Nathan

They were townies.

The Walker family had lived in the same town as Edna and Beaulah for generations. They pursued the security of city jobs. Clerks and council people. Municipalities. Public works. Their tenure gave them precedent. And stature. His mother taught third grade at the local school the same as her mother before her. His father worked at the post office. Jobs with benefits and pensions. Predictable. And safe.

He was the child never expected to have been born. Arrived in the world to middle-aged parents on the verge of adopting. A miracle baby.

The boy-next door. Perfect white teeth with grades to match. Square shoulders and a shock of unruly, endearing black hair that never stayed in place. Piercing gray eyes that verged on violet. His parents pushed him towards excellence. Showed him off unabashedly. He dominated at non-contact sports. Swimming. Track. Tennis. Golf. A favored team player. Loved the out-of-doors where his easy and natural tan lasted well into winter. Never suffered a broken bone.

A broken-heart--a distant, hidden secret.

In the summers, he was expected to pull his own weight. Shore up his bank account. Lawn and yard work. De-tassel corn. Heave grass-dusty, sun-warmed hay bales, the tawny, golden color of lions, onto wagons in the stifling August heat along with friends who exaggerated male prowess and flexed biceps from shirtless torsos.

His best friend was Beaulah’s son, Seth Ennis. Inseparable. Brothers. Seth his opposite, all sandy-haired and sun-burnt in the summers. Shy. Awkward at sports although he participated with his parent's support and encouragement. Cheering from the bleachers. Their initials were the same as those on any compass: N,W,S,E. “With each other, we can never get lost,” they laughed. An unspoken connection. And direction.

Nathan attended the state university on sport scholarships along with Seth. Roommates. Tried different majors but ended up in education like his mother where he eventually taught junior high social studies and English and coached teams after school. Familiar turf. His disappointed father favored business and insurance. “You’re a natural. It’s not too late. Be your own boss, son. We have the connections. Think about it.”

The college years were difficult. His first time away from home. Mixing with city kids and temptations. Living in a dorm. Seth never went back after his freshman year. It was in Nathan’s junior year that Seth was killed in the war. His grades fell and he floundered precariously. Darkly. Drank at frat parties. Talked dirty. Even smoked. Woke in the mornings reeking of vomit and god knows what else.

Nathan was one of the few people to whom Beaulah gave free reign of her land. The summer after her son’s death, he spent hours alone in the hayloft. She often spied him walking the trails dragging and whipping the air with a stick. Sometimes standing in front of her son’s grave, head bowed. Compass in hand. She let him be. Never pried.