Chapter 20: Cinderella Nightmare

When Hank and Samantha got married, the wedding was a gala affair and grew to become the event of the year, not only for Woodman, but the rest of the state as well. It was a political event, as well as a simple marriage. This became apparent when Mister Cossinger announced the governor and two congressmen would attend.

Pa killed and dressed out two young steers and brought them in as part of our share of the wedding expenses. Ma and Pa had become Samantha's surrogate parents. Also she and I were close as a brother and sister without any of the usual brother and sister rivalry. Ma made up a barbeque sauce to baste the two steers we had turning on separate spits at the same time. The whole town was invited. From the looks of things almost everyone in town had turned out for the gala affair.

The Cossingers ordered bread from the bakery and gallons of ice cream and soft drinks. This gesture helped ease any hard feelings from the local merchants when it became known most of the food was shipped in from the capital. They had a buffet catered by the governor's personal chef, Master Chef John Wellington.

Of course he and ma went into a huddle every chance they got. He called her barbeque sauce "innovative," whatever he meant by that. Ma gave him the recipe for the sauce without charging him like she did for her now famous meatloaf which was now called "Martha's Supreme" when it was served at the governor's table. The Ladies' Aid Society made what seemed like enough lemonade to have plenty left over. Somehow it was all drunk up. Long tables were set up outside near the barbeque pits.

I thought Samantha looked just like a princess in her white silk party dress that came down to mid calf. The tiny white hat perched on her by now almost shoulder length hair and her white silk gloves added to the illusion of royalty. Inside Samantha was also scared out of her wits.

"Davy," she confided in me, "I don't deserve any of this. Why can't we just have Brother Moore marry us and we go away by ourselves? I don't know any of these people and the governor of the whole state is acting as the best man and your pa is giving me away. Oh Davy, what do I do?" She was almost in tears.

"Samantha, it'll be all over after tomorrow and then you won't have to bother with any of these people ever again. It makes Hank's folks feel good to put on the dog like this. Just remember we'll still be cousins."

"Oh Davy, you just said the important words, 'we'll still be cousins.' You know, I feel better." She hugged me and hurried inside to get into her bridal gown.

The marriage ceremony was held out of doors. Photographers from two major eastern newspapers and a couple of national magazines took pictures of the whole affair. Ma was a nervous wreck and Pa was his usual calm self. Hank appeared pale and nervous. His mother and Ma were both in tears as they fretted that something would go wrong. Mister Cossinger and the governor had a few surreptitious snorts of bonded whiskey.

Pa gave the bride away and the governor handed Hank the ring at the right time and Hank slipped it on her finger. The bride was kissed and rice was thrown and the newlyweds rushed back up the aisle toward the governor's limousine driven down from the capital just for the newlyweds to make their escape in. As they got to the long car, Samantha turned and threw her bouquet. Wouldn't you just know it? Betty May Henderson caught it.

She had begun to continually snipe at me again. For a while after the big fish event she eased off. When she caught it I saw a strange look on her face, and she looked right at me and grinned. I knew she had something on her mind. That girl had started to make me nervous.

Samantha and Hank took the train to Oklahoma City for their honeymoon. We were aware the Cossingers were well to do. Then we later learned Mister Cossinger was what is called in political circles influential. He was a power in the Democratic Party. His job, and he did it well, was to get out the vote in western Oklahoma.

Pa was a staunch Republican and never bothered with politics. Whoever the Republicans placed on the ballot he voted for. This I consider to have been his one blind spot. He had never met with Mister Cossinger outside his shoe store before Samantha and Hank became involved with each other. We attended a fundamentalist church and the Cossingers were Episcopalians.

As a result of his, Mister Cossinger's, political activities the newlyweds spent their wedding night in the governor's mansion. The next morning, they flew to Washington DC. There they became tourists as they took in the sights. They stayed at the Hayes Hotel and met party bigwigs who seemed to be genuinely glad to see them. One Oklahoma senator in particular acted overjoyed to meet the young couple. Mister Cossinger almost single-handed got the "unelectable" man elected.

Samantha was overwhelmed by everything going on about her. Just a short year before she had been an orphaned urchin on the run from a man who wanted her and was determined to force her to live with him, no matter her wishes.

Because she was a loner, she had early turned to books and became an avid reader of everything from the histories of long dead societies to cheap nickel adventure novels. It seemed whatever she read she remembered. As a result of all her reading she had a wealth of knowledge and facts.

The people the newlyweds met in Washington DC remarked how Hank had been fortunate indeed to marry such a well-bred and beautiful young lady. And so obviously well read on any number of subjects too. One snooty Washington debutante tried to play "my school is better than your school" with my cousin. "I attended finishing school in Switzerland. Where did you attend?" She looked down her nose at Samantha.

"I was too busy acquiring knowledge and an education to limit myself any one single school. Instead, many people with specialized knowledge in their specialized fields taught me mathematics, history, philosophy and a smattering of the sciences. People without knowledge are so boring, don't you think so?" Then she smiled graciously and turned and walked away, leaving a debutante wondering whether she had been talked down to or not.

Ma's "lessons in lady like," as Pa called them, stood Samantha in good stead. No matter how scared she was inside, she presented the picture of a poised and genteel young woman of the culture. She watched and listened to others, smiled often and hid her areas of ignorance by keeping her mouth closed.

"I read once it is by far much better to keep silent on subjects of which you know nothing and have people think you might be ignorant than to open your mouth and prove them right," she told a man who asked her why she was so silent and let others do most of the talking.

"By golly that is a real good one," the man laughed and hurried off to tell others what the bright young woman married to the Cossinger lad had just said. She fast acquired the reputation of being a very brilliant conversationalist because she let others do most of the talking. The various dinners and soirees they attended left the young bride breathless. She had never imagined a life like the one she experienced in the nation's capitol.

All too soon the two weeks ended and they took a Pullman back to Woodman. Their private compartment on the train was the lap of luxury by Samantha's previous standards. Their new home, a wedding present from Hank's parents, awaited them. Ma And Pa had added dishes and bedding, including a down comforter Pa brought home from an auction. "It has never been used," he was quick to point out.

"Oh Aunt Martha, I feel like I have died and gone to heaven." She was visiting us one afternoon a couple of weeks after they got back from their honeymoon. "Last year I never even knew people like you and the Cossingers even existed. I keep getting scared someone will come along and denounce me as an imposter."

Ma patted her on the shoulder and gave her a very good piece of advice. "You are only an imposter if you are imposting. Just be yourself." Samantha nodded.

Then, two weeks later disaster struck in the shape of Jesse Farmer. We had just sat down to the table to eat supper when the kitchen door was kicked in. There in the doorway was the biggest, fattest and ugliest man I had ever seen. He glared at us through squinty pig eyes; his bloated, pig like face was a blotched red.

"Where is she?" he yelled at Pa. "I trailed the ungrateful tramp this far and I want to know where she is."

"Mister, you have about two seconds to identify yourself and tell me what it is you want." Pa had stood up and moved away from the table. He advanced toward the stranger.

I knew what real fear was for the first time in my young life. The man was huge. I slipped away from my place at the table and hurried into the front room. I grabbed the double-barreled shotgun from the wall and fumbled two shells into the breech. The gun closed with a loud click and I thumbed both hammers back.

Just as I got to the kitchen the stranger swung a roundhouse at Pa and knocked him to the floor. He stood over Pa too close for me to safely shoot him. The blast pattern of two barrels going off at the same time would be too dangerous with him standing so close to Pa.

Ma ran to the knife drawer and pulled out her razor sharp boning knife. She was holding the knife low, the tip of the blade pointed straight ahead. She advanced toward the stranger's back, which was turned toward her. She looked scared and angry at the same time. Her usually soft lips were drawn into a thin line tight against her teeth.

Then Pa did the unexpected; he had fallen on his back. He doubled up, drawing his knees toward his chest and kicked out, landing both heels low down in the man's groin. The stranger fell to the floor with a loud thump. Pa regained his feet and stood over him. "Your two seconds are up. Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I'm Jesse Farmer and I come for my bee-trothed," he grunted in pain as he gasped for air. Pa had a kick like a mule.

"Davy, ear the hammers down on the shotgun. Everything is under control now," Pa ordered me.

"I ... I ... I can't, Pa. I'm sh ... shakin' too hard. I'd probably set 'em off." I stuttered. The truth was, after Pa kicked the big man and the immediate danger was over I almost fell to pieces. The emotional letdown left me weak and shaking.

"Well, keep your fingers away from both triggers and hand me the gun." He held out his left hand sideways, never taking his eyes off the intruder.

"Here, Pa," I said and handed him the shotgun.

"Thank you, Son, but the next time you cock a gun be prepared to use it."

"Oh, I was, Pa, I was going to blow his head off as soon as I could get a clean shot at him. You were in the way so I was waiting." Which didn't set well with Jesse Farmer when he suddenly realized just how close he had come to dying.

Pa turned and handed me the shotgun with the hammers resting at half cock. Jesse Farmer leaped up off the floor and swung another wild uppercut at Pa and connected with his jaw. I quickly re-cocked the gun just as he lunged at me. I jabbed him between the eyes with both barrels. Ma was right behind him and I was afraid of shooting her if I tried for our intruder.

He stumbled back just as Ma took a healthy swing with the boning knife in her hand. She sliced through his breeches and his hind side. Pa's hand snaked out and grabbed the man's ankle. I hit him again with the gun barrel and stepped back, while I tried to get a safe shot. With a loud roar Pa got to his feet and waded in, clubbing the man with both fists, one right after the other. In seconds Jesse Farmer lay unconscious on our kitchen floor. I shoved the gun barrel into his left ear and started to squeeze the trigger.

"No, Davy, don't shoot. Put the gun up." Pa's quiet voice calmed me down immediately. I nodded and turned back toward the front room and replaced the loaded gun on its pegs. I was too tired and weak from the let down as the adrenaline left my body to unload it.

Pa walked slowly over to the kitchen pump and filled a pan with water. He threw the water in the man's face. Jesse Farmer choked and gagged and started to sit up. Then he became aware of the wounds in his backside and leaped to his feet. Pa cuffed him hard alongside his head. "You have one second to get out of here. If you ever step foot on our property again you'll leave a dead man. If you bother my niece you are a dead man."