Deceiving Maria

TREACHERY

If you're looking for a quick stroke story, you would do well to move on. This story looks at the damaging impact well intentioned in-laws can have on a relationship. There are many ways this scenario might have ended and if any reader wishes to have a shot at tackling a new slant, please feel free to do so.

To my American friends - Australian spelling often differs a little from yours, which I hope you don't find too much of a distraction.

This story is set in the 1950's, before the days of mobile phones and internet services, when phone calls over as little as 50 miles attracted trunk call rates and communication was solely by what we now fondly refer to as 'snail-mail'.

"Kelpies" and "Border Collies" are well known breeds of sheepdogs.

My thanks to MM for the edit.

OOO OOO OOO

My little red cloud kelpie bitch was in heat so to her great disappointment, I locked her in her escape-proof run. She whimpered a bit early in the evening, but during the night a terrible howl from the kennel had me rushing outside, only to find the neighbour's border collie clawing at the steel mesh cage, howling in frustration at being unable to reach his paramour.

I called the frisky border collie to me, slipped on a collar and tied him to a verandah post of our little cottage, ready to return him to his owners after breakfast. Nobody could have predicted the fallout from this visit by a randy dog.

An hour or two later, with the dog safely enclosed in the cab of my farm ute, I drove to the neighbour's farm to return their animal. Russell Feldham was a classmate of mine years ago but when I left the district to study at university, he stayed on the land to take over the running of the family farm, a broadacre property breeding stud merino sheep and growing a large acreage of wheat. The Feldham family were an icon in the district. They were early settlers, successful, wealthy farmers and active in local and State politics.

I hated Russell Feldham with a vengeance.

Our property, purchased cheaply from the Government as part of a war service reward earned by my father who served in the army, was a holding of just 1500 acres, much of it covered by gravel soils and outcrops which could never be converted to arable farmland. My father struggled with salinity on the cleared portion of the land and despite working endlessly long hours, earned barely enough to get by.

Determined to avoid the same fate, I headed interstate, worked in a variety of jobs as diverse as auto mechanic and hotel barman, earning enough to purchase a small motorcycle, live in a shared house and attend university, where I studied veterinary science.

A veterinary science degree would set me up for a career in a rural community where I could maintain my love for the country life free of the poverty that afflicted my hard-working parents. I hoped to one day return to my local community, which desperately needed a reliable veterinary service.

During my high school years I fell in love with Maria Spencer. Tall like me, she loved sport and as her boyfriend I was the envy of every boy in school. We promised ourselves to each other but agreed to wait until I had finished my university studies before announcing our engagement or getting married.

While I studied diligently, I still found time to return home for Christmas. Our long-range romance was kept alive by a weekly exchange of love letters -- which I treasure to this day. During the holiday break before the start of my final year, I had a feeling something was slightly off between Maria and me. There was nothing I could pinpoint but it bugged me. Even though we made passionate love almost every night during my stay, something did not feel right.

I put it aside as a figment of my imagination and went back to finish my degree to become Doctor Rob Inglis, veterinary surgeon. My routine was regimented to the extent that every Sunday evening as I had done throughout my studies, I sat down to write a long letter to my beloved Maria. At first I did not notice it, but after three weeks, I suddenly realized that I had not received a single reply. I asked my house mates, in case one of them had cleared the mailbox and had forgotten to pass her letters on, but without success.

In my next letter I referred to the absence of any reply with the hope that everything was fine and she was well. Still no reply. At the end of the second month I was seriously worried so I sent a telegram saying simply: "NO LETTERS RECEIVED. EVERYTHING OK? LOVE ROB".

There was no reply to my telegram either. Knowing Maria would have received the telegram, I thought about making a trunk call to her parents' home to try to find out why. The demons inside my mind recalled the uncomfortable thoughts of my last visit home.

"Damn it!" I thought. "She knows where I am. If she doesn't want to contact me I guess she doesn't have to. Maybe our relationship wasn't all I hoped for after all."

Although throwing myself into my studies, I continued to diligently write each Sunday evening, expressing my love and ever increasing concerns about the absence of a reply. Forcing myself to stay on course and ignore the distraction of whatever might remain of our relationship, I graduated in the top five percentile and was immediately offered an internship with the veterinary centre nearest my home town, about a half hour's drive away from my parents' farm.

With high hopes, I headed for home -- Doctor Rob Inglis, ready to take on the world. First however, I had to find out why I had not heard anything from Maria for almost twelve months. I settled into my old room which mother had cleaned for me, had a long shower to clean off the dirt and dust after the long trip home and settled down for dinner with mum and dad for an update on the local gossip and news.

My first question of course, was whether they had heard from Maria.

"Haven't you heard, Rob?" Mum squealed excitedly. "Maria married Russell Feldham two weeks ago. They just got home from their honeymoon. They started going out together early in the year, had a huge engagement party in July and the wedding of the year. I thought you might have been invited, since you two were such good friends in school."

My head was spinning and my eyes began to water. My mouth was so dry I could not speak. My world was disintegrating, just as I thought the future was looking amazing.

"Are you alright Rob?" mum asked, her voice full of concern. "You look awfully pale."

"Yeah mum, I'm fine. Just a bit tired, that's all."

Leaving my half-eaten meal, I excused myself, rushed into my bedroom and closing the door, fell face down onto my bed and burst into tears. I wept as I had not done since I was a little boy. I wept for the loss of my soulmate. I wept for the injustice of it all. I wept for the children that Maria and I would never have until finally, sleep overtook my heartache.

Waking early the next morning, I tried to stop feeling sorry for myself and make sense of Maria's betrayal. It was now abundantly clear why she had not replied to my letters, but to leap into a relationship with Russell without bothering to let me know that we were finished as a couple was out of character. Maria likes to face problems head on. And now she was married and living less than two miles from my parents' farm on one of the largest established properties in the district. It made no sense.

One of my study units in my first year dealt with soil salinity and how to overcome it. I selected the topic because it directly affected our family property and salinity was slowly spreading throughout the regional areas, rendering large tracts of land useless for agriculture or regrowth. Government agencies invested large sums to address the problem and had experimental plots all over the country but one theory I encountered in my research suggested that the water table could be restored to its original level by sensible planting of certain species of trees.

Putting my theories to the test, I planted two long rows of saplings in the worst affected area on our property. A mere four years later, they had grown to four metres in height but more importantly, the soil on either side of the tree lines was starting to support grass growth. I expanded the plan in subsequent seasons and while I can't say the battle has been won, results are promising and have attracted a great deal of attention in the district, with other farmers following our lead. My leadership in this project would prove to be a great help in establishing credibility for my future veterinary practice.

After the Christmas break it was time to start my internship. I intended to travel daily to the veterinary practice. My father's health was declining so I wanted to live at home to support him. I had hoped to announce my engagement to Maria on my return home and marry after my one-year internship, at which time I intended to start my own practice.

Which brings us to the start of this story. Russell bloody Feldham's dog unsuccessfully tried to get to my bitch so I took him back to his owner. Feldham heard my ute coming up his driveway and was outside his cottage when I pulled up.

He sheepishly apologized and thanked me for bringing his dog back, calling the animal to his side. I didn't bother to get out of the driver's seat.

"I hear congratulations are in order. You must have been busy while I was away."

"Yeah, thanks Rob." He completely missed the irony, leaving me to spin the wheels as I scorched away from his farmhouse back to the road, leaving him and his dog in a cloud of dust.

That should have been the end of it, but as we sat down for breakfast the next morning, Feldham's border collie showed up again.

"I'll shoot that bloody dog if Feldham can't keep it under control," I cursed.

The dog reluctantly obeyed when I called him and eagerly jumped into the passenger seat for the trip home. This time however, it was not Feldham who greeted me but Maria, dressed in a pair of jeans, a man's work shirt and a wide brimmed straw hat. She looked great and my heart skipped a beat. It was the first time I had seen her since leaving nearly twelve months earlier.

"Hello Rob," she said guardedly. "I see our escape dog has been at it again. He must have slipped his collar."

This time I carried the dog back towards the house to where Maria stood, pointing to the lead attached to a verandah post. I immediately noted that the collar was unbuckled. Smart dog! She gave up the pretense immediately.

"I wanted to talk to you Rob and I couldn't think of a tactful way to do so. Russell has gone to a sale in the city so it seemed like an ideal opportunity."

"Is it proper for a newly married woman to seek a private meeting with her former boyfriend?"

"Come on Rob. You were much more than a boyfriend. We were planning to get married and have a family for god's sake. Why did you drop me like a hot cake after you went back to university? I thought we had a good thing going. We gave each other our virginity. We were in love weren't we Rob? And then you just disappeared without a word."

Struggling to maintain my composure, I mumbled: "What about my letters? Did they not mean anything to you? I even sent a telegram when I hadn't heard from you. I was going to phone, but then thought that if you would not reply to a telegram, you obviously did not want to contact me at all. I still kept writing to you though. Every week until I graduated."

She looked genuinely surprised as I pressed on.

"I had the feeling something was going on during my last holiday. You seemed to be on edge about something. I should have said something then, but I figured you would have told me if something was wrong."

Maria looked thoughtful, tilting her head in an inquisitive way while she buckled the dog's collar firmly.

"I think you'd better come in for a cup of tea."

I trailed behind and took a chair at the kitchen table while she took a kettle off the side of the wood stove and made a pot of tea. She said nothing while she laid out a pair of cups and saucers and poured.

Finally she drew a deep breath and looking me directly in the eye, told me that she had not received a single letter from me since seeing me last, nor had she seen a telegram. She also expressed surprise that I had noticed a change in her at that time, thinking that she had disguised her feelings well. It seems her mother was on a mission to make her realize that she could do much better in life than marry a hick farmer with ambitions of becoming a horse doctor.

"How is it even possible for you not to have read my letters?" I really felt that she might be lying just to let me down easy. "And how did you go from being my so-called boyfriend to being Feldham's wife in less than twelve months -- without even telling me you had broken off our relationship."

"I don't know Rob, but I'm sure going to find out. After three weeks of not hearing from you, I began to get angry. It was when the Agriculture Ball came up and that mum suggested I hook up with Russell as a partner for the evening. Apparently she and Russell's mum had already talked about the possibility. I would probably have said no -- I have every other year -- but as I said, I was cross with you for not writing and thought 'why not'. When your silence continued, my anger got the better of me and I thought that if you did not want me, then perhaps Russell did. It happened quite slowly but escalated to the point where he asked me to marry him and I had to make a decision."

"And you did not think you should talk to me before making such a momentous decision?"

"Damn it Rob, that's not fair. I had not heard a peep out of you for six months. Can you really act surprised that I acted alone?"

"This is getting nowhere," I said, completely exasperated. "I hope you and Feldham have a wonderful life together. Thanks for the tea. Goodbye Maria."

I heard "Rob...please..." as I slammed the door and ran back to my car.

"And you bloody stay here you little bastard!" I yelled at their dog as I spun the wheels to head home.

The grenade had been thrown into the room. It was inevitable that the explosion would follow but it was nothing like the outcome I expected. It was clear that we each thought the other was lying and the truth had to come out.

OOO OOO OOO

Unbeknown to me, Maria went straight to her parents' home after I left, looking for answers. As luck would have it, her father was at work and her mother was shopping. She first explored her own room seeking answers but finding none, then checked the old roller front bureau where the family kept its accounts and letters. It offered no clues either. Determined, Maria entered her parents' bedroom. The bedside tables yielded no answers either, nor did the cupboards above the wardrobe, where her mother's extensive collection of hats was stored. She was about to move on when she thought she should look in her mother's wardrobe. There, in plain view in the midst of a large pile of fashionable shoes, was a lone carboard shoe box, tied with a red ribbon.

"Why would Mother keep one pair of shoes in a box?" she wondered. Curious, she untied the ribbon and removed the lid.

Georgina Spencer returned from her shopping expedition, delighted to find her daughter's car parked in the driveway. She was completely unprepared for the ferocious reception she received as she walked in the door. Maria was seated at the kitchen table, reading each letter one by one, having piled those she'd already finished in a neat heap next to the shoe box. Tears streamed down her face.

"Mother, how could you?" she wailed. "Even my own letters that you promised to post for me are still here."

Unswayed, her mother responded simply: "It was all for the best my dear. You are married to one of the most eligible young men in the country, who has the wealth and the means to let you live a wonderful life. Cherish that privilege Maria. Don't fight it. Go back to your husband and move on!"

"My whole courtship and marriage is built on deception and lies Mother. Does Russell know what you've done?"

"Of course not. Please don't be silly about this darling. It's all worked out for the best. Russell loves you and you have the perfect opportunity for a happy life together."

"How do you know whether or not Russell loves me? Perhaps he too has been lied to. I am leaving here Mother and I will not be back."

Stacking the letters back into the shoebox, Maria tucked it under her arm and stormed back to her car, slamming the door as she left.

Her tears had dried. Her dismay was replaced with a cold fury while she drove back to the farm to read the remainder of the pile of letters.

When her husband returned the following day, he too was confronted on walking in the door.

"Did you know about this, Russell?" she raged, waving the box full of letters in front of his face.

"Good morning to you, too." He responded in ironic surprise. "Did I know about what? What's in the shoe box?"

"Letters, Russell. Lots of letters. Unread letters. Letters Rob wrote to me that were hidden away unopened. Letters from me to Rob that my mother promised to post for me that did not even get to have a stamp put on them. Letters that should have kept Rob and I together. Were you and your mother aware of the fact that all my mail was being intercepted by my loving family?"

"Oh God! Surely your mother would not be so cold hearted just to break you and Rob up."

"Not just my mother, Russell. I believe your mother was well aware of what was happening and the two of them conspired to bring us to where we are today. Given your sudden interest in me a year ago, I am now left wondering whether you were part of the deception too."

Reeling from Maria's outburst, Russell took a couple of deep breaths.

"I think you know me well enough to know that I could NEVER deceive you in that way. I'm going up to the big house right now to see what my mother has to say. Come with me if you like, because I need to know what's being going on behind the scenes."

The "big house" was the original homestead, a large, rambling rammed earth house built almost a century ago. Its thick walls kept the interior cool in the summer and warm in winter. Regular upgrades with microwaves, air conditioners, refrigerators and washing machines made it a superb modern yet traditional farm homestead. Situated near the top of a hill, it overlooked much of the enormous property, joined by a narrow track to Maria and Russell's cottage some 300 metres away.

Maria declined the invitation to join her husband, preferring to re-read the collection of letters, trying hard to keep a lid on her emotions. Three hours later, when Russell still had not returned, she rose to make a cup of tea and a sandwich, worrying about what might be under discussion at her in-laws' home.

Four hours later, when Maria had almost reached the point of walking up to investigate, her husband appeared on the track between the houses. Shoulders slumped, head bowed, he shuffled down the hill. His usual confident demeanour had vanished. She remained seated when he entered, watching closely as he dropped heavily into a chair opposite. His strong face was a mask, but obviously stained with tears.

Russell squared his shoulders, looked his wife in the eye and started to speak slowly.

"I can't even begin to tell you how shattered I am. When I woke up this morning I was the happiest man in the world. Then two scheming, interfering women shattered my dream world. You and I have been manipulated in the worst possible way but I have to wear the responsibility for deliberately trying to woo you away from Rob even when I thought you two were still together. Where we go from here is your call. I've told my mother I don't ever want to speak to her again. If she comes near me, I'll turn my back on her. My father is probably still tearing strips off her right now. He was horrified that someone he thought he knew so well would be capable of such devious and destructive behaviour. I'm sure there will be similar conversations going on between your parents very soon. I also spoke to the priest who married us to explain the situation. He too, was horrified that any of his parishioners could do what our mothers have done. Barely two weeks ago we declared our commitment to each other. We called it love, but was it really love, or a convenient joining of two souls with a common interest? I know we can make a success of our marriage Maria. We can have children and be very happy together. I can promise you a very comfortable life but will it come at the cost of seeing Rob looking over our shoulders every time we close our eyes? Will you resent me later as a poor substitute for your REAL love? I don't have the answers. I'm so confused I don't really know what is best any more but whatever happens between us will have the full backing of my father. He loves us both Maria and will continue to love us both in future."