Blinded Love – (Chapter 3 of 5)

Gwynn clutched the carefully scripted note close to her side.  Her heart was beating so hard, she felt her pace quickening with each step.  Over the last week she had carefully rehearsed the path to the post office.  In an effort to familiarize herself with the route, she accepted each invitation to go into town with Anne. Despite her lack of sight, her senses were on overload.  She could smell the dust people kicked up as they quickly walked past her.  The sound of women talking, children laughing and cautious whispers only made her determination grow.  She could not allow herself to be distracted, she only had a few moments to deliver the letter before Anne returned.

The post office was full of people.  The clerk glanced at the door when Gwynn stumbled inside.  Her hat covered her disfigurement, but her actions displayed her struggle.  She grasped for the wall, searching for a place to stand and gather her senses.  Her hands shook as she unclasped what was so dear to her heart.  It was a letter and by her gestures, it held extreme significance.

The unassuming clerk moved closer to Gwynn and pushing through the crowd he gently touched her shoulder.  He knew of her, but he had never seen her before.  The scars on her face proved the accident marred her beyond repair but the way in which she carried herself showed it had also affected her confidence…her love for life.  Stories of the Wells family had circulated among the people soon after Anne moved there.  Some held them in high esteem, others knew the stories of pain caused at the hands of her father.  But despite the growing rumors of how they obtained their income, Annes’s displays of wealth were common around town.  However,  Gwynn seemed different.  She did not present herself as proud or elite, she carried a humble heart…no doubt one softened with the lessons of pain.  Although the circumstances surrounding her arrival were saddening, the fact that she remained alive was beyond comprehension.  The accident had taken so many lives… it seemed as though there must be a reason why her’s was spared.

Gwynn felt a hand on her shoulder and a kind voice whisper instructions.  She grasped his hand without question and followed closely as he led her to a side counter away from the crowd.  It took everything within her to trust the stranger, but she knew there was no other way.  She could not address the letter herself.  As they walked she could feel the stares of curious bystanders burning into her back.  It was always this way when she was in public.  People treated her differently and that pushed the lies deeper, making her believe that she could never recover from what happened.  She could never disassociate herself from the opinions of others.

“Ma’am, do you have an address…ma’mm?  Gwynn emerged from her thoughts to hear the young man’s question.  She flushed with embarrassment knowing that she was not able to write the address herself.  Every time she tried, she felt the pen slip off of the envelope.  David’s address was complicated and it had to be entirely correct or else the letter would be sent back.   And if that happened…her family would know what she had done.

“Oh, why yes….I know it by memory, could I relay it to you and have you place it on the envelope for me?”  ”I’m sorry, these simple tasks have proven to be more difficult than I imagined…your help and confidence is appreciated.”

“Of course ma’am, just tell me the information and I’ll make sure it gets there.”  Gwynn smiled at the kindness in the man’s voice.  Despite how she felt people perceived her, it always brought peace to her heart when she could hear their acceptance and patience…it was comforting to know that she had come across someone who seemed trustworthy.

Within moments she was back outside, waiting for Anne as she shopped and spent their family fortune.  Gwynn felt a surge of confidence as she relished in the fact that her letter to David was on its way.  In all reality, it was more than a letter, it was closure and at the same time…it was hope.  Her next step was to speak to her father, he was arriving on the noon train and her heart raced as she rehearsed what she had wanted to say for so long.  She had no idea how he would react, but in order for her to move on…she knew she had to speak her mind.