The Write Place

Under the Fruiting Tree: Novella Table of Contents – The Write Place
Under The Fruiting Tree: Chapter 20 – The Write Place

The trees in the valley had turned to vibrant shades of yellow and orange.  As the sun’s light hit them and the winds blew, they appeared as glistening and shimmering gold.  Under the tree stood the figures of William and Ruth.  The tree was fruited, with full ripe apples hanging low in its lush golden branches.  Ruths’ belly gently stretched the loose white dress she wore.  Her slightly curling hair hung to her shoulders as she stood by Williams’ side.  Ruth brushed her hair with her left hand, and the two rings she wore glistened in the sun’s light.  

“Beautiful day,” Ruth said.  “Good for a walk.”

“Good day to sit on the new old bench,” laughed William with a smile as he motioned his head towards the newly refined bench.  Fresh planks of wood formed the seat and back.  The old metal frame was shining with a new polish. 

“Beautiful warm fall day.  Strangest thing but we’ll make the most of it,” William said, holding a basket at his right side.  William put an arm around Ruth as they watched the sun high in the noon sky.  ”Thank God for Indian summers,” he said, amused. 

“We can credit him with many good things I’m sure,” Ruth said, looking the valley over.  “Like our safety,” Ruth said.  She cocked her head slightly.  Her body slumped in her seat.  William turned his head to look upon his wife’s face.  She shifted closer, but her head hung low, betraying that her thoughts rested elsewhere.

“William, I found the letter today,”  Ruth said.  She reached into the basket next to her, producing an opened envelope.  “When were you going to tell me?”  she pleaded as tears filled her eyes.  She struggled to hold back the tears. It was a fight she could not win. With heavy steps William walked over to the tree.  He rested his right arm on the tree before burrowing his head into his arm in frustration.  

“Do we have to do this now?” he asked, shaking his head.  What she wanted to talk about was no mystery, but an unspoken reality. Tears of his own glistened in his eyes.

“Yes, we have to do it.  I have to talk about this,” Ruth said in a firm and soft voice as a woman can.  “What do you want me to do, just sit on the issue?  Just worry?” Ruth said as she began to shake gently.

“It’s, it’s just,” William said, turning back to face his wife.  “I don’t want to leave you, especially now,” he said, tears welling up in his eyes.  “It’s out of my hands at this point.  I don’t want you to worry but I know you will.  I don’t want to face it.”

“You can’t hide these things from me,” Ruth pleaded, shaking her head. “That’s what was on your mind yesterday.  I could see it but you said nothing.”

“Can’t we do something else, give me some time with my wife?” William replied, throwing a free hand up in frustration.
“You will have it, but I need to talk about this.” Ruth pleaded as she clenched her fists at her side.  William’s eyes met his wife.  Knowingly he walked slowly back to sit next to his wife.

“Yeah.  We can’t get away from it, we can’t have that time.  If you need to talk about it; we need to talk about this.  I know.  I know,” William said, hanging his head.  “But how to talk about it. . .”  William sighed heavily. ” Well,” he stopped abruptly, looking into her eyes.  He placed both his arms around her shoulders.  “I’m sorry I didn’t mention it sooner.  I didn’t know how.  And it was too hard for me.  It’s scary,” he said with a tired breath.  “Being drafted.  The way the world is going.  Being away from you.  It is scary.  In all honesty it is.”

“I’m scared too,” Ruth said with the sun glinting in her eyes.
“I know.  I see.  I shoulda told you sooner. . . Set myself aside,” William told her as he pulled her closer.

“You can now,”  Ruth replied, burying her head into his chest.  William took the letter into his own hands.  He took it out of its envelope, turning it in his hands as he examined that familiar intruder into their idyllic life.  The letters were a dull black but, in his heart, and mind, they were burning and fierce.

“Yeah, of all the times,” William said, shaking his head as he examined the unfolded letter in his hands.  His eyes rested on the lettering at the top of his draft notice.  “I know I’m not the only one, but doesn’t it beat all get out?  Of all the lotteries to win I won the draft lottery,” William said, taking a free hand and rubbing his jaw.  “The way the world is right now I get it but, dagnabbit, of all the times.  A draft notice.  Now,” he said, placing his freed hand on the back of her head.  “I’m sure nothing will come of it, far as a war.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” she said with worry in her voice. It was not a statement of fact, but of hope. “But, what if it does?” she asked, looking up to him again.   William scrunched his face in thought.  He pinched his eyes closed before reopening them.  William let out a deep breath and continued.

“Well.  I don’t know. . .  Nobody does, I guess. I’m sure we’re not the only ones worried, Ruth. . . . You can say it,” William offered.  He felt his wife breathe deeply.  Tears formed in her eyes.  William could see her tears as he leaned in towards her to gaze upon her face.

“I’m worried William,” Ruth admitted. “I wasn’t particularly hiding it well, was I?”
“No.  No need to hide it.  I should’ve faced it yesterday with you.  Hiding it never helped,” William said, stroking her hair gently.

“No, it never helped anybody.  She said looking her husband in the eye.  “But it is what it is.  I wonder what will happen to us should war come.  I don’t believe it will, but if it does, you will be away from us.  I know that,” Ruth said softly, biting her lip.  Ruth dropped her head.  Weakly she returned her eyes to William’s gaze. “Do you really think it won’t come to war?”
“Nobody seems to think they will, that neither of them can come over here.  I don’t see them starting anything but…” William said, pulling her closer. “The Japanese, people talk down about ‘em.  But I’ve worked on their stuff, and it isn’t a joke.  They talk down about their size too.  I’d take a guy who’s five feet with a Thompson over a man who’s 6’6 without one.”  William looked into the distance, then back at his wife. 
“I wouldn’t sell them short.” Raising his eyebrows, William began again.  “And I’m no spring chicken anymore, more like early summer,” he said with a chuckle, eliciting a small tear touched laugh from his wife.  “I don’t think we have anything to fear from them,” William finished.  “Hope, not. . .” uncertainty dripped from his voice.  He let his wife take a step back.  Preparing to speak, she locked eyes with him once more.

“Well FDR doesn’t seem convinced.  Still, I don’t know,” said Ruth, shuffling her white shoes.  She caught herself looking down to them, but they remained hidden under her abdomen.

William shook his head lightly. “It all is so uncertain.  That’s the hard part of it isn’t it?  Not just dangerous, but uncertain,” William looked at his wife.  Ruth looked up to the trees, a smile appearing on her face.  William saw the simple pleasure in her eyes.  Moved, he joined her eyes with his own.

“Remember all the time we spent climbing the trees when we were younger?  I remember all of them.  I remember chasing you and Daniel.  Marie used to say “’Ill keep watch!” to avoid coming up,” Ruth said amused. 

“Yeah.  I was never convinced.  Don’t know a soul who was,” he said with a smile on his face. “I remember all of it.  Always will.”

“Always, Will?” Ruth asked with a playful smile.
“Always, Ruth,” Will responded knowingly, smiling with her eye to eye.

Ruth paused, then looked to her abdomen with a wondering and worried look on her face. “Do you think our baby will remember you?  Will you know our child?” she asked, meeting his gaze.  William hugged his wife, her face in his chest. “He will.  And of course I will see him.  I wouldn’t miss you or our baby for anything in the world.”

“I don’t expect it will come to war.  In the grand scheme of things we have nothing to worry about.  God is still God,” William said, his head hung low.  “Sick irony to it.  If I was still working the farm and not managing your father’s store I may have gotten a deferment.” William said, looking towards the sun.  William sat wearing a distressed look on his face.  

“Why are you saying that?” Ruth said, cocking her head with a confused and hurt look of her own.

William’s body, rose startled at the response.  An anxious look forced its way on his face before William was able to compose himself.  “Because I don’t want to leave you should it come to that.  Don’t blame you or him, or anybody.”  William said sadly, hanging his head. “My father kicked me off the farm for doing the right thing for your brother.  That’s his mistake,” William added.  “I can’t waste my time and blame him, or you, or anybody.  Not for this,” William answered more reassuringly. “Who doesn’t regret something?  Who ever changed anything by assigning blame for the past?  For things out of their hands?  This is just the way it is.”  Ruth’s face remained weary, at the reality of their state if not the meaning of his words.

“Promise if it does come to war, you’ll come back here to see this,” Ruth said waving to the tree in bloom.  “And this one,” she finished rubbing her abdomen.  William’s hand joined hers and rested upon her abdomen, feeling the little life as the child moved within her womb.
“Of course, darling.  It’s all in God’s hands.  What shall we fear?” William asked, trying to reassure himself as much as his wife.  William slapped his legs gently before shifting his body.  “Can’t let that ruin an otherwise perfect day,” William said, taking the basket from under the bench.  He took out a sandwich in each hand.  Setting one down, he handed the other to his wife.  Ruth took the sandwich, laid it down on her lap and looked to her husband.  A gentle breeze stroked the couple sitting side by side.  Ruth put on her white wool sweater, which had been hanging by the bench.

“You really think we have nothing to worry about?” asked Ruth as she began picking up her sandwich for a bite.

“No, nothing at all,” he said.  As they both began to eat, they stared into the glistening world around them.  “Not with me on the watch,” William said.  Ruth rolled her eyes in pained amusement as women often do when a man is around.  William looked up to the tree.  “Hold this for me, would you dear?” asked William, setting his sandwich playfully on his wife’s belly eliciting a laugh from her.  He stood up and picked a ripe apple hanging from the branches.  Ruth walked over to meet him at the tree that held so many of their memories, waddling in the beautiful way only a pregnant woman can.  

“You don’t need to get up dear,” William said as Ruth approached. 

“Oh it’s all right.  A walk would be good.  Besides, I am already here, ” Ruth said with a smile.  He handed her an apple.  She took it from his hand, taking a bite as their eyes met in a warm gaze.  They passed it between them together under the fruiting tree.