of her shoes. The bodice of the
dress was snugly fitted, which emphasized her slim waist and the
gentle curves of her body. The sleeves were gathered at the
shoulder and hung freely to her elbows. There was nothing elaborate
about the dress, but it did look elegant and the color seemed to
compliment her creamy complexion. Her rich auburn hair was in a
loose bun with a few ringlets hanging along her neckline.

When Gilbert saw this vision of loveliness standing
at the door, his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. Her
beauty had taken his breath away and he could not take his eyes off
her. She looked absolutely radiant in red and her dress was very
flattering to her figure. His eyes swept over her, taking in her
beauty. Gilbert was speechless. When their eyes met, she smiled and
his spirits rose and a warm glow filled his soul.

“How can I possibly talk to her when she
looks like this?” he thought to himself. “She’s so…so…” He couldn’t
seem to find adequate words to express how he felt.

He watched Henry walk up to her, slide his
hand around her waist, and lead her to the dance floor. Gilbert’s
eyes followed her and he noticed how gracefully she moved across
the floor. She had such poise. She seemed as if she were as light
as a feather with every movement she made. Her charm and
gracefulness gave her a sort of ethereal beauty. It was a delight
to watch someone with such ease in every step.

Gilbert’s pleasant thoughts were suddenly
interrupted. One of his friends walked up to him, pounded him on
the back, and asked, “Gilbert, what are you doing here? I’ve never
seen you at a dance function all the years I’ve known you.”

“Just decided to try coming once. But this
may be the first and last time you ever see me at one of these. I’m
not a dancer.”

“So, did you come for the food and to
socialize?”

Gilbert grinned inside. He knew what he had
come for but he was not about to tell them.

“Yup.”

That was all he said. Soon the conversation went
to farming, cattle, fencing, and all the rest of the gossip around
town.

“Gilbert, I heard that new schoolteacher is
dating Henry. They’ve been dating for some time now. I overheard
Henry saying that he was going to ask her to marry him sometime
soon. But I don’t know when.”

This was not what Gilbert wanted to hear.
After noticing that Henry had danced with Melinda for six dances in
a row, he wondered if Henry was going to monopolize her the whole
evening. All he had to do was wait for the proper moment so he
could get her alone.

When he saw Henry take her to the snack
table to get a drink, Gilbert became quite annoyed with him.
Frustrated, he wondered if he would ever get a chance to talk with
her alone that evening. He needed to say what was on his mind
before he got cold feet.

Quickly he came up with an idea. He
whispered to his friends that he needed to talk to his daughter’s
teacher about something very serious that had to do with Jenny and
how he needed to talk to her alone. His friend smiled and said,
“Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it. We’ll keep him busy while you
take her aside.”

Gilbert grinned. “Thanks. I appreciate
it.”

When he noticed his friends talking to Henry
and how they had turned him away from Melinda, he knew this would
be his only chance. He quickly strode across the Social Hall and
grabbed Melinda’s hand, pulling her toward the entrance. Once
outside, he shut the door behind them.

“Melinda, if I have to kidnap you from
Henry, then that’s what I’ll have to do.”

Melinda laughed. “I’m glad because I’ve been
wanting to talk to you, too. I wanted to thank you for that lovely
poem.” She hesitated for a moment, looking down at her shoes, and
then continued in a softer tone, “It really touched my heart. No
one’s ever written a poem for me before. The thought that you
actually wrote a poem just for me…oh, Gilbert…” The words would not
come and emotion constricted her speech. She didn’t know how to
express enough gratitude.

When Melinda looked up into Gilbert’s eyes,
he was touched. He could see how she felt as she spoke and he was
pleased. “Melinda, let’s take a walk. If you get cold, we’ll come
back.”

Gilbert took his coat off and wrapped it
around her shoulders, then took her warm hand in his as they walked
slowly in the snow. The touch of her hand was thrilling as they
walked side by side. Gilbert wanted to talk, but the words would
not come. He knew he needed to tell her of his concerns and see how
she would react to them. But more than anything, he just wanted to
be near Melinda and feel her sweet spirit.

The snow crunched beneath their feet with
each step they took. The air was cool, but not crisp enough to
freeze their ears and noses. Gilbert looked over at Melinda and
gently squeezed her hand to let her know that he was glad to be
with her.

When he squeezed her hand, Melinda’s heart
skipped a beat and she took a deep breath as she smiled back at
him. She noticed that he looked quite handsome as they walked hand
in hand. She had never seen him dressed like this before, in his
black woolen vest and black bolo tie over a long-sleeved white
shirt.

“Gilbert, how did you remember so much about
me on that first day we met? You have such a good memory.”

“Oh, my mind is like a steel trap…old and
rusty.”

Melinda laughed and Gilbert joined her.

With curiosity, she asked, “Gilbert, where
are you originally from?”

“A days journey south of here.”

“Is that where you met your wife?”

Melinda had broken the barrier between them
without even knowing it. This was exactly what he needed to talk
about and he needed to see her reaction. Now he could express his
concerns.

“Yes. She and her parents had just arrived
from the East. They had been here for six months when they decided
they didn’t like it in the West. They missed the East and all its
social life. I had only known Molly for two months and I fell for
her. We didn’t know one another very well, but I didn’t want her to
leave, so I asked her to marry me. She accepted and we got married
and moved here the day after we were married. Molly and I were very
different and our goals were different, but I thought that our
differences would mesh together into one and soon we would have
very few differences. But it didn’t work out that way and she was
very unhappy.”