The War Backstory: Jacob Seeks His Path

                Jacob loved the buzz of the crowd, the energy in the club even as he could feel them getting restless. He turned towards Maria and smiled. “Give them five more minutes.” He said.

                “Honey no!” she chided him. “Let me get out there now. I can feel them getting antsy.” She continued. Jacob hugged her and she hugged him back but pulled away quickly. “You’ll mess up my hair.” She told him as her hands picked at her shoulder length auburn hair. “Introduce me now or I’m going out there without an intro.” She said with her dark brown eyes holding a stare upon him that made him confident she was fully intending on carrying out her threat.

                His hand ran down her arm. “Anything for you my tan lady.” He said as he started to walk towards the stage.

                “You pale boy. You need more sun.” she teased him as he finally made onto the stage and the crowd started cheering, the band played an upbeat riff of trumpets and saxophones with drums backing him as he made his way to the center of the stage.

                “Good evening everyone!” Jacob said to the crowd drawing applause. “This morning we all went to church to praise God and tonight we celebrate the wonderful things he has given us. Like the chicken, fish, and beef we dine on this evening. The endless forms of alcohol with which to wash them all down with, and of course for all the men in attendance the most important blessing we could have.” He paused to make sure he had everyone hanging on his words. “The company of beautiful women!” he finished and brought a cheer from the crowd. “Speaking of beautiful women, it is my honor to present to you the beautiful, lovely, and talented Maria Benevides!” He finished with a flourish, extending his arms to the side of the stage Maria walked in from.

                He walked towards her and gave her a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. His hand lingered for a moment on her hip enjoying the feel of the silk mint green dress that hugged the curves of her body. Then he was off the stage and she was front and center. She began with “God and I” a song that served as cross between a benediction and a national anthem.  Jacob listened as the crowd sang along with her as she went through the lines and the loud cheering when the song finished. Maria stood straight and did not bow or thank the crowd since taking any credit for that song was seen as poor form.

                Once the crowd died down she got into the songs she had written herself. “Third Time’s The Charm” was a song about a pair of lovers who had met in two previous lifetimes but things always had conspired to prevent them from being together but now in this third lifetime together they were finally able to be together and have a family at last. In the middle of the song Maria did her ass shake dance at him that was her sign to him to leave the backstage area and get back to work. Some nights she took longer than others and other nights she just did it while she was dancing and forgot she had done do and was mad when he had left. Jacob was pretty sure she had control of the crowd and was sending him away so he headed back to the bar to help the bartenders keep the customers inebriated.

                After serving a few patrons Jacob noticed Jonathan standing at the end of the bar. “My friend, what can I do for you?” he asked as he shook Jonathan’s hand.

                “The question is what can I do for you?” Jonathan replied. “This place looks packed yet you’re wearing those poor clothes, has the Lord turned his favor away from you?” he said in a playful tone, mocking Jacob’s drab green shirt and black pants that had stains on them.

                “Oh I don’t wear my nice clothes on work days, and every day is a work day.” Jacob replied with a laugh. “Unlike you my friend, you must have made a tailor very happy with that absurd outfit you have on.”  Jacob teased him reply. Jonathan was in a black suit with a white shirt and emerald green tie that all looked like they had never been worn before.

                “The Malaguti family believes that making a good presentation is an important part of doing business. We are also prepared to increase our offer for this establishment by twenty percent and to offer you a yearly stipend based on the business here. As you are well aware we run many of the gaming halls and entertainment centers in Paradise and are looking to expand now to the west. We hold nothing in Serenity and rather than starting something from scratch and competing with you, we would rather just find common ground and keep this successful establishment going strong.”

                Jacob started nervously washing a glass, the offer he was being made was very attractive and he knew he wanted to take it but he had to talk to Maria first. “What about the war? Serenity is the biggest city near the Kingdom. I know we’re still a good distance away from them but if the guns come out this place could be in danger.” Jacob told him.

                “If the war ever gets here it’ll be years from now, plenty of time between now and then to make money. To be honest the threat of war is good for people, people on edge need to blow off some steam, get a few drinks, chase pretty girls. Then the war happens and I’ll let you in on a secret. The Kingdom is a bunch of babies. We smack them around a couple times and they’ll beg for surrender. I ain’t worried about it.” Jonathan said.

                Jacob looked at his reflection in the glass. He never thought he’d still have all his brown hair this close to age forty his face still looked young with a slender nose and thin lips. His brown eyes kept looking at the glass as if it was to grant him insight into the decision he was about to make. “I’m pretty sure you have a deal.” He told Jonathan after a lengthy pause. “Let me just sleep on it tonight but I really do think I’ll sell to you.” He said with a nod, as if he was trying to convince himself what he was doing was the right thing.

                “That sounds good to me. I shall be here tomorrow in the early afternoon. I will have a check ready for you by then.” Jonathan said and with a bow he walked away from the bar.

                Jacob sighed as he thought about the conversation he’d have to have with Maria. She loved the club and loved singing there and while she knew about the Malagutis and their desire to buy the place she had argued repeatedly with Jacob not to sell.

                3am arrived and last call had come and gone and the last few customers found their way out the door. Jacob locked up the club and went to the till to start counting up the day’s money and then go over the food and drink stock to see if everything looked about right. He knew some of the new bar staff were a bit too liberal with the amount of alcohol in the drinks and if tonight continued that trend there would have to be some conversations had in the morning.

                Maria walked to the bar and Jacob could tell by the look in her eyes that she had seen his conversation with Jonathan earlier in the night. “So what they offering you now?” she asked him. When he didn’t answer after a few seconds continued. “That much really?”

                “Yup.” Jacob told her with a sigh. “It’s a good sized upgrade from the last offer and they are even willing to keep paying me as long as this place keeps turning a profit. I would really be a fool to say no at this point.” He told her trying to make the resignation in his voice sound genuine.

                “You want to sell. You’ve wanted to sell since their first offer. Don’t bullshit me Jacob.” Maria said.

                “But you don’t want me to sell and you are what matters to me. I just.” He started and stopped. “It’s the path not traveled.” He continued.

                Maria seethed as she looked at him. “You came to this town which was nothing, just nothing. Serenity didn’t exist fifteen years ago and now you’re likely the richest man in the whole city, being offered even more wealth and you still don’t think you’ve completed your journey? What do you see in that parable that tells you there’s something else out there for you?” She said with a pleading tone.

                “I don’t know.” He said, he had picked up a glass and was washing it as his nervous tic demanded of him. “I just don’t feel like this is what I’m supposed to be doing. You are supposed to be on that stage. You’re supposed to sing and entertain. It’s why God put you on this earth. Me? I have no idea why I’m here. I just try to do as best I can wherever I am but it doesn’t make me feel like I’m doing what I should be. I feel lost.” He put the glass down and clasped her hands in his. “You’re right about everything. I’ve build myself up to have all this wealth. I have friends and just about every customer in this place loves me, but at the end of the night all I see is a bunch of paper with silly drawings on it. All I think about is another long day of work and dealing with it all. You’re the only reason why I don’t just run away and live in the woods.” He said.

                Maria winced as she heard Jacob speak. “Is this because we haven’t had children yet? You know that it hurts me so much that I haven’t given you a child.” She said with tears welling up in her eyes.

                “No Maria. No it’s not about the lack of children. I hope God doesn’t hear this but honestly even as old as I am I don’t think I’m ready to be a parent. I don’t think a child would fulfill me. I’m just a man looking for my reason to exist.” He said.

                “You don’t have to hide it from me. You can have babies with other girls, it’s OK. Let’s be honest you really should be doing that. You’re wealthy and it’s unbecoming of a man of your stature to be childless. Those who can support children should be having children and lots of them.” Maria said.

                “Are you trying to get rid of me?” Jacob said. He felt a crushing weight in his chest as he asked the question.

                “I just don’t know what to say Jacob. I don’t feel like I make you happy. We have everything except children and if it’s not the lack of children then what is it that hurts you so much? I just don’t get it. What is it that you want?”

                Jacob bowed his head and leaned into Maria. She hugged him as they stood on opposite sides of the bar. “Maybe I’m only on this earth to be your beloved. Maybe I should just take all this money and get us a nice boat and we can sail in the ocean and ignore the world and live out our days in luxury.”

                “I’d throw up. I can’t handle boats you dummy.” Maria said with a laugh. “We could go to Paradise, open a small club, I could sing there and you wouldn’t have to work too much.” She suggested.

                Jacob had a spark in his eye as he looked at Maria. “What if we just kept pushing west? I can take this money and we can practically start our own settlement. We can keep moving west until the Kingdom meets up with us, and when they get to us we’ll offer them a beer and sing them some songs and show them that we Believers aren’t such a bad lot after all.” Jacob said.

                “They don’t want peace. They are planning for war. Did you not read in the papers about the new cannons they are designing? The troop build-up that they have announced? Honey I’ve always supported you but this is insanity. They’ll take our beer and listen to our songs and then put bullets in our heads.” Maria said him with fear in her voice.

                “That’s our papers, run by our church telling us these things. I think they are people just like us. They work, they love, they live they do all the things we do only a little bit differently. There is no reason for them to kill us.“ Jacob said.

                “They hate religion.” Maria said flatly.

                “They aren’t the Empire. They allow churches in cities. There is a minority of people in the Kingdom who do believe, even if most of them are Divine and not Devout. It’s not mocked or insulted the way it is in the Empire.” Jacob responded.

                “That’s all bullshit once their army is big enough they’ll burn all the churches to the ground.” Maria said.

                “Oh they’ve been saying that every year now that next year will be the year of the great church burning. Can you not see that both sides are doing this? That we’re being taught to fear and hate them as much as they are taught to fear and hate us? The last thing on this earth I want to do is to kill another person. I have no idea what kind of monster would look forward to such a thing. I don’t think the Suttons have a bunch of subjects that are monsters. I think they are reasonable people that we can talk to and reach an understanding with.” He paused and smiled. “And why we’re at it we can take a bunch of their money selling them watered down drinks.”

                “So that’s God’s big plan for you? You are the man who’ll get the Kingdom drunk and keep them from killing us and burning our churches.” Maria said with a smile.

                “I don’t know if it is, but I can tell you just thinking about it makes me more excited than anything else I’ve ever thought about doing.” Jacob said.

                “Well you’re going to have to find me a book of songs the Kingdom likes and some fashions they prefer. If I wore green on stage I don’t think it would work to well and I’d hate to spoil your peace initiative.” Maria told him as she gave him a kiss. The kiss led to a second and then a long deep third kiss.

               

                “You looking to try to get pregnant?” Jacob asked her.

                “Always my love.” She replied.