Peace Towards Men

By Anna del C. Dye

Mario takes Angie, his daughter, out of Charleston to forget her beau’s sudden departure. On their way to Osage, they have an accident and meet the most interesting people in a quaint small town which is suffering from the depression’s pains and self-isolation. Will Angie be able to recuperate from her broken heart and the injuries from the accident in time to aid their new friends before they succumb to want and despair?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anna del C. Dye
• Release date: Dec 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005157401

Anna del C. Dye

Anna was born in the extreme South along some famous beaches. She grew up with four other siblings being placed in the middle. Her mother died when she was six and she found a new mother in her husband’s mother and loves her dearly. She accredits her mother-in-law with teaching her many things in life.The green eyed, brown haired author moved north to marry her husband Rodney and has resided in Utah since then. Her husband, a native of Idaho, met her in her hometown. They fell in love and she came to Utah on Christmas Eve to be married two weeks later. They are the parents of three princes and a princess.Early on in her life she showed an affinity for sewing and took classes that rewarded her with the opportunities of doing costuming for the cast of four musicals, which she enjoyed immensely. She is fluent in both English and Spanish and understands some Portuguese.Some of Anna’s writing recognitions:She received the Editor’s Choice Award from the International Library of Poetry and had her article entitled A New American Mother published by Desert Saints Magazine. Her short story entitled Amerine—Fairy Princess wan an award in the Oquirrh chapter contest and was published by Kalkion Magazine. Other articles about family and relationship have been published frequently in the MOMS CLUB® of Salt Lake Valley-West.

Book preview

The Other Santa

Book 2

Peace Towards Men

Anna del C. Dye

This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described here are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons. The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher.

Peace Towards Men

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright © 2020 Anna del C. Dye

Version 1.0

ISBN: 9798367948936

This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

www.annadelc.com

All Rights Reserved USA

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Other books by Anna del C. Dye:

The Silent Warrior Trilogy:

The Elf and the Princess

Trouble in the Elf City

Elfs in a Conquered Realm

Curse of the Elfs

A Royal Elf of Abalon

Shahira & the Flying Elfs

The Roilden Stones of Elf Mountain

Once Upon Two Kingdoms

Kingdom by the Sea

A Golden Princess

Dark Mirror Image

Magnolia’s Choice

Her Prince Charming

And available only as an e-book:

Emerine’s Nightmare

The Chancellor from Connier

The Other Santa – A Christmas Miracle

Chapter One

The Departure

It may be that I feel more like a humbug than a merry ho, ho, ho, at this moment, but the Depression and Christmas don’t add up in my head, Angie.

Oh, James, what is the matter? I thought you liked Christmas. Angie Tuzzini ran to his arms and he held her in silence for a moment.

Well, I guess I have to cope. After all, Christmas is only once a year.

She didn’t understand why would he feel this way. Everything had felt right the night before. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, silly.

We are in a depression, Angie…. How can you be so cheery on this cold December morning?

Could it have something to do with the telegram he had received the night before? He hadn’t mentioned it to her at all.

Christmas is magic, James, or have you forgotten so soon our last year’s Christmas project?

James let her go and walked toward the small window of the Grand Hotel where they had stayed for the past month.

How could I? That is when we almost didn’t become a couple.

Yes, she had almost lost him to the secrets of her and Mario’s life. The sadness of that time came back to Angie’s heart. She had to focus on James’ chocolate eyes before she could send the memory away.

But we did. Let’s focus in all the projects we have done since then…, instead of all this dark talk.

His soft, pale skin showed little pink spots. It was a sign that he had a plan, though he didn’t know how to approach and tell her.

You truly are my sunshine, Angie, and it is hard for me to tell you this...

What is wrong, James? Is everything all right with your family?

James had a mother and three stepbrothers with her new husband. Although she had never met them, he had mentioned them to her.

Yes, they are…. I just sent them the Christmas money yesterday.

If it was not his family, then it must be his job as a reporter, but what about it had him so down?

He turned toward her, though his dark curls were all she could see, as his head bowed to the floor. Sadness emanated from him and somehow her breath caught in her throat.

There are some countries that seem to be making … changes to their policies and great numbers of men are being called to action. They are restless and I need to go find out why.

You need to go and find out … why? And how do you know this? Her eyes closed without permission and a cool hand touched her back. His story felt wrong.

As reporter, I have sources in many places, Angie, you know this. However, our government has asked me to go and investigate for them.

The government? James, why don’t they send their experts?

I have the best cover to get in and ask questions as a news correspondent.

He didn’t understand her apprehension. Why couldn’t he? Her heart contracted and she didn’t know why. No, this really spelled… what?

Wouldn’t that be dangerous, James?

All my assignments could be dangerous, Angie. It comes with my profession.

He wasn’t taking her apprehensions seriously enough, or...

You already made the decision, didn’t you?

I have.

That is why you are talking so negatively this morning. You wanted a reason for me to let you go and approve of what you are going to do.

Angie, you aren’t fair. I have done what you and Mario wanted for a year, I believe it’s my turn to do as I want, don’t you?

What we wanted? I thought you wanted to do it with us?

I did it because I love you, not because I love what you do.

She sat heavily on the pale blue velvet chair nearest to her.

This past year I thought we were destined to be together, that I had found my soul mate. And all along, you did it for me, not because you believe in what we do.

You believe in it, that was enough for me.

She had been played for a fool. The silence grew thick while the hands of the tower clock down the street refused to move.

James, when will you be back? She stood and went to him, to make the sensation of distance growing between them disappear.

I don’t know. Angie, our country needs me and I want to do my duty. This is more important than what you do or us.

Really? It is more important than us?

As you said, this is a dangerous assignment. I won’t let you waste your time waiting for me.

No, that wasn’t the answer she wanted or expected from his lips. He was willing to let her go for this project. Why hadn’t she seen it before?

Just like that and it is all over?

I set you free, for your own good, Angie. If, when I return, you are still free, I’ll find you and we’ll talk then.

I see. You have it all planned out and didn’t even think to include me in your decisions. A cold fire started in her heart and engulfed her whole body. She took her arms and wrapped them about herself in an effort to stop it.

This is something I need to do. Your opinion wasn’t needed.

When you are a couple, there isn’t a mine or yours, it’s always ours, James.

I’m sorry, Angie. This is important to me and I will do it.

Angie now understood how much more important than the two of them he believed it to be. It had never been them, just him and her. She felt alone, as cold as the morning that had welcomed her new day.

He turned to leave the room as she asked, When will you go?

I’ll take the eight o’clock train out of Charleston this morning.

So, he had it all planned and wouldn’t even give her a chance to beg him to stay. How could she be with a man who didn’t consider her opinion on matters pertaining to their future?

That is just half an hour from now. The hollow in her heart slowly grew a little wider until it broke. Her hands flew to her chest and she closed her eyes so as to not cry. Won’t you say goodbye to my dad? her whisper felt flat on her own ears.

The energy she had stored from a good night’s sleep had dissipated from her in fifteen minutes. Now a heaviness settled in her and she needed a nap. Perhaps if she went back to bed and got up again, all this would have been a nightmare.

I’m sure he’ll understand why, when you tell him for me. He stopped before he closed the door behind him, Angie, thank you for giving me this year at your side. I wish you the best for your future. I have to go.

She couldn’t believe it, he left her just like that. A whole year together and it meant nothing to him.

The silence she expected to scream out after he closed the door never came. However, the melody of the sweet carol Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem started to play on the radio. She had forgotten James had turned it on before she joined him earlier that morning. This Christmas song would never mean the same to Angie again.

She poured a hot chocolate to take away the cold that his departure left. She sat by the window, her eyes fixed on the street where James disappeared from her life. Her head continued spinning through the scene where she lost him forever.

James had chosen to go and search for the whispers of trouble in Europe. She couldn’t blame him, after all. From the beginning he had told her that as a reporter he went where the news took him. She somehow thought that he would follow her and Mario where their adventures took them.

She and James had given themselves a year’s trial, and now, when she thought they had come a long way, James had chosen to leave her to go on an adventure that didn't include her.

Chapter Two

Broken Heart

Angie, are you all right, sweetie? Mario Tuzzini’s voice sounded far away that wintery morning and she had to focus to see the towering frame of her adopted father standing at the door of the dining room.

She tore her eyes from the ice-covered streets that shone with the sun’s rays of nine in the morning. It should have been a beautiful day, though now she only felt the chill James’ departure had left in her heart.

I’m not sure, Daddy. James left this morning, on the eight o’clock train.

Sudden isn’t it? Mario’s perfectly manicured eyebrows met in the center, while his blue eyes stared at her.

To you and me. However, he had it planned for a while. He just didn’t know how to tell me.

He stopped filling his cup with hot cider before asking, Will he come back?

My heart wants to say yes, though the ache in my chest whispers otherwise.

Mario left his cup on the table and in three steps embraced her. The familiar safe feeling engulfed her, just as it had when she was a little girl and had awakened from a scary dream. Mario, though not her blood father, had shown her safety and love when her mother had been taken by death. Now, she felt secure in his arms.

I’m sorry, sweetie, I know you care for him. He kissed her head. He let her be silent for as long as she wanted or needed to. Any reason in particular that he left? he asked after a while. Mario also needed to understand why James had changed so suddenly.

His heart, though a giving heart, isn't in our cause, I guess.

Mario had shown Angie what love was about while he cared for her and her mother, unselfishly. He had lived as their neighbor for almost six years, although Angie’s mom didn’t remember him as her loving fiancé. Angie wanted nothing more than that for herself; that one day she too would find someone who could love her like Mario did her mother. Though, right now she knew James wasn’t the one.

I see. What about your heart, sweetie? I told you before, Angie, I don't want you to have regrets.

Yes, he had told her that the year before as she considered James for her boyfriend. He had told her to choose a happy life for herself and he would be fine.

I believe that my future is not at his side, though I gave it a good try, Daddy. The sad truth is he didn’t even ask me to go with him. She had nothing to regret, he had left without considering how she felt about him. That wasn’t her fault.

Are you going to be all right?

I’m not sure, Daddy. Right now, I feel cold and a bit numb. It’s so sudden, I didn’t see it coming and will need more time to process it.

Here, take this blanket. Sitting by the window can make you cold in a hurry, especially during a winter storm. I’ll bring you more hot cocoa and we’ll talk.

Thank you, Daddy. She focused on the window and the large drops that had started to fall.

After an odd silence, Angie noticed Mario studying her features closely from the table laden with pastries. Right after her mother died and he adopted her, he had told her that she had the features of a princess. She had felt so wonderful. He knew just what to say to bring her back from sad places.

He stopped raising his cup of cider midway to his mouth. Do you feel like doing this year’s Christmas miracle? It might help you focus on others and help your heart heal.

Could we just have a quiet season this year, Daddy? It sounded so selfish coming from her lips, with all the suffering around the country, that she didn’t want to help."

You have done much for many in the past. There is nothing wrong about taking time out for you. A quiet Christmas should be fine this year.

There he was. Her daddy’s only thoughts belonged to her and her happiness, that is why she loved him so much.

Daddy, we have been in Charleston for a month, can we leave?

A big noisy city doesn’t appeal to you any longer. He didn’t mean it as an accusation and Angie didn’t take it as one. Where would you like to go, sweetie? The car is full of gas and it won’t take us long to put our baggage in it.

I thought somewhere quiet, country-like. I miss quietness and the peace we can only find there. In small towns, even in the midst of the Depression, people can find time for friends and loved ones, and to spread good cheer.

Mario took their map from his pocket and opened it on the small table.

There is this place on the map, outside of Charleston, called Osage, what do you think?

Sounds perfect. Can we leave tomorrow?

Tomorrow?

Yes, I don’t want to seem like I’m running away. I just want a change of scenery from the big city.

Too many memories here, I understand, sweetie. That is why I took your mother far from our town after she found out you were on your way. Everything in our town and apartments reminded her of the heartache she had gone through. The psychiatrist suggested the change or that we face the fact that she would never heal.

How interesting, Daddy, though, it makes sense he would say that. A new start where few knew of mother’s ordeal might help her clear her mind and, perhaps she could remember how much she loved you.

That became my only hope for almost six years, Angie.

Her mother, Tanya, had asked Mario to care for her daughter before she died and Angie felt blessed. Though she shivered to think that Mario could have left her in an orphanage alone. After all, why would a single man take on the raising of a child who was not his own?

You were wise as always, Daddy. I believe mother knew how much you loved her, even when she couldn’t find you in her heart. And Daddy, I also love you.

Thank you, sweetie. How I wished to have Tanya at our side, but that dream was stolen from us, and nothing we do will change it.

No, nothing will change that. I, like you, will be all right with time, Daddy. I needed to say goodbye to James in my mind, and I think I'm done and ready to go on.

There is no reason we need to hurry, sweetie. We’ll take it as fast or slow as you need to go.

I’m fine, I promise. I’ll pack our bags tomorrow. Today I’ll do laundry, take a bath and go to bed early.

I’ll find some food and blankets for our trip. You never know when we’ll need them.

A day later, Angie and Mario said goodbye to Charleston and started a new chapter in their lives. They were back to basics once again, just Mario, Angie, and the memory of Tanya, the love they could never see again.

Chapter Three

The Accident

Once they left the wet city of Charleston, the air changed and became colder. The quiet ride brought Tanya to Mario’s mind again. Her memories had visited him many times when he needed to help Angie with a new lesson. However, this visit pertained more to him than to Angie.

Tanya had worked at a department store where Mario met her. Tanya hadn’t come from money; her parents were dead and she had grown up with an aunt. Mario’s father hadn’t been pleased that he wanted to make her his wife. Nonetheless, he hadn’t quarreled about it.

Do you think we will have a hard time finding a place to sleep in Osage, Daddy?

I’m not sure. However, the Depression hasn’t helped the travel industry. It is usually possible to find a room more often than not.

You are so right, Daddy. I shouldn’t worry.

He had all the money he wanted and more. However, he and Angie led a life of simplicity. He remembered the mansion they lived in while she grew up. There she lacked nothing, though he never spoiled her.

More than money, though, Angie had his love and devotion. Not a day went by that he didn’t take time to be with her and teach some of the most profound lessons life could offer. On the other hand, she had taught him some of life’s great lessons too. He looked at her sideways and found her hands rubbing her arms.

Are you cold, Angie?

I’m fine, though I think I’ll pour us some hot chocolate. Would you like a sandwich too?

We did leave a bit, late didn’t we? We’d better eat now before it gets too dark and I’ll need both hands to manage the car.

Near five that evening, a storm began pounding rain down on their car, making it hard to see the road. Angie had opened a blanket over her legs, though he couldn’t tell if from cold or just the memories of James that played in her mind.

The weather is turning on us, sweetie.

Let me check the map and see if we are close to any place we can stop, Daddy.

That is a good idea, Angie. It would be better to find shelter soon. The rain is turning to a thick slush, fast.

The storm had not only brought dark clouds to the sky but also an early dusk. Angie took the flashlight from the glove compartment and focused its light on the map on her lap. I don’t see anything close to us, Daddy. What should we do?

The heavy rain, turning to snow, made it hard to see. It splashed everywhere from the sides of the car. Mario, slowed down to see better, but couldn’t. In what seemed like seconds later, the tires slid on the road and the car went out of Mario’s control. It ended up banging sideways into the bank.

Mario took a second to get his breathing slowed before he called, Are you all right, Angie?

Mario reached for and found the flashlight that had rolled onto the floor of the car, then directed it at Angie’s inert figure. Leaning against her window, Angie’s eyes remained closed and her breath formed soft clouds.

He got out of the car and walked over the embankment to evaluate the damage and see what he could do to get help for Angie. They were in luck a, faint light came from the next ridge, though he couldn’t right the car on his own to drive to it.

He returned to Angie, to find her sitting up groggily trying to focus.

What happened, Daddy?

We had an accident. You must have bumped your head when we hit the bank.

I am dizzy or something like that.

Can you walk with my assistance?

I think so, how far?

There is a light up ahead. It could be help. Angie, wait here for a moment. I’ll get a blanket and our jackets.

It is quite cold isn’t it, Daddy?

A cold front must be the culprit for that, sweetie.

That is all right; we aren't in a hurry, remember?

Right you are. Here is your coat. Now, hold on to my waist and I’ll hold on to yours. We need to start walking before we freeze. Let me know if you get tired.

I will.

After what seemed like forever, they had advanced a short three hundred yards when Angie started to shake.

Angie, let’s rest a minute. You are freezing.

My feet are cooollldd. I, I, I can’t…

I have you, sweetie. In one scoop he took her in his arms to carry her to what appeared to be a two-room hut. Her silence and the limp feel of her form, a couple of minutes later, told him she had passed out again.

From inside the hut, the light of a chimney created an inviting glow and warmth through the mostly covered window. It was the only cheerful characteristic in the storm.

Please help me, Mario’s cry flew behind him where the wind took it. Hello, he tried again with little results. Is anyone there?

The door opened so fast that Mario almost dropped Angie from his arms. A man in his forties caught her before she hit the ground and carried her inside. Where did you come from on a night like this?

We had an accident down there, Mario said. She is hurt and very cold. Please, I need to get her warm.

Nora, we need the bed for this girl.

Mary, take John and Peter to our bed for tonight.

Yes, Ma. Come, boys.

But that bed is cold. The boys didn’t look happy to have to move.

I’ll warm it for you, their older sister said. Come now.

I’m so sorry. I don’t mean to bother you. But she is my little girl. I need to help her.

No need to worry, Mister, we’ll help you all we can.

Can I get a doctor here?

It’s too late to find one who will come this far out of town in this storm and we don’t have horse to go get him. Calm down, let my wife do her magic.

Let me check her out. Away with you both, I’ll call if I need you.

Better do as she says. The man nodded to his wife. Come let’s get you warm before you get sick too. Mary, bring mint tea and a clean cup for our new friend.

Yes, Pa.

I don’t mean to bother you or your family, but she is all I have. Mario didn’t know what he would do if he didn’t have her in his life nor did he want to find out. He had already lost Tanya and he wouldn’t lose Angie if he could help it.

We don’t have much, Mister, but we have never sent anyone in need away before, and we are sure aren’t going to start now.

Thank you, you don’t know how much your words mean to me.

He looked at the small chimney and the wood piled by it. They used it to cook their food by the look of the hook to hang kettles on. They only had two beds in their one bedroom where Angie now lay. Two small dressers sat between the beds and a cloth rug lay on the dirt floor.

Mary, bring me the hot bricks, please.

Yes, Ma.

The trim girl wore a thin dress with long socks and a sweater that had seen better days. The two boys were younger than her and watched him closely from