Jacob's Nighttime Desert Revelation of Ms. Tess

The year was 1866, just a year after the American Civil War ended. A group of 143 people, traveling in 37 wagons, was making their way west toward California. Among them was Ms. Tess, a tall, slender woman with striking blonde hair and blue eyes. She was stunning. Even the pastel gingham dresses and large sunbonnets that she wore could not hide that. She was about 33 years old and carried herself with a quiet grace and purpose that caught the attention of man, woman and child. Traveling alone was unusual for a woman at the time, and rumors swirled about her past—some said she lost her husband in the war, but no one knew for sure and all were too polite to ask. Not only did she not wear a wedding ring, but she wore no jewelry at all, which was yet another oddity.

The wagon train was a mix of families, single men, a sprinkling of rode-hard-put-away-wet women who were probably mail-order brides to toothless old me and the stunning Ms. Tess. Ms. Tess stood out—not just for her appearance but also for her demeanor. She was kind to everyone and never asked for or expected special treatment. She worked alongside others, doing her share of chores and engaged in polite conversation. She gave everyone a smile. The single men took notice of her, hoping to win her favor, but she remained professional and distant, showing no clear preference toward any of them.

One of the wagon masters for this journey was a young man of 23 years old named Jacob. Jacob was quiet, hard-working and didn't speak much, but he was nice to everyone. He was average height, had a wiry, muscular build and he wore his brown hair long, well past his shoulders. He was a bit shy which made him keep to himself most of the time, but he oozed confidence and took pride in his demanding work. He often volunteered for the evening watch, preferring the solitude and calm of the night. He would soon be glad that he chose that shift.

When the wagon trains would stop for the evening, the staff would set about tending to the horses, repairing or replacing any wagon parts that were broken, getting ready for the next day and preparing to stand their watch. During his watch, Jacob would often wander around the camp in ever-widening circles until he was half a mile away from camp. On one particular night three months into the journey and toward the end of the California Trail, Jacob’s wandering took him further than normal. He swore that he'd heard singing in the distance and set out to find the source. As he got closer to the sound, the source became clearer. He stopped in his tracks and stared in amazement at what he saw; a tall, statuesque woman stood on the desert floor looking up to and pointing toward the sky. No, a tall, statuesque woman stood naked on the desert floor looking up to and pointing toward the sky! Jacob could not hear what she was saying but she was clearly addressing someone. He recognized that voice; it belonged to Ms. Tess! 

Ms. Tess seemed to be communicating with something beyond the physical world, a private ritual that revealed a depth to her character no one in the party had seen. She was speaking softly but with conviction. Her voice was a mix of prayer, song, and conversation all at once, and her voice held steady as she swayed slightly with the wind. Jacob’s breathing quickened and he swallowed hard. He’d clearly been louder than he intended because Ms. Tess slowly slowly lowered her head, looked over her right shoulder and locked eyes with Jacob, all the while maintaining her pose. Time slowed and to Jacob it felt like an hour-long glance. It had been mere seconds. Ms. Tess gave Jacob a knowing look that acknowledged his presence and then she returned her gaze upward. Her conversation continued and eventually Jacob found himself back at the wagons. He did not remember how he got there, but there he was. And there she was, too, laying underneath her assigned wagon and sleeping under her blankets.

In the three weeks that followed, the two never acknowledged or spoke of their chance meeting. Both would greet each other as always, but Jacob would lower his gaze even more than usual when she walked by. He remembered her body and feared the impure thoughts that might come to him if he dared to imagine what was under her dress. He’d let those impure thoughts enter his mind before and the resulting mess made him fear missing entry into a blessed eternity. He prayed that God would forgive him. 

The carnal pleasure was not Jacob’s only lesson from that night. His run-in with Ms. Tess served as a reminder that every journey holds hidden things, many of which you will not experience or even be aware of. Jacob would often reflect on the bible verse that warns us to be vigilant because angels walk upon the earth and you could be witness to one. Perhaps Ms. Tess was one? The years that followed would be good to Jacob and while he would help lead more journeys west and have many adventures, there was never another Ms. Tess. He knew that at best you only get one of those per lifetime. 

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