JANE

JANE

By

Bob Dubmore

 

 

 

ONE

`````````

The road was dark and foggy as Dave was driving to his motel. He had an important meeting the next morning. “If I don’t impress this guy”…. Oh well. It was too late and he was too tired to worry about all of this now. His head was pounding.

Dave had been on the road for six days. He wondered how Lorraine and the kids were doing. She said all was fine, but she always said that when he was on the road. “It’s always so damn foggy around here”, he thought.  The bridges that stretched over the rivers were always masked with fog and mist.

“I hope that David, Polly and Joey are okay.” His mind was drifting away into the fog. It was only eighteen miles to the motel. He was tired and sleepy. He was hungry. He hoped that there would be a twenty-four hour restaurant near his motel.

An omelet would be good.

 

TWO

`````````

She had a white dress on. It glowed like a beacon in the dreary fog. Dave slammed on his brakes for fear of hitting her. His car slid partially sideways on the wet road. He got out of the car to ask the woman if he could help her…. There was no one there.

He yelled. He called out for anyone who might hear his voice. He trudged through the wet leaves and mud. He walked all of the way down to the river. No one. Had he imagined the woman? She wouldn’t have had enough time to completely disappear from his sight. “I must really be tired”, he muttered to himself.

Finally. There was the Archer Motel. To his delight, there was a Waffle-Now restaurant beside the motel. He ate his Spanish omelet and then checked into his motel.

Dave slept well that night. The next morning, he had vague memories of a dream that he had about a helpless woman in a white dress. She was drowning in the dark waters of a river. He had tried to rescue her…. He couldn’t remember what had happened after this…. As with many dreams, there was no resolution.

 

 

THREE

`````````

Bricks were never an easy sell. There were always many salesmen in competition. A brick is a brick. It all boiled down to price and quick delivery. He won today. It was a big contract. Parkland Construction Company. This would make his time on the road profitable this month. He was ready to get back to Lorraine and the kids.

He would continue on his way through the lowlands to his last stop. A small town named Melville. There was a construction company there. He figured he’d have an easy sell.

Melville was a little town that was on the outskirts of the much larger city of Compton. It was a sleepy fishing village with several quaint shops and restaurants. On the weekends, it was typical for many people to visit the town to shop for antiques and eat in the seafood restaurants.

Dave breezed through his appointment with Jack, the owner of Melville Construction. No problem. Easy sell. He planned to have dinner at Eller’s Restaurant. He’d eaten there before. “I’ll get the deluxe seafood platter”, he thought. Since Lorraine wasn’t with him, he knew he’d be able to get the fried platter.

Mr. and Mrs. Beason operated a charming “Bed and Breakfast” on the east side of town. It was usually referred to as “Beason’s B and B”. Dave had stayed there twice before when he was in the area. The Beason’s always reminded him of his grandparents. He had called a week earlier to make arrangements to spend a night there while he was in Melville.

Fried seafood and a nice, cozy room to sleep in! “I’ll sleep well tonight”, he thought.

 

FOUR

`````````

She had fiery red hair with a personality to match. Her father had spoiled her. She had never been deprived of anything that she wanted to have. Despite this, she was still able to maintain a very level-headed attitude about life. She was nice to people. People liked her. She had charm….a twinkle in her eyes that made people want to be around her.  

FIVE

`````````

The river was almost black. The water seemed nearly ice cold, even in the summer heat. When you scooped up some in your hands, it was as clear as glass.

The river could also be dangerous. In many areas, it was deeper than it appeared. The speed of the current was often fast, even though the water looked placid from the muddy bank. There were always stories of snakes.

She had always been warned about the river.

 

SIX

`````````

Vast farmland. Acres. Miles. The soil was rich. Tobacco was grown here. Cotton was grown here. Corn was grown here. One could say that “money” was grown here. On the eastern corner of the property, there was a river.

She had always been warned about the river.

 

SEVEN

`````````

Mrs. Beason knocked on the door. “Time to get up, Dave!” Alarm clocks were frowned upon at Beason B and B. “Great! I’ll pack up, eat breakfast, and hit the road”, Dave thought.   In three hours, he would be home with Lorraine and the kids! “I wonder if Polly has lost that tooth yet?” he thought.

As Dave sprinkled a generous amount of salt and pepper over his poached egg and grits, he thought about the woman in the white dress. He realized that it wasn’t just a dream. He clearly remembered thinking about the woman while he was eating in the Waffle-Now.

Dave veered onto the main highway. He wanted to get home quickly. He was tired of country roads. He was tired of passing through small towns. Still, he found himself exiting off of the highway so that he could drive for a few miles on the road where he had seen the woman in the white dress. As he passed through the area where he thought he had seen the woman, something caught his eye. He could see something silver gleaming in the dark soil. He slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road.

As he stumbled and slipped through the mud, he saw a small purse. He picked up the purse and began to wipe the mud off. It looked expensive. Quality leather trimmed with silver beads. It was obvious that the purse had originally been white.                               Weather and mud had made it a light grey color. He opened the satin lined purse. There were only a few items in it. A gold bracelet, a small hairbrush, and a bronze medallion with the inscription: Willow �" First Place.  

Dave decided to take the purse with him. The closest police station was in the town of Greytree, about nine miles away. He’d take the purse there and describe what he’d seen in the past few days. Maybe they could sort it out. “I hope that they don’t think I’m crazy” he thought. He would take the purse to the authorities, explain the situation, and hit the main highway. He was anxious to get home.

 

EIGHT

`````````

It was going to be a grand party. Robert was new in town. He had just taken a job at the JR Davis Tobacco Company. He was in charge of the local sales office in town. Clara, an accountant in the office, had invited him to the party. “Get out and meet some of the local people”, she had said.

 

NINE

`````````

Delicate ivory skin. Shiny, beautiful red hair. Ruby red lips. Everyone took notice as she entered the large, lavishly decorated room.

Robert couldn’t take his eyes off of her. It wasn’t just her beauty. He felt drawn to her. He felt as if he knew her, even though he had never seen her before. He had always been shy around people, especially women. He wanted to introduce himself, but he just couldn’t muster up the courage. He turned his attention to the small orchestra as they played their brisk waltz.

 

TEN

`````````

“Are you Robert?” she said. Robert turned on his heels quickly. It was her. “My friend Clara told me that she had invited you”. Robert blushed. “Yes, she said that I needed to get out and meet some of the local folks”. Even though it was probably just a few seconds, it seemed as if they stared at each other for minutes.

They danced. They stared into each other’s eyes.

They talked. They talked for hours.

Other partygoers came by to talk. They were politely, but quickly dismissed.

“I must go” she said. “Father will be expecting me to be at home soon.”

“Will I be able to see you tomorrow?” Robert said.

“Certainly, I’ll come by your office around 5:00 p.m.”, she said.

ELEVEN

`````````

Polly couldn’t stop talking about the tooth fairy. David was on his skateboard. Joey was playing with his toys in his playpen. “We’re having baked chicken tonight” Lorraine said, happily. Dave said “great honey”! He was thinking about his grandmother’s fried chicken. “Oh well” he thought.

“How long are we going to keep all of these teeth, Lorraine?” Dave said as he put Polly’s newly pulled tooth in the dresser drawer. “Are we trying to keep track of all of the money that the tooth fairy has dished out?” laughed Dave.

“You know how sentimental I am!” Lorraine said. “Let’s go to bed, Dave. I’m tired and I’m sure that you are too.”

 

TWELVE

`````````

It was a beautiful, warm June day. Not a cloud in the sky. They had walked for at least a half-hour. Robert was enjoying his visit to the vast farm. Most, if not all, of the tobacco grown here was sent to JR Davis.

“The river is about a five minute walk from here” she said, pointing toward the eastern side of the property. “It’s really beautiful this time of year!”

She had always been warned about the river.

 

THIRTEEN

`````````

The flowers growing near the river bank were beautiful. The air was fresh and cool. They talked for hours. Their backgrounds were very different, yet they had so much in common. They liked the same plays, music, paintings and literature. They enjoyed the outdoors. Just sitting there, watching the river flow, was a joy to both of them.

She had always been warned about the river.

 

FOURTEEN

`````````

The Greytree Police were in the process of investigating Dave’s story about the woman in the white dress and the purse that he had found. There wasn’t much that they could investigate. No one else had seen the woman. “I think the poor guy was just tired” Chief Baines said. “The purse could have been thrown or dropped out of a car anytime in the last month or two.”

They decided to drop the investigation but keep the case in the “active” file for a few more weeks. “I don’t think anything will ever come of it but we’ll keep our eyes open for awhile” Baines said.

 

FIFTEEN

`````````

The little girl ran through the wooded area and slid down the muddy river bank. Her father was close behind, trying desperately to catch her. She slipped into the river. Just a few seconds before the current was about to carry her away, her father managed to grasp her hand and pull her to safety.

She was warned about the river.

 

SIXTEEN

`````````

There was a marvelous collection of books. Paintings by many artists of the region hung on the walls. The architecture was classical and ornate. A beautiful staircase worked its way up three stories. There was a beautiful mezzanine where most of the artwork was displayed.

The Compton County Library was indeed a magnificent showcase of art and literature.

Robert met her there, as they had planned, at 6:00 p.m.

They perused the library, enjoying the art and the impressive collection of books.

They talked. They talked in whispers. Robert couldn’t believe that he had met a woman who was so in touch with his soul. Had he met the one woman on earth who was to be his partner for life? He had never been so happy. He had a good job in a beautiful town and had met a woman who could well be “the woman of his dreams.”

 

SEVENTEEN

`````````

Dave was bored in his office. A third cup of coffee? “It’ll only make me jittery” he thought. His mind drifted back the lady in the white dress. “Was that real? I wonder if the police have made any progress on identifying the purse?” he thought. “I should probably just forget about the whole thing”.

 

EIGHTEEN

`````````

“Damn!” “Music will just never be the same again!” Dave bellowed as he read the morning newspaper. “What?” Lorraine said as she was putting her second load of clothes in the dryer. “Nothing dear, I was just talking out loud to myself.” Dave said.

Dave’s boss, Mr. Sinclair, had told him the day before that it was time for him to make his annual sales trip. “I hate going on the road” he thought. “Last year was grueling.”

He didn’t have much of a choice, though. He had a family to take care of. He had to make sure that his accounts were secure. He needed to go and make a personal connection with his clients. He began to mentally prepare himself for the trip.

 

NINETEEN

`````````

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The lush green grass in the park was thick and cool as the children ran on it barefooted. The many colors of the flowers seemed to serve as an artistic contrast to the bright green grass. There were statues, both old and modern. In the center of the park was a magnificent water fountain.

Douglas Park, named after one of Compton’s founding fathers, was certainly a showcase for the work of nature and man.

Robert was coming to the realization that he was falling in love with the beautiful, free-spirited woman he had met.  They had planned to meet in the park at 3:00 p.m. He must tell her how he felt. He was excited, yet nervous. “How will she react?” he thought.

 

 

 

TWENTY

`````````

“Oh Robert!” she said. In her delicate hand she held a luminous gold bracelet. “It’s so beautiful!” she gushed. Robert searched for the words that he knew he must say. “I wanted to tell you….” “Tell me what?” she asked. Robert pushed the words out of his throat. “I love you” he said.  “I know you do. I’ve loved you since the first night we met!” Robert was relieved and happy. “I really have met the woman of my dreams!”

 

TWENTY-ONE

`````````

The piercing sound of the alarm clock jolted Dave awake. It was 5:00 a.m. “I hate alarm clocks!” he thought. “Time to hit the road….”

It was time for his yearly sales trip.

 

TWENTY-TWO

`````````

The bridge would save travelers a great amount of time. “Over the river and through the woods!” the foreman laughed to himself. The new bridge and stretch of road would pass over the river and connect with the main highway…. a great time saver for motorists.

 

TWENTY-THREE

`````````

Miguel was curious. What was it? He called up to the foreman. He had seen a sliver of cloth in the dark and muddy soil. He also saw something that looked like….well….the outline of an arm. The crew gathered around. What had Miguel discovered?

Further investigation proved to be gruesome. “We better call the police, guys” said the foreman.

 

 

 

 

TWENTY-FOUR

`````````

“Damn roadwork!” Dave thought. He only had an hour to get to Parkland Construction. “I wonder what all of the flashing lights are about?” he said out loud. He finally got through all of the commotion. As he was speeding down the road, he realized that he had just passed through the area where he had seen “the woman” last year. “What the hell?” he thought.

 

TWENTY-FIVE

`````````

“What? Really?” Things weren’t going so well for Dave on this day. “But…. We have a great product with fast shipping!”  “It’s price, Dave”.

Dave had lost Parkland Construction Company. This was his bread and butter.

Polly is going to need braces. His brain was buzzing. He had to gather himself up and get to Melville. “I always enjoy Melville”, he thought.  

 

TWENTY-SIX

`````````

She always felt free when she was riding her horse, Willow. He had taken her on many adventures over the last five years. Yet, she couldn’t get her mind off of Robert. He had gone to the office in Parkland for two days. Going for a jaunt through the farmland would help her keep her mind occupied.

As she approached the eastern side of the property, she decided to ride Willow down to the river. It was hot and they had been out in the open fields for quite awhile. “Are you thirsty, Willow?” she said in a sweet voice.

She had always been warned about the river.

 

TWENTY-SEVEN

`````````

“I can always count on Jack” Dave thought. It was a quick and successful appointment at Melville Construction. “Now I can go to Eller’s!” he thought. “I think I’ll have fried onion rings instead of French fries this year!”

 

TWENTY-EIGHT

`````````

“They’re the best grits I’ve ever had, Mrs. Beason” Dave exclaimed. “Just don’t tell Lorraine that I said that!” Mrs. Beason laughed. “Here’s the morning paper, Dave” Mr. Beason said. Dave picked up the copy of “The Compton News”. “Thanks Mr. B.” he said.

Dave had trouble processing the news that he was reading. “Mystery at the River”, the headline read. Apparently, the authorities had uncovered skeletal remains near the river. “So that was what was going on the other day” he thought. He wondered if it was connected to the experience that he had last year. He decided to stop by the Greytree Police Department on my way home.

 

TWENTY-NINE

`````````

She slipped on the muddy river bank as she hopped off of Willow. As she rolled down the slippery hill, she saw the rock. It was too late to do anything. The last thing she remembered was the ice cold water.

She had always been warned about the river.

 

THIRTY

`````````

“The coroner has determined that the remains are of a female” Chief Baines said. Dave was still amazed at the whole situation. “Do you think this has anything to do with the purse and the story that I informed you of last year? Dave asked. “I doubt it” Baines said. “I really shouldn’t tell you this, but the coroner has determined that the remains have been down there for fifty years, give or take.”

Dave’s mind was buzzing. “How could that be? I know what I saw!”

 

THIRTY-ONE

`````````

Willow was found wandering around in the field. Robert was tormented with grief. Her father had said that they found blood on a rock by the river. The footprints of a horse were found there. It was obvious that someone had slid down the muddy hill.

“The current of the river must have swept her away” her father said.

No trace of her was ever found.

She had always been warned about the river.

 

THIRTY-TWO

`````````

The bright light nearly blinded him when he opened his eyes. His arms and legs felt heavy as he lay in the bed. His head hurt. He didn’t know where he was. He didn’t know who he was.

He did remember a woman. A woman in a white dress. She had been kind to him. What was her name? “I hate this damn buzzing in my head” he thought.

Esther! Esther was her name! She was so kind.

Suddenly, two burly men entered the room. “It’s time for your treatment Dave” one of the men said. “Treatment?” “Dave?” “My name is Dave?” he asked. “Yep, your name is Dave” said the other man.

“Where is Esther?” Dave screamed. “Where is she?” One of the big men said to Dave, “There is no one here named Esther”.

The men pushed the gurney through a large white door. Above the door was a sign. In large red letters, the sign said: Electric Shock Therapy.

 

EPILOGUE

`````````

Robert jumped when the alarm clock rang. “Damn! I hate alarm clocks” he yelled. Jane sat up in bed, her tossled red hair covering half of her face.

“And just why are you getting up so early?” she said. “I got a text from my boss last night” he replied. “We have an early meeting this morning. You’d think that they’re worried that people are going to quit smoking!” he laughed.

“I had the strangest dream last night!” Robert said. “What was it about?” she said. “Oh, it was somewhat involved. I’ll tell you about it this evening” Robert replied.

“Don’t forget, Robert, the girls and I are going on our annual hike and camping trip down in Compton County. I’ll be gone for three days” she reminded him. “I love that beautiful spot down by the river. We always set up camp there.”

“That’s great, Jane! I hope you girls have fun” he said as he was getting his clothes from the closet. “Be careful, though. That river can be treacherous in spots.” “Deep water, fast currents…. Just be careful.”

She had always been warned about the river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

END