Many of you may have heard the Bible scripture that says “then you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free”. Yes, we can all agree truth is sometimes the most difficult thing to process but ultimately it does force us to move on and face the reality of the consequences of our choices.
In our excerpt today we see Marty struggling and yearning after the truth but yet afraid to face the reality of it. In our last segment we watched her mourn the death of her brother, William. We saw how she agonized over the reality that he was really the man she truly loved more than anything. Still she must face her life ahead knowing she has begun a family with Sonny and has two children.
In today’s story Marty has decided to resume her life with Sonny in the hope he will be a faithful husband. She soon becomes pregnant with her third child and realizes that her dream of a happy marriage is not in her future. When she suspects Sonny is again cheating, she decides to find out the truth for herself.
The truth she believes will set her free. But does it really?
May 1948
“Momma, I’m hungry.” Six year old Katherine pulled at Marty’s skirt.
Marty rubbed her back while continuing to set the table. Sonny would be home soon, and she wanted to have a nice dinner together.
“Go and call Ronny for dinner will you, Katy darling? It’s already 7:00 o’clock, and it looks like Daddy will be late again tonight.”
Katherine’s black hair was swept across her face, but it didn’t cover the sadness in her coal black eyes.
“Ronny says Daddy doesn’t love us.”
Ronny was almost eleven and the exact double of Sonny in more than appearance, as Kaja had predicted.
Marty brushed the hair from Katherine’s eyes and took her hand. “Come on, Katy, sit down on Momma’s lap.”
“I can’t, Momma. Your tummy is much too fat.”
Marty laughed. Momma always said that truth came from the mouth of babes. And each day it became more apparent that Sonny would not be around for the birth of their third child.
Duluth had been wonderful, but reality seized Marty like a thief in the night when she’d returned home. Sonny made love to her for the first week, but it seemed he was only doing it to appease her, to prove to her he’d been faithful when she was gone.
By October she knew she was pregnant.
Then she found his soiled shirts, smeared with lipstick, stuffed in back of the closet. The woman was a waitress at a local cafe. Marty didn’t waste any time in confronting her and Sonny was livid when the girl left town.
Marty kept his affair a secret from Kaja. She couldn’t face admitting her mother was right.
In January, Sonny grew tired of his job at the machine shop and began driving bus in Grand Rapids, returning to Minneapolis only on weekends.
Marty rubbed her stomach and planted a kiss on Katherine’s forehead.
“You sit here and eat your dinner, Katy, while I go call Grandpa.”
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A seven pound, nine ounce, girl was born the following morning.
“My, my,” Christian boasted. “Look at the red hair. Just like Hans.”
Overcome with depression, Marty couldn’t even think about a name for her new daughter. She looked down at the baby girl in her arms. “Daddy, did you hear from Sonny?”
Solemn faced, Christian shook his head.
“After I come home from the hospital, do you think you and Momma could watch the children for a few days?”
“So you can run after that no good husband of yours?”
“Please, Daddy. I need to know the truth.”
Christian wrung his hands. “Kaja will be angry, but I will find a way.”
Marty kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks, Daddy. I promise this will be the last time.”
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Two weeks later, there was still no word from Sonny. Marty was exhausted from the baby’s birth, but forced herself to take the four-hour bus ride to Grand Rapids, Minnesota. She shivered as she stepped off the bus, buttoning her sweater to block out June’s early morning cool breeze. She surveyed the town, soon finding a small coffee shop near the bus station.
The little diner was packed with truckers and bus drivers, and Marty scanned the room hoping to spot Sonny. When he was nowhere in sight, she quietly slipped into a booth in the far corner and waited.
The scent of bacon and eggs permeated the room and Marty wrinkled her nose as she stared at the grease stained wallpaper just above the booth.
With the few remaining quarters she had left from purchasing her bus ticket, she ordered a donut and coffee.
Her eyes darted from person to person as she strained to wash down the donut wedged in her throat with a sip of bitter coffee. Wincing at the taste, she noticed a tall brunette standing behind the counter, randomly flirting with one man after another.
Marty blinked and did and double-take. The woman’s shoulder length hair was netted back; she seemed somewhat heavier than Marty remembered. But she wore the same narrow wire rimmed glasses that blended in with her ivory skin; her glossy red lipstick shimmered when she smiled.
It was the same sleazy woman from Jensen’s Cafe in Minneapolis! Marty dropped the cup from her trembling hands, spilling coffee across the gray vinyl tablecloth. Flinching, she gazed around the room, thankful her fumble had gone unnoticed in all the noise. She quickly sopped up the residue of coffee with the extra napkins on the table and tried to steady her shaking heads.
When she’d finally composed herself and looked up again, she noticed another bus driver was sitting at the counter talking to the waitress. She could hear the woman’s laughter, followed by the man’s whispered replies.
Marty’s eyes filled with angry tears when the man removed his hat, revealing the wavy black hair she so readily recognized. She bit back a sob as she watched him lean forward to cup the woman’s face in his hands and then plant a kiss on her cheek. Their laughter pierced through Marty’s soul while nausea swept over her.
Eventually, the woman glanced up at the clock and walked towards the restroom.
Marty followed directly behind her.
The room was vacant except for the two of them. Marty stood stock still in front of the door.
The woman paled when she turned to face Marty.
“What’s the matter, whore?” Marty said, her voice lifeless. “Surprised to see your lover’s wife?”
The woman forced a tight smile. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, bolting for the door.
Marty grabbed her arm.
“Let go of me you little fool!”
“Not on your life!” Marty kept her footing and pushed the woman aside.
“I’m getting out of here!” The woman lunged towards Marty.
Marty seized her hair. “You’re nothing but a cheap slut!”
The woman began wildly slapping at Marty, eventually snaring her hair. “No wonder Sonny doesn’t want you. You’re crazy!”
“Maybe I am, but I’ll never give him a divorce!”
Both women fell to their knees, screaming and pulling at each other’s hair.
“What’s going on in there?” Sonny’s voice echoed from the hallway.
“Help me, Sonny,” the woman called.
Sonny slammed his shoulder against the door, wedging his arm through a small crack. His eyes widened when he spotted the two women on the floor.
“Jesus, Marty! What in the hell are you doing?”
His foot crashed against the door, catapulting it open.
By this time both women were in tears.
He rushed to the brunette’s side. “Esther, honey, are you okay?”
He glared at Marty. “Why aren’t you home with your children where you belong?”
Marty was crouched in the corner, sobbing. Brushing away her tears, she braced herself against the wall and pushed herself up.
Sonny turned to Esther. “Go outside and wait for me.”
The door had barely closed when he seized Marty by the shoulders and shook her.
“How could you make such a spectacle of yourself, woman?”
Marty’s face was drenched in tears as she tried to control her gasping sobs.
“Well, speak up!” Sonny shoved her against the wall.
She choked back her tears. “Don’t you even want to know your daughter’s name?”
“The only thing I want is a divorce, Marty.”
“Oh God, Sonny, I’ve given my life for you.”
Sonny backed away and ran his fingers through his hair. “Go home, Marty. Esther is pregnant.”
“But – but what about our children?”
Sonny’s eyes were cold. “You’ll be hearing from my lawyer.” He turned and walked out the door
Marty stood alone, her whispered sobbing echoed through the bare room. “Her name is Stacey. Your daughter’s name is Stacey.”
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Tune in next week for another chapter as we return to the present and join Stacey in her hypnosis session where we begin to unravel all the secrets of the past that are tormenting Stacey in the present.
Rubies – Escaping the Curse is available on Amazon and all of the excerpts can be found on my website with a complete recap of the series thus far.
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