Story A Bunch of Wild Thyme
- Thread starter Kathy in FL
- Start date
Chapter LXXXIV
I had too many irons in the fire, that’s all there was to it. House, kids, cooking, laundry, foraging, cleaning out the attics, planning, and any number of other things. Now I had to add on top of all of that that I was getting married. Married. Me. On the one hand it felt like the most natural thing in the world. On the other hand it felt like I had stepped into Wonderland’s mirror and it was all one-way from here on out.
I had been right about one thing, everyone that came by swore up and down that they had known something was going on between Jude and I, they just hadn’t said anything because we seemed to be having such a good time keeping it “secret.” Rochelle and Wendalene twitted me about having an “obvious crush” on their brother since “forever.” I think they tried to take it back so far that if I checked the calendar I would have still been in Mom’s belly.
Rochelle couldn’t stay long, one of her kiddos were sick, but when Rochelle hung back I began to get a bad filling in the pit of my stomach. “Get that look off your face,” she told me. “It needs saying and I know Mom won’t.”
“If this is about what I think it is, no thanks ‘Chellie. My mom had ‘the talk’ with me a long time ago.”
She gave a very unladylike snort. “I figured that. Aunt Malissa was thorough. But what about the rest of it. Do you know how to keep from getting knocked up?” My head felt like it was going to explode. She nodded then said, “I didn’t think so. Here.”
She handed me a paper bag and I was almost afraid to open it. When I did I wished I hadn’t. “Argh!”
“Stop having a fit. They’re condoms. Make sure my lunatic brother uses one every time. And I mean every time Dovie. You’re young and healthy and in the prime fertile period of your life. Same for Jude. I seriously doubt getting pregnant is going to be a problem for you two. Not getting pregnant will be your problem.”
“Look here Rochelle …” I said indignantly.
“No, you look here. No one in the family is against this. Ignore Butch because not even he is against it. OK, maybe Crystal but that’s her problem, not yours. Butch will be fine once he sees things will work out fine. It’s not his fault his first love was a smart bimbo and he doesn’t want either one of you to wind up with a broken heart like he did, the big idiot. River has knocked most of the worst of the sharp corners off of him but he’ll always be a bit … uh …”
“Yeah. I get that. But geez Rochelle.”
Then she looked deep into my eyes. “Dovie, I’ve stood by helpless too many times since I started nursing and doctoring, watching some woman or her baby or both … I’ve seen young girls …” She shook her head. “I don’t know why I’m getting in your business, Mom never could tell me nothing and you see where that got me. You’re going to do what you want to do. I just want my brother to have a chance to do things differently. It just makes more sense to wait until you see how things are going to be this coming year and the next. You and Jude are young enough and you already have a houseful of kids, it won’t make that much difference in the long run if you wait. You understand what I’m trying to say?”
Then I did something I didn’t think I have done in years. I reached over and gave Rochelle and hug and told her, “Thanks. I’ll talk to Jude. Just swear you won’t be carrying that particular tale back to the house and spreading it around.”
She snorted. “Dad would have a coronary if he got wind of it.” With one last look before leaving to catch up with Wendalene she requested, “Just think about it.”
River and Aunt Frankie came up not too much later and they wanted to talk about wedding plans. Most of that hour was wasted with them wishing that I could have things that weren’t going to happen. There wasn’t going to be a fancy dress. There wasn’t going to be a fancy cake. There wasn’t going to be a band and dance floor or a honeymoon or flowers or bridesmaids dresses or just about anything else for that matter.
Trying not to get irritated I told them, “I’m marrying Jude, not a dress or a band or a cake or none of that other stuff you are worrying over. We’ll be in a church. A preacher will say the words over us. Then we’ll start the rest of our lives. Mom always said it was silly to get married in a dress that cost about as much as a down payment on a house or car.”
Aunt Frankie sighed. “I loved Malissa but she was so practical she could give me a headache. Don’t you want anything you can’t have?”
I wanted to say “peace from all the nosey parkers in this family” but didn’t because despite everything Aunt Frankie was turning out to be a lot better person than I had ever given her credit for being. “Aunt Frankie I have everything I need and a lot of what I want already. I found a dress Mom was going to make over eventually to sell in one of her sewing trunks and if it didn’t start out being a wedding dress it might as well have. There’s enough silk flowers in a storage tub around here someplace to make all the little girls in the family a bouquet and they can do for bridesmaids. Jude said he would see Brother Shirley and take care of that end of things. With the way things are, asking for anything else might not be sinful but it seems pretty silly and wasteful.”
Aunt Frankie sighed and rolled her eyes but smiled too. “You are just like your mother.” She looked at River. “Better get home. My sister said she’d keep an eye on Reynolds but he’s learned he can wind her around his little finger. And if we don’t start some supper soon we are going to have a lot of cranky men on our hands.”
They stood up and left but Aunt Frankie came back for a moment. “I’m sure ‘Chellie has just about killed you giving you a talk about the marriage bed so I won’t. I never had much trouble letting nature take its course so as long as you have the jist of the mechanics you should do just fine. Just don’t expect it to be like in those silly romance books and you won’t be disappointed. It’ll get better with time and practice.” I could have died right there but then her next words caught me off guard. “And when Crystal comes up here just do your best to hear her out and then ignore her if you don’t agree. That poor girl is turning into someone that is mighty disappointed in what life has handed her.”
“I know, she can’t have kids.”
“Honey, she don’t want ‘em and didn’t before they took all her female parts out. From what I’ve discovered the women in her family always seemed to resent the idea that that was their biological place in the food chain. Sad really. She loves Clewis and he her … but she ain’t willing to let go of the past. She thought she had someone in you that would be happy to think like her … resent all of the responsibilities of children and all that comes with it. She doesn’t seem to understand that not all of us women think having kids is such a chore. Problem is she don’t have nothing to fill the gap in her life that is left … she was used to adventuring, even before she and Clewis hitched up, but that’s all gone for a long while yet. We’re probably going to have to do something about that right quick or there’s going to be problems.”
It was a lot to leave me with. But she was right about one thing. She wasn’t the only one that needed to get supper going. I decided to use a little bit of powdered milk and some eggs and make a ham soufflé for dinner. It was good, common food but it was also kinda of a special occasion dish as well.
While I fixed the soufflé I thought about what I’d learned today. Rochelle and her saying that being pregnant when there weren’t any doctors around was making it harder on women and girls to be pregnant and have babies. I was pretty sure that I wasn’t ready for babies, the kids I was looking after including my brother was enough for now. I will want a baby one day, but not right away. I recalled an interrupted conversation that never got finished with Jude and knew we’d need to have it … and maybe tonight if Jude didn’t pass out after finding out what was in the bag I had tossed on his bed. I’d give a lot to be a fly on the wall when he saw what his sister had left him.
And Aunt Frankie trying to gentle what she thought would be my inevitable reaction to Crystal. Well, I guess I would have to take that as it came. At least I wouldn’t have to deal with her right away. Crystal was in the middle of another not feeling too good spell and Rochelle had suggested that she stay in bed. Rochelle had let out that Crystal wasn’t just playing at being sick, she really was, but that she didn’t know what to do for her. She didn’t even have any ovaries left so there’s no way that whatever it was could be related to those kinds of hormones. Then again she admitted that she wasn’t an OB/gyn so who knew. Some of the symptoms had subsided after she started eating differently but not all of them. I’d hate to have some kind of mystery illness like that. I think it would not only make me cranky, but maybe drive me a bit crazy too. I guess if for no other reason than that I should be able to cut Crystal some slack.
Dark came so early this time of year; the nights so long and the cloudy sky making them seem even longer. It was hard to get all the chores done in the amount of light that the good Lord gave us to work by. I wound up having to light the lantern that hung by a hook over the table so the kids could see to eat.
“Jude’s late again,” Paulie complained.
“Supper is just a little early is all. I’m trying to have two meals a day instead of three.”
“Why?” Tiffany asked. “Do … do we not have enough food?”
Startled I said, “Oh Tiff … no, that isn’t it. Just doing a lot of cooking means using a lot of wood. Plus with the shorter days we have to use more lamp oil to work by. It’s just conservation … not because we don’t have the food.”
She relaxed. “Oh. Ok.”
After the kids helped clean up after supper and then went off to get ready for bed Paulie asked, “Was that the truth Dovie? Do we have enough food?”
I looked at him and decided to tell him the truth. “We have enough food Paulie. But …”
“But?”
Carefully I explained, “I just want to be careful with what we have. It is going to be a lot harder to get a garden into the ground this year. And we are going to need one that is a lot bigger than anything that I’ve ever taken care of. I just want the food to last in case things don’t all go our way in the Spring.”
He nodded. “Got it. Bobby thought that’s what you weren’t saying.”
“Bobby?”
“Yeah, he remembers being hungry. We all do. But I think Bobby was hungry a lot when he was little. You know?”
“Yeah, I know.” And I did. I’d seen his medical chart and his teeth had this lines in them that showed where his nutrition had been bad at points in his life.
With that my surprisingly mature little brother went up the stairs. I started to wonder if maybe I shouldn’t separate the girls and boys into their own rooms but every time I mentioned it there was a universal outcry, each time a little louder than the last. It was almost like they knew what was coming and they would fight it took and nail until they had no choice. It needed to happen eventually but maybe it could wait a while longer.
But Paulie had a made a point; Jude was late again. And I hadn’t had supper on the table all that much sooner. I was beginning to amp up, remembering last night when I heard his distinctive trod on the porch. Ever since the hog had tore his leg up his gate had been a little different … or maybe it was his boots that didn’t fit perfectly. I’d done what I could to fix the heel but he really needed a new pair. If I could just convince him to look at Dad’s old boots or those belonging to the twins … but his pride was enough to make me want to pinch him on occasion. He honestly thought I should be saving those boots for Paulie. It was enough to make a saint swear.
“Whoa … you … you uh … just tell me that look on your face isn’t for me.”
I realized that I must have been really scowling because when I looked at his face he was honestly concerned. I decided that a little payback was due. I walked over to him, pushed him down on the bench where he took his boots off at, sat on his lap, and then gave him a kiss that nearly had his brain leaking out of his ears. I stood up and then went back to polishing the stove. “That answer your question?”
I’m not sure what he meant to say but what came out was garbledy-gook. I smiled in satisfaction and turned when the kids swarmed all over him wanting some attention. He pulled himself together enough to give them what they wanted and then they ran off to make sure his wash water was ready so that he could clean up, eat, and then read them the next chapter in the book they’d been saving until he had the time.
I told him, “Don’t open the bag on your bed if the kids are in there.”
“Why?”
“It’s from Rochelle.”
He blanched but went off to appease the sheep and I finished what I was doing and worked on my list of things to do the next day. About an hour later he was back and I plopped the plate of food in front of him. “You should have told them to let you eat first.”
“I just figured this way we would have time to talk before we got so tired. You have to be at least as tired as I am between yesterday, last night and then today.”
I gave him a look, “Are you trying to sweeten me up for something?
The fork was half way to his mouth and then he slowly put it back down on his plate. “Sorta.”
“Sorta?”
“Yeah.”
“Ok.”
“I … uh … saw Brother Shirley today,” he said cautiously.
“You did?”
“Uh … yeah. And Dad was there.”
“He … he was?” I asked, not sure whether I should be worried or not.
“Yeah. Uh … you know how Dad said the soonest date possible?”
Still cautious I answered, “Yeah.”
“Don’t … don’t freak out on me Dovie. But … but how does this Sunday sound?”
I just looked at him not sure I had heard him right. “This … this Sunday?”
“Yeah. This … uh … Sunday.”
“You’re not playing.”
“I’m not playing.”
I carefully sat down and then swallowed the saw dust in my mouth. I thought about it for a long second. “Uncle Roe put Brother Shirley up to this didn’t he?”
“Yeah. I got upset until I was sure that Brother Shirley didn’t think … you know … that it was a shotgun wedding or anything.”
I hadn’t even gotten around to that part of the shock yet. Worriedly I asked, “You sure he didn’t?”
“I’m sure. In fact he got onto Dad just a bit about it, that people’s tongues would start wagging but Dad wouldn’t turn loose of it. So, the only out I could get him to agree to was if you were too upset by the sudden notice.”
“I’m … I’m not upset. I did say … I mean we both did … that the sooner the better. But … geez … Uncle Roe wants me to have a dress and all the trappings and … and I already can’t figure out how … and to have it ready by this Sunday?” I turned to look at Jude. “Are you going to be upset if I can’t make it all nice and spiffy?”
“Sweetheart, I’d stand up with you with my oldest pair of long johns if that’s all I had and you’d let me. Or looking like that character from that old show Heehaw … Junior Sample, the one Dad thinks is funny. But if you really want …”
“I meant did you mind if I don’t have a fancy store bought dress.”
His eyebrows went up into his hairline. “Dovie, in case you haven’t noticed, most guys aren’t trying to get their woman into a dress on their wedding day but out of one.”
For some reason that struck me as funny when it probably shouldn’t have. “You’re awful.”
“Yeah, I know. But seriously …”
“But seriously, so long as you don’t care if I can’t make it a real fancy dress then I can be ready by Sunday.”
“Really?” he asked amazed.
“Really.”
He started eating with gusto and soon he was smiling like a loon. “Jude, slow down or you’re gonna get sick.”
“No way. This is good. Ham soufflé right?”
I nodded. “Mom’s recipe.”
“Thought so. Dang this is good.”
“There’s more. You don’t need to take the surface of the plate off.”
I put the last of it on his plate and he savored rather than slurped the rest of it. I asked him, “Did Clewis find out what you needed him to?”
“Yeah. Those men were hauled off to Ft. Campbell. Doubt we’ll ever see them again. Grapevine says Carlsburg is not happy with the state of affairs at all. No one wants to be near him right now. Blacksmith’s daughters are safe and don’t even know most of what went on because we kept ‘em hid so well. I told the blacksmith and he told me they could hear the fight but not what was said and couldn’t hear anything out in the yard … just what was said in the kitchen. We gotta do something about that pipe; seal it up or something. But to be honest I’d … look, we need to talk.”
I nodded. “We do though I thought that’s what we were doing.”
I took his empty plate and put a mug of warm cider in front of him. “Sit with me?”
“Need to put the kids down for the night.”
“They’re down. The littles fell asleep during the story. Paulie said he would catch them up tomorrow. Even he and Tiff were pretty tired. It’s this cold weather and all the dark.”
“Hmmm,” was my only comment. “I better make sure everyone is getting enough greens. Might do some pumpkin up too, not that we have much of that left. Wish I still had some vitamins left.”
“Worried about them?”
“Some. None of them are used to this weather. I’m not either really. But …” I shrugged. “I’ll think on it.”
“Just don’t worry on it. If you do think of something you need, talk to me about it.”
“Jude …”
He shook his head. “Listen up. If it is gettable I’ll get it. There’s always a way.”
I balked. “Nothing dangerous.”
“No. I’m about to be a family man,” he said with a huge grin the wattage of which nearly took my breath away. Then he turned it down quite a bit and said, “I’m sorry about using the basement. I just hadn’t expected to have to make that kind of decision so soon.”
“What decision?”
“Hiding someone. I’ll have to take the stuff out of the attic and use that space if we need it from here on out.”
Carefully choosing my words I said, “This is part of what you … you and Clewis … have been up to?”
“Well, what we’d thought may happen, not what we’d actually had to do before now.”
“You’ll need to get specific Jude because I’m not getting it.”
He scratched his head thought fully. “In the beginning it didn’t start out being nothing. He and I just started talking and found we had more in common than we thought. Then we talked some more and found out we had a lot more in common than we thought. He introduced me to a couple of people. In introduced him to a couple of people. And we all talked. That was it … it was just a lot of talking in the beginning.” He stretched his neck and said, “Then it started that someone had heard something and would share and we’d talk it out some more. Someone else would hear something and we’d add that into what we already knew. Then not too long after that we started trying to hear things on purpose and we shared it amongst ourselves and we found that knowledge was … valuable.”
“Please tell me we aren’t talking about blackmail.”
“No! Nothing like that. I mean valuable as in knowing the real facts helped us to make decisions that kept us all out of trouble … ahead of the game as it were. We wound up throwing each other business or passing along opportunities to work. Early bird gets the worm sort of thing. Then we realized we knew a lot more than folks around us did … about the government, the war, the economy, local stuff going on, national stuff, international stuff, who was a good guy and who had secrets. And then the rumors about Carlsburg started and we… we did things to prepare for him, just in case.”
“Because he is a stinker.”
“He’s worse than that. Dad only sees what he wants to see but the guy is really dangerous. His … let’s call ‘em his appetite and ego … could destabilize this whole area which would be bad for everyone. But we’re also seeing those who are willing to play his game and those who are not. Some that are willing might surprise you, did me. But I’m not carrying tales until necessary.”
“That’s part of that knowledge is valuable thing.”
“Exactly.” He nodded. “A little while back we started … well … started finding stuff … abandoned stuff. We’d take turns … acquiring … the abandoned stuff. Then we’d split it amongst ourselves.”
“That’s how you came by the cats.”
“Yeah. How did they do today?”
“Better. I’m pretty sure they’ll make it. It helped to move them to my room so the kids … you know … out of sight, out of mind.”
“Yeah. Good thinking. That’s sorta how we’ve found some of the abandoned things. But we also … look … we all have needs. As a group these men … and they are all men so don’t go thinking otherwise … these men, well we all have families to take care of. We’ve all got lists of things that would help make our lives a little better, or we’d like to have on hand just in case. Well, if one of our group has a particular need we put our heads together and try and come up with a way to get it. We’ve all been pretty good about not assuming that every little thing is a need or that we should take it to the group before trying to get it for ourselves. And we don’t always share everything we find that is … er … abandoned. We are a loose association, not dependent or locked in to sharing every little thing.”
“Is that why you were so concerned about us getting attached to the cats.”
“Naw, not the cats; it was the cat food. There was dog food too … but no dog or any sign one was around. Clewis took it and is dumping it into the bin a little at a time. I think Dad knows but he hasn’t said anything. The farm dogs are needed but those beagles can eat like horses. And speaking of horses, we’ve worked hard at reclaiming a lot of grains like oats that got left behind as people took off to where ever they were going. Hardly anything like that left these days but you still run across stuff every once in a while. That house with the cats was a rare thing. By the time our group is finished with it, I doubt they’ll be much left of it. One of the men has even started hauling the insulation out of the attic and from behind some paneled walls – another guy needed the paneling so he could finish off his own attic – so he could put it in the ceiling above his kids’ bedrooms to try and make them warmer. Another man took this big, fancy looking rug … an oriental looking thing … because the tile in the family room made it hard to keep the room above freezing. There was a family that had a busted out window and we secretly left the glass at their place since they couldn’t afford to get new glass from town.”
“OK, I can see all that. But how did you start thinking of rescuing people?”
“Rescuing … that part is accidental like I told you. But we had talked about maybe having to move our families around in case Carlsburg … well, we’ve come up with some pretty strong scenarios about what could happen. Hopefully the military presence will keep him in check on a personal level but that isn’t going to stop what is going to happen when folks realize he isn’t the savior they thought he would be.”
“Riots?”
“Maybe … but more likely raids and crimes spilling out into the rural areas. Remember the old flash mobs when they were popular?”
“Yeah, Mom and I almost got caught in one one time when we were out shopping. Paulie was real little.” I shuddered. “Those people were crazy.”
“Maybe, but they got what they were after. No one person, one family, is going to be able to hold off a large crowd like that. Not even a small one. You saw what happened here last night. It wouldn’t have even worked had I come out shooting. I would have gone down and you and the kids would have been … I don’t wanna think about it,” he ended gloomily.
Thinking a moment I said, “Basically what you are telling me is that you and a bunch of men are getting together and when you talk you hope for the best but you are planning for the worst.”
He nodded, “Yeah, that pretty much sums it up right there. But we are doing more than planning. And … it kinda looks like now …”
“What?” I asked as he petered off into silence.
“Dovie, things are gonna get rough. Rougher than they already are. We’ve lived through about two years of this. Infrastructure failing, economy failing, all of it. It’s worse than anyone is letting on in the news. We’ve actually got it good around here. You saw some of it on the road, but you avoided the cities and even most of the towns. If the weather doesn’t let the farmers get crops in the ground on time, if something happens to the crops that do come up, if we have to do it all like back in the old days … no tractors, no fertilizer, no pesticides …” He shook his head. “People are going to starve and starving people are dangerous. People are going to blame the farmers before they blame anyone else. We’ll be asking too much for our work and investment. Price controls are already killing us. As soon as seed can get in the ground I’m going to be working from before sun up to after sun down and people are going to expect me to do it for slave wages or maybe even less. Then when the farmer balks the government is going to step in and really muck things up. We gotta be ready. But I’m not sure how to do it, some of it yeah but … we’ve got some plans …”
I reached over and put my hand on his fist. “Well, we’re in it together. I’ll do what I can on my end … forage, gorilla garden …”
He looked at me with a strange look. “What in the heck is a gorilla garden?”
I smiled. “Think of it as hidden assets. There’re things that I can plant … like sunchokes … that most people won’t give a second thought to. We’ve got the kudzu … nothing will stop that from coming back … and there are plenty of other wild things in the forest to eat. My herb garden, most folks won’t know what it all is. I doubt seriously if the old folks that might are going to come sniffing around here in the night to run off with them.”
He didn’t return my smile. “Yeah, I have a feeling will need to do as much of that as possible. The men and I have talked it out … we aren’t sure how bad the hunting is going to be but we suspect really bad. We need to plan out like meat might not be on the table all that much. We’re thinking that the government, the military, whoever might just swoop in and take the domestic animals so Clewis and I are trying to find a way to use the old Hamner place in case we have to move the horses or secure them someplace else in case raids get that bad.”
“You … you really think the government will just come in and …”
“We’re pretty sure that is what Carlsburg was planning. We got lucky this time … or at least for a while. He might be able to convince … someone or whomever … that his way is necessary. And we can’t go around assuming that the military is just going to be our friends automatically. They’re human … some will be good guys and some won’t. So far so good but that could change overnight. You just never know.”
I had too many irons in the fire, that’s all there was to it. House, kids, cooking, laundry, foraging, cleaning out the attics, planning, and any number of other things. Now I had to add on top of all of that that I was getting married. Married. Me. On the one hand it felt like the most natural thing in the world. On the other hand it felt like I had stepped into Wonderland’s mirror and it was all one-way from here on out.
I had been right about one thing, everyone that came by swore up and down that they had known something was going on between Jude and I, they just hadn’t said anything because we seemed to be having such a good time keeping it “secret.” Rochelle and Wendalene twitted me about having an “obvious crush” on their brother since “forever.” I think they tried to take it back so far that if I checked the calendar I would have still been in Mom’s belly.
Rochelle couldn’t stay long, one of her kiddos were sick, but when Rochelle hung back I began to get a bad filling in the pit of my stomach. “Get that look off your face,” she told me. “It needs saying and I know Mom won’t.”
“If this is about what I think it is, no thanks ‘Chellie. My mom had ‘the talk’ with me a long time ago.”
She gave a very unladylike snort. “I figured that. Aunt Malissa was thorough. But what about the rest of it. Do you know how to keep from getting knocked up?” My head felt like it was going to explode. She nodded then said, “I didn’t think so. Here.”
She handed me a paper bag and I was almost afraid to open it. When I did I wished I hadn’t. “Argh!”
“Stop having a fit. They’re condoms. Make sure my lunatic brother uses one every time. And I mean every time Dovie. You’re young and healthy and in the prime fertile period of your life. Same for Jude. I seriously doubt getting pregnant is going to be a problem for you two. Not getting pregnant will be your problem.”
“Look here Rochelle …” I said indignantly.
“No, you look here. No one in the family is against this. Ignore Butch because not even he is against it. OK, maybe Crystal but that’s her problem, not yours. Butch will be fine once he sees things will work out fine. It’s not his fault his first love was a smart bimbo and he doesn’t want either one of you to wind up with a broken heart like he did, the big idiot. River has knocked most of the worst of the sharp corners off of him but he’ll always be a bit … uh …”
“Yeah. I get that. But geez Rochelle.”
Then she looked deep into my eyes. “Dovie, I’ve stood by helpless too many times since I started nursing and doctoring, watching some woman or her baby or both … I’ve seen young girls …” She shook her head. “I don’t know why I’m getting in your business, Mom never could tell me nothing and you see where that got me. You’re going to do what you want to do. I just want my brother to have a chance to do things differently. It just makes more sense to wait until you see how things are going to be this coming year and the next. You and Jude are young enough and you already have a houseful of kids, it won’t make that much difference in the long run if you wait. You understand what I’m trying to say?”
Then I did something I didn’t think I have done in years. I reached over and gave Rochelle and hug and told her, “Thanks. I’ll talk to Jude. Just swear you won’t be carrying that particular tale back to the house and spreading it around.”
She snorted. “Dad would have a coronary if he got wind of it.” With one last look before leaving to catch up with Wendalene she requested, “Just think about it.”
River and Aunt Frankie came up not too much later and they wanted to talk about wedding plans. Most of that hour was wasted with them wishing that I could have things that weren’t going to happen. There wasn’t going to be a fancy dress. There wasn’t going to be a fancy cake. There wasn’t going to be a band and dance floor or a honeymoon or flowers or bridesmaids dresses or just about anything else for that matter.
Trying not to get irritated I told them, “I’m marrying Jude, not a dress or a band or a cake or none of that other stuff you are worrying over. We’ll be in a church. A preacher will say the words over us. Then we’ll start the rest of our lives. Mom always said it was silly to get married in a dress that cost about as much as a down payment on a house or car.”
Aunt Frankie sighed. “I loved Malissa but she was so practical she could give me a headache. Don’t you want anything you can’t have?”
I wanted to say “peace from all the nosey parkers in this family” but didn’t because despite everything Aunt Frankie was turning out to be a lot better person than I had ever given her credit for being. “Aunt Frankie I have everything I need and a lot of what I want already. I found a dress Mom was going to make over eventually to sell in one of her sewing trunks and if it didn’t start out being a wedding dress it might as well have. There’s enough silk flowers in a storage tub around here someplace to make all the little girls in the family a bouquet and they can do for bridesmaids. Jude said he would see Brother Shirley and take care of that end of things. With the way things are, asking for anything else might not be sinful but it seems pretty silly and wasteful.”
Aunt Frankie sighed and rolled her eyes but smiled too. “You are just like your mother.” She looked at River. “Better get home. My sister said she’d keep an eye on Reynolds but he’s learned he can wind her around his little finger. And if we don’t start some supper soon we are going to have a lot of cranky men on our hands.”
They stood up and left but Aunt Frankie came back for a moment. “I’m sure ‘Chellie has just about killed you giving you a talk about the marriage bed so I won’t. I never had much trouble letting nature take its course so as long as you have the jist of the mechanics you should do just fine. Just don’t expect it to be like in those silly romance books and you won’t be disappointed. It’ll get better with time and practice.” I could have died right there but then her next words caught me off guard. “And when Crystal comes up here just do your best to hear her out and then ignore her if you don’t agree. That poor girl is turning into someone that is mighty disappointed in what life has handed her.”
“I know, she can’t have kids.”
“Honey, she don’t want ‘em and didn’t before they took all her female parts out. From what I’ve discovered the women in her family always seemed to resent the idea that that was their biological place in the food chain. Sad really. She loves Clewis and he her … but she ain’t willing to let go of the past. She thought she had someone in you that would be happy to think like her … resent all of the responsibilities of children and all that comes with it. She doesn’t seem to understand that not all of us women think having kids is such a chore. Problem is she don’t have nothing to fill the gap in her life that is left … she was used to adventuring, even before she and Clewis hitched up, but that’s all gone for a long while yet. We’re probably going to have to do something about that right quick or there’s going to be problems.”
It was a lot to leave me with. But she was right about one thing. She wasn’t the only one that needed to get supper going. I decided to use a little bit of powdered milk and some eggs and make a ham soufflé for dinner. It was good, common food but it was also kinda of a special occasion dish as well.
While I fixed the soufflé I thought about what I’d learned today. Rochelle and her saying that being pregnant when there weren’t any doctors around was making it harder on women and girls to be pregnant and have babies. I was pretty sure that I wasn’t ready for babies, the kids I was looking after including my brother was enough for now. I will want a baby one day, but not right away. I recalled an interrupted conversation that never got finished with Jude and knew we’d need to have it … and maybe tonight if Jude didn’t pass out after finding out what was in the bag I had tossed on his bed. I’d give a lot to be a fly on the wall when he saw what his sister had left him.
And Aunt Frankie trying to gentle what she thought would be my inevitable reaction to Crystal. Well, I guess I would have to take that as it came. At least I wouldn’t have to deal with her right away. Crystal was in the middle of another not feeling too good spell and Rochelle had suggested that she stay in bed. Rochelle had let out that Crystal wasn’t just playing at being sick, she really was, but that she didn’t know what to do for her. She didn’t even have any ovaries left so there’s no way that whatever it was could be related to those kinds of hormones. Then again she admitted that she wasn’t an OB/gyn so who knew. Some of the symptoms had subsided after she started eating differently but not all of them. I’d hate to have some kind of mystery illness like that. I think it would not only make me cranky, but maybe drive me a bit crazy too. I guess if for no other reason than that I should be able to cut Crystal some slack.
Dark came so early this time of year; the nights so long and the cloudy sky making them seem even longer. It was hard to get all the chores done in the amount of light that the good Lord gave us to work by. I wound up having to light the lantern that hung by a hook over the table so the kids could see to eat.
“Jude’s late again,” Paulie complained.
“Supper is just a little early is all. I’m trying to have two meals a day instead of three.”
“Why?” Tiffany asked. “Do … do we not have enough food?”
Startled I said, “Oh Tiff … no, that isn’t it. Just doing a lot of cooking means using a lot of wood. Plus with the shorter days we have to use more lamp oil to work by. It’s just conservation … not because we don’t have the food.”
She relaxed. “Oh. Ok.”
After the kids helped clean up after supper and then went off to get ready for bed Paulie asked, “Was that the truth Dovie? Do we have enough food?”
I looked at him and decided to tell him the truth. “We have enough food Paulie. But …”
“But?”
Carefully I explained, “I just want to be careful with what we have. It is going to be a lot harder to get a garden into the ground this year. And we are going to need one that is a lot bigger than anything that I’ve ever taken care of. I just want the food to last in case things don’t all go our way in the Spring.”
He nodded. “Got it. Bobby thought that’s what you weren’t saying.”
“Bobby?”
“Yeah, he remembers being hungry. We all do. But I think Bobby was hungry a lot when he was little. You know?”
“Yeah, I know.” And I did. I’d seen his medical chart and his teeth had this lines in them that showed where his nutrition had been bad at points in his life.
With that my surprisingly mature little brother went up the stairs. I started to wonder if maybe I shouldn’t separate the girls and boys into their own rooms but every time I mentioned it there was a universal outcry, each time a little louder than the last. It was almost like they knew what was coming and they would fight it took and nail until they had no choice. It needed to happen eventually but maybe it could wait a while longer.
But Paulie had a made a point; Jude was late again. And I hadn’t had supper on the table all that much sooner. I was beginning to amp up, remembering last night when I heard his distinctive trod on the porch. Ever since the hog had tore his leg up his gate had been a little different … or maybe it was his boots that didn’t fit perfectly. I’d done what I could to fix the heel but he really needed a new pair. If I could just convince him to look at Dad’s old boots or those belonging to the twins … but his pride was enough to make me want to pinch him on occasion. He honestly thought I should be saving those boots for Paulie. It was enough to make a saint swear.
“Whoa … you … you uh … just tell me that look on your face isn’t for me.”
I realized that I must have been really scowling because when I looked at his face he was honestly concerned. I decided that a little payback was due. I walked over to him, pushed him down on the bench where he took his boots off at, sat on his lap, and then gave him a kiss that nearly had his brain leaking out of his ears. I stood up and then went back to polishing the stove. “That answer your question?”
I’m not sure what he meant to say but what came out was garbledy-gook. I smiled in satisfaction and turned when the kids swarmed all over him wanting some attention. He pulled himself together enough to give them what they wanted and then they ran off to make sure his wash water was ready so that he could clean up, eat, and then read them the next chapter in the book they’d been saving until he had the time.
I told him, “Don’t open the bag on your bed if the kids are in there.”
“Why?”
“It’s from Rochelle.”
He blanched but went off to appease the sheep and I finished what I was doing and worked on my list of things to do the next day. About an hour later he was back and I plopped the plate of food in front of him. “You should have told them to let you eat first.”
“I just figured this way we would have time to talk before we got so tired. You have to be at least as tired as I am between yesterday, last night and then today.”
I gave him a look, “Are you trying to sweeten me up for something?
The fork was half way to his mouth and then he slowly put it back down on his plate. “Sorta.”
“Sorta?”
“Yeah.”
“Ok.”
“I … uh … saw Brother Shirley today,” he said cautiously.
“You did?”
“Uh … yeah. And Dad was there.”
“He … he was?” I asked, not sure whether I should be worried or not.
“Yeah. Uh … you know how Dad said the soonest date possible?”
Still cautious I answered, “Yeah.”
“Don’t … don’t freak out on me Dovie. But … but how does this Sunday sound?”
I just looked at him not sure I had heard him right. “This … this Sunday?”
“Yeah. This … uh … Sunday.”
“You’re not playing.”
“I’m not playing.”
I carefully sat down and then swallowed the saw dust in my mouth. I thought about it for a long second. “Uncle Roe put Brother Shirley up to this didn’t he?”
“Yeah. I got upset until I was sure that Brother Shirley didn’t think … you know … that it was a shotgun wedding or anything.”
I hadn’t even gotten around to that part of the shock yet. Worriedly I asked, “You sure he didn’t?”
“I’m sure. In fact he got onto Dad just a bit about it, that people’s tongues would start wagging but Dad wouldn’t turn loose of it. So, the only out I could get him to agree to was if you were too upset by the sudden notice.”
“I’m … I’m not upset. I did say … I mean we both did … that the sooner the better. But … geez … Uncle Roe wants me to have a dress and all the trappings and … and I already can’t figure out how … and to have it ready by this Sunday?” I turned to look at Jude. “Are you going to be upset if I can’t make it all nice and spiffy?”
“Sweetheart, I’d stand up with you with my oldest pair of long johns if that’s all I had and you’d let me. Or looking like that character from that old show Heehaw … Junior Sample, the one Dad thinks is funny. But if you really want …”
“I meant did you mind if I don’t have a fancy store bought dress.”
His eyebrows went up into his hairline. “Dovie, in case you haven’t noticed, most guys aren’t trying to get their woman into a dress on their wedding day but out of one.”
For some reason that struck me as funny when it probably shouldn’t have. “You’re awful.”
“Yeah, I know. But seriously …”
“But seriously, so long as you don’t care if I can’t make it a real fancy dress then I can be ready by Sunday.”
“Really?” he asked amazed.
“Really.”
He started eating with gusto and soon he was smiling like a loon. “Jude, slow down or you’re gonna get sick.”
“No way. This is good. Ham soufflé right?”
I nodded. “Mom’s recipe.”
“Thought so. Dang this is good.”
“There’s more. You don’t need to take the surface of the plate off.”
I put the last of it on his plate and he savored rather than slurped the rest of it. I asked him, “Did Clewis find out what you needed him to?”
“Yeah. Those men were hauled off to Ft. Campbell. Doubt we’ll ever see them again. Grapevine says Carlsburg is not happy with the state of affairs at all. No one wants to be near him right now. Blacksmith’s daughters are safe and don’t even know most of what went on because we kept ‘em hid so well. I told the blacksmith and he told me they could hear the fight but not what was said and couldn’t hear anything out in the yard … just what was said in the kitchen. We gotta do something about that pipe; seal it up or something. But to be honest I’d … look, we need to talk.”
I nodded. “We do though I thought that’s what we were doing.”
I took his empty plate and put a mug of warm cider in front of him. “Sit with me?”
“Need to put the kids down for the night.”
“They’re down. The littles fell asleep during the story. Paulie said he would catch them up tomorrow. Even he and Tiff were pretty tired. It’s this cold weather and all the dark.”
“Hmmm,” was my only comment. “I better make sure everyone is getting enough greens. Might do some pumpkin up too, not that we have much of that left. Wish I still had some vitamins left.”
“Worried about them?”
“Some. None of them are used to this weather. I’m not either really. But …” I shrugged. “I’ll think on it.”
“Just don’t worry on it. If you do think of something you need, talk to me about it.”
“Jude …”
He shook his head. “Listen up. If it is gettable I’ll get it. There’s always a way.”
I balked. “Nothing dangerous.”
“No. I’m about to be a family man,” he said with a huge grin the wattage of which nearly took my breath away. Then he turned it down quite a bit and said, “I’m sorry about using the basement. I just hadn’t expected to have to make that kind of decision so soon.”
“What decision?”
“Hiding someone. I’ll have to take the stuff out of the attic and use that space if we need it from here on out.”
Carefully choosing my words I said, “This is part of what you … you and Clewis … have been up to?”
“Well, what we’d thought may happen, not what we’d actually had to do before now.”
“You’ll need to get specific Jude because I’m not getting it.”
He scratched his head thought fully. “In the beginning it didn’t start out being nothing. He and I just started talking and found we had more in common than we thought. Then we talked some more and found out we had a lot more in common than we thought. He introduced me to a couple of people. In introduced him to a couple of people. And we all talked. That was it … it was just a lot of talking in the beginning.” He stretched his neck and said, “Then it started that someone had heard something and would share and we’d talk it out some more. Someone else would hear something and we’d add that into what we already knew. Then not too long after that we started trying to hear things on purpose and we shared it amongst ourselves and we found that knowledge was … valuable.”
“Please tell me we aren’t talking about blackmail.”
“No! Nothing like that. I mean valuable as in knowing the real facts helped us to make decisions that kept us all out of trouble … ahead of the game as it were. We wound up throwing each other business or passing along opportunities to work. Early bird gets the worm sort of thing. Then we realized we knew a lot more than folks around us did … about the government, the war, the economy, local stuff going on, national stuff, international stuff, who was a good guy and who had secrets. And then the rumors about Carlsburg started and we… we did things to prepare for him, just in case.”
“Because he is a stinker.”
“He’s worse than that. Dad only sees what he wants to see but the guy is really dangerous. His … let’s call ‘em his appetite and ego … could destabilize this whole area which would be bad for everyone. But we’re also seeing those who are willing to play his game and those who are not. Some that are willing might surprise you, did me. But I’m not carrying tales until necessary.”
“That’s part of that knowledge is valuable thing.”
“Exactly.” He nodded. “A little while back we started … well … started finding stuff … abandoned stuff. We’d take turns … acquiring … the abandoned stuff. Then we’d split it amongst ourselves.”
“That’s how you came by the cats.”
“Yeah. How did they do today?”
“Better. I’m pretty sure they’ll make it. It helped to move them to my room so the kids … you know … out of sight, out of mind.”
“Yeah. Good thinking. That’s sorta how we’ve found some of the abandoned things. But we also … look … we all have needs. As a group these men … and they are all men so don’t go thinking otherwise … these men, well we all have families to take care of. We’ve all got lists of things that would help make our lives a little better, or we’d like to have on hand just in case. Well, if one of our group has a particular need we put our heads together and try and come up with a way to get it. We’ve all been pretty good about not assuming that every little thing is a need or that we should take it to the group before trying to get it for ourselves. And we don’t always share everything we find that is … er … abandoned. We are a loose association, not dependent or locked in to sharing every little thing.”
“Is that why you were so concerned about us getting attached to the cats.”
“Naw, not the cats; it was the cat food. There was dog food too … but no dog or any sign one was around. Clewis took it and is dumping it into the bin a little at a time. I think Dad knows but he hasn’t said anything. The farm dogs are needed but those beagles can eat like horses. And speaking of horses, we’ve worked hard at reclaiming a lot of grains like oats that got left behind as people took off to where ever they were going. Hardly anything like that left these days but you still run across stuff every once in a while. That house with the cats was a rare thing. By the time our group is finished with it, I doubt they’ll be much left of it. One of the men has even started hauling the insulation out of the attic and from behind some paneled walls – another guy needed the paneling so he could finish off his own attic – so he could put it in the ceiling above his kids’ bedrooms to try and make them warmer. Another man took this big, fancy looking rug … an oriental looking thing … because the tile in the family room made it hard to keep the room above freezing. There was a family that had a busted out window and we secretly left the glass at their place since they couldn’t afford to get new glass from town.”
“OK, I can see all that. But how did you start thinking of rescuing people?”
“Rescuing … that part is accidental like I told you. But we had talked about maybe having to move our families around in case Carlsburg … well, we’ve come up with some pretty strong scenarios about what could happen. Hopefully the military presence will keep him in check on a personal level but that isn’t going to stop what is going to happen when folks realize he isn’t the savior they thought he would be.”
“Riots?”
“Maybe … but more likely raids and crimes spilling out into the rural areas. Remember the old flash mobs when they were popular?”
“Yeah, Mom and I almost got caught in one one time when we were out shopping. Paulie was real little.” I shuddered. “Those people were crazy.”
“Maybe, but they got what they were after. No one person, one family, is going to be able to hold off a large crowd like that. Not even a small one. You saw what happened here last night. It wouldn’t have even worked had I come out shooting. I would have gone down and you and the kids would have been … I don’t wanna think about it,” he ended gloomily.
Thinking a moment I said, “Basically what you are telling me is that you and a bunch of men are getting together and when you talk you hope for the best but you are planning for the worst.”
He nodded, “Yeah, that pretty much sums it up right there. But we are doing more than planning. And … it kinda looks like now …”
“What?” I asked as he petered off into silence.
“Dovie, things are gonna get rough. Rougher than they already are. We’ve lived through about two years of this. Infrastructure failing, economy failing, all of it. It’s worse than anyone is letting on in the news. We’ve actually got it good around here. You saw some of it on the road, but you avoided the cities and even most of the towns. If the weather doesn’t let the farmers get crops in the ground on time, if something happens to the crops that do come up, if we have to do it all like back in the old days … no tractors, no fertilizer, no pesticides …” He shook his head. “People are going to starve and starving people are dangerous. People are going to blame the farmers before they blame anyone else. We’ll be asking too much for our work and investment. Price controls are already killing us. As soon as seed can get in the ground I’m going to be working from before sun up to after sun down and people are going to expect me to do it for slave wages or maybe even less. Then when the farmer balks the government is going to step in and really muck things up. We gotta be ready. But I’m not sure how to do it, some of it yeah but … we’ve got some plans …”
I reached over and put my hand on his fist. “Well, we’re in it together. I’ll do what I can on my end … forage, gorilla garden …”
He looked at me with a strange look. “What in the heck is a gorilla garden?”
I smiled. “Think of it as hidden assets. There’re things that I can plant … like sunchokes … that most people won’t give a second thought to. We’ve got the kudzu … nothing will stop that from coming back … and there are plenty of other wild things in the forest to eat. My herb garden, most folks won’t know what it all is. I doubt seriously if the old folks that might are going to come sniffing around here in the night to run off with them.”
He didn’t return my smile. “Yeah, I have a feeling will need to do as much of that as possible. The men and I have talked it out … we aren’t sure how bad the hunting is going to be but we suspect really bad. We need to plan out like meat might not be on the table all that much. We’re thinking that the government, the military, whoever might just swoop in and take the domestic animals so Clewis and I are trying to find a way to use the old Hamner place in case we have to move the horses or secure them someplace else in case raids get that bad.”
“You … you really think the government will just come in and …”
“We’re pretty sure that is what Carlsburg was planning. We got lucky this time … or at least for a while. He might be able to convince … someone or whomever … that his way is necessary. And we can’t go around assuming that the military is just going to be our friends automatically. They’re human … some will be good guys and some won’t. So far so good but that could change overnight. You just never know.”
HAM SOUFFLE
1½ cups breadcrumbs
2 cups scalded milk
1½ cups chopped cooked ham
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon minced onion
½ teaspoon paprika
2 egg whites
PARSLEY SAUCE
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
For the soufflé, cook together breadcrumbs and milk for two minutes. Remove from fire, add ham and mix well. Add egg yolks, first beating these well; also the parsley (one tablespoon), onion and paprika. Fold in, last of all, the egg whites whipped to a stiff, dry froth. Turn quickly into a well-greased baking dish and bake in moderate oven for thirty-five minutes, or until firm to the touch; meantime, make the parsley sauce, so that both can be served instantly when the soufflé is done; then it will not fall and grow tough.
For the parsley sauce, melt the butter in saucepan and stir in the flour, stirring until perfectly smooth, then add the milk slowly, stirring constantly; cook until thick, stir in the parsley and salt, and serve at once in a gravy boat.
1½ cups breadcrumbs
2 cups scalded milk
1½ cups chopped cooked ham
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon minced onion
½ teaspoon paprika
2 egg whites
PARSLEY SAUCE
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
For the soufflé, cook together breadcrumbs and milk for two minutes. Remove from fire, add ham and mix well. Add egg yolks, first beating these well; also the parsley (one tablespoon), onion and paprika. Fold in, last of all, the egg whites whipped to a stiff, dry froth. Turn quickly into a well-greased baking dish and bake in moderate oven for thirty-five minutes, or until firm to the touch; meantime, make the parsley sauce, so that both can be served instantly when the soufflé is done; then it will not fall and grow tough.
For the parsley sauce, melt the butter in saucepan and stir in the flour, stirring until perfectly smooth, then add the milk slowly, stirring constantly; cook until thick, stir in the parsley and salt, and serve at once in a gravy boat.
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I was very happy to see a new chapter 
made my night. Thank you.
made my night. Thank you.
Landcruiser
Contributing Member
This one is turning out to be a good one. It's too bad that you can't count on people to behave with better scruples, but hopefully at least the family and friends will be able to protect each other.
Chapter LXXXV
“What are you doing girl?! It is time to go get dressed,” Aunt Frankie said irritably. “You act like I can’t put on a wedding for my son.”
I looked at her and said, “It isn’t you I’m worried about Aunt Frankie. You’ve been perfect. It’s Uncle Roe. He’s been making noise that if this isn’t a ‘real’ wedding then he might just put a halt to it. As fritzy as he has been the last two days I wouldn’t put it past him to …”
Aunt Frankie snorted but nodded at the same time. “He’s like a cat with a stray hair. But stop worrying about it, the girls and I have it under control. One word out of him during the ceremony and …”
Under normal circumstances Aunt Frankie can be formidable; I certainly wouldn’t want to get on her bad side under less than normal circumstances. But as stubborn as she and Uncle Roe could be – and I know stubborn like I know my own face in the mirror – there is no telling what kind of ruckus could occur if one or the other of them got something into their head.
Wendalene came up laughing. “Will you just go? Get dressed already. And make sure you put that lingerie on underneath it. Jude is already chomping at the bit and looking a little gray around the edges like he isn’t breathing right. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when he gets a load of …” She stopped and giggled. “Maybe we should throw some pillows down in case he passes out.”
I grumbled. “More like I’m going to be the one to pass out. I can barely breathe in that blasted corset. And I swear it is too cold for the wardrobe malfunction you seem to have set me up for with the rest of that get up. I told you that dress was perfectly acceptable the way I had it. Why you all had to make the alterations without asking me first …”
Faith took that moment to stroll up. “You looked like Old Mother Hubbard, aged sixty, and getting married for the fifth time and not caring too much to take the time to do it. Now the dress is more age appropriate.”
I squawked, “Age appropriate?! I look like I’m gonna pop right out of the thing if I move the wrong way too fast.”
Rochelle had to add her sardonic two cents. “If that happens Jude isn’t the only one that is going to pass out. I brought smelling salts
just in case.”
I felt like stamping my foot but refused to give them the satisfaction of knowing just how discombobulated I was. I turned and sailed passed them – all of them laughing again at my expense – and headed to the room that the little church had set aside for brides and their parties to change in. Once in the room I turned and locked the door so I could have some peace and some breathing room. The area was icy cold and I was dreading having to climb out of my coat and into the silky bit underthings and then into the dress that was less than the modest one that I had originally envisioned it to be. If I had wanted to look like I was stepping out in the red light district I would certainly pass muster in the get up Aunt Frankie and the girls had turned my dress into.
I sat on a cold metal chair and for all of two seconds considered walking down the aisle with my winter coat over the dress but Uncle Roe had already nixed that idea. “I want a real wedding and I, by God, mean to have a real wedding.” I nearly told him that then he could walk down the aisle in the dress for me since he was all fired up about what was real and what wasn’t. I didn’t of course ‘cause I had some sense though I wasn’t feeling too smart at that particular moment.
There was a tapping on the window. I went over and cracked it open. “Let me in before Dad catches me,” Jude whispered breathlessly.
I opened the window and Jude was up and through it fast enough that I developed a momentary suspicion but decided that was in the past and to let it go. “I’m glad I caught you before you got into that dress. Look, are you sure you are OK with this? If you aren’t I’ll figure something out. I can probably get Brother Shirley to …”
“Is this your way of trying to get out of marrying me?” I asked hesitantly.
“What?! No!!” He shook his head almost violently. “I just don’t want you waking up tomorrow wondering what kind of nightmare you’d gotten yourself into.”
I relaxed. “My life is a bit of a nightmare here and there … but it’s never been your fault. In fact, there are days on end when you are the only thing that makes sense about what is going on.”
He got a goofy look on his face. “Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh. Just promise me one thing.”
“Anything.”
“Don’t hold this dress against me for however long we have together. Your mom and sisters kinda got ahold of it. And you gotta promise me not to pass out.”
He got an alarmed look on his face and started to ask me something but there was a knock on the door. “Dovie! Why is this door lock?!”
I rolled my eyes. “Because I don’t want someone just walking in while I’m trying to dress.”
I heard the man snort impatiently. “Have you seen Jude? We can’t find him … and he better not be in there.”
I turned just in time to see the window silently close. I was really going to have to watch the windows back at the house; he was far too talented getting in and out of them so silently. “I don’t see him in here Uncle Roe. You really wanna come in here and look?”
He cleared his throat and said, “No. Just don’t take all day. Folks are starting to arrive.”
“What do you mean folks are starting to arrive? I thought this was just a family thing,” I asked suspiciously.
“Close family, extended family, church family …”
“Uncle Roe you said …”
I heard him walking away with a snicker in his voice. Just what was he up to? Uncle Roe didn’t cut a shenanigan very often anymore but when he did … watch out.
“What are you doing girl?! It is time to go get dressed,” Aunt Frankie said irritably. “You act like I can’t put on a wedding for my son.”
I looked at her and said, “It isn’t you I’m worried about Aunt Frankie. You’ve been perfect. It’s Uncle Roe. He’s been making noise that if this isn’t a ‘real’ wedding then he might just put a halt to it. As fritzy as he has been the last two days I wouldn’t put it past him to …”
Aunt Frankie snorted but nodded at the same time. “He’s like a cat with a stray hair. But stop worrying about it, the girls and I have it under control. One word out of him during the ceremony and …”
Under normal circumstances Aunt Frankie can be formidable; I certainly wouldn’t want to get on her bad side under less than normal circumstances. But as stubborn as she and Uncle Roe could be – and I know stubborn like I know my own face in the mirror – there is no telling what kind of ruckus could occur if one or the other of them got something into their head.
Wendalene came up laughing. “Will you just go? Get dressed already. And make sure you put that lingerie on underneath it. Jude is already chomping at the bit and looking a little gray around the edges like he isn’t breathing right. I’d love to be a fly on the wall when he gets a load of …” She stopped and giggled. “Maybe we should throw some pillows down in case he passes out.”
I grumbled. “More like I’m going to be the one to pass out. I can barely breathe in that blasted corset. And I swear it is too cold for the wardrobe malfunction you seem to have set me up for with the rest of that get up. I told you that dress was perfectly acceptable the way I had it. Why you all had to make the alterations without asking me first …”
Faith took that moment to stroll up. “You looked like Old Mother Hubbard, aged sixty, and getting married for the fifth time and not caring too much to take the time to do it. Now the dress is more age appropriate.”
I squawked, “Age appropriate?! I look like I’m gonna pop right out of the thing if I move the wrong way too fast.”
Rochelle had to add her sardonic two cents. “If that happens Jude isn’t the only one that is going to pass out. I brought smelling salts
just in case.”
I felt like stamping my foot but refused to give them the satisfaction of knowing just how discombobulated I was. I turned and sailed passed them – all of them laughing again at my expense – and headed to the room that the little church had set aside for brides and their parties to change in. Once in the room I turned and locked the door so I could have some peace and some breathing room. The area was icy cold and I was dreading having to climb out of my coat and into the silky bit underthings and then into the dress that was less than the modest one that I had originally envisioned it to be. If I had wanted to look like I was stepping out in the red light district I would certainly pass muster in the get up Aunt Frankie and the girls had turned my dress into.
I sat on a cold metal chair and for all of two seconds considered walking down the aisle with my winter coat over the dress but Uncle Roe had already nixed that idea. “I want a real wedding and I, by God, mean to have a real wedding.” I nearly told him that then he could walk down the aisle in the dress for me since he was all fired up about what was real and what wasn’t. I didn’t of course ‘cause I had some sense though I wasn’t feeling too smart at that particular moment.
There was a tapping on the window. I went over and cracked it open. “Let me in before Dad catches me,” Jude whispered breathlessly.
I opened the window and Jude was up and through it fast enough that I developed a momentary suspicion but decided that was in the past and to let it go. “I’m glad I caught you before you got into that dress. Look, are you sure you are OK with this? If you aren’t I’ll figure something out. I can probably get Brother Shirley to …”
“Is this your way of trying to get out of marrying me?” I asked hesitantly.
“What?! No!!” He shook his head almost violently. “I just don’t want you waking up tomorrow wondering what kind of nightmare you’d gotten yourself into.”
I relaxed. “My life is a bit of a nightmare here and there … but it’s never been your fault. In fact, there are days on end when you are the only thing that makes sense about what is going on.”
He got a goofy look on his face. “Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh. Just promise me one thing.”
“Anything.”
“Don’t hold this dress against me for however long we have together. Your mom and sisters kinda got ahold of it. And you gotta promise me not to pass out.”
He got an alarmed look on his face and started to ask me something but there was a knock on the door. “Dovie! Why is this door lock?!”
I rolled my eyes. “Because I don’t want someone just walking in while I’m trying to dress.”
I heard the man snort impatiently. “Have you seen Jude? We can’t find him … and he better not be in there.”
I turned just in time to see the window silently close. I was really going to have to watch the windows back at the house; he was far too talented getting in and out of them so silently. “I don’t see him in here Uncle Roe. You really wanna come in here and look?”
He cleared his throat and said, “No. Just don’t take all day. Folks are starting to arrive.”
“What do you mean folks are starting to arrive? I thought this was just a family thing,” I asked suspiciously.
“Close family, extended family, church family …”
“Uncle Roe you said …”
I heard him walking away with a snicker in his voice. Just what was he up to? Uncle Roe didn’t cut a shenanigan very often anymore but when he did … watch out.
She can't, she's 17. While you can marry at that age, under 18 you still have to have a parent or guardian's permission.
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
OH boy Moar, moar moar Please with a cherry on top.
Do they need attendance of the guardian or just permission? LOL Were I that minister faced with Jude and Dovie asking me to sneak in the window and marry them in the face of a growing circus, I might have construed the visit from the uncle to arrange this whole thing as permission.
But I suspect that Jude wants approval from his father too much to do something like that, though if Dovie seriously asked him to...
But I suspect that Jude wants approval from his father too much to do something like that, though if Dovie seriously asked him to...
Chapter LXXXVI
There was another knock on the door. “What?!”
“Geez Dovie, don’t take my head off. Just delivering something.”
I opened the door and Clewis walked in with a box. “It’s from Mrs. Hopkins and her sisters. She said to open it now ‘cause knowing Frankie and the girls you’ll likely need it.”
His words made me afraid to open the box, especially with him standing right there. I gave him the stare down eye but all he did was start grinning. “What?” I snapped.
“For a girl who is about to get married you sure are jumpy and cranky. Keep that up and people will be thinking that this is a shotgun wedding whether you want them to or not.”
“Oh you!” I said, looking around for something to throw. When I didn’t find anything I turned back around. “You better not be spreading that kind of talk. You know doggone good and well this isn’t a shotgun wedding.”
He snorted. “I know, I know. Ol’ Jude has gone straight as a board … or maybe I should just make that straight and boring.” I gave him the eye again and he laughed. “Ok, ok, don’t get your knickers in a knot Cuz.” Then he surprised me and came over and gave me a hug before saying. “Ain’t got much that you don’t already have so I’m gonna give you some advice. Being married is different. You think you’ve got things figured out and then you find out real fast you don’t. It’s a lot more work than you’re gonna expect it to be.” More seriously he added, “And on some days you’ll look at the person you married and wonder any number of things like how you missed noticing things about them before, are they still the same person, were they ever that person to begin with, do they still feel the same for you, and a whole boatload of other uncomfortable crap. Just keep having faith that whatever troubles you face will make you stronger, refuse to take the easy way out, and you’ll find that things eventually even out. ‘Bout the only thing I can tell you that’s worth saying at this point. But … if you want to talk … ever … well look me up and I’ll hear you out. Might not say what you wanna hear but I’ll still listen.”
“Aw Clewis …”
“Oh don’t start that. I am out of here before Dad pounds me for making you water up.” I had to laugh at how fast he took off and it was just the thing to stop the tears that threatened at his suddenly being nice to me when he was normally such a stinker.
I turned and opened the box and on top of some white gift tissue was a note.
Dear Dovie,
It is all so romantic, just so, so romantic. It is like one of those scandalous books in the lending library … of course my sisters and I have never actually read them but the covers are enough to make a grown woman blush. And young Jude has taken the part of the reformed rake and you the maiden fair. [Uh huh … sounds to me they’d read more than one or three of those so-called scandalous books.] However, swept off your feet or not, tradition must needs observing. Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. It would please us very much if you would “borrow” our Aunt Ophelia’s stole … it is real white mink don’t you know. We heard of Frances’ design plans for your dress and imagine that you might find it just the thing. Your parents would be so proud.
Love from us All!!
I pulled the tissue paper back and lying nestled inside was a lump of fur; I guess in fancy circles they are called a stole. I couldn’t help a hysterical giggle escaping. I was going to look like something out of a tabloid magazine by the time people were finished dressing me up. First the lingerie the girls had put together, then how they’d altered the dress, now a mink wrap. Oh well, at least now I’d be warm and all of the poppable features would be less visible just in case of an escape.
I was running out of time and couldn’t put it off any longer. I skinnied out of my heavy winter coat, my work overalls, and every day long johns – growing closer and closer to resembling an icicle as each layer came off – and then back into more silk and lace than I had ever worn in my life. I quickly pulled on the only warm thing Aunt Frankie had allowed for – thick thigh high tights that looked like they’d been made to be worn by one of those silly looking manga characters (probably Faith’s contribution) – and then slid my feet inside the white ankle boots that had been Mom’s. The boots could be my “something old”. The dress was the “something new”. The stole was the “something borrowed” but I had no idea where I was going to get “something blue.”
I left off worrying about it because I realized trying to do up the dress was going to be next to impossible by myself. Lucky for me there was another knock and Tiffany asked, “Dovie?”
I shuffled over to the door with the roughly gazillion crinolines under the dress hampering every step and let her in. “Thank goodness. I thought I was going to have to send out an SOS.”
“What’s an SOS?”
“It means I need some help. Can you get this for me? I swear, what nutter thought that it would be cute to run shoe strings all up the back of a dress. Haven’t they ever heard of the modern invention of zippers or buttons?”
Tiff smiled then surprised me by saying, “Momma hated fussy clothes too.”
“She did?”
“Uh huh. She would have Grammy change buttons on her clothes to plain ones and take off collars even sometimes. Grammy said it was because Momma’s mom, my other grandmother that we didn’t see much, was forever dressing Momma up like a doll when she was little.”
“Is that so? I suppose I might feel the same way too in her shoes.”
She was quiet again and I worried that I had said the wrong thing but when she said, “Finished” I turned around to find that she was still smiling. I didn’t push but I hoped that maybe with time Tiff would let more things out rather than holding them in. Memories can only hurt you when you don’t share them. Maybe I need to make a point of talking to Paulie more. And I should include Uncle James in that as well. I was the only one left that could share that part of his story with him.
Mimi picked that moment to slam through the door like a buffalo and then stopped short driving all other thoughts from my mind when she said in a voice that could be heard all the way to Nashville, “Dovie! Did your dress shrink in the wash? You’re front is all showing and looks like it is about to fall out!”
There was another knock on the door. “What?!”
“Geez Dovie, don’t take my head off. Just delivering something.”
I opened the door and Clewis walked in with a box. “It’s from Mrs. Hopkins and her sisters. She said to open it now ‘cause knowing Frankie and the girls you’ll likely need it.”
His words made me afraid to open the box, especially with him standing right there. I gave him the stare down eye but all he did was start grinning. “What?” I snapped.
“For a girl who is about to get married you sure are jumpy and cranky. Keep that up and people will be thinking that this is a shotgun wedding whether you want them to or not.”
“Oh you!” I said, looking around for something to throw. When I didn’t find anything I turned back around. “You better not be spreading that kind of talk. You know doggone good and well this isn’t a shotgun wedding.”
He snorted. “I know, I know. Ol’ Jude has gone straight as a board … or maybe I should just make that straight and boring.” I gave him the eye again and he laughed. “Ok, ok, don’t get your knickers in a knot Cuz.” Then he surprised me and came over and gave me a hug before saying. “Ain’t got much that you don’t already have so I’m gonna give you some advice. Being married is different. You think you’ve got things figured out and then you find out real fast you don’t. It’s a lot more work than you’re gonna expect it to be.” More seriously he added, “And on some days you’ll look at the person you married and wonder any number of things like how you missed noticing things about them before, are they still the same person, were they ever that person to begin with, do they still feel the same for you, and a whole boatload of other uncomfortable crap. Just keep having faith that whatever troubles you face will make you stronger, refuse to take the easy way out, and you’ll find that things eventually even out. ‘Bout the only thing I can tell you that’s worth saying at this point. But … if you want to talk … ever … well look me up and I’ll hear you out. Might not say what you wanna hear but I’ll still listen.”
“Aw Clewis …”
“Oh don’t start that. I am out of here before Dad pounds me for making you water up.” I had to laugh at how fast he took off and it was just the thing to stop the tears that threatened at his suddenly being nice to me when he was normally such a stinker.
I turned and opened the box and on top of some white gift tissue was a note.
Dear Dovie,
It is all so romantic, just so, so romantic. It is like one of those scandalous books in the lending library … of course my sisters and I have never actually read them but the covers are enough to make a grown woman blush. And young Jude has taken the part of the reformed rake and you the maiden fair. [Uh huh … sounds to me they’d read more than one or three of those so-called scandalous books.] However, swept off your feet or not, tradition must needs observing. Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. It would please us very much if you would “borrow” our Aunt Ophelia’s stole … it is real white mink don’t you know. We heard of Frances’ design plans for your dress and imagine that you might find it just the thing. Your parents would be so proud.
Love from us All!!
I pulled the tissue paper back and lying nestled inside was a lump of fur; I guess in fancy circles they are called a stole. I couldn’t help a hysterical giggle escaping. I was going to look like something out of a tabloid magazine by the time people were finished dressing me up. First the lingerie the girls had put together, then how they’d altered the dress, now a mink wrap. Oh well, at least now I’d be warm and all of the poppable features would be less visible just in case of an escape.
I was running out of time and couldn’t put it off any longer. I skinnied out of my heavy winter coat, my work overalls, and every day long johns – growing closer and closer to resembling an icicle as each layer came off – and then back into more silk and lace than I had ever worn in my life. I quickly pulled on the only warm thing Aunt Frankie had allowed for – thick thigh high tights that looked like they’d been made to be worn by one of those silly looking manga characters (probably Faith’s contribution) – and then slid my feet inside the white ankle boots that had been Mom’s. The boots could be my “something old”. The dress was the “something new”. The stole was the “something borrowed” but I had no idea where I was going to get “something blue.”
I left off worrying about it because I realized trying to do up the dress was going to be next to impossible by myself. Lucky for me there was another knock and Tiffany asked, “Dovie?”
I shuffled over to the door with the roughly gazillion crinolines under the dress hampering every step and let her in. “Thank goodness. I thought I was going to have to send out an SOS.”
“What’s an SOS?”
“It means I need some help. Can you get this for me? I swear, what nutter thought that it would be cute to run shoe strings all up the back of a dress. Haven’t they ever heard of the modern invention of zippers or buttons?”
Tiff smiled then surprised me by saying, “Momma hated fussy clothes too.”
“She did?”
“Uh huh. She would have Grammy change buttons on her clothes to plain ones and take off collars even sometimes. Grammy said it was because Momma’s mom, my other grandmother that we didn’t see much, was forever dressing Momma up like a doll when she was little.”
“Is that so? I suppose I might feel the same way too in her shoes.”
She was quiet again and I worried that I had said the wrong thing but when she said, “Finished” I turned around to find that she was still smiling. I didn’t push but I hoped that maybe with time Tiff would let more things out rather than holding them in. Memories can only hurt you when you don’t share them. Maybe I need to make a point of talking to Paulie more. And I should include Uncle James in that as well. I was the only one left that could share that part of his story with him.
Mimi picked that moment to slam through the door like a buffalo and then stopped short driving all other thoughts from my mind when she said in a voice that could be heard all the way to Nashville, “Dovie! Did your dress shrink in the wash? You’re front is all showing and looks like it is about to fall out!”
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Lol kids yeah always say what they are thinking, thank you. Another chapter was wonderful.
I have clothes on the line and things watered and trying to now stay off my foot and being able to read another chapter was wonderful.
Another chapter was wonderful. I have clothes on the line and things watered and trying to now stay off my foot and being able to read another chapter was wonderful.
goinpostal
Contributing Member
Little kid seem to be able to make the simple serious truth's,seriously funny.
Thank you Kathy!
Matt
Thank you Kathy!
Matt
Chapter LXXXVII
Tiff took one look at my face and grabbed Mimi and drug her backwards out of the room by her scruff. Before I had a chance to recover my equilibrium River and Crystal ran in, took one look at my face, and then burst out laughing.
If there had been a hole I would have gladly jumped in it. “I swear, I’m gonna die … I’m just … gonna … die!”
River hiccupped another laugh. If I hadn’t known better I would have said both of them had been into some of the Special Recipe at some point during the morning. “Oh Dovie, your face is priceless.”
Even Crystal was laughing. “You poor thing. Would it help if I was to tell you that Clewis was almost exactly like Mimi on our wedding day? We had written these really beautiful vows. They were just about the most romantic thing you could imagine and took weeks to get just the way we wanted them. Only Clewis somehow dropped the copy of his someplace between the car and the little chapel we hiked to for the ceremony and wound up adlibbing the whole thing. We were married at a mountain overlook and I swear it took me a few moments to decide whether to say I do or to throw him over the cliff edge.”
“Do you regret choosing the ‘I do’ over the toss?”
She stopped short like she hadn’t expected the question. Then her face got real soft and she said, “No. I don’t regret it.” But then she got a thread of deviltry in her eyes and voice, “But don’t tell him, I still threaten to find something to throw him over on occasion.” A voice in my head wondered if maybe Clewis didn’t need to be told after all; he’d had a funny look on his face when he was giving me his gift of advice.
River, focusing on their intentions told me, “We’re here to do your hair.”
“My hair? I was just going to …”
“Braid it. Yeah, we heard. Now sit down but try not to crinkle your dress.”
Looking at their faces I realized I had better resign myself to their “help” or we were liable to be there long enough that Jude might wonder whether I had changed my mind. By the time they were finished frizzing and teasing my hair, it looked to me my head was covered in schizophrenic tornadoes. I had no idea how they’d managed to get the heavy, straight mess of my hair to actually stay the way it was. I was concerned that I might not ever be able to get the mess brushed out.
“Perfect,” they both pronounced.
“Perfect?”
“Oh yeah. This hair style was all the rage in Hollywood when what’s her name got married.”
“Humph. What’s her name, if it is who I think you mean, had scads of money, scads of friends, scads of time to undo all the mess she got done up in, and got married during the summer. She didn’t have to go home and cook dinner for a house full of kids or sew the back end of a pair of men’s underdrawers back together where an ornery mule decided to try and take a chunk out. And just in case you two haven’t noticed, this isn’t Hollywood, it’s Tennessee and it’s the middle of the flaming winter.”
“Ok fine … instead of Hollywood try thinking of it as Dollywood then or the Opry. And look at this gorgeous thing that Mrs. Hopkins donated to the cause; at least you won’t be cold.”
“I don’t care if it was as hot as Beezlebub’s back forty, I’m just happy to be covered up. I swear, if those shoe strings give out during the ceremony someone is gonna get seriously injured from all the things popping and going every which direction.”
That set them laughing again. Aunt Frankie stuck her head in the door and said, “Y’all stop playing and start behaving. It’s time to be seated. River, Crystal … you walk down with the boys. Dovie, you wait here. Paulie will give the all-clear sign that Jude has gone down to the front near the altar … Rochelle thought she was going to have to give him oxygen there for a minute he was just that blue around his lips … then the little girls will walk forward and then he will walk you down.”
With that I was alone in the room once again only this time I wasn’t mad or frantic … I was scared. “Dear Lord, you’ve watched over me my whole life. I know you have. I’m sure it has been quite a bit of work too. You got me through losing the twins, losing Dad, losing Mom, having to grow up before I expected to, and helping me to get the kids to where we are now. I’m pretty sure that maybe you made Jude such a hard head to begin with to make him like he is now so that I would have the man that I need and that would understand me. And he is a good man but I know he has some problems, same as I do. I know he needs me in his way the same as the kids need me in theirs; that he is troubled by temptations that he needs me to bolster him for. Help me to be up to this. I want it to work but I can’t do this without your help. And please, while I’m asking, can you make sure nothing falls out that isn’t supposed to? I know Aunt Frankie and the girls meant well, and I admit the dress is pretty, but I’d just as soon get married in a bathrobe as have to worry that all my parts might not stay moving in the same direction if you know what I mean. Amen.”
Thinking of Jude I realized his lips could be the “something blue”; I just hoped he wouldn’t pass out like everyone was worried, that’s all we would need to turn this into a Chinese fire drill. Right on time Paulie knocked like a gentleman and then stuck his head in the door. “Wow. You look … er … nice.”
“I look like ten pounds of potatoes stuck in a five pound sack and we both know it. Can you do up the latch on this wrap thing? I’m afraid of wiggling around too much.”
He blushed a little and said, “I reckon so.” When it was hooked he stood back and said, “That’s better. You don’t look all … you know …”
“Boy do I know. Aunt Frankie got a hold of the dress before I knew what was happening and then there wasn’t time to do up a new one.”
“Well … it’s not bad. I guess it is kinda nice looking. It just don’t look like you none. And what happened to your hair?”
I snorted. “River and Crystal. They think I look fashionable.”
“Uh …”
“Yeah, me too.” I looked at him and we both smile understanding exactly our opinion of the dress and the hairdo. I said, “I guess it’s time?”
He nodded. “Yeah.” We were about to go out of the room when Paulie stopped and asked me, “Dovie, will this change things?”
“What things?”
“Things … you know.”
I thought for a second. “Some things it might. But we’ve already worked a lot of stuff out. It’ll change more for Jude and me than it will for you guys. Are you ok with that?”
“I … I guess. Do you want things to change for you and Jude? You know, the … the grown up stuff. Uncle Roe isn’t making you is he? Or Jude?”
I gave my brother a quick hug. “No. They aren’t forcing the grown up stuff on me. Jude and I really want to be together. We just didn’t expect to be able to this fast. It kinda startled us.”
“Ok, so long as you’re sure.” Then he stopped and stuck out his arm like someone had shown him. I pretended I was a lady and took the proffered limb he’d offered. It was time to get the show on the road.
Tiff took one look at my face and grabbed Mimi and drug her backwards out of the room by her scruff. Before I had a chance to recover my equilibrium River and Crystal ran in, took one look at my face, and then burst out laughing.
If there had been a hole I would have gladly jumped in it. “I swear, I’m gonna die … I’m just … gonna … die!”
River hiccupped another laugh. If I hadn’t known better I would have said both of them had been into some of the Special Recipe at some point during the morning. “Oh Dovie, your face is priceless.”
Even Crystal was laughing. “You poor thing. Would it help if I was to tell you that Clewis was almost exactly like Mimi on our wedding day? We had written these really beautiful vows. They were just about the most romantic thing you could imagine and took weeks to get just the way we wanted them. Only Clewis somehow dropped the copy of his someplace between the car and the little chapel we hiked to for the ceremony and wound up adlibbing the whole thing. We were married at a mountain overlook and I swear it took me a few moments to decide whether to say I do or to throw him over the cliff edge.”
“Do you regret choosing the ‘I do’ over the toss?”
She stopped short like she hadn’t expected the question. Then her face got real soft and she said, “No. I don’t regret it.” But then she got a thread of deviltry in her eyes and voice, “But don’t tell him, I still threaten to find something to throw him over on occasion.” A voice in my head wondered if maybe Clewis didn’t need to be told after all; he’d had a funny look on his face when he was giving me his gift of advice.
River, focusing on their intentions told me, “We’re here to do your hair.”
“My hair? I was just going to …”
“Braid it. Yeah, we heard. Now sit down but try not to crinkle your dress.”
Looking at their faces I realized I had better resign myself to their “help” or we were liable to be there long enough that Jude might wonder whether I had changed my mind. By the time they were finished frizzing and teasing my hair, it looked to me my head was covered in schizophrenic tornadoes. I had no idea how they’d managed to get the heavy, straight mess of my hair to actually stay the way it was. I was concerned that I might not ever be able to get the mess brushed out.
“Perfect,” they both pronounced.
“Perfect?”
“Oh yeah. This hair style was all the rage in Hollywood when what’s her name got married.”
“Humph. What’s her name, if it is who I think you mean, had scads of money, scads of friends, scads of time to undo all the mess she got done up in, and got married during the summer. She didn’t have to go home and cook dinner for a house full of kids or sew the back end of a pair of men’s underdrawers back together where an ornery mule decided to try and take a chunk out. And just in case you two haven’t noticed, this isn’t Hollywood, it’s Tennessee and it’s the middle of the flaming winter.”
“Ok fine … instead of Hollywood try thinking of it as Dollywood then or the Opry. And look at this gorgeous thing that Mrs. Hopkins donated to the cause; at least you won’t be cold.”
“I don’t care if it was as hot as Beezlebub’s back forty, I’m just happy to be covered up. I swear, if those shoe strings give out during the ceremony someone is gonna get seriously injured from all the things popping and going every which direction.”
That set them laughing again. Aunt Frankie stuck her head in the door and said, “Y’all stop playing and start behaving. It’s time to be seated. River, Crystal … you walk down with the boys. Dovie, you wait here. Paulie will give the all-clear sign that Jude has gone down to the front near the altar … Rochelle thought she was going to have to give him oxygen there for a minute he was just that blue around his lips … then the little girls will walk forward and then he will walk you down.”
With that I was alone in the room once again only this time I wasn’t mad or frantic … I was scared. “Dear Lord, you’ve watched over me my whole life. I know you have. I’m sure it has been quite a bit of work too. You got me through losing the twins, losing Dad, losing Mom, having to grow up before I expected to, and helping me to get the kids to where we are now. I’m pretty sure that maybe you made Jude such a hard head to begin with to make him like he is now so that I would have the man that I need and that would understand me. And he is a good man but I know he has some problems, same as I do. I know he needs me in his way the same as the kids need me in theirs; that he is troubled by temptations that he needs me to bolster him for. Help me to be up to this. I want it to work but I can’t do this without your help. And please, while I’m asking, can you make sure nothing falls out that isn’t supposed to? I know Aunt Frankie and the girls meant well, and I admit the dress is pretty, but I’d just as soon get married in a bathrobe as have to worry that all my parts might not stay moving in the same direction if you know what I mean. Amen.”
Thinking of Jude I realized his lips could be the “something blue”; I just hoped he wouldn’t pass out like everyone was worried, that’s all we would need to turn this into a Chinese fire drill. Right on time Paulie knocked like a gentleman and then stuck his head in the door. “Wow. You look … er … nice.”
“I look like ten pounds of potatoes stuck in a five pound sack and we both know it. Can you do up the latch on this wrap thing? I’m afraid of wiggling around too much.”
He blushed a little and said, “I reckon so.” When it was hooked he stood back and said, “That’s better. You don’t look all … you know …”
“Boy do I know. Aunt Frankie got a hold of the dress before I knew what was happening and then there wasn’t time to do up a new one.”
“Well … it’s not bad. I guess it is kinda nice looking. It just don’t look like you none. And what happened to your hair?”
I snorted. “River and Crystal. They think I look fashionable.”
“Uh …”
“Yeah, me too.” I looked at him and we both smile understanding exactly our opinion of the dress and the hairdo. I said, “I guess it’s time?”
He nodded. “Yeah.” We were about to go out of the room when Paulie stopped and asked me, “Dovie, will this change things?”
“What things?”
“Things … you know.”
I thought for a second. “Some things it might. But we’ve already worked a lot of stuff out. It’ll change more for Jude and me than it will for you guys. Are you ok with that?”
“I … I guess. Do you want things to change for you and Jude? You know, the … the grown up stuff. Uncle Roe isn’t making you is he? Or Jude?”
I gave my brother a quick hug. “No. They aren’t forcing the grown up stuff on me. Jude and I really want to be together. We just didn’t expect to be able to this fast. It kinda startled us.”
“Ok, so long as you’re sure.” Then he stopped and stuck out his arm like someone had shown him. I pretended I was a lady and took the proffered limb he’d offered. It was time to get the show on the road.
bad_karma00
Underachiever
Love that Paulie. These chapters have painted a hilarious scene of a 'shotgun' wedding scene, absent shotgun, and still touched on the softer side of things. And how cool is Clewis! That was a very touching scene.
Methinks things will change, but maybe not the way Paulie is worried about? Good on him anyway, looking after his sister.
Bad
Methinks things will change, but maybe not the way Paulie is worried about? Good on him anyway, looking after his sister.
Bad
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
THank you wow
Aw I just feel so sorry for her lol. Her hair and her dress all messed up. Its like the day you want to feel so pretty, and even if you don't have much money.. you get to be yourself, and show who you are by how you look that day.. and they made her feel icky and silly. I hope Jude likes it because that will help.
naturallysweet
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Seems like some of the weddings I've attended. All the drama from the family members and their expectations are pushed onto the hapless bride. Who either ignores everything or has a mental breakdown before the wedding. Makes eloping look to be the smartest option and makes the story very believable.
Thanks for the 3 chapters. Eagerly looking for more.
Thanks for the 3 chapters. Eagerly looking for more.
Thats what happened at my sisters wedding. All kinds of drama for 6 months!!! I called my immediate family and told them, "I am getting married in two hours, bring my suit." My mama still got a photographer out of bed at 11pm to take the pics!!
WAB
Chapter LXXXVIII
Paulie and I walked out into the foyer area and waited for the little girls to walk down the aisle. While I fussed trying to get the veil up over my face without pulling all the pins and combs out of my hair that had been used to park it in place I heard Faith tell my bridesmaids, “Just pretend you are on a runway and you are all models. You are all just soooo pretty. Everyone is going to just love you to pieces.”
I shook my head as Faith snuck into the sanctuary to sit down. I knew her words had been a mistake as soon as they came out of her mouth. I really knew it was a mistake when I saw all the little girls look at each other and grin. Oh Lord did that look have mischief written all over it. Then as they started walking and I had a hard time not busting out laughing. Finally I was finding something funny about the day. They were mimicking what they must have seen on tv or in a magazine at some point but I don’t think they hit the mark they were aiming for; they looked more like marionettes whose strings were being pulled too hard. They were really wiggling their behinds as they walked and trying to look grown up and sophisticated. I had to cover my mouth with my hand when I saw Faith looking on with horror. “That’s not what I told them to do,” she gasped.
I looked up the aisle at people’s faces and I had to hold onto Paulie to keep from sinking to my knees with the giggles. Tiffany, as the oldest, was the last one out. She turned around and looked at me doubtfully before saying, “I ain’t doing that. I’ll just walk normal. OK?” Tears were streaming down my eyes and all I could do was nod.
Then Paulie and I were standing at the door and I got a look at Jude who was watching the little girls take their places. He was scratching his head and looking confused. Brother Shirley looked like he was going to have to duck behind the pulpit to pull himself together. I heard lots of chuckles in the congregation and then heard Aunt Frankie mutter, “Oh for Heaven’s sake. I’m sure I said walk, not strut. They look like waddling ducklings.”
I glanced at Bobby, Lonnie, and even Corey and had to control another fit of laugher. They were looking at the girls like they had some strange disease and had backed away from them up into the legs of the grown men who were standing up with Jude.
I was wondering why all the men in the family were up there when suddenly Uncle Roe stepped forward and walked up there too and from behind the half wall that separate the choir loft from the rest of the stage the men all took shotguns. Uncle Roe looked at the organist and gave a nod and then the wedding march started up in earnest.
I looked over at Paulie and asked, “Were you in on this?”
“Uh uh. No way,” he said over a gulp. “I told ‘em you were liable to get upset but Uncle Roe just laughed and said that he’d take care of it.”
“Oh he did did he?”
“C’mon Dovie, don’t blow up now. Jude looks desperate and kinda puke-y.”
I looked up the aisle and indeed Jude was looking pretty worried and more than a little green. For him I’d put up with Uncle Roe’s lark but there’d be payback just as soon as I could come up with something good. I told him I didn’t want people thinking it was a shotgun wedding and what does he do? All but make sure that everyone absolutely will.
I nearly dragged Paulie down the aisle. I mounted the steps and you could hear the crack of my heels on each wooden riser. The look I gave Uncle Roe nearly melted holes in my veil and would have roasted him medium well done if he had been a goose. As it was even he figured out that he’d maybe taken his joke a little too far.
I looked at Jude and asked quietly. “Are you ok?”
“Yeah. I swear Dovie, I didn’t hear about this stuff until they marched me out here. I wouldn’t have let anyone spring it on your like this.”
I shrugged, trying to make out like it was no big deal. “Oh, they’ll get theirs one of these days. I just don’t want you upset.”
Still gulping air Jude answered, “I … er … well, I’m not upset if you’re not.”
“Oh no, I’m fine as frog’s hair.” Only my tone must have alerted him that a nuclear blast was eminent.
“Uh … ok … yeah … uh …” He turned a panicked eye to Brother Shirley and said, “Maybe we oughta get started.”
Brother Shirley took one look at me and blotted the sweat building on his forehead and upper lip despite the snow on the ground outside. He cleared his throat and said, “Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the Lord’s House and in the presence of these witnesses, to join this man Jude Killarney, and this woman Dovie Doherty, in matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men; and therefore is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly.” He arched an eyebrow and gave Uncle Roe a what for look.
Then he continued, “Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”
At that there was a huge crash and a large group of men ran in with guns drawn. “Don’t anyone move!”
I looked over at Uncle Roe and nearly threw my bouquet at him. “I just cannot believe you! Wasn’t the shotguns enough?!”
Uncle Roe had quite a look on his face as he said, “Little Sister, I have no idee who these men are.”
Paulie and I walked out into the foyer area and waited for the little girls to walk down the aisle. While I fussed trying to get the veil up over my face without pulling all the pins and combs out of my hair that had been used to park it in place I heard Faith tell my bridesmaids, “Just pretend you are on a runway and you are all models. You are all just soooo pretty. Everyone is going to just love you to pieces.”
I shook my head as Faith snuck into the sanctuary to sit down. I knew her words had been a mistake as soon as they came out of her mouth. I really knew it was a mistake when I saw all the little girls look at each other and grin. Oh Lord did that look have mischief written all over it. Then as they started walking and I had a hard time not busting out laughing. Finally I was finding something funny about the day. They were mimicking what they must have seen on tv or in a magazine at some point but I don’t think they hit the mark they were aiming for; they looked more like marionettes whose strings were being pulled too hard. They were really wiggling their behinds as they walked and trying to look grown up and sophisticated. I had to cover my mouth with my hand when I saw Faith looking on with horror. “That’s not what I told them to do,” she gasped.
I looked up the aisle at people’s faces and I had to hold onto Paulie to keep from sinking to my knees with the giggles. Tiffany, as the oldest, was the last one out. She turned around and looked at me doubtfully before saying, “I ain’t doing that. I’ll just walk normal. OK?” Tears were streaming down my eyes and all I could do was nod.
Then Paulie and I were standing at the door and I got a look at Jude who was watching the little girls take their places. He was scratching his head and looking confused. Brother Shirley looked like he was going to have to duck behind the pulpit to pull himself together. I heard lots of chuckles in the congregation and then heard Aunt Frankie mutter, “Oh for Heaven’s sake. I’m sure I said walk, not strut. They look like waddling ducklings.”
I glanced at Bobby, Lonnie, and even Corey and had to control another fit of laugher. They were looking at the girls like they had some strange disease and had backed away from them up into the legs of the grown men who were standing up with Jude.
I was wondering why all the men in the family were up there when suddenly Uncle Roe stepped forward and walked up there too and from behind the half wall that separate the choir loft from the rest of the stage the men all took shotguns. Uncle Roe looked at the organist and gave a nod and then the wedding march started up in earnest.
I looked over at Paulie and asked, “Were you in on this?”
“Uh uh. No way,” he said over a gulp. “I told ‘em you were liable to get upset but Uncle Roe just laughed and said that he’d take care of it.”
“Oh he did did he?”
“C’mon Dovie, don’t blow up now. Jude looks desperate and kinda puke-y.”
I looked up the aisle and indeed Jude was looking pretty worried and more than a little green. For him I’d put up with Uncle Roe’s lark but there’d be payback just as soon as I could come up with something good. I told him I didn’t want people thinking it was a shotgun wedding and what does he do? All but make sure that everyone absolutely will.
I nearly dragged Paulie down the aisle. I mounted the steps and you could hear the crack of my heels on each wooden riser. The look I gave Uncle Roe nearly melted holes in my veil and would have roasted him medium well done if he had been a goose. As it was even he figured out that he’d maybe taken his joke a little too far.
I looked at Jude and asked quietly. “Are you ok?”
“Yeah. I swear Dovie, I didn’t hear about this stuff until they marched me out here. I wouldn’t have let anyone spring it on your like this.”
I shrugged, trying to make out like it was no big deal. “Oh, they’ll get theirs one of these days. I just don’t want you upset.”
Still gulping air Jude answered, “I … er … well, I’m not upset if you’re not.”
“Oh no, I’m fine as frog’s hair.” Only my tone must have alerted him that a nuclear blast was eminent.
“Uh … ok … yeah … uh …” He turned a panicked eye to Brother Shirley and said, “Maybe we oughta get started.”
Brother Shirley took one look at me and blotted the sweat building on his forehead and upper lip despite the snow on the ground outside. He cleared his throat and said, “Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the Lord’s House and in the presence of these witnesses, to join this man Jude Killarney, and this woman Dovie Doherty, in matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men; and therefore is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly.” He arched an eyebrow and gave Uncle Roe a what for look.
Then he continued, “Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace.”
At that there was a huge crash and a large group of men ran in with guns drawn. “Don’t anyone move!”
I looked over at Uncle Roe and nearly threw my bouquet at him. “I just cannot believe you! Wasn’t the shotguns enough?!”
Uncle Roe had quite a look on his face as he said, “Little Sister, I have no idee who these men are.”
Last edited:
