The Power of Love

September 26, 1665,
Alden-- age 20,
Parker-- age 21:

The old cottage needed repairs; The weeds choked the grounds around it; There was a hole in the roof. Alden peered inside and sighed. The place was filthy, in bad need of renovation inside as well. Furniture lay broken, scattered across the room. Mice scurried across the slovenly, unsanitary floor.
"Oh, Parker, why?" 
The dwelling was empty. Perhaps Hudson would know where Parker was. An eerie feeling made Alden shiver. He whirled, searched the landscape around him and saw no one. Alden laughed at himself but the feeling remained. It felt as though someone was watching him. The world was too quiet; Even the birds had ceased their singing.
"Parker?" He waited but no one answered. <Don't be such a fool, > he told himself. <There's no one there.> Still . . . "You know me, " he said aloud. "I'm Ray . . . Ray Alden. We were friends once, remember?" Nothing . . . not even a breeze. "I'm going into town for cleaning supplies and then I'm coming back to scour and disinfect this place. How can you live in such pollution?" The feeling that he was being watched vanished. Alden picked up his bag and began the long walk to Hudson's house.

*** 

"Would you like another wee dram, Raymond?" George Hudson held up his bottle of fine, old scotch whiskey.
"No, this is fine. I came as soon as I could, Mr. Hudson. How he is?"
"He walks around, muttering. Mrs. Cardle passed out when he walked by her yesterday. She swears he put a curse on her."
"Gin is her curse, not William."
"Aye, but the villagers choose to believe otherwise. Ah, well, most of them are fools who still believe there's gold at the end of the rainbow and spend most of their time looking for it instead of working and earning their living. What else can you expect from them?"
"You mean there isn't any gold?" Alden asked lightly. "All these years and I've been searching those rainbows for nothing."
"Och, you're in fine form, now aren't you?" His eyes sparkled in joy.
Alden half smiled. "I went to his cabin. I can't believe he would live in that . . . mess."
"He's haunted; Anyone with half a brain can see that. They all stood back and allowed that man to beat his child. I accept blame for that as well. I could have done something but I did not want to interfere in family matters; I wish I had now."
"I remember you cowing Parker's father."
"A bully always backs down when someone confronts him face to face. If enough of us had gotten together back then . . . Och, well, we canna go back and change the past, can we?"
"No."
Philip, Hudson's lone servant came in. "I've gathered all the cleaning items you requested, Mr. Hudson."
"Thank you. Leave them on the outer table; Ray will take them with him when he leaves."
"Yes, sir." He left.
"Will you stay for dinner?"
"That's another thing I need to borrow from you. Could you spare food until I can make it into the village?"
"Aye. I'll have Philip pack a basket. Will you be staying to sup with me?"
"No, I think I'd like to get back out to the cabin and start cleaning; I'd like to get as much done before nighttime."
"Then I'll have the basket fixed now. Go with God, Raymond, and be careful."
"I will."