Chapter 8

Mary was awake when I opened my eyes and I could see it was dark outside the cabin. Mary began speaking immediately. I guessed the way she spoke she was still telling me about the dream, “Pete I remember leaving the stench behind me. I hadn’t walked far when a quick shower came down on me and I was drenched. I was thankful for I could feel the stench clinging to me take its leave.

“That was at first and then that went away and I could smell a fresh scent of flowers all around me. I lifted my head and walked faster and felt very happy. Happy, I didn’t know what about, but I swear I was. I could see a well in the distance and knew I could replenish the water in the almost empty skin I was carrying.

“Pete, before I reached the well, I could see a woman and a boy rise from the shade of a boulder they were sitting by. The boy, who looked to be of twelve years, came out as I came up to them and spoke, “Do you have food, my mother and I are hungry?”

“I’m sorry I do not. I was robbed last night of both my food and purse. I have been walking for hours. I am pleased to find the well, for I am almost out of the water that was in the skin.”

The boy spoke, “I will assist you. I am very strong and will let the bucket down for you. You may have to help me bring it back up when full of water.”

“When, he turned to go to the bucket, I could see he had a crippled foot and I felt sadness for him.”

I asked, “Was this far from the crosses?”

“I don’t know, but the boy questioned me about a Holy Man who could fix a body and things like his twisted foot. He was disappointed that I had not heard of the one like he described.

“Pete, between the two of us the boy and I got the bucket of water. The full bucket was heavy and I was glad I had met these persons at the well when I reached there. I filled my skin and was ready to journey on. I took several steps and then hesitated.

“This time it was me who spoke. “I have three coppers and will share with you. Someone will surely show up soon who will have a loaf of bread to sell.” I displayed the three coppers and held my hand out. The boy came up and looked at them in my hand. “Is it okay to take one for Mother too?”

“It is your choice.” I smiled and then said, “Choose wisely.”

The boy took two of the coppers from my hand. He brought the two coins close to his eyes. At once he examined one. “This one looks like it has a small likeness of a fish. Tonight you may meet someone who can sell you a fish with your last coin.”

“You know, that may be if I make it to the next village soon. I told him I would see him there and that I am bid by my brother, Samuel Ben Nickolai, to make my home with him and my other half-brothers. Ben Nickolai is the common name of the village after my grandfather. Needless to say, it isn’t much more than a hamlet.”

Mary stopped speaking and lay with her eyes closed. I thought the dream was finished.

Then Mary commenced again, “Pete, I walked far and it was getting dark. There was a well ahead. This one though, had many people around it. There was even a fire going. I was weak from hunger and hoped to buy a loaf of bread with my remaining copper coin.”

Now though, Mary stopped speaking and it puzzled me. Then I realized she might be there in real time in the Holy Land and was having a conversation. Mary’s voice changed and she was speaking to someone else. This someone spoke to her and I heard, “You are weary, Mistress, come sit by the fire. I have an extra loaf of bread to sell.”

Mary eyes, partially closed, now opened and she went on, “I asked the boy if he wasn’t the boy to whom I gave two coppers to this morning.” I commented, “You are walking without hobbling. I thought you were crippled?”

He answered, “I was and all my life before. You hadn’t more than gone from my sight when a bread peddler came along with a group of travelers. He sold me two loaves for the one copper. I gave one to my mother and I have a half loaf left. Please, I would like you to have it.”

The boy continued and I could understand when he spoke again. “It was odd as we walked along, I had the other copper in my pocket and was rubbing it. It made me feel so good and warm. Suddenly the heat traveled down my leg to my crooked foot. My heel came in contact with the ground and I didn’t need to hobble on the front end of my foot any longer. Are you a Holy person?”

“I answered, “No, I assure you I am not. But how are you here before me, already?”

The boy answered this with a happy smile.”I took such joy in being whole, I walked very fast with mother trying to keep up and when I went past you, you didn’t notice me. Come, sit with my mother and I’ll get you some fresh water.”

“We talked as people do about the road ahead. I said, “Bless you, I am weary, and thank you for the bread. I think my road turns to the right not far ahead. I’ll journey on when it gets light in the morning. I’ll remember for always how you thought I was a Holy person.”

“I think you still are, Gracious Lady.”

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Mary would almost be asleep, but restless. I guessed she was now dreaming in the Holy Land as well as near me here in our little cabin in Colorado. Mary must be very tired. I rolled away from Mary and slept myself. I awoke mystified while I thought about her latest telling of this part of the dream.

I shook Mary when I awoke. “Mary, did you dream?”

“Yes, I did Pete, and I think it was you who rescued me. I’d love to tell you about it, but I need coffee to wake me up to the fact that I am here in Colorado and not in the Holy Land.”

“Coffee is what I need too.” I practically slid down the ladder and started coffee, doing that and then rushing outside. I made the decision to go into the village and hire the same carpenter we had used to build the loft. The little porch was going to be enclosed before we came again.

The first words when Mary came down from the loft, were, “Is it still cold out?”

“Colder if anything and it is getting light out. I have plans to change the situation before we come again to stay.” I poured Mary’s coffee and she warmed her hands on the cup when she came in.

“Pete, are you hungry?”

“No, if the dream isn’t very long.”

“I’m not sure about that. This dream may not take long in real time. We can stop and eat any time.”

“Begin where you left off.”

“Okay. I remember speaking to the boy who looked to be about twelve. I lay down and went to sleep, but I didn’t know how long a time before I woke up. The mother of the boy who hadn’t said much to me, was jostling me. “You said your name was Miriam. A man is asking for a woman by that name. He rode in on a donkey from a different direction than we are traveling”

“Just then a voice came out of the darkness, “I am looking for a woman whose name is Miriam of the family, Ben Nickolai. Samuel has word that his half sister is traveling this way. My name is Peter and I am Samuel’s scribe searching for her.”

Startled, I spoke, “I am she. Be quiet, don’t wake the other travelers. Many are on a long journey and need their rest.”

“Come along then, I have transportation. If you will rise, I will have you mounted and we can return to our village. It will take three hours, at least.” This man was not happy, although his voice was pleasant enough. I made my way through the crowd toward the voice.

Before I had taken three steps, the mother of the boy I met this morning grasped my hand and said, “Bless you, Miriam. You have unburdened me from a son who was crippled. My son can now find joy in his existence.”

“Bless you too, for you are a good mother, and your son will now walk at your side.”

The scribe was waiting impatiently for me. I quickly purchased a loaf of bread but didn’t have time to eat. Peter formed his hands for me to put my foot into and boosted me up and I swung my self onto a thick blanket covering the donkey. There was a rope around the blanket I could hang onto to balance myself.

I now asked, “Peter, I am glad you came looking for me. How did you know I was traveling this way?”

(It took me a minute for me to realize Mary was speaking to me in a different day and time, again)

“Miriam, your servant arrived a few hours ago and Samuel charged me to find you. I was about to lie down because I was working in Benjamin’s field since early morning.”

“I’m sorry, if you had shared that fact with me we could have waited till morning to start. Peter, I will speak for you and you will get a full day of rest.”

“I can’t believe I will. I am an indentured servant and always at my master’s call.”

“We’ll see.”

“The moon was up now and Peter walked right along, the donkey and I two steps behind him. We couldn’t speak, for he was ahead of me, but I knew Peter would probably ignore me, he was that much of a hurry. We were on the road about an hour when he halted the animal I was on.

“I’m sorry, for complaining. You must have been a long time on the road. Your servant said you sent her on ahead when you thought it better to get off the road. She also said that she rushed ahead of the crowd and didn’t stop when she went by a field of crosses with dead men hanging from some of them. She looked back when she was gone by the horrible sight and saw that the crowd stopped there. Did you observe this?”

“No, I must have been asleep. I don’t even remember telling her to go on ahead. In the afternoon, there was no crowd. It did smell very badly while I was walking by. Tell me Peter, how much longer before your indenture is complete?”

“It ends before planting time in the spring. I will probably stay on, but I won’t have to go to the field to work and my wages will be increased almost double. I can tell people who have need of a scribe that I’m experienced and can work for whom I wish.”

“Peter, you will be looking for a wife then, won’t you?”

“Not at this time. I will save my wages and have a home built to bring a wife to before I marry. Do you wish to ride or walk for a bit?”

“I’ll walk, but first a bit of bread.”

Peter led me through a gate and into a compound almost an hour later. There were two torches which gave little light, one by the gate and another by a side entrance. “Good we are expected, Peter exclaimed.”

“Peter knocked softly on the door and it opened almost immediately. “Peter, you found her without trouble?”

“Yes, Missu, and she has no baggage. I would think she would like to bathe and then sleep. She has had little of food or sleep for two days and quite weary. She has only had a little bread to eat. Miriam, Missu will tend to your needs. Rest for the morning and when the sun is overhead there will be a light lunch. The women folk will introduce themselves. I’ll see you this evening to hear more of your travels and a little of your personal life. Good day, Miriam.”

Missu paused and then said, “My, the tips of your shawl are all crusty and very dark of a different color. I’ll clean it if you tell me what is on it.”

“I don’t know what it could be. I went through a storm and whatever it is, it has darkened the fabric.”

“Do you wish me to bathe you?”

“No, for I am shy. I will wait for you to leave before I disrobe.”

“I’ll get you some fruit and a bit of toast. Will that be sufficient?”

Mary talked constantly sharing with me what she did. “Pete, I removed my clothes and disrobed taking off my robe and linen and about to step into the basin, I looked down and there were markings all over the front of my body where I had tucked the bloody shawl under my robe. Pete, the marks are like what they are now. I immediately lowered myself under the water, covering it completely. There was a dish of sweet smelling soap at hand and I began to scrub the marks. They wouldn’t come off and I scrubbed so hard it turned my skin red.

“Pete, that is when I suddenly remembered that the two coppers I had given the boy to buy bread, had produced a startling result. When I gave the boy the coppers, he had a crippled foot. He had asked me then if I was a holy woman and I denied it. Last evening I spoke with him again and he wasn’t crippled any longer. Again, he asked if I was a holy woman and again I denied it.

“Well, I guess if I denied it again I would be lying. Not only that, the marks on my chest are the same I have now and I’m not 2,000 years old. Pete, I’m going to hide these marks, just like I always have.”

I thought to myself, good luck with that. How was she going to keep this from her brothers and their family? Would Missu, obey her if Miriam ordered her not to speak to anyone about it. The only thing was to try it.

“Pete, there is more, but can I leave off thinking about being holy and dreaming until this evening? Let’s do something not related to me or the Holy Land. I know, let’s go skiing?” We got dressed and we were nearly first in line at the ski tow. Mary lightened up and we both tried the novice trail.

On the way back to the cabin after doing quite well on the slopes, Mary, asked me out of the blue, “Pete, do you think holy people get married and love just the same way as unholy people?”

“You tell me, you with the baby in your tummy. I take it I’m Pete tonight and not Peter. Did you realize that here in Ohio you call me one thing and there in the Holy Land I am Peter?”

“Doesn’t matter, you are the same person.”

“Pete, just then the maid came through the door with some grapes and dates, along with some bread. Would you like a glass of wine? I didn’t ask before.”

“I would if you would water it some.”

“I’ll return presently. I see you have some of that dark stuff on your body. I tried to soak your shawl, but it didn’t come out or color the water. I hope you aren’t stained forever.”

“Missu, if I asked you to forget that I am stained and help me hide it, I would be so grateful.”

“I will do that if you would ask Samuel to make me your personal servant?”

“Consider it done, I said, and then I went to sleep.”

“Pete, I must have slept hard for five hours. Missu, brought clothes in for me to wear. Missu stared at the marks on me and looked faint, “Mistress, that looks like a cross on your body. How long have you had that? When did it appear?”

“The day before yesterday. I was stopped by two men when they asked me to help them. I didn’t see any black stuff on the timber I was helping lift. I wiped my hands on the shawl and it came right off my hands. I hid the shawl ends under my robe and then I got all wet from a rain storm and didn’t know it had rubbed off onto my body until I got into the bath this morning. It didn’t spoil the bath robe you handed me to wear. Please don’t tell any one.”

“Did anything else happen?”

“Not really. I was paid three coppers by the two men. I met a boy and his mother at the next well. I gave them two coppers to buy bread because they were terribly hungry. I met them again last night and they shared some of the bread that they had purchased.”

“Is that all? There must be more.”

“There is, but I don’t want to tell about the stains on me. Please don’t mention I was even there.”

“What happened, I know there is more.”

“Well the boy was crippled when I talked to him before noon, but he could walk without hobbling when we talked last evening. He said it happened after he rubbed the two coppers I had given him together. This can’t have anything to do with me.”

“I guess I believe you, and I have promised not to say anything. It sounds almost like a miracle happened.”

“I don’t think so. The boy didn’t make much of it when I asked him how he stopped hobbling. He said he couldn’t understand it either but it made him very happy. His mother said she was very happy too because her son had been a burden with his crippled foot for so long”.

“Oh well, one of life’s mysteries, I guess. Come, we are having a fish soup for lunch. You will meet some of your brothers’ wives. Have you ever been here before?”

“No, they are my half brothers. My father was an old man, only two years younger than my grandfather. My father died and my grandfather became ill and wrote to Samuel to bring me into his home where he lived with my half brothers before father was driven out. My estate is coming in a few days. I hope there is room to store it safely. It is a large amount of goods. My grandfather was quite wealthy. Where is the maid of mine who came on ahead of me when I slept the last night she and I were together?”

“We believe she ran away because she isn’t to be found anywhere. Was your purse heavy?”

“Yes, I had the feeling it had been lifted from me, but I didn’t suspect her. She fulfilled her duty to me and I am here safely. I hate to say it, but she was lazy and didn’t do her work very well. I won’t miss her. Let’s go meet my brother’s wives.”

“Pete, I think I am almost at the end of the dreams. Mostly, I can’t see where there is little more drama to come forth in my life.”

“I was really looking for Peter. I saw him at a desk working on a scroll. He looked at me when I went by the doorway and smiled, but he didn’t speak. I sat at a table where Missu placed me and soon brought me a bowl of soup and a crust of bread. Everyone dipped their bread in the soup, which I thought vulgar. But there were no spoons and soon I was enjoying the soup until I ran out of bread. I didn’t see more bread so I lifted my bowl and finished by drinking it. It was good.”

“Peter now came and sat beside me, questioning me about my goods that I said were coming. I was worried about where they were to be stored, and he said I was to be housed in my father’s house when he lived here. He explained that this now needed repairs. It hadn’t been lived in since my father had left many years ago.”

“I then asked why (he my father) had journeyed to my mother’s house where my grandfather lived. I was shocked because my half brother’s mother had willed their assets and property to him and other brothers on her death. Father agreed to this on their marriage, which had been arranged before his and her wedding. Father had never told me this, although I knew Father’s station was lower than hers. His recourse was to leave to live with a distant cousin and soon my mother who he was wed to.”

“Falling in love, they joined in matrimony and soon my mother produced a child, (me) and named me Miriam.”

“So Mary, you had never met your father’s first family before?”

Peter explained this to me with the wives listening. “That’s correct. I was showing my displeasure at the situation I found myself in and my brother’s family could read that in my face that I was. Peter could as well. He also read in my expression that I was a strong person and would seek revenge if I became too unhappy. I might tie my brother’s assets up in the courts and every one would lose along with the family torn apart.”

“Peter said, “Come Miriam, follow me to where we can talk without interruption. I will show you your father’s house.”

“I followed him silently, although I was seething inside. I was happy though, to be near Peter. “Miriam, I suspect you have much more riches than your brothers because of your grandfather. Would you give up some of them to keep peace and not seek revenge?”

“But Peter, they cheated my father and they should pay,”

“Miriam, listen to me, I disagree. Your father entered into his first marriage and left when the marriage came to the end as he agreed to. From then on, he had a happy marriage with a new, younger wife and had a child he loved dearly. Your father may have been wrong not to inform you of your situation, but that is the only fault I see in his actions.

“Besides, although only a scribe, I have had the chance to discuss this fully before your grandfather died through the letters we exchanged. You are indebted to him as well as to your father for the riches that are coming to you.

“Rich in love from your Father and rich in goods from your Grandfather. You are intelligent and have managed your grandfather’s business extremely well for the last three years. Come, I promised to show you your father’s house. There are caves behind it and is a safe place for storing your goods.”

“Pete, Grandfather was much like you in his thinking. I loved him, but not like I love you. I loved Peter already in that time, but you are here with me now.”

“That sounds as if something like that could happen naturally.”

“Pete, we are okay, then?”

“Mary, we are okay. We do need to get away from your dreams for a while and get on with our vacation. We only have three days left.

We did have fun the rest of the week. We went out with some of the friends to dinner. It had been a long time that we were able to relax this much. I looked back and realized how much I had pushed myself this last year. Mary did too and we talked about it. “Pete, I think I have put my night dreams behind me.”

“I hope so. I would hate to be always waiting for you to tell me about your interaction with Peter all the time. To tell the truth, I am becoming jealous of this person. That would be like becoming jealous of myself.”

“Please don’t be. Remember I never even kissed him in those dreams.”

“Yes, but we both know you were going to marry him someday. Some of this was that you were a rich person and Peter didn’t intend to be poor all his life.”

“Pete, change the subject. Those dreams could have gone in anyway of a dozen directions. I’m going to ask you about something else. Do you think Kenny was successful in getting something out of Chuck Harrison. I don’t see how he could have.”

“I know, probably not. I don’t know the divorce laws in the state of Ohio, but even though Harrison owes money for alimony and back support for Ricky. How can a judge just take his business away from a person and give it to someone else? You could call Chloe and ask.”

“You call her, You know her better than I do.”

“Mary, I don’t either, she is just a friend.”

“Pete, you were more than just a friend at one time.”

“Mary, I was and look what it got me. Two years out on the street panhandling, that’s what.”

“Be honest now, you must like little Ricky, don’t you? I love him, really I do. I hope our son is as lovable as he is.”

“Mary, I’m sure he will be. Maybe someone will call us to testify if Harrison is in court because we are an interested party”

It was just after we had gone outside when Kenny called, “Hey, Sis, are you interested in what happened in court a couple days ago?”

“Kenny, Pete and I were just talking about it. Of course, we are interested. I’ll put you on the speaker phone.”

“Well, guys, I think I did very well. We were assigned to a woman judge. I wondered at first if that was good and soon found out it was. Harrison was in front of the same judge back when Pete was having troubles getting any of his money back from Chloe. She must have a long memory. Anyway, not bragging, but Chloe never had a good lawyer before she hired me. Of course, Harrison screwed up last week and there was a fight in the bar. The judge is looking to the liquor control board to pull his license.

“I suggested that Chloe take it over in place of Harrison trying to keep it. Harrison is basically out of business anyway. This was what I was trying for and the other partner will be bankrupt without the liquor license if Harrison lost it. I had a spiel ready. It all came down to that Chloe had a new friend and she promised to pay one Pete Manning back for Harrison had chiseled the money out of her.

“I even mentioned that this bar was in a rough part of town, and the area needed a good spaghetti house for the hard-working people in and around that section of town. I told the judge that financing could be found for the upgrade to make it a reputable restaurant.”

“That’s all?”

“No. The judge made all kinds of stipulations and Harrison can only see his son one day a month supervised. Harrison also has to pay fifty dollars a month over and above the loss of the liquor license. That fifty dollars a month is to go into an account for Ricky’s benefit for toys and treats that the boy has been denied. What do you think? Also, Chloe can sue for back support for his son.”

“I think you have done damned well. I hope Harrison feels the pain.”

“God Pete, you know you might have to come up with either some money or at least some money for labor to get this spaghetti house up to date, don’t you? You’re the only one with money that is interested in this.”

“I do Kenny. Let’s see, was it you who jammed a hole through someone’s car radiator on your sister’s demand?”

Kenny just grunted and then stated, “Okay, okay Pete, I’ll match it dollar for dollar in getting this done.” Kenny laughed and hung up.

Mary was grinning and said “Pete, this thing about the liquor license, I didn’t know about this before. Where did you come up with that idea, or wasn’t it you?”

“Mary, I read about it in a book before you got the tickets to come out here to Colorado and I put a bug in Kenny’s ear. I knew a judge just couldn’t take a business away from a person, but he or she could do something working through the liquor commission. These liquor laws are some that are the most strict and Harrison has been on the edge of losing it for a while.”

“Pete, always you amaze me.”

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Talking with Kenny had changed our mind and Mary was as ready to go home anytime, so we cut our vacation short by one day. Just as we thought things were going along smoothly something always cropped up. Two of the three carpenters from the east had come back, but missed their homes there and decided that they were going back to Boston to stay. The third was wavering about going back to Boston with the other two. This left us again short of experienced help.

The next morning when Geno and Guido sat for our daily meeting, we discussed what we should be doing about this. Guido informed us that if we offered the wavering carpenter, he might stay for a little more money. “Okay, but that still leaves us two men down. The thing of it is, he is the best carpenter of the three and that’s good. Where can we find another couple of men?”

Geno spoke, “Hey, I saw in the paper that Jack Dailey passed away. He had quite a large crew. I know his wife, but not as well as I did Jack. I’ll send her a card and in it, I’ll ask her if she is taking over the business. That should get me an opening. I’ll also ask if we can help her out in anyway. We better keep looking for someone else, though.”

I spoke up, “I saw that too and was going to ask about it. Just mention that you have enough work ahead of us for the next year. It is winter time and we could keep a crew busy working inside. With Jack being gone, some of his help might be looking for work now anyway. I think we should begin paying the going rate for experienced help. The guys in my crew are okay and they are fast learning the trade and I’m still satisfied with having them working for me. We are getting into shape where we can strip two or three more houses. Two more months and maybe three so we will busting ass to keep ahead.”

“I’ll do it.” Then he laughed. “I know one more thing about Pete. He not only reads a book on occasion, but the newspapers as well.” We settled back into our days and had needed the vacation we had just returned from. We did hire some of the Dailey crew who weren’t working over the winter.

Chloe and Guido stopped by one evening. Chloe spoke to Mary. “Mary, I mentioned that Guido was going to take me east to meet his parents and introduce me to Geno’s parents. We’ll be gone three days over Valentine’s Day. Is there any chance we can leave Ricky here for those days?”

“Of course you can. I’d love to have him with us. I’ll get him to help make you and Guido a Valentine. So Guido, are you staying here in Ohio for good?”

“Yeah, I think so. Everything I want is out here in Ohio. My mother will be disappointed, but when she meets Chloe, I don’t believe she will mind that much. She has been after me to find someone to love. I do believe I’ve found that in Chloe. A lot has to do with Ricky and when summer comes, Mom can come here or we’ll take Ricky east for a week. Chloe still wants to work. If we can get settled with Harrison, her ex husband, and she works at the spaghetti house, Ricky can be with her some of the time.”

This pleased me, “Great, I get to have Ricky around for three days. You know he can stay here any time. I need to get used to having a third person around. May is fast coming and I’ll soon have one child of my own.”

“You’re the best Pete. I’ve been through a little heartache for a while and with you treating me so good, I must have had my brain turned off at one time. I am going to pay you back someday.”