Free Death in Reel Time by Brynn Bonner Page B

earlier. “This is to Renny from her daddy. I want to know did he forgive her, so I’m not waitin’. I’m gonna read it now. Do you want to hear or not?”
    â€œYes,” I said with a sigh. “We’ve really fallen off the organizational system wagon, but I want to know, too. And anyway, we only have one more box to index so we’d be reading it soon anyway.
    Esme unfolded the pages and smoothed them with her cotton-gloved hands. I could see Thomas Lockwood’s straight-up-and-down handwriting marching across the page, uniform and precise.
    â€œIt’s dated November 4, 1941, so he got back to her pretty quick. He says,”
    Daughter,
    We are glad to learn you are well and that you have good people to depend on there in Crawford. However, do not interpret those sentiments to mean that we in any way condone or approve of the disobedient path you have chosen. We remain sorely injured that you have willfully ignored our counsel and our expressed command that you disassociate yourself from that boy. You have dashed all our hopes and dreams that you would become an educated and accomplished woman in this world and one pleasing to God to achieve the world hereafter. We are fearful of what the future holds for you.
    As for a visit, that most assuredly will not be possible. Not now, and perhaps not ever. You must give us time to mend and to prayerfully consider the proper course. And aside from our own feelings, there is the issue of timing. For we will soon meet with the mission board to find out what shall be our next posting.
    We had hoped to have you safely settled at Women’s College under the tutelage of Mrs. Babcock before accepting another foreign mission, but you have scuttled that plan with your impetuous and unwise decision to run away and make a secular partnership with that boy. I surely do not recognize it as a marriage as you made no promises to God in a proper church.
    I have made inquiries about Riley and CelestineHargett. People who know them assure me they are good, simple people. I hope they will look after you.
    Alas, I cannot send you false reassurances about the state of affairs in the world. The war clouds are gathering and we’d all best prepare ourselves. There is evil afoot, daughter, and we will be called upon to stand, stalwart and unflinching, for what is good and right.
    And now I must close. Please know that what I have expressed in this missive comes from both your mother and me. Do not depend on your mother’s soft heart to win you absolution for what you have done. We love you with an abiding love, but we cannot pretend that we are not gravely disappointed in you. But there is no turning back now so we can only hope and pray for the best for you and turn our efforts to our call to service.
    Your father,
    Thomas Lockwood
    â€œWow, crusty old coot, wasn’t he?” I said.
    â€œNo wonder Renny didn’t choose to share much with Olivia about her parents. There are only seven letters here from the parents to Renny. Five written by her father and two by her mother. They were all in the boxes from her aunt Celestine’s house. So Renny kept them, but I doubt she shared them. I’m betting Olivia never even knew they existed.”
    â€œCould be,” I allowed. “I can understand why Olivia’s mother didn’t want to talk about Johnny. But why wouldn’t Celestine and Riley? He may have been a draft dodger, but he was still Riley’s brother.”
    â€œYour idea of a draft dodger is different, Sophreena. Yourparents were Vietnam era. Lots of guys tried to avoid going to ’Nam. Young people saw that as an unjust war. It was an accepted decision to become a conscientious objector or to run off to Canada, at least among the young. In World War Two it wasn’t like that. That was my mother’s generation and she told me a lot of stories about how it was back then. People were behind the war effort. Victory