Love and other calamities

August, 2006

August, 2006.

"You can't do this to me!" Ruth protested; her hand moving to wipe away her tears.

"I can do what I want," her father, Jacob answered with his face screwed in anger. He was losing his patience.

"No! I refuse. I will not marry him and you can't make me." She crossed her arms in defiance as she stared her father down. She refused to relent, to give up on the plans she and Elijah had made.

"I am your father. You will do as I say."

"No, I won't. I don't love him."

"Who cares about love? Love has nothing to do with it. Prophet Jeremiah has requested that you marry Jebediah and you will honour your family and community by accepting."

"Why?" She questioned, "Why me? Why does prophet Jeremiah want me to marry him? What about Elijah?"

Jacob scoffed. "Who cares about the little Webster boy you've been kidding around with? He's nothing. You don't have a future with him. Jebediah can give you the future you deserve. Jeremiah has made it known to me that Jebediah is to take over as pastor of the community once you are both married. If you marry Jebediah, you'll be guaranteed a future. What do you get if you marry Elijah?" He asked rhetorically. "A trailer on the outskirts of the community and a deadbeat husband, that's what." He answered.

"So this is all about money?" Ruth asked in astonishment. "Does my happiness mean nothing?" Jacob scoffed. "I may not be rich if I marry Elijah but at least I'll be happy. That's more than I'll ever be with Jebediah."

"You are so naive child. Happiness means nothing in this world."

"Then why preach it?" She questioned. "Doesn't prophet Jeremiah constantly speak of repentance and forgiveness of our sinfulness in order to reach the ultimate happiness in eternity? Why preach striving for happiness if it's something you don't believe-" Ruth hadn't had time to see the hand flying towards her before she felt the slap interrupt her argument.

"Do not disrespect the prophet, do you understand me?" Jacob demanded; his hands clenching the material of her shirt. "Were it not for him, we would all be following the ways of the world, relying on money and material things to give us what we need. He is our saviour and you will respect him. Now," he released her shirt. "You will marry Jebediah tomorrow and there will be no more discussions about it. If you, so much as think of disobeying me, you will find yourself on the street with nothing. Do I make myself clear?"

She gulped, "Yes father."

"Go to your room." She nodded solemnly before turning around and heading towards her room; her tears already sprinting down her face. "Oh and Ruth," she stopped and looked back at her father, not even trying to hide her pain. She wanted him to see how much he was breaking her. "You are not to speak to or see that Webster boy ever again, am I clear?"

A choked sob squeezed its way out of her and she fell to her knees. She grabbed at her chest as she tried desperately to get any oxygen into her burning lungs. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't see in front of her. All she could do was sit there and feel as every cell in her body broke. She could feel the tearing of her heart as the realization that the future she had been planning for four years was now only a dream. She lost the only man she ever loved and instead, she gained the only man she ever hated.

"Goose," she cried in desperation. "Elijah!"

#

"I won't let you," Elijah fought. "I won't let you take her away from me. I love her."

Grace glared at her eighteen-year-old son. He wore dark jeans that were torn due to his heavy and laborious work on the prophets' farm. He was bare-chested after having yanked his shirt off in anger. His dark hair had grown over the years and he now had an impressive beard covering his entire jaw line. His eyes were thin and dark with anger.

"It was not our decision to make," Thomas spoke lightly.

Elijah's throat tightened and his fists clenched so much that his nails punctured the skin of his palms. "Why is it not my decision to make? Why is it not Ruth's decision to make on whom she can marry? Why does he get to decide it for us?"

Thomas rubbed at his temples. They had been arguing about this for the past hour and he was growing tired. There was no way around the issue. Prophet Jeremiah had spoken and the decision was final. As the head of the Apostle Community and their town, he made every decision and his word was followed as closely as the law that governed the United States of America. Thomas hated having to see his son look so disheartened and desolate but, his hands were tied. If they didn't comply with the ruling, their home and life would be stricken from them.

"He decides on every marriage in the community, you know this son. You and Ruth both knew that you would need to face him if you were ever going to marry. It is why no one approved of your relationship to begin with."

"Who is he to decide who I spend my life with?" Elijah asked in anger. He had long since passed the point of frustration; he was now furious beyond all reason. He had been questioning the teaching of the prophet since he turned fifteen and began to pay more attention in the services. The prophet preached condemnation and forgiveness yet he often strayed from topics of free will and love. He only ever spoke about the passages that installed fear in the congregation, and for the past few years, Elijah had wondered if they were unwillingly living in a colt.

"Prophet Jeremiah is our leader. You know how the rules in this community work. I'm sorry Elijah."

"Sorry, is that all you can say?" Elijah asked in disbelief. "How does sorry stop the woman I love from marrying another man? How does sorry get me the only thing I actually want?"

"Elijah, I have had enough of your insubordination!" Grace reprimanded. "You will politely accept your fate or you will face the consequences."

Elijah snorted at his mothers' words. "What could possibly be worse than what I'm feeling?"

"Banishment," she answered simply; her voice void of emotion along with her face.

Elijah gasped and clutched at his chest in worry that his heart would jump out and abandon him too. "You can't be serious? You'd banish your only son?"

Grace shook her head, "I wouldn't banish you but, Prophet Jeremiah has no problem with the matter. He was in fact the one to warn me that if you spoke out about the arrangement, it would be your final strike and banishment would be the only option."

"What is this man's problem with me?" He growled and rand his hands frantically through his hair. "Is he punishing me? Is that why we can't marry? Is this all because I've questioned his teachings?"

"It may very well be son," Thomas interjected. "But, it is not for us to question him."

"So what am I supposed to do?" He asked, tears now pushing their way out. "Am I supposed to spend my life here alone watching from the side lines?" Thomas dropped his head in reply and a chocked sob flew out from Elijah's lips. "So that's it right?"

"Elijah," Thomas walked towards his son who now sat on his knees on the floor. "It's unfair to ask you to stay behind and watch someone else take the girl you love. There is another option but, I know you won't like it."

"Please dad," Elijah begged. "I'll do anything to get rid of this pain. It hurts too much."

"You could leave son," Thomas whispered. "They are marrying tomorrow early morning. You could leave in the night. I have a brother who lives two cities away. I'll send you on a bus and you can go live with him. This town was never for you and I know you'll thrive outside in the world."

Elijah shook his head, "You always told me that the world was a sinful place. I'll never find eternity out there."

Thomas grabbed Elijah's face and held it in his hands. "You always knew better than me. You'll find happiness again, I know it. You need to spread you wings, go past the horizon and start a new life. You need to live a life you control, not one a prophet dictates."

Elijah shook his head and grabbed his fathers' arms in fear of him leaving. "No, I can't leave you."

Thomas kissed his son's head, "I'll be fine. It's your time to live Elijah, go and make the most of it. Do it for Ruth."