A Love story for Jason Bolt at age 17

by Ccrisant57

The snow had stopped and now it was just rain. We wondered what had happened to him. Late that night we heard a loud crash on the cabin door There was a man lying on the ground in front of our door. "My, my son, where, where is he?" My brother found him and saw that he looked as wretched as his father. He said his name was Jonathan Bolt and his son was Jason.

2. Chapter 2

Chapter 3 Spring

Spring came and along with it more rain, but a warmer rain that chased all the ice and snow away. We reveled in the warm sunshine. We had gotten to know the Bolts very well; Mother often visited with Mrs. Bolt and helped her with her youngest, Jeremy, who was now almost 4 years old. Mary loved helping take both John and Jeremy. The boys would play together and sing songs. I noticed that although each Bolt brother's hair was different, one had curly wavy hair, the other had blonde straight hair and the other had brown straight hair, they all had blue eyes that on a bright sunny day, their eyes would reflect the blue of the skies. I was still enamored of Jason and as I was now almost old enough to think of marriage I wondered if that would happen.

Mother had her last child the spring a year before that. Little Melanie only lived for two weeks, she had been very tiny when she was born, they said she was born too early and had not been ready to be born, but it happened. She is buried in the cemetery, and we visit her when we can. Mother has said no to having any more children and Father abided by her choice.

One afternoon, the sun was shining in a wonderful particular way, I went for a walk among the trees and stopped at a place to look at the wonderful greenery, and blue of the water and smell the fresh pines. I particularly enjoyed the fresh air and freedom one has when walking along the lake.

"Hello, Matilda!" said Jason behind me.

"Oh, Hello Jason!" I said turning around. He seemed to get more handsome as the years went by. He was now 15. His Birthday was last November, and he was now 15. His brother Josh's birthday is in July as is his brother Jeremy's. I was now 13 so I was more in tune to wanting to learn more about Jason, especially as a potential spouse.

"How are you doing? May I walk with you?" He asked.

"Yes, that would be nice," I said and waited an appropriate amount of time and said:

"Do you know that your eyes match the skies today?" He looked at me and smiled. Then he said:

"Well, I haven't thought about that, thank you for that compliment, your smile is quite charming." He said. I looked away shyly and then turned toward the lake view. I did not know what to say next and I just stood there for a while thinking. He walked up and stood next to me and looked out on the lake as well. Then he looked at me, I looked at him and we both felt it and would have except, Mary and Joshua along with Jeremy and John came running up to us and Jeremy almost ran us over. We all laughed and smiled.

"Jason, Jason, Da, needs us to come home right now!" Jeremy said before Joshua could get the words out. Joshua looked at his little brother with annoyance but didn't say anything to him.

"Jason, Mom's not looking too good, Da wants us to hurry home!" Jason looked at his brothers and said yes,

"I will see you soon Matilda?" He said with a question.

"Of course!" I said and watched as the three boys left to go home. I gathered John and Mary, and we headed home as well.

A few days later, Jason came to our house and asked if he could see me. I was helping mother with the cooking, and she said okay. She took over my job while I was in the parlor with Jason.

"Hello, Jason, what is happening?" I said. He looked at me with pain in his eyes.

"Matilda, I…My mother… I am not sure what I want to say, but I would like…Can we step outside?" He asked, I looked back to the kitchen and my mother nodded okay. I put my coat on and followed him outside. We walked a little out to the bench near the little garden of flowers that Mother planted in the spring.

"Matilda, my mother is dead!" He was clearly upset, and I stood there a moment then went over to hug him. He was quite tall, and I who wasn't even all the way grown was still under 5ft. I reached my hands up to give him a hug, and he bent down and started to cry. I held him for a while and then we maneuvered to the little bench on the side of the porch. We sat silently, I was holding him, and he was still sobbing for a little longer. When he stopped, he looked around and said:

"Thank you, Matilda, I-I need to get home now. Will you come to the funeral?" he asked, I stood up again, I had to stand on my tippy toes, but he bent down and gave me another hug.

"Yes, I will tell Mother and Father and we will all be there. He left and I went inside to inform Mother and Father. James came in a little while after and asked Father:

"Jason did not show up to work today? We had to do twice the work, does anyone know what happened?" He looked at me expectantly but before I spoke, Father looked at James with that look he has when he is upset by one of us and said:

"James Stewart McConnell!" James stood straight not sure why his father used his full name.

"You will refrain from making a complaint against a neighbor that is untrue. Jason Bolt's mother passed away today. We will be going to her funeral!" Father said and then walked out of the kitchen and into the parlor. James stood there a moment and then Father called to him. James went into the parlor and the voices were such that we could hear them even with the kitchen door closed.

We went to the funeral and stood as she was laid to rest. Then as we passed, we each put a little dirt onto the coffin. Poor Jeremy when he tried to say something the words would not come out for him. He was so devastated that we all wanted to hold him and take care of him. John, who was the same age, walked over to him and gave him a hug. But Jeremy did not respond. It was like he was unable to react to any kind of warmth or show of affection. We all went back to the Bolt cabin and Mother as well as the other women had provided food for the Bolts. There was the new lady who had just come to town to run the Saloon. She did not look very old, perhaps in her 20s. I thought she was very pretty, Mother and the other ladies were not happy with her being at the cabin, but she showed that she had some nursing skills as well, and later on she proved her ability to help with the babies that were born around and in Seattle.

Chapter 4 The Proposal

The months passed and soon it was again almost winter. Father had been back and forth several times to the little town of Renton Washington. He had procured about 320 acres and was preparing to have us move next spring to our new home. He had hired some contractors to build a house for us and a barn for our cow Bessie and her calf, whom we now had named Dunn! Jack and Hoolan would be in the barn as well. Father had contracted with a man named Simpson to raise dairy cows and sell milk, cheese, and butter.

I was now 15, Jason was 17 and had gone to work full time for a logging company but was working on creating his own logging company and running it. His father had helped as much as he could but with two boys still not old enough to go to work, he had a handful. Jeremy still had trouble stuttering, Mary worked with him along with our youngest brother John who was now old enough for school. Both boys started school. Jeremy found having a friend seemed to make it easier although his brother Joshua was also around to help him as well.

One afternoon, I was coming from the mercantile and had just walked by the Totem pole when I saw Jason coming down from working on his family's mountain. I said hello to him, but he looked so worn and tired that I thought maybe he did not hear me. But he did:

"Hello Matilda, how are you?" He asked as he swung his ax in front of him placed it on the ground and leaned on it.

"I am fine, how are you? You look pretty tired!" I exclaimed. He smiled and said.

"Aye, I am. I am beginning my new company this week. I have applied for a business license and am collecting loggers and hopefully will have a contract to work on before the week is done!" He said with enthusiasm, his blue eyes twinkling in the afternoon light.

"Once you have those loggers and a contract, will I get to see you anymore?" I asked. He looked at me and again, he smiled and said:

"Matilda, I will be able to see you on Sundays after church!"

"On Sundays, oh Jason is that a promise? Did you ask Father?" I asked scared that what I dreamed of all these years would take place, my dreams would come true!"

"Aye, I did lassie!" He said and let go of the axe and picked me up and gave me a kiss. I was so happy that I danced around him a couple of times and he held my hand and let me twirl. He smiled at me, and I smiled at him. We did not care who saw us. At that moment, two elderly spinster ladies came walking by and commented on our festivity.

"Maude, isn't that the McConnell girl, dancing around the Bolt boy?" said Hilda.

"Why yes it is! Children, children, you mustn't do that in public, you are not even engaged!" declared Maude who was so distraught by our outward display of happiness that she almost fainted. Fortunately, one of the logging men was standing nearby and caught her before she fell to the ground. Hilda then went over and fanned her for a few minutes. Jason and I couldn't help but laugh at their hysterics!

Father saw this and so did Jason's father as well. Both went over to us, and Father looked at me and pointed towards home. Jason's father pointed towards the cabin. Both Fathers looked at each other and then went into the saloon.

Needless to say, when Father arrived home, he was not very happy with my display of affection.

"Matilda, do you love Jason Bolt!" I nodded yes. Father looked at me and then looked at Mother and said:
"You will need to set the date! It is November, Do you wish to marry him in December?" I was surprised at the turn of events and said:

"Yes!" I did not say more because there was a knock on the door and Jason and his father had arrived.

"Mr. McConnell, Jason has something to ask your daughter!" He pushed Jason closer to me and Jason took out of the box a beautiful ring. It had belonged to the Bolt clan, but it would be given to me on my wedding day. He had another ring, a small band of gold that would be the engagement ring. He placed it on my hand. Neither of us really got to have a real proposal but it was enough. We were able to kiss, and we both smiled.

"Matilda, I am so happy, I love you!" Jason said to me when we went outside to talk a little privately.

"Oh, Jason, I love you as well!" I said and we kissed again then he asked me:

"I know your parents will be leaving in the spring. Do you want a house in town or a cabin out of town?" He asked

"I want to be with you wherever you are!" I said. He smiled and then said, well, I will be mostly up on the mountain and since DA and my brothers are occupying the cabin, I thought you might like a little house in the mountains near where I will be working." He said smiling at me. I thought about it a little and said:

"I want to be near you, Jason, if I am your wife, I will need to be close to you so we can be with each other," I said, he smiled and was happy and then he said:

"A cabin in the woods it is. I will start building it. This weekend!" He said and then his father came out and they both left, we kissed once more, and he waved goodbye to me. I floated back into our little house and up the stairs to the room I shared with Mary.