“Why me? How did she pick me? And how did she know I would even answer the ad? Any other day I wouldn’t have even noticed the flyer. I’m not even sure how long it had been there.
“Or was it just random? Had she put the ad up all over the country? In every college dorm? How many people responded? Was it just me?” Maggie could feel the familiar panic building as she released the floodgate on the questions she’d been holding back.
“I don’t know, Maggie. I don’t really know how either of us ended up here, but whether it was random or not I’m glad that we’re here. I’m glad that I met you. I wouldn’t take any of it back,” Aaron answered.
“I am too. I’m so happy that I met you, I just, I need to understand. I found this picture today…” Maggie relayed the story she’d been told of Ms. Devereaux and the tragic ending to her love story.
“And now here we are. I’m living in the big house. You’re living in the barn, the same barn that her lover lived in. It’s like she’s playing some kind of game with us, putting us into these roles to watch it play out or something. I know how strange that sounds, but honestly what part of any of this doesn’t sound strange?” Maggie felt desperate for someone to explain this all to her in a way that made sense.
Aaron was quiet for several minutes as he considered everything she’d told him.
“I mean, haven’t you ever wondered if you were chosen?” Maggie asked.
“I know that I was chosen,” Aaron responded quietly.
“What do you mean?” Maggie whispered.
“I was released on my twenty-first birthday.” Aaron paused and glanced at Maggie for her reaction. She kept her expression open, to show him that he could feel comfortable talking about that part of his life with her.
“I’d been struggling with trying to figure out what I was going to do when I got out. Even though I’d dreamt of that day, dreamt of freedom, I had no idea where I would go or what I would do. I had no idea how to live in the real world. I was terrified.
“Then the warden called me into his office. He told me that someone had contacted him and offered to take me on as a work-release. I could serve out my parole time working for her at her plantation. There was no explanation as to who she was or why she was interested in me. But I wasn’t really in a position to question it, and honestly it seemed like an answer to my prayers. I had no reason not to accept the job.”
“So she just sent for you? And you never found out why? Never wondered?” Maggie asked in disbelief.
“You have to understand, when I was first convicted I had the faith of a child. Faith that somebody would suddenly realize that a mistake had been made and release me. Faith that someone would wake me up from the nightmare I was living and tell me it had all been a bad dream. That faith got me through the first few years.
“Then after that it was a countdown. A countdown to the day I would be released and could start my life over. I dreamt of that life; of being able to come and go as I pleased; of being able to sleep soundly, without fear; of having my own home, a job.
“And then all of a sudden I had it all. It was just given to me, by this woman I didn’t even know. A woman I never saw, who never asked anything from me in return. Maybe I was too scared to ask why.” Aaron’s eyes were pleading, hopeful that she would understand. Maggie tried.
“And you’ve never found out why she chose you?” Maggie asked.
“No,” Aaron answered. “I had no idea what to expect when I first arrived. My imagination ran wild on the bus ride down, wondering what this woman wanted from me. All I had was the instructions to report to the Sheriff’s department when I arrived. After a long lecture about how he didn’t want any trouble in his town, Sheriff Rutledge gave me a package that Ms. Devereaux had apparently left for me. It contained a key to the barn and the garage, directions to the plantation and a letter detailing my job duties. That was it. At first I kept waiting for the shoe to drop, to find out the catch. But it never came.
“I had this great place to live and a job I was actually good at. I finally had a picture of the future, something to work towards. When I was in lock-up I had taken some small engine repair classes so that I had a job skill when I got out. When I realized that my responsibilities at the plantation wouldn’t take up all my time I picked up some part time hours at Sam’s repair shop. He’s been letting me work for parts and use his tools to fix up some old lawn equipment, that way I’ve got my own stuff. I just put that ad in the paper to see if I could pick up some more work, and suddenly Ms. Devereaux is sending out letters of recommendation. I don’t even know how she knew that I was looking. I mean, she’s not even around.
“I don’t know why she’s doing any of this. I don’t know who she is or why she chose me. But I’m grateful and I’m happy.” Aaron looked pleadingly at Maggie, as if he was begging her to be happy too. Maggie didn’t know how she felt.