Come, Josephine

Chapter 8

1927

The summer's heat was to the point of being unbearable and every movement felt exhausting. I had always felt that summer was to aggressive, the sun glaring over at you, wearing you down.
   I could have taken a bath in the ordinarily cool barn, but I knew that during such high temperatures the air would be thick and heavy everywhere. The bath water would rise, and I would continue to overheat. Only by a body of water was there a hope of a breeze.
From where I lay on the couch, I turned my head to watch the front door. Jack came in, covered with sweat. He hung his hat on a peg and turned to face me, "Josie, you alright?"
   "Of course," I grinned, "can we go to the lake?"
   His face fell, "I'm sorry, Jose, I was just going to wash up and sit on the porch. Tomorrow?"
   "Oh!" I whined, "please?"
   "Josie..."
   "Fine."
   I swung my legs off of the couch and went to the kitchen, "can I go alone?"
   "Nope," he offered me a smile as compensation, "sorry, kid. Couldn't have you drowning."
   "Ma?"
She continued washing the dishes, "you heard what Jack said."
Jack went to the cupboard and retrieved a bottle of apple juice before heading towards the back door, "I'm just going to go and take a bath in the barn, do you need anything first?"
Mamma smiled, "no, you go and take a bath, Josie and I will be okay in here!"
   I smiled over at Jack as he left, and he waved goodbye. I turned my attention to mamma and the washing up.
   "Oh, Mamma," I said after a moment, "it is terribly hot. Why don't we go for a walk in the shade?"
   She shook her head, "I'm tired."
   "Only to the lake and back-"
   "No-"
   I paused, "what if I go alone- I won't get in the water, I swear."
   She frowned at my language, "that's not ladylike."
   "Neither are you!"
   She tipped her head back and laughed, "fine, but no getting in the water, and be back by sunset. I won't tell Jack, he'll only worry."
   I hugged her so fiercely she rocked back and laughed, and I took off towards the lake at a march. I wouldn't get in the water.
   I reached the lake in a short while, and looked about in awe. The air was not bogged down with heat, and sweat cooled on my brow. Peace washed over me, carried across the water on a soft breeze.
A large oak stood on the edge of the water, casting a shadow along the bank and into the depths. It lured me over, onto the bank, although I swore I wouldn't go near the edge-
The appeal, was too great and I made a new promise that I wouldn't get too close to the lake. I hopped across the bank and rested in the shade, removing my boots to allow the air to get to my feet. I breathed in the soft summer scent of wild flowers and grass, tipping my head back to look up through the leaves.
The sky was as pure as it had any right to be, and made me feel as if I could fly up into it on nothing more than a whim. It looked as alluring as the beautiful, delicious water. If I only put my feet in...
I slid closer to the edge, and toyed with the idea of placing my feet in. If I did, what would Jack say? And Mamma? They would both be furious with me, and I hated to vex them...
I pushed my feet under the water, curling them with the shock of the cold. It was so soothing, so calming, perhaps if I only put in my lower leg?
Before long, I had my legs in as far as they could go while sitting in the shore. The water was only waist-deep where I was sat, although I'd have to kick off from the shore to touch my feet down.
I played with the idea, turning it over in my mind. Would it be so terrible?
I recalled how Jack said the water could be deceiving, and how deep it might actually be. I sighed with the relief of realisation at my possible-near-miss, and rose to my feet to climb up higher onto the bank.
I turned away, skirts in hand, and as I rose to my feet, and tumbled back into the icy water.

Back at the house

Rose lifted her eyes from the kitchen counter to look out of the window. Dusk was falling rapidly, and Josie was yet to return. Josie, of course, had a history of running a little late, loosing track of time, but this was different. Disconcertingly so.
Where was she?
Jack came in, whistling as he always did. He aimed for the kitchen, wanting to greet Rose. When he looked into the kitchen, his face fell.
"Rose?" He said, "what's the matter? Is Josie upset?"
Something in her voice cracked, "I'm so sorry, I know we made a deal, about not letting Josie go, but oh, Jack, she was so desperate, and she promised to be back by now, but she isn't, and-"
He furrowed his eyebrows, his rage seeping through. Rage aimed at her, "you what?"
Rose tried, and failed, to stop her tears, "I let her go, Jack-"
"Right, we can talk about this later," his voice was terse, "grab that blanket off the couch, and let's go."
He ran ahead, and Rose struggled to keep up. When they made it out of the farm yard, it dawned on her that if they had been laughing, it might have been alike to another, freer time.
The path to the lake felt narrower, more uncomfortable, and the tunnel of green seemed to close in. It squeezed the life out of her, closing in at all angles.
Rose wanted to fall to the floor, and something in her seemed to draw her to it. She so desperately wanted to cry and pound her way into the ground. Give up. She didn't want to make it to the lake, to learn what she already knew.
Something in Jack's pace revealed that, he too, felt the same.
Rose pushed on, and when they made it to the clearing where the lake was, she felt certain that she would faint from exhaustion. Jack hung back, and grabbed her at the elbow, dragging her on. Pleading with her.
They made it to the edge of the water, offering a clear look of the lake. Breathless, they tried to focus on the water.
"There!" Jack shouted, pointing to a large tree, "come on!"
They bolted to the spot where a bundle of sodden fabric lay- no, not fabric- a body.
Josephine.
Jack threw himself to the floor in front of her, rolling her onto her side, "come on," he pleaded.
He worked frantically, trying to revive her- find a sign of life. He patted her back, and rolled her shoulders, trying to wake her up.
"Come on, please," he begged, "please, Josie, don't leave us."
Her body rolled back over, and he shook her shoulders frantically, "please."
Something in him broke, and he hung his head in defeat. He made a noise, one of ruin, and clasped his hands in a hopeless prayer.
He looked back and Rose, who fell to her knees in despair, curled into the ground. She recognised his hopelessness, and went to her feet with such force that she nearly fell over. Still, she fought to stay upright, half-crawling, half-running, to them.
At last, she reached them, winded with sobbing. She fell to her knees then, and shook his shoulders in rage, "don't give up, keep trying- please."
"She's gone."
Rose hung her head too, and struggled to get down a breath. She watched her daughter's still body, praying for movement so hard that she saw it.
She had seen movement.

Josephine

I woke up, gasping for air. Water rose in my throat, choking me, and I felt steady hands roll me over. I heaved up the water, and struggled to pause for air.
Rushing filled my ears with the sensation of being awake, and I tried my hardest to steady my breathing, my heart, my mind.
I rolled back, and glanced up towards the sky. The peace soothed me, the dark sky beckoning to me. At last, the rushing stopped.
"Josie?"
I rose my head, and saw mamma and Jack beside me. I reached out a tired hand in Jack's direction as mamma pulled my head into her lap.
Mamma's voice was wrought with worry, "We need to get her home and call a doctor."
"I'll carry her."
As I was scooped up carefully and we began the trek home, I wondered who had pulled me from the lake.