Excerpt from Margaret

Finally he decided to confront her.  “Margaret, what is going on?  You have hardly said a word since I told you about the lumber.  I thought it might make you happy that you would have a new house.”

          “I won’t have a new house.” Margaret said simply and continued with what she was doing.

          “What do you mean you won’t have a new house?  As soon as I finish the planting I will start building it for you.  It will be up in no time.”

          “You can build it if you want but I am not going to live in it.”  Margaret never looked up at him.

          Thomas couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “Why wouldn’t you live in it?”

          “Zach built this sod house.  I am staying in what he built for me.”

          “He had every intention of building you a new house he just never got the chance to do it.”

          “Exactly, and since he didn’t get he chance to do it I am not going to move from this house.  So build it if you want, or make a bonfire with the lumber.  I don’t care, I am staying right here.”

          Thomas couldn’t believe how stubborn this woman was.  She was driving him crazy.  “Look, I don’t think your husband would have wanted to stay in a sod house when he bought all this lumber for you to have a real house, especially not with a little one on the way.”  He was doing all he could to stay calm but it wasn’t easy with her stubborn refusal to see reason.

          “Maybe but he isn’t here.  I am staying in what he built.”

          “OH! You are the most stubborn woman in the world.  You know what you need.  You need a good spanking.  That is what you need.”

          Margaret blushed.  She knew for a fact that if she were acting this way with Zach still alive she would have been over his knee long before now but he wasn’t here anymore and her father wasn’t here either.  “Well you aren’t Zach.  He isn’t here anymore so I don’t have to worry about that anymore.”

          Between the blush and the ‘anymore’ it was clear to Thomas that Zach had in fact controlled her stubborn behavior by putting her over his knee, and with what little he knew of Margaret he would bet it was quite often.  “Maybe I am not your husband and I don’t have the right to put you over my knee but I’ll tell you this right now you best get it in your head that you are moving in that house when it is built because you ARE going to live in it.  Zach did not buy that lumber for a new house for you to live in a sod house.  I am going to honor his wishes by building it and you WILL honor his wishes by living in it.  If I have to I will fill this house in with a shovel.”

          Margaret couldn’t believe that he had said that.  “YOU WILL NOT!”

          “Then do as you are told.  And don’t yell at me.  Or you may find that though I am not your husband I decide that your need to be put over someone’s knee is so great that I have to take care of that before you self destruct.”  Thomas turned on his heel and stormed back to the barn.  He had not meant to lose his temper with her.  He hadn’t shouted at her but she had pushed him to the point where he was ready to take on a roll that he knew he had not authority to actually take on.

          Margaret couldn’t believe that he had said any of these things to her.  She didn’t care what he said.  She was not going to move out of the sod house that Zach had built for her.  He had built it with his own hands, with her help.  She was staying there.  Margaret went inside and got ready for bed.  All she could think of was Zach, as she was saying her prayers his face kept invading her mind as clear as if he were there with her.  When she finally went to sleep she dreamed of Zach.  She saw Zach standing over her with the stern look that she had come to know meant that she was in very real trouble.  “Why aren’t you listening to me?”

“I am listening.” She argued.  “I miss you so much Zach.”

“I know you miss me.  And I miss you, yet when I send you a gift you reject it.” 

“I want to stay in the house you made for me.” 

“I want you and our child in a much better house.”

“I want to stay here.” 

“Young lady, you are arguing with me.  This is not negotiable.  You do as I say.”  By the time Margaret woke up she felt as if she had really had this conversation with Zach.  She buried her face in the pillow and wept bitterly when she realized that it was all a dream and he was still gone. 

“I miss you Zach.  I need you so much.”  The dream had shaken her up but it had not convinced her to move.

Dee Dee
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