Loveless: A Toxic Love Story

Part One: Eden Corner

Part One: Eden Corner

Tucked away in the valleys south of Hocking Hills in Ohio is the township of Eden Corner. There is only one lone signal light in the township of Eden Corner, at the intersection of Main Street and County Road 82. On the northeast corner of the intersection is the Logan Country Savings and Loan, adjacent to the Johnson Family Feed and Tackle and Dr. Keller's Optometry office. On the southeast corner of the intersection is Dutch Sister's Burgers and Shakes, the most popular place in town besides the local school. On the northwest corner is Macon's Hardware store, the local sheriff's substation, Hillside Pharmacy and Health Store, the Eden Corner Bazaar, and Miss Linda's Country Cooking and Bakery. On the northeast corner is Groehner's Grocers Market and the Lazy Saddle Saloon. Along the streets were a few more businesses, including Jenny's Country Coffee Shop, Angie's Curios, and Plaid Chad's Tavern.

Like most towns there are a few churches. On the north side of Main Street is the small Catholic church, Our Lady of the Willow, while on the south side is the Eden Corner Dutch Reformed Church. East of the signal light is the Dayspring Evangelical Church and on the west side is Bethesda Baptist Church. Sundays were the days where the town scattered to the four corners to celebrate, worship, and/or sing according to how their respective congregations outlined their practices traditionally and theologically.

The town is mostly quiet and slow-paced, not bothering to hurry to acquire things like WiFi connections or digital cameras for the solo signal light. There are a few days in which the citizens of Eden Corner are often excited to talk about and always look forward to participating in. One is the big Fourth of July celebration. There's also the Huck Finn Jubilee during August, the Founder's Day Celebration in March, the school's big Homecoming Day and subsequent football game in October, and the Four Corners Town Festival and Barbecue. The other celebrations in town are minor ones mostly put on or hosted by the churches in town.

Crime is very low in Eden Corner. There are a few bad seeds that live in town but they're harmless and mostly keep to themselves (or, like most folk do, they avoid the troublemakers every chance they get). It isn't difficult to become notorious in a small town like Eden Corner. Only three things merit positive recognition in Eden Corner Township: Getting the lead solo in the Christmas Pageant (either one of the four pageants the four churches put on), being voted the Lady or the Gentleman of the Eden Corner Founder's Day Celebration (of which the Lady and the Gentleman become the Grand Marshalls of the parade through town), or being a soldier coming home from war.

Throughout Eden Corner's over one hundred fifty years of existence as a township its pride and joy was the fact that all the founding fathers were war veterans. Since its inception the town has contributed a number of soldiers from among its sons to serve in the military. Many of the families encourage their sons (and a few of their daughters) to join the military. Martha's Embroidery and Sewing Company on County Road 82 makes flags for the light poles that display the names of men and women who have served in the military.

The Hope family was thrilled the day their son Adam joined the Army to fight against the threat of terror in the Middle East after September 11th. He graduated from the high school, Cooper Valley County High School, and went straight into the Army with the intentions of becoming part of the Airborne Infantry. His grandfather had been part of the 82nd Airborne Infantry and it was his delight to try and be part of it.

He and twelve others from the town left for the war to much fanfare from the townsfolk. People held picnics and parties and lade the young recruits with gifts of money, promises of letters and support from stateside, and many words of wisdom. Some cheered them on all the way to Detroit Metropolitan or to O'Hare Airport or to any of the various airports in the Midwest.

Thirteen young men and women left no more than a few months after 9/11. After several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan among the thirteen soldiers the town was aglow in pride, having contributed so much to the American effort. The town waited patiently for the soldiers to arrive. Rooms were left undisturbed. Cars were left parked in driveways and on lawns. Flags were left waving on the roofs and on the front porches.

They never returned. The doors to the rooms were kept closed. The cars were left fallow. The flags waved when officers in dress regalia stopped at twelve doorsteps over the years with the news of the death of one soldier or sailor after another.

Only one soldier returned, and he did not come back whole.