The Mystic Rose
Jayne Amanda Maynes
Copyright © 2012 Jayne A Maynes
All characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
ISBN: 978-1-3101-2549-2
Preface
The Mystic Rose, a rose of mixed colors that can only be believed if it is seen. That's what most of the stories say about it, but there are other stories as well. Stories about how it isn't a rose at all, how it's a person, a jewel, or something no one is quite sure what. The oldest stories say it's something different for each generation, and it shows up for a limited time every hundred years and the only one who knows just what the Mystic Rose is, is the person it shows itself to.
I was taught all the stories, but never really believed any of them. To me they were myths, stories told to bring hope, or fear. Stories that inspired people to be more than they thought possible, or to bring someone to see the misery if they tried to be more than they were. So many things about the Mystic Rose contradicted each other I didn't see how any of the stories could be true. How could something be so many different things, and still be the same.
One thing held true in all the stories however, the one constant in all the stories was the Mystic Rose was a guide to the lost, be they lost in riches, or lost in poverty. The rose guided the one it sought out into a better more fulfilling life. A life of service to others, but not only service to others, a life richly blessed according to all the stories.
Chapter 1
Sunday morning and mom's determined church is where I need to be, she didn't understand I didn't believe the doctrines the church taught. Those doctrines taught that some were better than others simply because of their station in life. Oh yes, I could see why some would consider themselves better, they had more, more food, more clothes, more everything money could buy, but they didn't have more love, more compassion, more joy. No those who had the surplus in worldly goods seemed to also be the same ones who lacked in real wealth.
“Alex if you don't get moving...” I tried to do what mom wanted, but I didn't want anything to do with her church, I saw it as the root of most of the problems in the surrounding community.
I was privileged in that our family had surplus in worldly possessions, never did I remember not having food on the table, or nice clothes to wear. I didn't understand why mom and dad always got angry when I gave away part of my lunch at school. It was their anger that drove me to continue giving away my lunch to someone who didn't have lunch. Why couldn't Ralph stay out of what I did, it wasn't like I was giving his lunch away.
“Alex if you don't get moving...” I was almost ready. I just had to put on my shoes. I packed an extra dress in my bag, along with a pair of shoes I hadn't worn more than twice, because they didn't fit quite right. I knew if Ralph saw me give the clothes away mom and dad would find out and I would likely be punished, and whoever I gave the clothes to would suffer even worse than I would. I didn't see why I couldn't give away what I didn't wear anymore, it wasn't like I was giving away my new clothes. I knew Mickie needed a nice dress, and this dress did have a small tear in it, I knew she would be able to fix, and the shoes went well with the dress, but would look good with anything else I had, if only they fit better.
I came out of my room and Ralph was standing there looking at my bag. “You're going to give that to Mickie aren't you?” he asked.
I stuck out my tongue and ran down stairs and out to the gathering place on the road. Mom and dad were already out there visiting with Mrs Simmons when I ran up. “Alex what have we said about running,” Dad asked. He knew it wouldn't do any good to say more and the next time I was trying to get away from Ralph I would run again. The carriage pulled up as Ralph came out red faced and panting. Dad looked at him and didn't say anything. It was obvious he too had been running, but since he stopped just before anyone saw him...
Mom and dad sat inside with Mrs Simmons and another neighbor who had just recently moved in to the neighborhood. Us kids sat on the back wagon part of the carriage along with the adults who held a lower station in life. I found Mickie and sat next to her hoping we could have a chance to talk before we arrived at church. I wanted to talk to her about the dress I had and see if maybe she wanted it along with the shoes. I knew she really needed a new dress and I thought this one would really look pretty on her.
Ralph insisted on sitting with us also, so telling her about the dress was out of the question, at least until we got to church, and separated for the different meeting rooms, and then it was likely others would be around who would tell mom and dad about me giving away a dress I never wore any longer. If only I had been able to do what I wanted, but no mom and dad didn't think I was old enough to make the kind of decisions that were proper. More than once I heard mom saying how if I had my way, I'd give away everything until we were as poor as those who couldn't ride on the carriage to church.
Mr and Mrs Galen were the next stop, but there was seldom room for them on the carriage, so only the smallest of their children were allowed and once they were big enough to keep up they wouldn't be allowed either. I watched as Mrs Galen helped her next to youngest daughter on the carriage and saw she would have trouble keeping up this time. I'd heard she had an accident sometime during the week and was having trouble getting around, but the way she struggled showed just how much trouble she was having.
“Mrs Galen, please won't you take my seat?” I offered. “I think I'd like to walk for a little bit and it would make it easier for Judith if you sat here with her,” I offered.
She gave me the strangest look like... like she couldn't believe anyone would offer to help make things easier for her. “Thank you Alex, if you're sure it's no bother. I wouldn't want to put you out,” she said.
“It's no bother ma'am I know Judith would really enjoy the time with you more than me, and I'm afraid she might ask questions I don't know how to answer again. I remember when I asked the kind of questions she asked last week, and no one would tell me because they thought I was to young, I'm not sure I know the answers still,” I said.
She took the seat I offered, but only on the condition I was willing to take it back if I got tired. I walked next to Mr Galen asking questions of why it was they were so poor. To me they seemed happy with life and Mrs Galen seemed like she could find something to be happy about in any situation. I needed to know what it was they could be so happy about all the time. Mr Galen explained he didn't have a lot of opportunity to make life better for his family, but he was happy because they always seemed to have what they needed, when they needed it. He said Judith had just out grown her shoes and somehow they found the money to get new ones for her just before she couldn't get the old ones on any longer.
I looked at the dress Mrs Galen was wearing and saw it had been mended several times and the material was close to the point of not being able to be mended again, she was going to need a new dress and the sooner the better. I noticed she and I were very close in size, and thought of the dress I had in my bag, and thought of Mickie again. Mickie still had a couple other dresses that were in good condition, and yes, she could use another, but Mrs Galen needed it more than Mickie did. As I looked at them sitting on the carriage I noticed that Mrs Galen's shoes were worn through as well.
“Mr Galen how long has it been since your wife had a nice dress, and new shoes?” I asked.
“The shoes can hold up a while longer if they must Alex, but the dress... Sara hasn't had a new dress in ages, and I know that one is worn badly. We are hoping it will last another month or so, until we can get the material for her to make a new one,” he said.
He had a bag much like the one I had, and I offered to carry it for him for a while. At first he rejecte
d the offer until he looked in my eyes and saw my concern was genuine about helping in this small way if I could. As he handed me the bag I stooped to check my shoe for a rock and told him not to wait I would catch up before we got to the church. As the carriage pulled away far enough no one would be able to see, I took the dress and shoes from my bag and placed them in the bag he had given me. I didn't think anything of the cost only the need they had.
Once I had gotten the dress and shoes tucked securely in their bag I picked up both bags and ran catching up just as the carriage pulled into the church yard. I handed Mr Galen back his bag and offered to trade places with Mrs Galen so those inside the carriage wouldn't know she had ridden on the carriage rather than walk.
“Thank you Alex for letting me ride I'm not sure I would have been able to make that trip if I had walked this week,” she said.
“It was my pleasure Mrs Galen, I enjoyed talking with Mr Galen, and the walk. I hope things get better soon for you, so you will be able to make that walk again,” I said.
Mr Galen didn't seem to notice the added weight of the dress and shoes I slipped in his bag, and I knew he would know it was me who put them there when he opened the bag and found them. I had what I would need to show the bag I had with me was indeed my bag, and if asked would deny knowing anything about the dress and shoes. I didn't need them and they did. I had several dresses, but Mrs Galen only had the one she was wearing. She needed something to be happy about, after all she had given up the material for a new dress so her daughter could have shoes that fit. I just wanted to make a difference and this wasn't much, but it was all I could do for now. One day maybe I could make a real difference, a difference that would change the lives of many people, but right now if I could make things better for just one person, it was the least I could do.