23April2025 Diary
My word is final. You, my dear Emily, may hold a grudge against your father for as long as you like.
His heart, however, is rotten. Do not argue, Emily. You will go with Ethan and thats the end of it. With him youll spend your life behind a solid wall, never hearing a kind word from him. He may look good, sing sweetly, but his soul is corrupt.
Enough, I said, trying to embrace my daughter. I wont hand you over to Ethan. She pushed my hand away, tears blurring her face, and shouted, Theres no strength for affection!
I looked into the blue eyes of my stubborn, headstrong girl. I will not let her be unhappy, so I said firmly, You must obey, love! Leave, Emily!
By the river, Ethan waited for her, his heart racing. He seemed the perfect man, the kind she imagined spending a lifetime with. In that moment Emily loathed me fiercelyshe could never have imagined feeling such hatred for the man who had always been her rock. No pleading or coaxing could change her mind.
Is he cruel or softened? Ethan asked, running his hand through her dark curls, studying her with deep hazel eyes.
She said we cant be together. Its all hopeless. He wont listen, Emily whispered, her voice trembling.
Try again! I wont be his bride! We have a house, a farmhes stubborn as a mule, Ethan snapped, his foot striking a duckling that waddled along the bank.
Watch the duck! Emily shouted.
Its just a duck, dont mind it, Ethan muttered, shooing the bird away. Come, lets walk into the woods.
On the way home, Emily met Jack. The moment he saw her, his cheeks flushed a deep crimson.
Jack was short, freckled, with sandy hair and crystalblue eyes that Emily teasingly called bleached. He was nothing like Ethanplain, unassuming. She wanted to hurl an insult at him, but then noticed he was cradling a tiny duckling.
Where did you find that? she asked, smiling despite herself.
I was by the river, the little thing was stuck. Its leg seemed hurt, so I thought Id show my fatherhe can treat animals. Jacks eyes met Emilys, and she realized the duck had almost been stepped on by Ethan earlier. Shame flushed her again, and she hurried away.
From then on the duck followed Jack everywhere, even sleeping in the hay loft beside him. It waddled behind him, constantly checking that its beloved owner was safe.
Jack, youre a swineherd, not a duckkeeper, Ethan teased, theyre only good for the table. Jack merely shrugged and kept his distance.
Soon the village announced the wedding of Jack and Emily. She wept uncontrollably. Ethan tried to coax her to run away with him, but she would not betray the love she felt for her father, whose face was now hardened with anger.
On the wedding day she stared at herself in the mirror. Her father, Arthur Thompson, softened at the sight of her ivory gown and golden hair.
You are the most beautiful bride, he kissed her cheek, Are you angry with me, my girl? I wish you happiness, my golden child. Thank me later.
I will never thank you, Emily whispered, turning toward the window.
At the reception Ethan danced with Kate, a girl Emily had always been jealous of. Now Emily was a married woman, forced to watch from the sidelines as her former lover twirled with another.
She glanced furtively at Jack; the duck was perched beside him, peeping innocently. What a fool, she thought, bitterness rising.
Her mother helped her into her wedding dress, casting nervous glances toward the door, fearing the arrival of an unwelcome guest. He entered, paused, stared at her clenched lips, and turned away.
Youre leaving? she gasped, What will people think? Will they dislike me? She leapt from the bed and ran to the man. He stood in silence, draped a shawl over his shoulders, and said, Youre lovely, my dear. I see how ugly I have been. If only you would come to me, perhaps but I cannot. And he walked away.
This will never happen! she shouted, anger spilling over.
Days turned into weeks. The newlyweds lived apart at first, and Jack was ever occupied. One afternoon, while gathering mushrooms in the woods, Emily twisted her ankle. Jack lifted her in his arms, carrying her back home. In the evenings they swung together on a little porch swing over the pond, the duck waddling beside them. Slowly, the bitterness towards Ethan began to fade.
She knew Ethan still saw Kate, and a wedding was looming for them, yet jealousy no longer burned. Jack never tried to force intimacy; he simply stood by.
One night a fire broke out next door. Emily rushed to the neighbours house, where a mother with three children was trying to douse the flames.
Good on you, lad, the neighbour said, patting Emilys hand, Youre a hero.
Wheres Jack? Emily asked, feeling the night grow colder.
Hes inside, looking for our dog, Pip. Hes scared the pup got lost. The neighbour wiped her face with a kerchief, and a roof beam collapsed. Emily screamed and fainted.
She awoke to a hand brushing her cheek, a mans eyes studying her bruised face.
Are you alright? he asked. I made it through the window. Pip hid under the bed; I barely found him. Jacks smile warmed her.
I was frightened for you, she whispered, tears spilling. I love you.
Nine months later their son, Michael, was born. Jack, having learned his fathers skill, could mend cows, horses, even the most hopeless of animals. People came from far and wide for his help.
Emily never fully understood how she could have ever been drawn to Ethan, a man who later married Kate, drank heavily, fought, and eventually became a cripple. She shivered at the thought that, without her fathers iron will, she might have ended up like Katetrapped and broken.
She stepped outside where Arthur was tossing a ball with little Michael.
Dad I wanted to thank you, she said, eyes shining, For not letting me marry Ethan, for seeing what was best for me. Forgive me.
Arthur chuckled, Ah, youth. Its all clear now. We learn with age whos worth our love. I never could hand my only daughter to that monster. You were angry, but time healed us. Listen to your elders, child. Weve lived long enough to know.
Emily lived to a ripe old age, working the fields beside Jack, raising five children and a host of grandchildren. Their family was happy, and the old saying no strength for affection took on a new, hopeful meaning.
Lesson: a father’s stubborn love may feel harsh, but it can steer a daughter away from a storm and toward a calmer shore.
