Willard

a

The door swung wide revealing the man waiting on the other side of it. Sophie took a deep breath and repressed a shiver. Willard, as Frida had said, was standing in the doorway. His greasy black hair was slicked back against his head. He was wearing all black which made his pale skin look even whiter. His hands were laced together reverently in front of him. He was probably only an inch or two taller than Sophie, and she was just your typical average height woman. Sophie swallowed hard. This man was hideous. He wasn't filthy or beastly like the other men, not in the slightest. By the looks of his hands he has done less physical labor than Sophie. His hands were as alien and as pale as his face. His fingers were long and stringy. Maybe odious was a better descriptive word Sophie thought.

"Hello," he said with a small bow. "I am Willard, the assistant Pastor for the city of Jamestown. Soon to be head pasture, I hope." He said it with such pride. He grinned and smiled at Frida. Sophie noticed white pools of saliva in the corners of his mouth. When he spoke the white crusty pool made strings between his lips and teeth.

Frida had to be joking with Sophie. There was no way she could possibly think that this man was her equal.

"Hello," she squeaked out kindly.

"Oh please come in Willard," Frida said, directing him to the open chair in the front room."I am so please you could come over for a visit. This is Sophie," Frida said in introduction. She offered her hand to Willard. He took it, holding her hand with his long cold white fingers and kissed the back of it for much longer than the appropriate amount of time. He didn't release her hand right away either. He let his thumb stoke the back of her hand two chilling times. Sophie pulled it away and sat back in her seat as casually as she could.

"It is such a pleasure to meet you Sophie. Your arrival has been highly anticipated."

"So I hear," she said kindly.

They sat in silence for an uncomfortable long moment.

"So how long have you been here Willard?"

"A year and a half," he answered, offering no more explanations.

"And how do you find it? Do you like it in the Americas?"

"Oh yes," he breathed a short throaty chuckle. "I find it quite interesting. Very good people and a lot of lost souls to minister to."

Sophie was always so uncomfortable around clergymen in general. Sure, she loved God and appreciated the wisdom of the bible stories but people who pressured and manipulated people into abiding by its principles made her a little crazy. Even if he was the nicest man, she didn't think she could be with a man of the church.

"Right, I'm sure there is," she said conversationally.

"Where are you in your relationship with God?" He asked.

"Excuse me?" she had no idea how to respond to that question.

"You know, how well do you know your bible verses? What are you currently studying? How is your church attendance?"

"Oh that. Well of course I obviously attend church regularly when I am not on a ship in the middle of the ocean. I haven't read anything in the bible lately, again because of the ocean thing but I know god still loves me." She smiled weakly. This was exactly the kind of conversation she hated.

"Oh Willard," Frida said with excitement. "Another lost soul for you to redeem."

He smiled proudly. The two of them made Sophie want to run right out and start sinning. She didn't know how anyone would be influenced by these christian fanatics.

"Right," she laughed forcefully.

"Right," the governor interseeded, "Sophie had a long journey and it's nearly dark. Let us allow her to rest."

Sophie was so grateful to the governor she could kiss him.

"I am exhausted. It was really great to meet you," she said reassuringly to Willard.

"Frida, show Sophie to her room and I will show Willard out."

Frida was clearly unhappy with her husband's quick end to the evening but she showed Sophie to a room in the back of the house.

"I suppose you will be wanting a bath?" Frida said.

"A bath would be heavenly," Sophie agreed. Frida showed her to the bathing area out the back door. There was a small enclosed area with a wooden tub in the center.

Oh boy, Sophie thought. The tub was empty and there were no maids to fill it. This was going to be interesting.

"The boys should be bringing your trunk any minute now. It will be her for sure by the time you have the tub filled." Frida showed her where the buckets were and pointed her towards the well in the center of the town. It was only about 100 yards from the house, but still. Sophie had never hauled her own water before.

"I'm sorry I don't have a maid right now. My last one married and I don't expect my new one to arrive until the next ship which is probably three weeks out."

"Right, thank you, no problem," she said with wide eyes. She had no idea what she was doing but she would say just about anything to have done personal space and for Frida to stop hovering.

Sophie carried a bucket in each hand and started walking towards the well. It was dusk so the world was taking on hazy shapes in the darkness. She set the buckets down on the ground next to the well as she inspected it. Not only had she never hauled her own water, she had never drawn water. She had no idea what she was doing.

She picked up the rope and gave it a tug trying to determine what it did. There was also a metal lever. She grabbed hold of it to see if it did anything, nothing. It wouldn't budge. She stepped back to look at it from a different angle. She still hadn't a clue. She held the key from around her neck and rubbed it as she considered.

"What do I do now daddy?" She whispered under her breath.

"Are you in need some help ma'am?" A deep voice said from behind her.