The Covenant - Chapter Nine

“Please take your seats after stowing your luggage in the compartment above you” states the efficient flight attendant walking down the aisle closing the bins one at a time making sure that all the luggage straps are tucked in neatly in their place.

Observing the other passengers, Annie checks the knob of air above her to add more cooler air to calm her nervousness and then stares out the window to watch the employees loading luggage onto a cart in from the plane next to them.

“Do you have enough room?” asks Rick gently nudging Annie’s hand on the armrest attempting to stretch his legs in the middle seat a little squished between Lauren and Annie.

“I’m fine, but are you all right?  It seems a little snug for you.  Maybe Lauren might trade you places if you ask her” suggest Annie speaking loud enough for Lauren to hear her and hopefully get the hint.

“I like seating on the aisle seat.  I can get up easily and don’t have to crawl over anyone when I need to get up and walk” firmly states Lauren comfortably sinking into the cushions of the seat and pulling out the airlines magazine from the back pocket of the chair in front of her “It’s only a six hour flight anyway.  Only about three feature movies long” as Lauren moves to close in a little more on Rick’s space Lauren adds, “I’m sure Captain Wentworth doesn’t mind.  He’s use to flying all over the place.”

Turning towards Annie, Rick politely smiles but his eyes reflect a different opinion. “You’re right it is not too long a flight.  And it’s much easier to talk to both of you this way.”

“Take a moment and observe the safety video.  Please turn off all electronic devices as we prepare for takeoff” is announced on the speaker as they watch the flight attendant demonstrate how to inflate a safety vest in tandem with the video instructions.

Curious noticing all the items available for the passengers, Lauren pulls out the bag in the back pocket of the chair in front of him. She turns to Rick placing a hand on his shoulder and mockingly asks, “Do you think you might need this? If you do, I’m here for you.”

“No, but thank you” returns Rick “I’ll keep that in mind. How are you doing Annie? I know it’s been awhile since you flew on as long of flight.”

“I’m fine” offers Annie taking out the catalog of unique shopping items conveniently available for the rather bored passengers on the flight to browse. “As long as I can get out every once and awhile to stretch my legs, I’ll be okay.”

As the flight begins to move and the engines roar to begin their assent, Annie can feel Rick lean towards her brushing gently against her arm.  His touch brings chills with tender memories of another time when they were close.  Her heart fills with regret as she remembers.

“You can’t marry him, Annie.  It wouldn’t be fair to his future” insists Lydia Russell “You’re both just barely past being children.  What can he offer you?  Not only has he only gone to a handful of classes at a college, he hasn’t learned any type of vocation or skill to establish himself yet.”

“He loves me though.  I love him too” defends Annie “We would be good to each other. I think we would be a great couple.”

“Let me tell you, if you love him, you will go give him time and space to get what he needs to get done. If you wanted to get married now, you could really do so much better  than Rick Wentworth by marrying someone a little older and more connected” feeling as if Annie is not understanding her, Lydia bitterly adds “He can’t offer you anything other than love which will soon fade away when you are broke and have nothing to live on.  You’ll soon be lonely and living a difficult life.  Eventually he will become bored with you because you have nothing to give to him either.  You’ve lived a very sheltered life so far.  Really, Annie you need to reconsider how he will feel and what your future will be like.”

“But we love each other.  Isn’t that enough?” angrily states Annie “He likes me the way I am no matter how inexperienced I am.   I can just be myself with him and I think he feels the same way too!”

“Nonsense that is just a feeling, it will soon fade. What will you talk about? With no education or life experience, how could you possibly continue to be interesting to him?” Lydia insults Annie with a little more venom than necessary “He’ll leave you when someone more enchanting and cultured comes along because they’ve taken advantage of the opportunities that have come their way and you have not.”

“But he likes me how I am now without any of that!” emphatically informs Annie “He will be happy with me!”

“How can you be so sure?” snidely asks Lydia Russell then deciding to go with another tactic “Look at your family and how they are connected in the Army.  Can he really give you any opportunities that by choosing someone more related could offer you?”

“I don’t care about that.  I’d rather be liked for my own merit and skills than hanging on the coattails of someone that doesn’t even matter to me” retorts Annie “Rick and I can create our own ‘name’ for ourselves being together if that is even necessary”.

“Foolishness …. The Elliots have been in the Army for generations and you shouldn’t throw that away, you need to find someone of your own status” insists Lydia Russell “Rick is new and unknown.  He’s a nice boy but he doesn’t have any qualities to enhance your heritage.”

“I don’t need history.  I need to live in the now.  The ‘now’ for me is with Rick whom I love” demands Annie feeling defeated.

“There will be many young women coming into his life and he will come to resent you for tying him down at such a young age” bitterly reflects Lydia Russell from her own past marriage experience “You need to give him freedom to explore and discover that you are the only one that he wants, not the one that he is stuck with.”

“You don’t understand Rick at all!” exclaims Annie as doubts begin to pervade her thoughts “He’s never purposely made me jealous of anyone. Other girls have liked him, but he has remained loyal to me.  You don’t understand our relationship at all.”

“I may not understand you but I do know what a man needs to be successful and Rick needs time to attain those qualities” incriminatingly insists Lydia Russell and then cruelly adds knowing that it will hit puncture Annie’s sensitive nature “You really are being so selfish Annie.”

“What do you mean?” shocked  by that accusation Annie questions “How am I being selfish?”

“By marrying him at such a young age, you are ruining his future.  You are robbing him of educational opportunities,   a chance to travel and become more familiar with the world, and creating a network for himself to increase his potential promotions” noting that she seems to be finally getting through Lydia Russell continues  “Observing his behavior towards you, he’ll be too tied up thinking of you and if a baby comes along the way too soon that will be the end of it.  You really need to seriously consider his needs over your own.  If you love him, you will give him time and space to do what he needs to do before attaching himself to you.”

The flight attendant interrupts Annie reveling in her day dreams, “Would you like something to drink?”

“Yes, thanks.  Do you have Dr. Pepper?” politely asks Annie adjusting in her seat and placing the tray down in front of her.

“You still like Dr. Pepper after all these years?” asks Rick tilting his head with a slight smile.  “I usually only saw Coke products when I lived overseas, but on the rare occasion when I saw a Dr. Pepper it reminded me of you every time.”

“Really?  I have one about every day.  Some things never change, I guess” offers Annie feeling sweetly overwhelmed at the thought that he did remember her at least a few times over the years.

Then turning in the opposite direction, “Do you like Dr. Pepper, Lauren?” asks Rick.

“No, I like different types of juices.  They are much healthier than soda” snaps Lauren a little jealous that Annie has a soft spot with Rick over something as simple as soda “I hear they have a variety of tropical juices where we are going.  I can hardly wait to try them out. Maybe we could go together and sample some of the local flavors.”

“Sounds like a great idea!” sincerely replies Rick enjoying merging with any culture that he finds himself within “It would be interesting to see what the area is like at the same time.”

“Why don’t the two of us go out tonight after we arrive?  I think it would be a lot of fun” to add incentive for going out together to establish themselves as a couple from the very beginning of the journey Lauren adds “ I’m sure everyone else will be exhausted.  But I recently read in my Metropolitan magazine that it is best to stay up as long as you can in order to adjust to jet lag.  Annie I’m sure will be willing as the appointed chaperone to stay back and watch the younger members of the team to make sure they don’t get into any trouble.”

Listening to the conversation but not asked to be included, Annie grits her teeth and stares out the window watching the stratus clouds slowly pass by.

As the conversation ends, Rick moves his cramped right leg over towards Annie into her allotted space. His leg brushes against her own sending opposite feelings of excitement and dismay through her. Rick’s cheeks flush to distract himself from his emotions he searches on his Ipod for some music to listen to.  His thoughts drift as a familiar song associated with Annie comes up on his random playlist and fills the sound waves.

He can hear Annie’s voice from long ago “I think it would be better if we waited.  I can’t marry you right now.  It wouldn’t be right.”

“What do you mean it wouldn’t be ‘right’?  Who’s “right”?  Does your family decide what’s right for you?  Or, does that interfering nuisance Lydia Russell? Have you been listening to her again? I thought you were an adult, Annie, but maybe I’ve been mistaken on that count.” Rick angrily attacks not understanding Annie’s viewpoint and instead feeling wounded and betrayed.

“We’re not ready.  As you know, we’re both so young.  What kind of wife would I make for you?  I wouldn’t be enough.  You would get so bored with me in just a few short years” suggests Annie repeating blandly what she has been consistently told by others.

“Annie, I love you.  I would never grow tired of you.  Any relationship has its difficulties but we could make it.  I know we would!” retorts Rick “Is there someone else?  Do you not think I’m good enough for you?  Are you tired of me?”

Annie stammers to find the right words when her heart aches so much “You’re all I’ve ever wanted. But we really need to be wise about this. How are we going to support a life together?”

“I’m planning on going to training in the fall. I can continue my studies as an officer, so can you” offers Rick “Just because we would be married doesn’t mean life stops.”

“Yeah, but it will make everything more difficult for you. I would be too much of a burden …” her words trail into whispers, “and you’ll find someone else who suits you better than me.”

“So that’s it!  I’m not good enough for you.  Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place!  All of you Elliotts are snobs.  I should have known better!” uncharacteristically shouts Rick at her “Why did you bother to flirt with me?  Why didn’t you leave me alone?  I’m not a toy or some sort of amusement for you.  I’ll be fine without you!”

Overwhelmed with emotion and sadness, Annie is at a loss for words and unable to respond in the reality of her most precious loss.  Furious at her reticence, Rick believes that it only confirms his fears, he angrily glares at her. “I don’t need to put up with this.  When you finally come to your senses, I will be long gone.  Don’t expect me to ever come back, because I will not be waiting for you!”

“Excuse me, do you need a blanket?” asks the flight attendant passing around small pieces of blue material for the passengers to attempt to sleep on the long flight to their destination.

“Uhhh … yes, thank you” wakes Rick from his thoughts taking the cloth from her and turning towards Annie and passing another blanket to her.  Annie smiles back at him but he can only feel shadows of pain as he turns back to concentrate on the cool breeze that needs to be adjusted above his head.