For Martha

Nichal made his way back onto his feet after taking a nasty fall off his bicycle. He brushed off his bloody knee and caught his breath. He felt a small trickle of blood falling down his forehead.  But all of this was the least of his worries. The reason he had fallen off his bicycle to begin with was a horror. How could he make sense of any of which he had just heard. 

Martha, Nical’s sister had a sense of grace. She had not wear rouge or other face paints. She had a natural beauty. Long locks of caramel hair pulled back with a pin . She was obedient,meek and never used foul language. As she walked her dress flowed elegantly around her. She behaved in the most courteous manner, always polite. Never speaking ill of anyone or anything. She had a highly regarded reputation in town and was set to be wed to Mr David Williams. Martha was Nichal’s older sister. Nichal was 13, 4 years younger then Martha. Nichal was enthralled with his big sister. Idolizing everything about her and her teenage life. So as he had heard the maids talking about Martha he couldn’t help but to slow down and listen. 

“ The poor girl was attacked.” Said Mrs Pointer “Attacked? By who?” Responded Ms.Butts “ It was said to be the spawn of the nasty old Lumberjack , Costello.” “ Oh the poor deary!” “ How will she ever take a husband now that she had been ruined?”  This puzzled Nichal. Ruined? He questioned himself.

Nichal rushed back to the house, he threw down his bicycle and ran up the stairs. “ Mother, mother where is Martha? Nichal continued , I’m going straight to the Costello flat and I will…..”

“ You will do no such thing! His mother stopped him. “ You will not go anywhere near Costello’s , you will wait for your father to return. And you will not speak another word of this.” 

Nichal couldn’t  understand why his mother didn’t want to do anything about the matter. But no way would he just sit back and allow Flether Costello to get away with this. No way father would either! When father gets here things will be different, he assured himself . Nichal waited all afternoon for his father. Bored and pacing the parlor. He sat on the couch finally after hours of walking in circles , and drifted off to sleep. When Nichal woke in the morning, father was already gone to work. Mother was out in the garden and Martha was no where to be found. “ Mother “ Nichal yelled “ Yes Nichal let’s go your late for your chores and now you must do Martha’s chores too for the next few weeks.” Mother said. “ But mother..”Nichal replied. By the look on his mother’s face he knew to close his mouth and just go about his day. Nichal just couldn’t make sense of what he had heard. Surely, if Martha was ruined from being attacked and his parents had sent her away then there would be punishment for Fletcher Costello. There would be rage coming from his father . But nothing! Everyone just carried on as usual.

Days seemed to drag on and days turned to weeks and the weeks turned to months. Finally Martha had returned from “poise training “ and seemed as though nothing had happened. Martha was quiet, a little more quiet than usual. But Martha said nothing. And she acted as if everything was fine. So when she went on to marry Mr Williams, that fall it wasn’t surprising. Nichal went on as usual ,like everyone else, as the years flew by. With Martha’s daughter turning into a little lady herself. Nichal had gone off to serve his country and hadn’t been home for a very long time. He would sit on patrol late at night by himself and remember his sister Martha. He would think of the fun times they had, the things she had taught him, the way he wanted to be just like Martha! He remembered how he would wish to be as smart as Martha, as strong as Martha, as funny as Martha. But with every happy memory and reminiscing thought they always ended the same. Nichal would always think about what he had heard that day he skidded out on his bike, listening to the house maids. And Nichal would always get enraged with anger and guilt! His cheeks flush red, his gut tighten , his heart speed up so fast. Nichal just couldn’t then and still to this day couldn’t now , make any sense of it!

Nightly patrols and daily raids, months flying by. Cool nights approaching, the summer days had come and gone and as the cold set in, Nichal had headed home for holiday.

The entire town white with winter snow , the balsam fir green wreaths with big red bows on every light post in town and every house lit up so bright with Xmas lighting. The same hustle and bustle , with the same people who have been living in the town of Petersburg for generations. That warm feeling coming over him as he approached the road his childhood house was on. Home!!! .

Nichal stopped the car , opened the door and only got one foot out onto the driveway as his niece had come running up to greet him and in her shadow ,her friend Spencer . Nichal exchanged pleasantries with the boy . But couldn’t shake the uncanny resemblance of Flether Costello. When asking Martha who the boy was or who he belonged to Martha responded “ I’m not sure. Never thought to ask actually.” “He is such a darling boy and they have so much fun playing together every day .” 

Nichal had a horrible feeling come rushing over him. The feeling that day back when he fell off his bike at 13.

Nichal didn’t even get inside the house to greet his parents yet. But he knew he couldn’t just sit back and wonder any longer . He looked to Spencer and uttered “ Now boy you go back on the other side of the river where you belong and don’t come back. “ “ Uncle Nichal, Shut up!” His niece replied. Nichal slapped his niece across the face and she ran toward the house. 

Martha had come running toward Nichal. “ Now just who the hell do you think you are ?” Nichal was ashamed for slapping his niece, yes . But Nichal instantly felt a sense of relief. As began his way across the river to the Costello homestead, Nichal thought to himself , I was 13 . But I know what I heard . I know that my sister was attacked and I know she was sent away for a month and I know my parents did nothing about it. For they feared if they said anything Martha wouldn’t be taken as a wife! Nichal finally understood what he had to do! And for the first time since that day Nichal felt happy, truely happy.

Now Nichal knew he would not allow his niece to grow up with, play with, chum with , dance with or maybe someday fall in love with a Costello.

He marched straight into the yard of the Costello homestead. He walked straight up to Fletcher Costello. Fletchers wife and daughters both sitting at the table. Nichal gave his head a little bob and then with a gentle, kind , demeanor instructed them to leave. Fletcher says “ Now who do you think you are telling my wife and …” before Fletcher could finish the rest of the sentence, Nichal replied “I’ve gotten a lot of that today !” Nichal then punched Fletcher in the jaw, grabbed him by the hair and dragged him over to where they chopped the wood . He lied Fletchers head on top of one of the big round stumpy logs. Nichal picked up an axe and lifted it up over his head. As he plunged the axe down visions of Martha beaten , bloody, tattered clothing ran through his head. Visions of Fletcher laughing and graduating school, marrying one of the Smith girls and admiring his first born, also ran through his head. As the axe contacted the log, cutting straight through Fletcher Costellos neck, the very last vision that Nichal had was of himself, standing up on top of the gallows with Father Preston asking “ Do you have any final words my dear Nichal ?” With Fletchers wife’s screams permeating Nichals mind he still could answer back to the father in his thoughts. “Yes father I do.” He turned to the crowd , locked eyes with Marta and said “ I am Nichal Sullivan, I am Martha Williams little brother. For too long I kept quiet and  for too long did that man live in a false reality. For too long did my sister live with shame and secrets. My sister should have never had to leave home for a month. I am Nichal Sullivan… your little brother and I love you Martha Williams!!!….As the last word was uttered from his mouth, Nichal plummeted to his death by hanging. Martha so devastated, yet so proud of her brother. She walked away with all the towns folk staring at her, whispering amongst each other. Martha wiped the tears from her cheeks. Held her head high and headed towards home