Chapter 27
Hanna shook her head violently from side to side. “No, Christopher. I could never be married to anyone but you.” she said, her red and puffy eyes welling up once again.”
Chris slid closer to her and took her hands. “I worry for you, Hanna. I want to make sure you and the baby are taken care of. I know Cale loves you and he would take good care of you. I have it in good measure that he will also take in our child as if it was his own.” He said rubbing her middle.
“I couldn’t...” Hanna said again. “Cale is leaving for college as soon as he finishes helping his pa with the harvest. He’s going to go live in the city. I couldn’t leave my family.”
“He wants to be a journalist, right?” Chris asked, then continuing after her nod. “If you could convince him to come back to Coar after he graduates, he could start this towns very first newspaper. If he knows you are here waiting for him, he’ll return.”
“Oh, Christopher..” she said through a wall of tears. “I cannot stand talking about such things. We are married. We were joined together through the glory of God. Whether you leave or not, we will always be married.”
“I know. That’s another thing I’ve tried asking Him about. How could he bring us together in marriage then rip us apart like this.” Chris wanted to place his face into his hands and weep but thought better of it. He had to be strong for the sake of Hanna.
“Promise me that you’ll at least think about it.” Chris stated gazing into her emotional but lovely face. She stared back at him with eyes full of pain but then slowly nodded.
“What.. what do I tell people.. I mean, of what happened to you?” She said on the verge of another tear driven flood.
Chris lowered his head. Yet another thing he had already thought of. His first response was to tell her to try to convince everyone of the truth. The thought of the people of Coar, her family even, questioning her sanity was more than he could comprehend.
“I want you to tell everyone that I went on a last minute trip to Branson and came up missing. I don’t want to burden anyone with a search but it will be determined after I am not found, that I am...” he paused. “dead.” Chris swallowed hard and glanced up to see Hanna’s shocked face. “A death certificate will give you the chance to move on and possibly re-marry. You will be considered a widow and not a divorcee. No shame will be placed upon you and you will be able to take some time to grieve with the understanding of others.”
A look of pure heartache penetrated Hanna’s face but with a glimmer of understanding. “Why do we have to go through this? I will be left here with nothing but my thoughts and memories of you. What do I tell our child?”
Chris lowered his head, then quickly raised it again. “I have an idea.” he said grabbing her hands and gently lifting her to her feet. He led her down to the log they had crossed together many times and into the woods on the other side of the river.
“Sit here.” he said leading her to a low stump. He made his way over and around the ‘Browley family tree’, took out his knife and began diligently digging and engraving into the bark. He ran his fingers over the freshly engraved wood and gave it a few puffs of breath. “Done.” he exclaimed.
He ran over to Hanna and grabbed her hands guiding her around the tree.
Hanna gasped while placing her hand to her heart. “Oh, Christopher.” They both turned toward the tree again and stared at the fresh cut. A large heart surrounded the initials CJS + HGS. Below the initials was one more engraving, = baby 1869.
“Whenever you feel you’re losing memory of me, you come out here, place your hand on these initials and I will be here with you.”
“I could never lose memory of you. Even though we’ve only known each other just over a year, you are the most important thing that has happened in my life. I feel like I’m preparing for your death.” Hanna exclaimed shedding more tears. She turned back to the tree. “I love this, though, Christopher. Thank you.” She leaned into him allowing him to scoop her into his arms.
Hanna was preparing breakfast one morning, several days later when Chris came in the house. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her expanding waist. “Come with me.” he whispered into her ear. “I want to show you something.”
“What could it be?” she said turning from the stove which radiated heat throughout the home, a relief on such a cool, summer morning.
“It’s Tuesday.” Was all Chris had to say. Hanna stopped in her track picking up immediately what he meant. She hesitated when Chris tried to lead her. “It’s ok, Hanna. I just want to show you what I’d been experiencing the last several months.
“I don’t know if I can. If I see it, it makes it more real.” She exclaimed.
“I understand, but it’s very important to me that you see this. We can retrieve it and put it in the box together. If God allows it, I’d like to keep the box here with you with my compass and all the pennies. Another keepsake for you that I did exist.”
Hanna clenched her eyes shut, took a deep breath as she opened them and followed Chris outside. He grabbed her hand and led her through the wheat field. Even though the morning held a slight chill, the sun was shining with all of it’s might. Chris had realized that the sun had been shining every Tuesday the entire summer. The beams hitting the pennies, illuminated them allowing them to catch Chris’ attention.
This morning was no exception. The copper beams that shined off in every direction made Hanna gasp even before they were halfway.
“On this stump, every Tuesday for the last 13 weeks, this is what I came across.” Chris said as they approached the stump.
Hanna stopped and stared down at the tiny coin that sat perfectly in the middle of the rings of what used to be the inside of the maple tree. She exhaled sharply, reached down and retrieved the penny. She looked at Chris, then back down to the penny. “1997.” She said with a crackle in her voice. “What does this one mean?” She said turning back to Chris.
“My prediction.” he started with some uncertainty and hesitation. “is that this is the last penny I will receive. I have guessed that next Monday night, when I fall asleep.. instead of waking up, here, to find the 1998 penny, I will already have been sent back... to 1998. God, of course may have a different plan or He could answer my many, many requests, pleas and prayers and allow me to stay.”
“That means we only have six more days?” Hanna cried out. Chris’ shoulder shrug didn’t answer her question. The one among many.
“If we want people to believe our story of what happened to me, we need to live those last six days as normally as we possibly can. We need to make our appearance in church and go to your parent’s house for Sunday dinner.”
“I don’t know if I can.” Hanna said with concern.
“I would like to take that day to spend with your family, Hanna. I will miss them terribly. Your entire family was the starting point of my teachings and self discovery. I am eternally in their debt. I would like for you to let them know that I said that. If I tell them myself, they may know something is not right.”
She nodded as another tear flowed down her cheek.