A Seed Planted

by Cat FitzGerald

  A sudden clap of thunder put an end to Marley’s reminiscing. He loaded the remaining bales on the trailer, called for Coco, Jean’s chocolate Lab, climbed in the truck, and rumbled across the pasture. Thirty minutes later, the hay was unloaded, the animals were contentedly munching, and he was washing up in the large tin tub just inside the barn door. He stepped out into the yard just as fat raindrops began to fall. Pulling his shirt over his head, he made a mad dash for the screened-in back porch, letting the door slam behind him as it punctuated the lightning bolt that lit up the afternoon sky. He sat in one of the old rockers and watched the show for a while. The Readys had asked him to stay and look after the farm in exchange for room and board as well as a percentage of whatever was made on the harvest. He wasn’t getting rich by any stretch, but he was doing okay. His grandmother left him some money, so he wasn’t worried for now. He knew Miss Jean left some money as well to JuJu as a graduation present. He assumed she was happily spending it up in the big city.

  What kind of person just moves away and ignores their family? I mean, I get the deal with her folks, but still. Family is family. You take the good with the bad.

  Even though he and his mother weren’t close, he called her and sent presents for her birthday and went to see her at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was awkward, but he did what was right. He thought this JuJu girl was going to have some major regrets one day if she didn’t make amends with her parents. Not usually one for passing judgment, Marley just shook his head. I just don’t think much of that girl. I just don’t. But Miss Jean sure did think the world of her, so I guess she can’t be all bad. And with that, he went inside to take a shower and think about something to eat.

  Chapter 10

  April 1971

  Julia was beside herself with excitement. The years of hard work were coming to an end, and next month she would walk away with a master’s degree in education as well as a brand-new job. The company she’d been working part-time with for the past two years offered her a full-time management position upon graduation, but she turned them down. She enjoyed her time there and would be forever grateful for the opportunity the job had given her, but it just wasn’t in the plan to spend her life handling insurance claims. The money was certainly good, and the potential for climbing the corporate ladder excellent as well. Her boss was sorry to see her go but gave her his best wishes and told her she was always welcome to come back if she changed her mind.

  Surprising even herself, Julia decided upon receiving her undergraduate diploma that she wanted to teach. Thinking she might like to teach high school, or even college, she enrolled in the graduate program at USC. Her excellent grades and work ethic captured the attention of her professors as well as the department head.

  Julia knew she would get the best recommendations as she began the interviewing process, but she was shocked to receive a job offer as an assistant professor in the child and adolescent psychology department. She was over the moon excited and, once the contract was signed, bought her first car to celebrate. She would be moving into her own apartment the day before graduation. Although she wouldn’t start her job until late summer, she decided to give notice at the insurance company so she could enjoy some downtime before officially becoming an adult, a contributing member of society. She lived frugally during her school years and still had much of the inheritance from her grandmother. Now, it was time to enjoy life for a couple of months. She would move her few personal possessions into her tiny apartment and then go furniture shopping. Cooking was never her thing, so she had enough kitchen items to make do, and there was a laundromat in the building. Overdue for new bedding, she added that to her mental shopping list as well. A small TV would be nice, too, she thought. However, the news these days was all about the Vietnam War, so she didn’t know how much she’d actually watch. She hated war. Two of her former coworkers were drafted, and one of them didn’t make it home. Fortunately, he was not married, so there would be no widow left behind, or children, but it was terribly sad just the same. She’d heard he had a younger brother still living at home with their parents. She couldn’t imagine their grief.

  Wondering if her parents would grieve her death, Julia shook her thoughts to the future. She was not walking to receive her diploma, so this time, there would be no dealing with Martha and Malcolm. Her mother wanted to have a big celebration party back home, but Julia nipped that in the bud, telling her mother she would be too busy moving and getting settled. She had managed to avoid going home for the past three years, and the very thought made her stomach clench. Thinking about her grandmother and the old place brought a sudden lump to her throat. Oh, Grandma Jean, I miss you so much. I’m so sorry I didn’t come to see you more. It just hurt too much. Please forgive me.

  July 1971

  Marley Westbrook sat in front of the old TV in the small den. Night was falling, but he did not move to turn on the lights. The coffee in his mug grew tepid as he stared at the black-and-white screen, listening to the anchor report the latest casualties from a war being fought in a tiny country a world away. A war he should have been a part of but never would because of a genetic heart condition. He had been classified 4F and carried a chip on his shoulder ever since. Since he was an only child, this brought great relief to his mother, but it left him feeling like a failure. He didn’t look disabled, so people would ask why he wasn’t fighting alongside his classmates. His explanation only brought raised eyebrows. Trying again and again to get a special exception, he’d begged the doctors to let him through, but they just shook their heads.

  He worked hard, physical jobs his whole life, throughout college as well as the past three years at the Ready farm without any ill effects from his condition.

  Slamming his fist down on the small table to his right, Marley nearly toppled the coffee mug. He grabbed it, stood up, and turned off the set then made his way to the kitchen at the back of the house. Moonlight poured in through the large window over the sink, giving the room a soft but eerie glow. He set his mug on the counter and opened the door to the screened porch. Easing himself into one of the old rockers, Marley gazed across the pasture, the barn, and stables’ black silhouettes against the night sky. He closed his eyes, Coco curled up on the floor beside him.

  “Lord, I don’t understand you, but I’m probably not supposed to. It would be helpful if you would explain yourself sometimes. Just give a little glimpse into what you’re doing. You’re probably tired of me asking the same questions over and over, but why did you give me this heart problem? Why did you give Miss Jean a no-good drunk for a son? Not to mention an inconsiderate snob for a granddaughter? I don’t understand this world we live in, but I’m grateful for what I have. This place is a balm to my heart, and I thank you for the success you’ve blessed me with. I’m not getting rich, but I’m doing fine. My heart’s just heavy tonight for some reason. The war, I guess. So many lives lost. And Malcolm Ready across the road drinking himself into oblivion while his wife smiles and pretends all is well. You know I’ve tried to reach out to them, God, but they just don’t seem to get it. Open their eyes, please. Sorry for all the complaining. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

  The blast from the explosion nearly threw him out of his chair.

  Chapter 11

  By the time the police and fire department moved out, Marley was drenched in sweat and reeked of smoke and gas. After hearing the explosion, he’d torn out across the yard and down the long gravel drive on foot. He could see the flames leaping into the sky beyond the trees at the edge of the highway. Skidding to a stop, he couldn’t believe his eyes. Malcolm and Martha Ready’s house was completely engulfed. It looked like an inferno. He could feel the heat’s intensity from three hundred feet away. Marley knew there was nothing he could do for anyone who might have been inside. He had not seen a car anywhere, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. Sometimes they parked out front, sometimes under the carport out back.

  He pulled his shirt up over his mouth and nose to block the fumes as
much as he could before trying to walk around the side of the house, but the flames ignited every bush and tree within fifty feet of the dwelling, including those at the edge of the small garden Martha tended back behind the tool shed. Helpless, he stood there watching, listening to the sirens in the distance.

  He gave his statement to the police and the fire officials as well as the contact information for the Readys’ next of kin. Julia May Ready. Their daughter he’d never seen or spoken to. Their daughter who did not come to visit her grandmother or even to her funeral.

  She was too busy with graduation and moving. What a crock. Nobody was that busy. He shook his head and stared at the remains of what had been the home of that same daughter at one time. The heat still radiated even though the water from the firehose put out the flames, turning everything into a mucky mess. He wondered if she would even care that her parents died in what seemed a stupid, careless accident. At least, that was the initial conclusion. Most people had gas heaters, gas stoves, gas everything, and with the strong smell of it at the site, it was assumed something malfunctioned and blew the place sky high, Malcolm and Martha included. He was glad not to be the one making that telephone call to Julia Ready, or JuJu, as Miss Jean had called her.

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  Marley was surprised at how cold Julia Ready was. He could feel an almost palpable thread of tension in the air, but given the situation, he guessed that wasn’t surprising. She had called him from the lawyer’s office to let him know she was coming. He’d been expecting her, of course. After all, she was now the sole owner of the property on which he lived and worked as well as the small parcel of land across the road where her parents’ house had stood.

  The official cause of the fire was a ruptured gas line. The rubble had been cleared away shortly after the release of that information. Although he had spoken briefly with Julia at the funeral, she had elected to stay at a hotel rather than her grandmother’s, telling him she would be in touch shortly and he could carry on until further notice. He carried on for two months, wondering when she might swoop in and try to send him packing. He’d gone ahead and ordered what he needed for the fall planting season, not knowing if he would be there to harvest it.

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  They sat in the kitchen with the air conditioner running full blast. It was way too hot to sit on either porch, and the only other unit in the house was in the old servant’s quarters where Marley now slept. Jean had never even put one in her own bedroom upstairs, preferring open windows and the ceiling fan. The small window unit was doing its best to dispel the wicked heat of a South Georgia summer. Coco lay on the floor directly beneath it.

  Marley studied Julia as she gazed around the room, her green-eyed glance falling here and there on objects she’d not seen in years. After a few silent minutes, it landed on him. Her jaw was set, her posture stiff, but he could see deep hurt in her eyes. Maybe she wasn’t so bad after all. He would give her the benefit of the doubt. She was also very pretty in spite of the hardness in her face. Growing up under the same roof with Malcolm and Martha Ready couldn’t have been easy.

  She flipped her long, dark ponytail over her shoulder and spoke, “I want you to stay and run the farm if you’re agreeable. I don’t have time to bother with getting it ready to sell right now, which is not a good time anyway. Maybe after the first of the year, I don’t know yet. I’m starting a new job in a couple of weeks, so the last thing I need to be concerned with is this place. I will be taking a few pieces of furniture, including this table and chairs, hope that’s not a problem for you, some personal things from upstairs, nothing that concerns you, of course. Do you have any questions for me?”

  Marley stared, managed to keep his jaw from dropping. So much for looking on the bright side. This woman had as much tact and grace as a cornered skunk.

  “So...that’s it?” Marley asked, raising one eyebrow.

  “Yes,” Julia responded, also with one raised eyebrow, “what else is there?”

  “Oh, I thought, maybe you’d like to ask about your grandmother. You know, how she was, what she talked about, how things were going on the farm, anything that might show you actually cared.” Marley knew he was speaking out of turn, but he was so angry at this cold, arrogant, snip of a woman he couldn’t stop himself.

  Julia’s anger flared, but not before he saw the rush of tears in her eyes. “How dare you? You are the hired help. What right do you have to question me about anything? I could evict you right this minute if I wanted!”

  “I suppose you could try. Except that your grandmother’s will explicitly stated that I be given six months’ prior notice. And that I can take the animals if I so desire, as well as the truck and any seed already purchased, and any harvest during that period. Oh, and any equipment that I bought, that being the tractor.”

  “How do you know what my grandmother’s will said?” Julia gritted her teeth as she glared at Marley.

  “Because she gave me a copy,” Marley replied, feeling a bit smug. “I helped her with more than just the manual labor, you know.”

  “How do I know you didn’t unduly influence her, take advantage of an old woman?”

  “Your grandmother was the last person anyone could take advantage of. She was as sharp as I am right up to the end. I went with her to John Lincoln’s office, so he could personally witness everything and see that she knew exactly what she was doing. John visited on a regular basis, and we got to know each other outside his law office. He was a good friend to Miss Jean. And to me. She was a little frail physically, but she was a force to be reckoned with when it came to this place and her personal affairs. She always asked me for input, but she made the final decisions. And, I also know that she left the parcel your parents were on to them exclusively, but she left the farm to you jointly with them.” Marley pushed his chair roughly away from the table and stood up. “You don’t know anything because you don’t care.” He turned and walked out the back door, letting it slam as Julia stared after him speechless, shaking with fury and fighting back angry tears.

  Chapter 12

  September 1971

  Julia stood by as the truck driver maneuvered the small moving van into the tight space outside her apartment. For the next hour, she supervised the unloading of boxes and furniture from her grandmother’s home into hers. After they left, she found herself almost paralyzed by the sight of the memories surrounding her. She had made the decision about what to take quickly, not wanting to spend any more time around Marley Westbrook than necessary. What nerve! He acts as though he is Grandma Jean’s heir. Well, some people have lives off the farm, something he is obviously clueless about. I’ll deal with him when the time comes. She was momentarily irritated that her grandmother had hired a perfect stranger to work on the farm, much less live in the house. Of course, her parents had been no help at all. She wondered why Grandma Jean hadn’t just sold everything and moved into that retirement home in town. It looked nice from the outside and would have saved a lot of trouble. As it stood, Julia had to leave things as they were for the next several months.

  She only hoped Marley guy wouldn’t ruin anything and leave her with another mess. Maybe she should go ahead and get in touch with a realtor and start the process for selling the farm next year. The thought made her feel better. She liked having a plan.

  Having settled that in her mind, Julia began opening boxes. She had carefully labeled each one before it went in the moving van and decided to start with the kitchen items. Even though she wasn’t much of a cook, she had taken a number of things that she remembered her grandmother using. Grandma Jean had tried teaching her to cook, but it wasn’t anything in which she had taken much interest. She had learned the basics and could put together a decent meal if she was so inclined. A guy she dated several months ago had hinted on more than one occasion that he missed his mother’s home cooking, clearly implying that he expected her to take up the cause. She had ended
the relationship, suggesting that he find himself a different kind of girl, or failing that, move back home with his mother. Men are so needy. Who has the time?

  For the next several hours, Julia listened to music and unpacked boxes, forcing herself not to become too nostalgic. She was sad that her grandmother was gone, not so much her parents, but she couldn’t change the past and didn’t see the need to dwell on it. People often thought she was a bit hardhearted. She, on the other hand, thought most people were too emotional. Her mother was, and it drove her crazy. Maybe that’s why Malcolm drank so much. She certainly discovered the benefits herself of a little drink now and then, but she was always careful not to overindulge. She kept a clear head at all times. Her work ethic and discipline paid off in school, and she was ready to start the next chapter with her new job.

  Finished with all but one of the boxes from her grandmother’s house, Julia sat back and looked around the apartment. The kitchen table and chairs nestled perfectly in her dining nook, and the other pieces went well with the stuff she already purchased. Her taste was a bit more contemporary than Grandma Jean’s, of course, but the contrast kept the place from looking too sterile. It actually felt good to be surrounded by these things. As she gazed around the room, her eyes fell upon the one box not yet opened. She knew very well what it held and was unready to deal with it. Hurriedly grabbing stuff from her grandmother’s personal items, she deliberately avoided looking too closely at anything. Jean’s jewelry, her hand mirror, a few embroidered handkerchiefs, a bundle of letters, a treasure box, and a bottle of perfume, were just some of the things in the box. Even though JuJu long ago put aside her childish faith, she’d carefully wrapped Grandma Jean’s Bible in a scarf and placed it inside as well. She didn’t really know why. It’s not like she actually believed in God anymore. If He was real, He never did anything for her that she could see. Her current view was if that’s what you needed to get by in life, go for it. She was doing very well on her own, thank you very much, and it was all due to her own hard work. She depended on no one else, and that’s the way she liked it.