When Fate Decides
Mary and her husband Michael returned home from the funeral wake, weary and heavy-hearted. They had just buried Michaels mother, AnnaMarys mother-in-law.
“Well, at least shes at peace now, laid to rest beside Father,” Michael murmured. “She kept asking for that while she was still with us.”
“Yes,” Mary sighed. “She knew wed bury her there, but it was all she could think about. Poor soulthat illness was cruel and merciless.”
The evening passed quietly, both lost in their own thoughts. Mary reflected on her life, particularly before marriage. There hadnt been much joy in it. Shed lost both parents youngtheyd died in her grandmothers house after her grandfathers funeral when a fire broke out in the night. No one made it out.
Mary had stayed home with her older brother, Nick, and by morning, the awful news reached them. The villagers helped bury the dead. In an instant, the children were left with no parents, no grandmother. Some whispered,
“Old George took his wife and Mary and Nicks parents with him.”
Nick was nearly grown at seventeen, while Mary was just thirteen. They lived alone in the house after that. Nick worked on the farm; Mary went to school. Life dealt harsh blows, and hers had been no exception. Sometimes, she could hardly believe how cruel fate had been.
Their village was smalljust forty-two houses. The school only went up to primary, so from Year 5 onwards, the children walked three miles to the next village. In winter, theyd cut across the frozen river to shorten the trip. There used to be old Ned, whod take them by horse-drawn cart on Mondays and bring them back Saturdays. Most stayed in the boarding house during the week, though the older lads often preferred to walk, especially in autumn and spring.
Mike, the chairmans son, was their ringleader. “If anyones heading home today, meet by the bench after lessons. Well walk back together.”
Three miles wasnt far, and the woods were less daunting in a group. The lads had started noticing girls, passing notes, asking them to meet in the evenings. By the weekend, everyone knew who fancied whom. The village hall was lively back thenrare film showings drew even the adults.
Mary attended that school too. As she grew older, the village couldnt help but notice her. She was beautiful, delicatelike an angel. Boys her age and older all watched her. A single glance from her could unsettle a lad for days, and her soft voice lingered in their ears long after shed spoken.
She was everything one could hope forkind, clever, lovely. Rare, but true. Her only flaw, if it could be called that, was being an orphan. She lived with Nick, now married to a local girl, Susan, with a baby son.
Susan never warmed to Mary. No matter how hard Mary triedhelping with chores, staying out of the wayshe felt like a burden. “Once I finish school, Ill go to town, train as a cook,” she told herself. “I need to leave. Susan wont rest till Im gone. And I know I dont belong heretheyve got their own family now.”
She never complained to Nick. It wasnt her place to cause strife.
The lads respected Mary too much to ever slight her. They all hoped, secretly, she might one day choose one of them. But she kept her distancemodest, reserved.
Then rumours spreadMike, the chairmans son, and Mary were sweet on each other. They walked hand in hand in the evenings, even from school. Mike was handsome himselftall, broad-shouldered, more man than boy now. Sharp as a tack, like Mary. They never ran out of things to say.
The other lads looked up to him. He never touched drink, unlike some older boys who fooled around on holidays. Mike and Mary made a striking pairso in love, inseparable.
“Two lovebirds, they are,” the village women whispered. “Mark my words, a weddings coming.”
But not everyone approved. Mikes father, Simon, the farm chairman, was dead against it. The family was well-offfirst in the village to own a car, a motorbike, livestock filling their yard. When Simon heard his son was smitten with an orphan girl, he put his foot down.
“Listen, Anne,” he told his wife. “Whats that Mary thinking, setting her sights on our Mike? Pretty, yes, but shes got nothing. Lives off her brother, and hes barely scraping by.”
“I dont know, Simon. The boys besotted. Out with her till all hours. No parents to keep her in checkthough they say shes decent.”
“I want our lad matched propera girl from a good family. Theres the head agronomists daughter over in Farthing Green. Not as pretty, but their place is thriving. A solid match.”
“But how do we talk sense into Mike? He wont hear a word against her.”
“Leave it to me,” Simon said. “Ill think of something.”
First, he tried reasoning with Mike. “Son, step outside. We need to talk.”
Mike hesitated. “Cant it wait? Marys expecting me.”
Simon scoffed. “Oh, wouldnt want to upset her, would we? Village gossip says youre head over heels.”
“We are. Weve got plans.”
“Forget her. Ill find you a proper wife, not some penniless orphan. Her brothers no better. Theyre beneath us.”
“No one but Mary,” Mike said firmly.
“Dont cross me, boy,” Simon snapped. “Ill break you of this.”
When words failed, Simon turned to cunning. He visited Nicks house when he knew the man was out. “Susan, I hear youve got an aunt up in Scotland?”
“Aye, Aunt Clara. Lives alone, getting on. Why?”
“Get Nick to send Mary packingup to her. Ill pay you handsomely.”
Susan, tempted by money, convinced Nick. “Lets send her to Aunt Clara. A towns better than this village.”
Nick agreed. With tears and little choice, Mary was put on a train north, clutching an address.
Mike was heartbroken. He barely spoke to his father. Even Anne regretted her husbands meddling.
Then came army conscription. Mike served two years in Scotland, near the very town Mary had been sent. Near the end, he wrote home: “Found a girl. Bringing her back.”
Simon crowed, “See? Hes forgotten that first flame. Well throw a grand wedding!”
When the taxi pulled up, the whole village gathered. Out stepped Mike in uniformand Mary, radiant in white. The crowd gasped.
“Meet my wife,” Mike announced.
Simon and Anne had no choice but to welcome her. Mary bore no grudges. A merry village wedding followed.
They lived happily, raising two sons. In time, Simon passed, then Anne. Mary nursed her mother-in-law tenderly to the end.
Now, the house is quiet after the funeral. Grief will fade. Life goes on.
When fate decides two belong together, not even the hardest trials can keep them apart.
