Chapter 3-- Dinner with the Evensons
January, 1917
Columbus, Ohio
(Esme is now 22 years old)
“Esme,” my mother poked her head into my bedroom. “Lily and Thomas are here to see you, make it a very short visit. The Evensons are coming to dinner.” she seemed very excited by that fact.
“Alright mother,” I stood up and walked down the stairs. There at the bottom stood my two best friends. Lily and Tom Bentley. I smiled as I went to hug them both. “I haven't seen you in two years!” I told them.
Tom leaned down to kiss me on the cheek. I blushed. I knew he had a crush on me but he was married now. “That's hardly appropriate Thomas Bentley,” I grinned as I fake scolded him. “You're a married man now,” he laughed.
“Same old Esie,” he smiled and hugged me again. “God it's good to see you, it's been far too long,”
“It has, Tom cried every day for a month after we moved, always staring at a picture of you might I add,” Lily smiled.
“I did no such thing,” Tom blushed slightly and looked down. “I.... was having severe allergies, they made my eyes water,” he muttered.
I laughed along with Lily. “Sure you did,” I smiled and patted his shoulder.
“Well. We'd better get going. Don't worry, we're in town for a few days still but we hear you have an important family dinner with the Evensons tonight,” Lily giggled. She had always had a slight crush on the oldest Evenson boy Charles. Personally, I found him to be quite obnoxious, I'd have to endure his sarcasm for tonight though. If only tonight.
I talked to Lily and Tom for a few more minutes before mother shooed them out the door. “The Evensons will be here in a moment Esie,” she informed me as she roughly pulled the braids out of my hair, leaving a frizzy mess. “Mother, there is no way this is tamable within a few moments,” I told her as she started pulling a brush through the tangles.
“Nonsense. There's always time,” my eyes began to water as she pulled relentlessly at my hair finally making it look at the very least that I wasn't a savage. I waited with her, my father, and my two younger siblings at the door. My father answered it when the Evenson's knocked.
The Evenson family was one of the most high class families in Ohio and Mr. Evenson was father's employer and he was a very well know.... drunk. I could smell the liquor on his clothing and skin. As well as his son Charles. Mother led us all into the dining room. The entire time Charles stared at me with a strange look of satisfaction on his face. I sat in my place, he sat across from me all the time with the same look on his face, I was dying to know what it was about.... yet in my gut I already knew.
Mother served dinner and we all ate more than one serving. After dinner father began to lead Mr. Evenson to the Parlor. My mother grabbed his arm and shook her head no. I looked at both of them as they looked at me. I was far beyond confused. Charles walked over to me and my parents smiled. Then Charles spoke. “Esme?”
“Yes Charles?” I looked at him.
“I have talked to your parents. They agree that it's a fine idea..... and Esme, we're getting married,”
I looked at him speechlessly. There were no words coming. No words that could fit this moment. I hardly knew the man and we..... no this wasn't possible.
“See. She's so happy she's speechless!” he proclaimed taking my hand. Everyone talked for a few more hours. My mother let me go to bed. She agreed that it had been a long day. I sat on my bed and let the tears flow until sleep finally claimed my mind.
January, 1917
Columbus, Ohio
(Esme is now 22 years old)
“Esme,” my mother poked her head into my bedroom. “Lily and Thomas are here to see you, make it a very short visit. The Evensons are coming to dinner.” she seemed very excited by that fact.
“Alright mother,” I stood up and walked down the stairs. There at the bottom stood my two best friends. Lily and Tom Bentley. I smiled as I went to hug them both. “I haven't seen you in two years!” I told them.
Tom leaned down to kiss me on the cheek. I blushed. I knew he had a crush on me but he was married now. “That's hardly appropriate Thomas Bentley,” I grinned as I fake scolded him. “You're a married man now,” he laughed.
“Same old Esie,” he smiled and hugged me again. “God it's good to see you, it's been far too long,”
“It has, Tom cried every day for a month after we moved, always staring at a picture of you might I add,” Lily smiled.
“I did no such thing,” Tom blushed slightly and looked down. “I.... was having severe allergies, they made my eyes water,” he muttered.
I laughed along with Lily. “Sure you did,” I smiled and patted his shoulder.
“Well. We'd better get going. Don't worry, we're in town for a few days still but we hear you have an important family dinner with the Evensons tonight,” Lily giggled. She had always had a slight crush on the oldest Evenson boy Charles. Personally, I found him to be quite obnoxious, I'd have to endure his sarcasm for tonight though. If only tonight.
I talked to Lily and Tom for a few more minutes before mother shooed them out the door. “The Evensons will be here in a moment Esie,” she informed me as she roughly pulled the braids out of my hair, leaving a frizzy mess. “Mother, there is no way this is tamable within a few moments,” I told her as she started pulling a brush through the tangles.
“Nonsense. There's always time,” my eyes began to water as she pulled relentlessly at my hair finally making it look at the very least that I wasn't a savage. I waited with her, my father, and my two younger siblings at the door. My father answered it when the Evenson's knocked.
The Evenson family was one of the most high class families in Ohio and Mr. Evenson was father's employer and he was a very well know.... drunk. I could smell the liquor on his clothing and skin. As well as his son Charles. Mother led us all into the dining room. The entire time Charles stared at me with a strange look of satisfaction on his face. I sat in my place, he sat across from me all the time with the same look on his face, I was dying to know what it was about.... yet in my gut I already knew.
Mother served dinner and we all ate more than one serving. After dinner father began to lead Mr. Evenson to the Parlor. My mother grabbed his arm and shook her head no. I looked at both of them as they looked at me. I was far beyond confused. Charles walked over to me and my parents smiled. Then Charles spoke. “Esme?”
“Yes Charles?” I looked at him.
“I have talked to your parents. They agree that it's a fine idea..... and Esme, we're getting married,”
I looked at him speechlessly. There were no words coming. No words that could fit this moment. I hardly knew the man and we..... no this wasn't possible.
“See. She's so happy she's speechless!” he proclaimed taking my hand. Everyone talked for a few more hours. My mother let me go to bed. She agreed that it had been a long day. I sat on my bed and let the tears flow until sleep finally claimed my mind.
I've waited a hundred years
And I'd wait a million more for you
Nothing prepared me for of the privilege of being yours, I do
If I had only felt the warmth within your touch
If I had only seen how you smile when you blush
Or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough
But I would have known what I was living for all along
What I've been living for
Your love is my turning page
Only the sweetest words remain
Every kiss is a cursive line
Every touch is a redefining phrase
I surrender who I've been for who you are
For nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart
If I had only felt how it feels to be yours
I would have known what I've been living for all along
What I've been living for
Though we're tethered to the story we must tell
When I saw you well I knew we'd tell it well
With the whisper we will tame the vicious scenes
Like a feather bringing kingdoms to their knees
And I'd wait a million more for you
Nothing prepared me for of the privilege of being yours, I do
If I had only felt the warmth within your touch
If I had only seen how you smile when you blush
Or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough
But I would have known what I was living for all along
What I've been living for
Your love is my turning page
Only the sweetest words remain
Every kiss is a cursive line
Every touch is a redefining phrase
I surrender who I've been for who you are
For nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart
If I had only felt how it feels to be yours
I would have known what I've been living for all along
What I've been living for
Though we're tethered to the story we must tell
When I saw you well I knew we'd tell it well
With the whisper we will tame the vicious scenes
Like a feather bringing kingdoms to their knees
Well I can go a million miles an hour
But I’ve been bored so try to drag me down into the night
But if the morning I knew the song
In the arms of a miracle
Come back and see where you’re from
I can see the sun is on the rush
The pulse is strong, it warms you better than the Joe they left behind
But in the breath before you go
In the arms of a miracle
Come back and see where you’ve gone
It starts as a battle of luck
In the end it’s in the hands of a ghost
Well I am
Well I am
I can go a million miles an hour
But I can see the sun upon their eyes
I can go a million miles an hour
I can see it’s all true
You start to feel it finally
It starts as a battle of luck
But it ends when the hands of a ghost lay it down yeah
But I’ve been bored so try to drag me down into the night
But if the morning I knew the song
In the arms of a miracle
Come back and see where you’re from
I can see the sun is on the rush
The pulse is strong, it warms you better than the Joe they left behind
But in the breath before you go
In the arms of a miracle
Come back and see where you’ve gone
It starts as a battle of luck
In the end it’s in the hands of a ghost
Well I am
Well I am
I can go a million miles an hour
But I can see the sun upon their eyes
I can go a million miles an hour
I can see it’s all true
You start to feel it finally
It starts as a battle of luck
But it ends when the hands of a ghost lay it down yeah
So pretty, so smart
Such a waste of her young heart
What a pity, what a sham
What’s the matter with you man
Don’t you see it’s wrong, can’t you get it right
Out of mind and out of sight
Call on all your girls, don’t forget the boys
Put a lid on all that noise
I’m a satellite heart
Lost in the dark
I’m spun out so far
You stop, I start
But I’ll be true to you
I hear you’re living out of state
Running in a whole new scene
You know I haven’t slept in weeks
You’re the only thing I see
I’m a satellite heart
Lost in the dark
I’m spun out so far
You stop, I start
But I’ll be true to you
I’m a satellite heart
Lost in the dark
I’m spun out so far
You stop, I start
But I’ll be true to you
No matter what you do
Yeah I’ll be true to you
Such a waste of her young heart
What a pity, what a sham
What’s the matter with you man
Don’t you see it’s wrong, can’t you get it right
Out of mind and out of sight
Call on all your girls, don’t forget the boys
Put a lid on all that noise
I’m a satellite heart
Lost in the dark
I’m spun out so far
You stop, I start
But I’ll be true to you
I hear you’re living out of state
Running in a whole new scene
You know I haven’t slept in weeks
You’re the only thing I see
I’m a satellite heart
Lost in the dark
I’m spun out so far
You stop, I start
But I’ll be true to you
I’m a satellite heart
Lost in the dark
I’m spun out so far
You stop, I start
But I’ll be true to you
No matter what you do
Yeah I’ll be true to you