#371
Robert had been meddling. Personally the scout thought Andy to be too young to be married, and Judy most certainly too young. For a good while, Robert had been dropping hints, and coloring his talks with Andy concerning marriage. Robert felt he was in a race to prevent Andy from committing the worst mistake of his life.
It wasn't hard to bring Donny into the fray. Donny was afraid for himself, feeling like the odd man out, scared that he was losing the only family member he had left. With the two men working on him almost constantly, Andy was backing off; collecting his thoughts, actions and most importantly, refusing to ask Judy to marry him. If ever a young man had a panic about the future, it was Andy.
Slowly, Andy was withdrawing from the closeness the two young lovers had created for themselves. Judy had been dropping hints that her Mother wouldn't let her go West without being married, and Andy was doing his best to completely ignore the situtation.
Andy busied himself working with the teams, Robert had called for a close inspection of each horse, their feet, any possible harness galls, harness and the soundness of the wagons. Robert felt he and Donny were doing Andy a huge favor, taking Andy as far away from the scene of the upcoming marriage as possible. Almost clueless, but understanding he didn't have the ability to care for himself, much less a wife and most assuredly a family, Andy let himself be influenced by the older man's bitterness and warped thinking.
10am. came and went; with Judy sitting in the back of the wagon, watching her mother brush and pin her hair up in preparation to be married. "He's not going to ask me, is he." Judy was in tears, feeling the compounded misery of young love gone sour.
Clara stopped working with her hair and came to sit close and try and comfort her daughter. "No dear, I believe he will not. You might be ready, but Andy is not. He doesn't know his own mind as of yet. Andy is letting Robert and Donny project their fears into his life, and As long as that can and or will happen, then Andy is not ready to be married. Andy is a fine young man, but he is not capable of being the head of a family if he is so easily influenced by men, and not listening to the council of God in his life."
Corbin was standing outside the wagon, listening to the woman he intended to marry, give her daughter sound advise and gentle wisdom. More than ever he understood how valuable Clara would be to him, and he smiled as he thanked God for bringing this woman into his life. Suddenly, although he hadn't planned it, the solution to moving the second heavy freighter came to him. Clara could drive the second wagon and Judy could drive their wagon. It was almost like God had planned it from the beginning.
At noon, Andy positioned himself on the opposite side of the horse corral, so he didn't have to risk seeing Judy, as her Mother got married. He needn't have worried, Judy stayed in the wagon, unable to face the sympathy she could see in the faces of the gathered clan.
The ceremony was simple, moving, and filled with the bright new beginnings of happiness. It was a shock when Corbin accepted the many cries of best wishes, and then announced that he, Clara and Judy would go North with the Iowa group, until it was time to turn East and head toward his farm in Bowling Green.
Hanging around on the fringes of the group, Mason felt the chance of his getting the freight wagon go down the drain. Evidently Uncle Corbin meant what he said; both freight wagons were going with him to his gosh darned farm. Well, Mason had his clothes, his horse and the rest of his life ahead of him. He didn't need any charity from Corbin, he was man enough to conduct his own life, the way he saw fit.
Clora shook her head in dismay as she looked at the young men so disenchanted with life. Robert, Mason, Andy, Donny, and to a degree..Oren. Add Abby to the mix, and although it made Clora very sad, she understood it was God's will to take the band of discontent and bitterness away from the clan. Clora was not surprised that Seamus and Phoebe were going with the unhappy group, Seamus had work to do, especially with the heart breaking situtation in Gary's family.
Clora also understood it was a fine life awaiting Corbin and Clara, that because they were older and wiser, they would help Judy through her drama of young love with compassion.
Mark came to stand close to Clora and tuck her arm into his, as they stood listening to Seamus conduct the wedding ceremony. He was thinking that every time they listened to the vows, it was like a heavy reminder of their own; a renewal of the sacred promises they had made so many years ago. The couple with white hair and many years of life under their belt, leaned together and touched shoulders, standing in the grace of their God.