A Yellow Bonnet

My Arrival

Dear Jacob, I will come by train. I will wear a yellow bonnet. I am plain and tall. Sarah

Tell them I sing.

...

The moment I stepped foot off the train, I wondered if I had made a grave mistake. After spending nearly three days on the train, I was surprised I hadn't come to the conclusion sooner, for three days alone with one's thoughts gave me plenty of time to reconsider my life's choices.

When I stepped off the train it was early afternoon. The station was the tiniest I had ever beheld. It wasn't much more than a ticket counter and a few benches on which two elderly men napped.

Behind the station was the town. A quaint, dusty, one street town with, yes, six faded buildings. I counted twice. It was a very woebegone place.

The sun beat upon me, my bonnet being the only form of shade from it. Perspiration beaded my brow as there was no hint of a refreshing breeze. The hot air smelt like dust, train smoke, and dry grass. It was stifling.

What have I done? I bewailed as I observed the place with eyes I'm positive were as wide as saucers.

They had warned me. They being my brother and the aunties.

"You love the ocean, Sarah," they protested, "Kansas is nothing like Maine. Why you don't even know this man or his children!"

"That is why I must go, so I can know them," I had replied with confidence.

I couldn't stay. Not with William about to wed. To leave was best. And I had few options, so to Kansas I had decided to go!

But as I stood there, I wondered if perhaps they were correct. Perhaps I should have stayed. Why had I agreed to travel miles away from anyone I knew to meet a man I would possibly wed in a month's time?

"Sarah? Sarah Wheaton?"

A soft, low voice broke through my cluttered thoughts and I turned to see a man of about thirty standing a few feet off, hat in hand.

"Yes? I am Sarah Wheaton. Are you Jacob Witting?"

He nodded, shifting from foot to foot looking uneasy it seemed.

"I–I am."

There was an awkward pause in which I took the liberty of studying this man whom I had never even seen a photograph of. He was tall and muscular, having worked on a farm his whole life. He was quite pleasant to admire, I admitted. His hair, though combed was longer than it should have been, was a pleasant coffee brown. And his beard was much more well kept and trimmed. His eyes, though, I noticed the most. A clear, sea blue, they were shy yet calm and kind. He seemed like a good man. I liked him.

I thrust my hand forward to shake his.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Jacob. Thank you for inviting me," I said matter of factly. There was no reason to be anything but matter of fact. This was a marriage of convenience, I hadn't come to find love. Though, I wouldn't be opposed to it...

He shook my hand with a firm grip, his hands strong and rough. He cleared his throat, "The children are eager to meet you."

"As am I," I beamed, "I have loved receiving their letters. They made my day."

That brought a smile to his face and seemed to put him more at ease. He inquired if I had a trunk and I directed him to my old battered one and the black case which held Seal, my cat. I hadn't been able to bear leaving her back home. He hefted the trunk with ease into the back of his wagon.

While he was preoccupied, I wandered around the wagon stopping by his team of horses. They whinnied in greeting.

"They're beautiful," I told Jacob, stroking the old draft horse who nuzzled me.

The other, a much younger American Paint, pranced in place, his eyes flashing.

"This one's Bess," Jacob patted the draft horse, "the frisky one is Jack."

He beamed proudly at the wild horse. It was obvious Jack was a favorite. Jack snorted impatiently. A horse with high spirits. I liked that. I would have to remember to bring a treat with me whenever I visited the barn.

"Do you like horses? I–I didn't think to ask," he said.

"I had a Palomino when I was a young girl. She was a gift from my father. My last gift from him," I blinked back a tear. Even after ten years, it was still hard.

"She was high spirited," I perked up, "Much like Jack here."

I noticed Jacob study me for a moment out of the corner of my eye. He quickly looked away and instead glanced up at the sun's position.

"We should be heading home," he stated.

I started. Home? Home...It had an easy ring to it when he said it. I smiled. Home. Yes, I was going home.