Whatever It Takes: Day 3

 Word Count: 18,068

Summary of Events:

Upon arriving home, Josiah encountered his Uncle Roderick, whom he decided to ask about what his mother had said on the train, wanting to know if his uncle, like his mother, thought that he needed a wife in order to be worth anything — as Josiah felt his mother's comments had implied — and his uncle began by stating that he didn't believe any man needed to be married, but that it was considered a good thing, even in the Bible, and he himself was a happily married man . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“And what about me?” Josiah asked.

“Well, I certainly think you need to leave your mother,” Uncle Roderick replied. “Of course that is mostly a bias on my part, and you know well our disagreements on your upbringing, but I think you could survive without one. The question is a matter of whether you want to or not.”
“I don’t,” Josiah replied.

“Then I think you should pursue a wife,” Uncle Roderick said. “But that you should do so maturely and responsibly, as you have suggested that you will, not wanting to hurry into anything yet, seeing how you have two more years of medical school yet.”

Josiah nodded.

“But I wouldn’t force you to be married, by any means,” Uncle Roderick went on. “I didn’t force any of my children to be married, they all just chose to be married, and they all have fine spouses and families that I couldn’t be prouder of. I also wouldn’t want your mother to be forcing you to get married.”

Again Josiah nodded.

“And I really doubt you’d want to be forced into marriage either,” Uncle Roderick added. “You are reasonably independent, after all, and I certainly think you should be allowed to choose something about your future.”

It would certainly be nice, Josiah mused as he nodded a third time.

“Additionally, if you would like, I would be willing to put my foot down and keep Olethea from forcing you into anything you don’t want in that regard,” Uncle Roderick offered. “Notwithstanding, you ought to be able to enforce your own will when it comes to that sort of a thing because you’re the one who’s going to have to live with her, not Olethea, but if you need me to tell that to Olethea, I would be willing to do so.”

“Thank you,” Josiah said.

“Overall, though, I don’t think you need to worry,” Uncle Roderick concluded. “If you choose to not be married, even if just for a time, you won’t shrivel up and die just because you’re not married. A wife isn’t essential to your survival, but I’ll tell you from having had one of my own for thirty five years, she’s a fine creature to have around.”
“I would hope so,” Josiah said.

“And the bairns are dear treasures, even when they’re giving you grand-bairns,” Uncle Roderick added.

“I don’t want to think that far,” Josiah said.

“No good counting the babies before they’re born than there is in counting the chickens before they’ve hatched,” Uncle Roderick agreed. “What matters now would be getting to know this young lady, and deciding whether you’d like to court her, and whether you’d like to marry her too.”