Secrets Revealed

Joshua and I walked back for the last suitcase in silence for a long time. We were both soaking wet from the rain and the blowing wind made things worse. I couldn’t tell if he seemed a little angry or just deep in thought. In either case, I felt it best to give him space. I continuously twirled the marigold flower in my fingers, trying to keep myself distracted from the anxiety inducing silence. I knew what conversation was coming eventually. Just thinking about it made my stomach feel heavy. How can I tell Joshua the truth? But he’ll demand to know, and after saving me from Mr. Brooks’s men on the train, he deserves to know.

“Eleanor…” Finally, Joshua spoke softly and huffed loudly.

Nervously, my eyes swept across the open fields full of colorful flowers of many types. We were out in the open with not a tree, house, or person in sight. The only other thing here that could be seen was the train track to my left, which we were following back to where he dumped the suitcase off the train.

“Eleanor,” Joshua said firmly this time.

I tilted my head up to gaze at the side of his face. Trying to read what he was thinking, but to no avail. His dark, brown eyes stared off in the distance ahead, not even glancing in my direction. His short, brown hair curled a little at the tips from the dampness. It made me wonder if his hair wasn’t as short, maybe he’d have curls.

“Eleanor,” Joshua continued, “I need to know the truth.”

But would he accept me if he knew it? Can I trust him?

“It’s obvious the situation is serious! I should know what I got involved in!” He turned his head to look at me, while raising his voice.

I took a deep breath. I looked down at my shaking hand holding the flower. What will he do once he knows the truth? The thought was frightening. But he was right, I have no choice but to tell him.

“Please,” He spoke calmly. “I have my father and the farm to think about.”

“Alright.” Nervously, I whispered before I started my story. “All of this began when I heard a noise late in the night.” My voice was shaky as I spoke. “I got up from bed to see my step father entertaining some company…” Suddenly, my vision blurred with tears. Joshua’s eyes widened as he looked at me. Was he surprised I was telling him my story? Or was he just awkward seeing me cry?

I cleared my throat and continued speaking, “You can imagine my surprise when I discovered Mr. Brooks, his son, and some men that work for them all as guests in our home.”

“Mm-hmm.” Joshua nodded. He appeared to be listening very closely to my story.

“Well,” I said. “They were concocting a plot to force me into marriage with Mr. Brooks’s son, John, in exchange for my step father’s debt to disappear.”

Joshua snorted loudly. “And just what does Mr. Brooks want with you as a daughter-in-law?” Did Joshua believe me or not? It was hard for me to tell.

“I was so scared. They were going to take me in that moment. I didn’t want to be forced into marriage and I didn’t know what else to do so I-” I stopped speaking as I remembered what I did next. I poisoned almost everyone there with cake. Only enough to make them sick or tired, but there’s always the chance something worse could've happened. If I told Joshua that part, would he trust me?

“I ran away.” I spoke, deciding to leave the part about the cake out.

Joshua glared at me, as if he knew I was keeping something from him. “And you, by yourself, managed to run from all those men?” He raised one eyebrow at me.

“Well...you see...I-” I needed an excuse fast! Joshua was quick to pick up on things, could I convince him to believe a lie?

“When I said ‘the truth’, I meant the full, real story.” Joshua said.

I sneezed loudly before I spoke again. “Alright,” I took a deep breath, my heart wildly pounding. There was no telling how Joshua would take this, but most likely it’s not going to be good. “They surrounded me to take me in that moment...And the only way for me to escape was to convince them to stay, celebrate, and have...some cake.”

“Cake?” Joshua furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“I poisoned the cake.” I barely whispered the words. Joshua’s eyes widened. “Not to harm anybody! Only enough to make them sick or fall asleep! I only did it because I had to!” I shouted, desperately hoping he’d believe me.

Joshua’s eyes stayed wide as he stared off in the distance. He dropped his suitcase, and reached his hand inside his coat. What must he be thinking of me now? He doesn’t seem to be taking it so well...

Suddenly, Joshua shouted, “This is brilliant!” To my surprise, he pulled out a small notebook and pen from inside one of his coat pockets and started speedily jotting things in it.

“W-what?” I asked. This was not the reaction I was expecting.

“This is good stuff!” He excitedly said to himself. He then slammed shut the notebook, quickly putting it and the pen back inside his coat pocket.

“What were you just-”

“Never you mind, because I believe you, Eleanor.” Joshua interrupted me. “We will find a way to fix this mess.”

“We?” I asked.

“Of course. Mr. Brooks’s men will remember me after that train ride, no doubt about it. We’re in this together. I could never bring myself to leave you to deal with that underhanded family alone!” Joshua said with a hint of anger as he picked up the suitcase. It made me wonder if Joshua has had his own hard experience with the Brooks family in the past? My mind then went to those men on the train, all wearing those circle pins with a golden bull in the center as a symbol they worked for Mr. Brooks himself. For whatever the reason, Joshua was willing to stand up to them to help me, even without knowing my story. Strangely, he has been so kind and helpful. Maybe I can trust him.

“Does it ever make you wonder why you?” Joshua spoke again. “Like, why would Mr. Brooks want you to marry his son? His family is beyond wealthy. They own land, banks, businesses, you name it. There has to be a reason here. There’s always a reason behind everything they do. The Brooks family are crooks! It even rhymes with their name!” Joshua was very passionate in his hatred for that family.

I stayed quiet, letting those words sink in. The only thing to break the silence now was my occasional sneeze.

At last, we came to the suitcase and stachel on the ground as the sun was slowly disappearing in the horizon. The suitcase had popped open a little with some clothes that spilled out. They were dresses sticking out of the suitcase! Women’s clothes!

“I thought that it’d be helpful if I packed more of my ma’s old clothes. That way you had extra…” Blushing, Joshua spoke.

“That’s why you brought two suitcases? You packed one for me?” I had no idea Joshua was so thoughtful. When we were younger, he wasn’t this kind. “Thank you.” I smiled at him; trying my best to show him how thankful I am.

“My satchel!” Suddenly, Joshua shouted. I realized then what he did; his satchel lay burst open on the ground, with his mysterious brown package sticking out. The brown wrapping was ripped open exposing a stack of papers inside. Even more papers from the package were scattered all over the wet grass. Joshua rushed to pick up the papers all around.

I’ve been so curious to know what was in that brown package. I bent down to reach for a paper. “Here, let me--HA-CHOO--help.” I sneezed while I spoke.

“NO!” Joshua shouted. “I can get it!”

It was all too late. I already had the paper in hand and I couldn’t help but read over it. It had what appeared to be a title, Joshua’s full name, and the beginning of a story.

“Oh! A story!” I gasped. “You’re a writer?!”

“Y-yeah..kind of...” Joshua stood up after getting all the other papers, and yanked the one from my hands. “I told you I didn’t want help.”

“So that’s what you were doing late at night in the barn, right? But why keep it a secret all this time? Are you ashamed of your writing? From what I can tell it’s very good.” I didn’t expect this from him, a farm boy who had to leave school at a young age. Joshua was full of so many surprises though. I remembered about the notebook he pulled from his pocket earlier. “Is that what you were doing earlier, taking notes on my story?”

Joshua sighed. “You’re not going to let any of this drop?”

“Nope.” I grinned at him. “I told you my story, now tell me yours.”

“Alright, I guess it’s only fair.” Embarrassed, Joshua sighed again and shifted awkwardly on his feet. “I told you I was going to see my brother? Well, I didn’t lie to you about that part...Only I’m not going to see my brother right now. I’m on my way to a publishing company about my manuscript here. I told my dad I was going to my brother’s, but my brother isn’t expecting me for almost two weeks…”

“You’re a runaway too!” I gasped.

“Only a temporary one.”

“But still!” I just couldn’t believe it. Is that why he was so understanding when he discovered I was a runaway? Just then I sneezed a few times loudly.

“You’re sneezing is getting worse.” Joshua said.

“I think it’s because I’m allergic to the marigolds.” I said. “It only started after being around them.”

“Or It could be because you’re too cold and have wet clothes.” Joshua had a concerned expression on his face as he looked at me. But I couldn’t worry about how I was feeling now. My mind kept thinking of all Joshua said. He was a writer, a partial runaway, and he accepted my story without judgement!

*******

You don't want to miss the next installment of “Far Enough” written in Joshua’s perspective! Learn the deeper secrets of his mind...

Click here for part 6: