Rebecca and Larry: Life, Love and Marriage

By Marcella Varnado

Rebecca loves nature – and as a little girl, she always dreamt of becoming a botanist, following in her uncle’s footsteps. Now there is an evil corporation who threatens to harm the environment with their genetically modified foods and plants. It’s against God’s will, and Rebecca won’t stand for it. With her friends, family, and fiancé by her side, Rebecca’s ready to take them down – all while juggling life, love, and wedding preparations. Will she stop Crasfoods before it’s too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Feb 5, 2024
• ISBN: 9781446191132

Book preview

Chapter 1

A Surprise

A

As a little girl, Rebecca Indleton had always dreamt of becoming a botanist, just like her Uncle Johnny. He gave her an African violet, her first plant, at the age of three, and she’d loved nature ever since. Her mother, Gayle, ran a nursery, and kept an African violet inside a window in the kitchen. Now Rebecca has her very own and she’s very proud of it.

It made Uncle Johnny melt to see it. It was Uncle Johnny who’d helped her to appreciate nature and care for it, as if the plant were the adorable dolls she pretended to mother.

They would sit together in the garden and admire the plants. Uncle Johnny would say to her, Precious, there are diamonds in the pond, while they were looking beyond the Pecan trees in the backyard.

Now Rebecca is grown up, and she still loves plants. She holds a degree in Botany from the University of Maine, where she graduated at the age of twenty-one.

She’s grown to be a tall twenty-three-year-old with light brown eyes and a caramel complexion. She has mid-length wavy brownish hair, and lives in a two-story Cape Cod home with her parents Gayle and Ulrich in a small town in Maine called Castain. Castain is a small, peaceful harborside town of soaring elm trees and grand historic homes, with a population of over one thousand households.

Rebecca’s Uncle Johnny is her only uncle. He is not married and cannot have children, so he decided to be a bachelor for life and mentor his niece to become a botanist like himself. He works for a major corporation called Maine Avens in Castain, which deals with the preservation of native plants and restoration of the forests.

Rebecca had her internship at Maine Avens, Inc. in her senior year, and worked in the Plant Management department with her uncle, where they worked to stop the endangerment of native plants by a rival corporation called Crasfoods.

*       *      *

On Wednesday Rebecca has a date with her college sweetheart Larry Pickford. She met Larry five years ago when she was a freshman and he was in his junior year. It was love at first sight. Now he is a business analyst for a major bank in Castain.

The day was great and the weather is clear on a starry night in August. Sitting inside Larry’s black Land Rover, she asks, My love, where are we going tonight?

Larry smiles. I was thinking we could go to the restaurant where we went on our first date, when I had you surrounded by several bouquets of red roses. Remember how the violinist played one of Beethoven pieces, and you cried?

Yes, I remember, says Rebecca. As long as I live, I will love you unconditionally and admire you.

I have something to ask you, he says.

What is it? 

Will you marry me?

Rebecca is shocked for a second. She’d thought it would be at least eight to ten years before he’d pop the question. Yes, yes, yes! she answers.

They kiss passionately and he shows her an elegantly designed, five carat diamond white gold engagement ring, then puts it on her finger.  He says, Let’s tell our families this weekend when I invite them to my house for a catered lunch.

She says, Okay, darling.

*       *      *

After the date, Larry drops her off to her parents’ house. Rebecca is beaming.

Gayle, her mother, says, You are glowing. What is going on with you? Gayle is a tall, slender black woman with big beautiful eyes.

Oh, you’ll find out soon enough! says Rebecca. With excitement in her eyes, she manages to keep her composure.

The doorbell rings and it’s Tabitha, her best friend. Tabitha is a white woman with flowing blonde hair down her shoulders.

Hi, Tabitha. Don’t tell my parents, but I’m engaged!

Oh, I’m so happy for you! says Tabitha. I knew Larry would propose to you someday.

Rebecca smiles. Anyway, Tabitha, what brings you over at this hour?

Well, I had to tell you that Crasfoods is considering using their synthetic seeds to repopulate our landscapes and forest.

What?

Yes, I was thinking all the edible flowers and herbs will be of no use because the potency of the plants will be destroyed. We won’t have health food stores selling organic herbs and edible flowers.

Where did you get your information?

Your Uncle Johnny emailed me. I’m sure he emailed you, too.

Angered, Rebecca says, I’ll put a stop to it. I’m going to get my business law degree and put Crasfoods out of business for the unethical practices. How far did this go?

It is only a rumor, but you know how that goes.

Chapter 2

The Engagement

Aware of his niece’s plans to become a lawyer and put Crasfoods out of business, Johnny sits down with her in the cafeteria on their lunch break and asks, Rebecca, do you know what you are dealing with?

What do you mean? asks Rebecca, taking a spoonful of salad.

I mean that Crasfoods is a corporation that wants to revitalize the earth with their seed science, says Johnny. They are getting the government’s attention because they’ve declared that our natural plants and trees are nearing extinction, and something must be done about it.

So the government fell for that excuse? That doesn’t make any sense, says Rebecca. The plants and trees are either self-pollinators or are pollinated by each other naturally, and that’s what keeps them from being extinct.

Uncle Johnny sets down his coffee. But, my dear, they are selling their commercialized synthetic fertilizers and weed killers to consumers, destroying the soil.

Rebecca shakes her head. There have been tests to prove that their products are harmful, but the FDA approved it anyway because they are getting paid.

Paid by both bonuses and stocks, says Uncle Johnny. So, you have lots of work to do to put them out of business. You must be creative and very convincing that what they are doing is unethical.

Will do, says Rebecca with determination. I’ll have a team of experts to prove them wrong.

*       *      *

It’s Saturday and the day is cool sweater weather, and the whole family has gathered at Larry’s house for the catered lunch. The backyard is lavishly decorated in white and gold with a white open tent and strings of golden oriental lamps all around. The family sits in a gazebo at a large table with brown wicker furniture. There are beautiful white flower arrangements on the table, with gold and white dishware, goblets, and utensils.

This is wonderful, says Larry’s Grandma Ethel. She’s in her nineties and was one of the first black nurses in the US Army, where she met her husband, Larry’s grandfather Larry Pickford Snr, who was a pilot. She then retired.

Thank you, Grandma, says Larry. Only the best for you. He asks everyone to sit down, then asks Rebecca to sit beside him. Rebecca and I are engaged, Larry announces. I proposed to her last Wednesday and she said yes.

Grandma Ethel gasps, and Larry Snr claps his hands together in excitement. Everyone else laughs in amazement and says, It’s about time!

Uncle Johnny says to Larry, I knew this day would come because Rebecca tells me about her dates with you. And you are very impressive. Welcome to the family.

Oh, yes, I knew she was the one, says Larry. And I made sure to let her know. That’s why I have done special things for her when we go out on dates – to let her know that this is not just for dates, but for a lifetime of special moments together. I love Rebecca.

Everyone smiles.

I have news, too, says Rebecca. I received a call from the University of Castain, and I’ve been accepted into the law school program! I’ve also left my job at Maine Avens.

Everybody congratulates her.

After lunch is over, Rebecca tells Larry that the Dean of Law wants to see her for further acknowledgment of her admission. Larry and Rebecca hug and kiss, then she heads home. 

*       *      *

The next day, the Dean of Law, Mr. Hightower, calls Rebecca into his office, introduces himself and shakes her hand, then tells her to take a seat.

Mr. Hightower says, I’m glad to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you from your botany professors, and I hear you have a passion for the natural world. Why do you want to be a lawyer?

Rebecca sits up straight in the leather parson chair and says, I want to fight injustice. There is a corporation called Crasfoods that wants to use synthetic seeds to replace the natural ecosystems of plants and trees worldwide, making the plants and trees ineffective in their potency in health and medical use. I have to put a stop to them.

Oh, I’ve heard of Crasfoods, says the Dean. Lobbyists have been going to the White House and Congress to plead their case against that corporation.

They haven’t been that successful, says Rebecca. "I read in the Castain Chronicle that the Food Directive Administration, the FDA, is considering doing more stringent tests on their products to see if there are adverse effects on the human body."

That is great. I keep up with the news, too, says the Dean.

It’s about time I receive my law degree and pass the bar, says Rebecca. I can do some legal damage to that corporation for their unethical practices.

That's a great idea, Rebecca, says Mr. Hightower. In your law classes you’ll learn how to represent the state against Crasfoods and have a chance to end their corporation.

They shake hands, and Rebecca leaves the office.

*       *      *

Sitting in the dining room that night, Rebecca thinks about her engagement, which leads to thinking about wedding plans. She decides to contact her sorority sisters the next day and ask them to be her bridesmaids, and ask Tabitha to be her maid of honor.

She goes on social media and posts about her engagement, taking a picture of the engagement ring. Immediately she receives comments from over two hundred of her family and friends, congratulating her.

Rebecca’s father Ulrich comes into the dining area with his home-cooked meal. He sits down and says, You are going to be a wife! Wow! How blessed you are to get a good Christian man like him.

Rebecca smiles and says, God did it. He knew the exact time and place, how it was going to occur and how we were going to react to each other. Did you know we both prayed sometime to have a Christian spouse and were willing to wait on Him for it?

Your mother and I taught you well, says her dad. With the foundation of Christianity, raising you in the church did you good.

Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus.

By now it’s getting late, and they all decide to go to bed. Rebecca’s bedroom is down the hallway on the first floor with a great view of the mountains. There are lots of sugar maple trees on their lawn, in their prime to be sapped for syrup. Rebecca remembers that, as a little girl, she would get a tin bucket with a spout. Her father would help her put the spout in the sugar maple tree and the sap would go into the tin bucket. Her mother would make pure maple syrup. She still does.

Morning comes, and Rebecca checks her email. She’s received a message from Mr. Hightower, explaining that she can start school in two weeks. Very excited, Rebecca tells her parents the news.

Chapter 3

Environmental Law Class

Since her first day in her Environmental Law class, Rebecca has excelled in her knowledge of the environmental science both in America and globally, and how it is perceived currently. She participates in class, her reports are on point, her test results are impressive and she’s made some friends. Her double major in Environmental Law and Business Law will give her a degree as a J.D (Juris Doctor), so she can get her feet wet and eventually intern at a law firm in the summer. It will take approximately three years to complete her law degree.

Her professor Dr. Julius Stern is exceptional. He received his S.J.D (Doctor of Juridical Science) from the prestigious Stone Bath University five years ago. The students who impress him the most are Jasmine, Stephen, Corey, Alex, and Rebecca, and these five have formed a study group for the year they will be together till completion. 

For today’s lesson, Professor Stern teaches them all about Environmental Law. I’m going to teach you about the natural world, says Professor Stern, and why it’s important to keep the environment as natural as possible.

Rebecca is piqued with interest. There are twenty students in Rebecca’s class, of all backgrounds and ethnicities. The class participation is phenomenal as they ask questions about the laws of nature on the global level and the environment.

Professor Stern asks the class a question. How will you preserve the natural order of the environment? Johnathan raises his hand and Professor Stern says, Go ahead, Johnathan.

Johnathan says, I’d like to be in a leadership role in the environmental impact agency EIP and regulate the rules for this country. I’d also host summits with other countries and have an agreed-upon solution to have a clean, sustainable environment.

Very well thought out. I like that, says Professor Stern. Anyone else like to answer that question?

Stephen raises his hand and says, I’d not only persuade the EIP to have the most ethical compliances, but I’d also have every industry comply to a benchmark of keeping the environmental laws in place, and not to corrupt our rights to a life of respected natural order. 

Rebecca raises her hand and says, I read there is an enemy against our natural order and the environment. Synthetic seeds and chemical products are being used for agriculture, which must be stopped at every cost because they will disturb the balances of nature.

Professor Stern frowns and says, That is a concern, because it can be harmful in human consumption. He cleans the whiteboard. Okay, today’s assignment is to prepare a timeline on the history of Environment Law, due this Friday. Class dismissed.

The students all gather their books and leave the classroom.

Hey, let’s go to the coffee shop and do our timelines together! Rebecca says. Teamwork!

Okay, says Jasmine, then to the others, You all in?

We’re in.

As they head to the coffee shop, Rebecca turns her smartphone volume on, and Larry calls.

Hi, baby, he says. Just calling to see how you are doing. Where are you?

At Lucy’s Café with my classmates, says Rebecca. I have to do a timeline.

You know we have to discuss when we’ll get married, says Larry. Which season, honey?

Well, I haven’t thought about it, really, says Rebecca. But I was considering at least six months out from now. It’s Spring now, so how about March or April?

Okay, sounds good, says Larry. You’ll need all the help you can get in planning the wedding while you’re studying.

I was thinking my mother, Tabitha, and a wedding planner could help, says Rebecca. Oh, and I must get some wedding magazines!

Chapter 4

The Ball

Meanwhile, Rebecca’s parents and her Uncle Johnny attend the New England Wild Flower Society Ball at a restored Victorian hotel in Castain. The exterior is pink with sky blue lining and white shutters, a wrap-around porch, vintage white iron furnishing, and a manicured lawn with arctic hair grass. There are native flowers everywhere, with mountain avens, purple milkweed, and lady’s slipper orchids.

Behind the hotel there is a beautiful, well-kept botanical garden, and a white arch leading into it. There are at least one hundred people present, with sponsors, garden enthusiasts, botanists, and artists. There is a small violin orchestra softly playing Bach music, with the violinists either wearing tuxedos or gowns.

Rebecca’s mum Gayle is in her mid-fifties, wearing an elegant purple velvet and white laced maxi dress that hugs the shape of her body. She also wears a diamond choker with vintage earrings and purple suede pumps. Her hair is in a classic bun with tresses down the side of her face.

Ulrich, her husband of thirty years, wears a black designer suit with a light blue tailored shirt, a bow tie, and black shiny leather shoes. Johnny, Gayle’s brother, wears black slacks, a dark green cashmere sweater, and black leather loafers.

Everyone looks spectacular. Linda Hunter, the hostess, is known for traveling around the country as a speaker at garden parties, letting people know the latest news on plants and trees in their area. She walks over to the Indletons and says, Gayle, I’m so happy to see you have come, like you do every year. How have you been? How is your nursery business?

Oh, thank you, Linda. I have been doing well and my business is still prosperous, says Gayle. My husband travels to different countries purchasing a variety of species of flowers, herbs, and tree seeds. And we have been planting and nursing the varieties in our greenhouses on our property, showcasing them when they’re in full bloom. When the trees are about four feet, they sell quite well.

Ulrich says, Linda, how is your marriage? Have you worked things out with Richard?

We are still seeing a sex therapist, says Linda. We have tried different suggestions from our therapist and so far it’s working quite well. The creativity, you know.

That’s great, says Gayle. Hear, hear, for another twenty or thirty years!

Johnny, are you dating yet? asks Linda.

I haven’t been dating at the moment, but considering it, says Johnny. I’ll start looking around at book clubs, bird watching events, and hiking social gatherings. There are lots of singles in those groups. Oh, and I forgot at church, of course.

Good, I worry about you, says Linda. You are a good catch and you deserve an especially good Christian woman. Hint, hint! Linda laughs. Okay, well, yeah, go and mingle. Gayle, I’ll email you some pictures of the garden events I attended.

Thank you, Linda.

Linda walks away to say hello to the other guests, leaving the Indletons to talk among themselves. Then Johnny says, Oh my God.

What? asks Ulrich.

I see someone I know from the church, says Johnny. She is an artist. Her name is Misty and she paints florals. They’re museum-quality. I’ve seen her work at a church function one time.

Well, go talk to her, says Gayle.

Johnny walks over to Misty, who is at the table of colorful macaroons and other sweets and dainties. Excuse me, Misty?

Oh, hi Johnny, says Misty. I’ve never seen you at the New England Wild Flower Society Ball before.

This is my first time, says Johnny.

How did you find out about this event?

I came with my sister, Gayle, says Johnny. You look beautiful, by the way.

Thank you. Misty is wearing a lavender