Melody stood at the ships rail with her parents, Harry and Lila Fairchild and gazed at the approach of the American shoreline. Mixed emotions surged through her as she realized her time as a single woman would soon end. Excitement and fear were her companions. Her’s would be an arranged marriage to a man she had not met. Life in America would be far different than what she had known living in rural England.
Melody was a country girl through and through. Suddenly a yearning for the fields of home assaulted her senses. “When will I smell the flowers and see the flow of the creek again? How can I survive so far away from all I love?” Melody and her mother seldom went to the city, preferring the small village near their home. The women did most of the upkeep as Harry spent his time at the flying school he loved. Stringing barbed wire fence was all in a days work for Melody, and was needed to keep neighboring livestock out of their small holding. Closing her eyes she could almost smell the new cut hay, mixed with the barnyard odors and the sweetness of the flowers she planted and cared for. She could feel the burrs stuck to her jeans and wondered did they have anything to compare in America?
Her father had promised her to his friend Darrell Collin’s son, John, when they were small children. Arranged marriages were a thing of the past in her world, yet here she was about to enter into one. Harry and Darrell met at the beginning of W.W.ll, with a burning desire to fly and defeat the Germans, and formed a lifelong friendship. Having saved each other’s lives more than once deepened the bond. After the war they formed a partnership, each operating a flying school in their respective countries.
Melody had always known she was promised to John. She had grown up hearing the stories of the exceptional bravery men of war displayed. She felt a deep gratitude to Darrell for his part in her father’s survival. It was an honor to fulfill his pledge.
As Melody waited for the ship to dock, the sights and sounds of this new world surrounded her. The gentle hum of activity soothed her and she was relieved they had sailed instead of flown. Melody presented a peaceful stance to any observers, revealing an attractive 22-year-old woman. She embraced life in all she did.
“Oh Father, it will soon be time for me to leave you and Mum. How can I bear it?” Melody tried to fight the fear of leaving her family. Expressing her anxiety to her parents, she prayed she and John would be compatible.
“You are not leaving us,” Harry said, “John is taking charge of both airfields and you will be home often.” Harry loved John and was pleased to become his father-in-law. If he had not approved of John as a man, he would have broken the marriage pact.
All too soon the ship docked and Melody prepared to step into the city that would become her home. Her gaze followed the line of skyscrapers that soared into the pale blue sky. Her breath caught in her throat as she stood in awe at the sight before her. Tense with excitement, she turned to look at the crowd that waited for the passengers to disembark. Was John one of them? She saw a mirad of emotions on the faces of those just beyond the docks. Some seemed anxious, others excited, impatient. Were they here for their families, a loved one, a friend, or like her, a future spouse?
Finally Melody’s eyes rested on John and she saw he was more impressive in person than the pictures she had seen of him through the years. She often wondered what manner of man would consent to marry a woman he had not met. Was he honoring his father’s wishes as she was? Or, maybe he had hidden a major character flaw? Had he wondered the same about her and did he have the same fears? Although they had not met, they did know each other through letters and pictures, and of course, the stories related by their fathers. Melody knew John had the same love of flying. He also loved to sail, and owned a medium sized yacht. Being loyal and protective of his family was a plus.
“Yes, I think we will be compatible in most areas” Melody said. “You and Mum are such opposites and look at you after all these years.” Giving her mother a kiss on the cheek, she continued, “It’s so strange to know so much about John and yet not know him at all”
Lila put a protective arm around her daughter’s waist. “A word of wisdom” Lila said, “no matter how long or well you know your husband, you will never know all of him. Be grateful for that as it makes for surprizes.”
“Oh Mum,” Melody said, “and here I thought you have discovered all there is to know about Father.”
Laughing, Lila said, “He still has the ability to surprise me on occasion, as I do him.
With a last, lingering thought of all she was leaving behind, Melody’s heart was full as she embraced her parents and stepped forward to start her new life with John. In the future, together, they would make the long trip back to her home in England. Her father was right, she would return often.