Chapter 27: Una's Day

Captain's Log -

Inevitably, Una's wedding day dawned deceivingly promising.  The sun bright, no cloud in the sky.  Her wedding was to begin at sunset, in the privacy of our modest back yard that boasted new Spring growth.

In the last few weeks, with Carey Verona having moved in, I have seen behavior from him that I cannot accept.  He is sly, sneaky and unfaithful to my daughter.

I have caught him on occasion cornering Ursula, flirting with her outrageously when Una wasn't around.  I have called him out on this, only for him to proverbially shrug off my attempts to convince him to call off the wedding.

He will do no such thing, claiming he loved Una.  

I have no doubt that outside the sight of even myself, he may be dabbling with the feelings of other women.

I broached Ursula about the times I had witnessed a touch from Carey to her cheek being to forward, or his proximity to her too close to be brotherly.
"What is going on, Ursula?  Are you encouraging his behavior? Do you love him?" I asked her, when the two of us went out one morning to her small garden.
She stood up from her weeding, shoulders back and chin high.  "Father, I hate him," she declared. "He seeks me out to tease me and pester me, nothing more.  Una shouldn't be marrying him and I've tried to talk to her but she won't hear of it."
I sighed, my chest feeling tight, "I am going to throttle the man."
"He is just a bully, father.  Don't do something rash, he's just saying pointless dribble and it's more of an annoyance than anything else."
"What about Una, has he bullied her?"
Ursula seemed to think on this, "On the contrary, Papa, I have seen him be very good to her.  I think that is why it is so hard for Una to see him the way we do.  Do you think he really loves her as he claims to?"
I shook my head, "I wish I knew - I honestly can't believe he has the capacity to truly love.  But I will talk with Una, she must be told what's going on."
"If she were to believe anyone in this house, it'd be you, Papa." Ursula replied, bending back to tend her garden.  I noticed her hands trembled a little.  Somehow, our conversation had shaken her bravery.  This was of concern to me, but I said nothing.
The following day, a week before her wedding, I found Una painting in the family room.  She smiled brightly at me when I entered, her hazel eyes glittering with that special light that only brides have.
"Good morning!" she chirped.
" 'Morning, Una." I felt uncommon nervousness,  that tightness in my chest returning. I eyed her latest creation, a vase of white calla lilies.  They were bright and promising, much like her own hope in her future, no doubt.  I hated to bring up the subject that pressed on me.  A pain in my chest made me pause, I pressed a hand there as if to staunch the ache.
Una placed her her paints down hastily and hurried over to me, her arm on my shoulder, "Daddy, are you okay?"
"Heartburn, it's just heartburn," I explained, excusing the pain away despite it still burning in my chest.  "I need to speak to you," I took a deep breath and made an effort to look like nothing was wrong, though I felt otherwise.
"What is it?" she looked genuinely concerned, her eyes, so like mine, dimming a little with concern.
I took her hand from my shoulder and led her over to the nearby sofa.  We sat down but I kept hold of her hand.  Her engagement ring, though a little plain, glittered mutedly.
"I must be honest with you, Una.  My words may scare you.  First, my time is short.  I fear I won't be here much longer.  This change in the air is heralding my end."
Una's brows furrowed, "Daddy, what are you talking about?"
She didn't sense the change, or maybe I was loosing my wits a bit.
"Una, you can't marry Carey.  I can see he won't make you as happy as you deserve to be.  He has been making advances on your sister, something she hasn't been encouraging.  He has made it clear to me that he has no interest in being faithful to you -"
Una interrupted me, she pulled her hand away from mine.  "You can't talk like that, you can't say your 'time is short' and that you're not going to be here much longer.  You're fine.  And Carey loves me, if you could see the way he looks at me, how gently he holds me, you'd know it.  You're just sad because I'm growing up and may not live here much longer."
"What?" I felt like my heart stopped.
"We're talking of getting a place of our own after the wedding.  We want to start our own family."
"Give children time, Una.  Don't rush into motherhood before you get a chance to settle in to married life." I warned her.
"Please don't preach to me Daddy, you made worse mistakes." she snapped.
That smarted, and I thought of what to say.  "I've made my mistakes, yes, Una.  I moved in with your mother after finding she was pregnant with you and that turned out to be a major fault.  I played around too much in my younger days.  But my mistakes aren't the point, Una.  I want you to not make one now.  Don't marry him, please, don't marry him." I begged.
She must have heard the desperation in my voice because she took my hand, kissed my cheek.  "I'm sorry.  You and Delia and Ursula are both telling me what to do, I feel like I've lost control of my life.  I want to marry him, Daddy.  If he's a mistake then I'm willing to take the risk.  I love him."
I could see the determination in the set of her shoulders, the glint in her eyes.  She would not be moved.  And with everyone telling her to not marry him, it had probably pushed her to be more certain of her choice.
I could not tell her she was wrong.  She had made the decision long ago.

Now her wedding day has come, the guests have arrived and the merrymaking begun.  Just after sunset, the vows were exchanged, the rings placed on waiting fingers.  The deed was done.

And just as the new ring on Una's finger sealed her fate, the pain in my chest sealed mine.

This, I know, is my last entry.
~Tom Calico

Chapter 26: Something Off the Horizon

Captain's Log - 

I hear little from Muriel, who lives in town but visits only when she needs money.  Mairin never visits, having invested herself into a busy career.  

If it weren't for Una and Ursula, my eldest and youngest, who have stayed home, I daresay Delia and I would be lonely.

I don't know why Una and Ursula decided to stay on just as much as I know why Mairin and Muriel felt the urge to leave.

But I am grateful for them, for they have brought me joy.

 Una has turned her creativity into a job.  She has found a niche in the literary world, publishing her writing.  She generally writes dramatic works, full of a little bit of everything.  She has even been selling some of her artwork on the side and has been featured in the local art gallery.

 Ursula has grown a modest garden, and won a few blue ribbons for her vegetables.  She sells the excess vegetables at the local market, but we use much of it in our day to day cooking.

 Ursula even got a job at the local fire station.  I saw her off, on her first day.  And even then, she was brave.  If she was nervous or afraid, it never showed.
Ursula and Una have even settled into a peaceful, though not necessarily friendly existence.  For what has seemed like the longest time, we are able to have meals together without a fight.

Although sometimes, Una had to bite her tongue on an occasion or two when she turned her nose up at Ursula's choice in job.

For whatever reason, Una felt Ursula was showing off.  Despite my talks with her otherwise, she believed no different.  I think that Una is a little jealous of Ursula's notoriety about town.  It wasn't long into her career that she was awarded for her bravery and given a few promotions. 

Nonetheless, I am very proud of both my girls, and their decisions.

 Save one --
Una's choice in men has left a bad taste in my mouth - one that has me worried about the outcome and if I'll be here to protect her from heartbreak if it happens.  Like a wind that changes direction before a storm, like the pink clouds of dawn before rain, I sensed something beginning to change in the house - something not all together for the better.

 Una has become attached to Carey Verona, her childhood playmate.  His mother Veronica, an old flame.
I thought for sure they would realize their love for each other didn't go beyond childhood infactuation.  They had never dated anyone else besides one another.  But inevitably, Carey proposed one morning after staying the night and Una accepted.

And when the news was shared, Una expressed her desire to marry soon.  And until the wedding, she wanted Carey to move in with us.
I balked at this - move in, before marriage?  It was something not done in my day.  But times change and I want to see my daughter happy.  So I begrudgingly agreed as long as separate rooms were kept, and the wedding was indeed soon.
With days before the wedding, and me readying for retirement now that I had reached the highest level of work in law enforcement, I attempted to get to know Carey more by treating him to one-on-one talks and outings with me.
We didn't have much in common.
I enjoyed the popular Barnacle Bay sport of baseball.
Carey wasn't a sportsman.

He seemed even a little weak, where I believed I was strong even in my dotage.
Carey didn't really care for art, when I enjoyed it as well as Una who painted so much of it.
In fact, the only thing of common interest between me and Carey was his line of work.  He had become a rookie cop at the local station and he seemed to enjoy it.
The wedding day draws closer and I worry more and more for Una and Carey both.  They are still so young, so impressionable.
Maybe it's the old seaman in me, but I feel a storm brewing just off the horizon, graying out sunlight and joy.

~Tom Calico
Captain of the Mistral