by Rye Hart
“I have family here. I have people who love me here Dakota!”
“You left people who loved you behind!” he said angrily.
“I did not leave to spite you or anyone else! When we were children the elders told us to follow our hearts and told us to follow the wind! I did! I followed my path and it led me here, Dakota! If you can’t accept that it’s your problem! The only way I’m leaving here is wrapped in a funeral blanket!” I spit.”
Dakota’s eyes narrowed. “You are choosing these people over your family again?”
“I never chose them over you! They never asked me to stay away from my family. It was you who told me I was no longer welcome! I did not turn my back on you! It was you who turned your backs on me!” I said, my anger rising by the minute.
The rest of the tribe tensed at the words and Dakota opened his mouth to speak, but my mother came forward, her eyes full of joy. She reached out and touched my cheeks.
“My daughter.”
“Mother,” I whispered breathlessly.
She looked past me at Johnathan. “Does this man make you happy?”
I nodded slowly, tears in my eyes. “He’s everything I ever wanted.”
“You’ve had enough time among the settlers to know where your true home is. Are you happy here?”
I nodded again and wiped my eyes as she pulled me into her arms. “If you are happy, then I am happy.”
Dakota seemed shocked but stayed silent when my mother leaned forward and kissed my forehead. I leaned into her, realizing how much I had missed the warmth of her touch.
“I don’t want to choose, mother. I never wanted to choose,” I told her.
She shook her head slowly. “The time for choosing is over. Our people have held onto this belief that we cannot live in peace with the settlers. We believed that we were different species with different goals, but if your journey has taught us anything, it’s that we are all one in the same,” she said simply, nodding her head. “I’m sorry we forced you away. It wasn’t the right thing to do. I can’t speak for everyone here, but I want my daughter back in my life. I’ve missed you so terribly,” she whispered, tears in her eyes.
I wrapped my arms around her and sniffled, holding her close. “Oh mother, please stay?” I begged.
“Of course.”
I turned to look at Dakota, but before I could say anything, he frowned and turned, walking away from the ceremony. A few of his warriors followed, but most of the tribe stayed. I turned to Rebecca.
“Do we have enough room for everyone?”
Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. “Of course we do,” she said, opening her arms.
Johnathan watched Dakota go and looked down at me. “It’s all alright?”
“Yes, my love. This is my mother,” I said, taking both their hands and joining them.
Johnathan smiled and bowed his head politely and my mother smiled in return. Those smiles brought me peace. Of course I had no guarantee that everything was going to be okay, but I did not need one. This was good enough for me. This was hope and that’s all I’d ever really wanted or needed. Asking for a guarantee was just too much.
I approached the altar and the preacher with my hands in Johnathan’s and I stared into his eyes as the preacher began to read from the Bible. When I glanced out at the crowd I was pleased to see that the tribe members had mingled in with the settlers and while they seemed a bit uncomfortable, everyone was trying to make it work.
This was going to be a day that went down in Billing’s history books. This was the day that we brought people from two very different worlds together. I was proud that my wedding could be such a bridge to gap the differences.
The ceremony proceeded and everyone looked on us as we gazed lovingly at one another and repeated our vows.
“You may kiss the bride,” the preacher said when the ceremony was ended.
Johnathan grinned and pulled me close, offering me a deep, loving kiss that took my breath away. Everyone in the crowd stood and cheered and when I pulled away and looked into his eyes I knew that this was the beginning of the rest of my life. Together we’d overcome everything the world had thrown at us. No one expected us to come out of this strong, but here we were, wrapped in each other’s arms and grinning while the world cheered us on.
“Is it everything you’d ever dreamed it would be?” I whispered.
He shook his head slowly and my face fell. Finally, he grinned and kissed me again. “It’s better than I could have ever imagined.”
Chapter Ten
Dakota never came back and my mother stayed. She eventually moved into the house that Johnathan and I bought soon after our wedding. The flat above the shop was just too small for three people and we were planning on having children as soon as possible.
The wedding seemed to strike a chord with everyone. My people and the settlers began making more of an effort to interact on a regular basis and the results were astounding. I was starting to see my culture in everyday places around town. A young woman from my village had even opened up a local restaurant where people could eat traditional native food. To say that I was pleased would be an understatement.
The world around us was growing and flourishing and so were we. I continued to work for Rebecca, going to her house and doing chores. She’d often want me to have tea with her and tell her about everything. She was just as thrilled as I was to see that the settlers were accepting the natives more and more as each day passed. Rebecca had even taken and interest in my native tongue, which I was more than happy to teach her and her daughter.
My people started coming to Johnathan’s blacksmith shop to get their horses shoed. It wasn’t something my people had always done, but when they saw the settler’s horses and realized it made the horses faster and healthier, they were happy to have it done. The cultural exchange that was happening was palatable and I couldn’t even begin to explain how thrilled I was to be seeing people from my childhood every day.
When winter came around I started having severe cramps and getting sick in the morning. It worried Johnathan to death until my mother pointed out that I was probably pregnant. With her little hint in mind, we went to the local doctor and he confirmed my pregnancy.
Heather was born in midsummer and she was everything I could have ever wanted in a child. She had beautiful, honey colored skin, blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was an absolute beauty and so happy. She rarely cried and always had a smile on her face.
Johnathan was more than nervous about fatherhood, but the second he held that child in his arms, all of his worries went away. It was going to be a new adventure and a new challenge to be a father, but he was ready to meet it head on.
I hummed as I walked out to the porch, rocking Heather in my arms. She’d just finished eating and was fast asleep, her dainty little mouth hanging open. I chuckled and wiped away the small drop of milk that had spilled on her chin and looked up toward the path that Johnathan always took home.
When he appeared at the edge of the sunset, I smiled and waved and he waved back. I could already hear him humming and it made me chuckle. He was always humming and it was always off key. When he came to the edge of the porch, he pulled us both into his arms and kissed my forehead gently.
“How was your day, my love?”
“It was good. I suppose I can’t complain. Rebecca came over and dropped off a pie.”
My work for Rebecca was limited at the moment, since I was still recovering from child birth. I was eager to get back to work, but she insisted that I stay home for a while. I had enough money saved up to live off of and Johnathan was still working, but I just got so restless. Having Johnathan home always made me feel better.
He smiled and nodded, just staring down at me. I blushed a little and chuckled. “Yes?”
“I’m just thinking about how lucky I am to have you two.”
“You always say that.”
He smiled and kissed me. “Because it’s true.”
Ev
en after all this time he still made my heart flutter. I had no doubts in my mind that this was where I was meant to be. Right here in Johnathan’s arms. No matter what anyone said, I knew I’d followed the right path.
I’d listened to my heart and it led me to Johnathan.
The End
Drusilla
Chapter One
The trees along Peach Tree Street had begun to bloom, and slowly the city of Atlanta was starting to rebuild. Sherman’s march to sea had spared little, but the people of Atlanta were determined and there were glimpses of the city’s former splendor.
Down at the end of Peach Tree Street was the home of Doctor Timothy Montgomery; all of the town folk called him Doctor Tim. Many say his was the first face they saw when they were born, and others say he is the last face you see when you’re about to meet your maker. He was dedicated to his patients and there at the office on the side of their home is where Silla grew up watching her father and wanting to be a doctor like him. True she had the best teacher and many of the good doctor’s patients were comfortable with Silla taking care of them, but the state of Georgia their rules and one of them being women cannot be doctors. South had its decorum that said women were not doctors.
It was three years ago that an epidemic of pneumonia hit Atlanta. The hospital and clinics were filled and at Mrs. Montgomery’s insistence, the sick were moved into the home on Peach Tree Street and tended to by Silla. With Doctor Tim busy at the hospital, it wasn’t long before Mrs. Montgomery had started to show signs of the symptoms. She kept saying it was just a cold until one afternoon she passed out tending to her son. Jake had recovered but Louise Montgomery was not so lucky. Doctor Tim was at the hospital while his wife was slowly leaving this world. As Silla held her mother’s hand and promised she’d take care of Jake and her father, Louise Montgomery smiled and took her last breath.
Doctor Tim was inconsolable in the days that followed. His devotion to his Louise was his strength and now that rock that had grounded him for so many years was no longer there. It was Silla who had to care for the patients and as the epidemic passed it was clear that the good doctor was only a shell of what he was. He changed as the weeks turned into months, and the good doctor was home less and less. When he wasn’t at the hospital he was at the local bar, The Brass Ring. He wasn’t a drinking man but he had a problem with gambling and luck was not always in his favor. Many a time the good doctor would come home with empty pockets and Silla would have to get him in bed, only to hear him promise he’d never doing it again. Silla would hear him hours later in his room as he spoke to his Louise, taking comfort in talking to his memory of her. There were times Silla would stand at the doorway in tears knowing her father not only missed her mother, but blamed himself for not being there when she passed. As time dragged on Doctor Tim had found life without his wife was too lonely. Even though he still had his children, without Louise, Timothy just didn’t seem to want to go on. It was a dark stormy night on his way home from his rounds when his carriage turned over and he was thrown into the rain just in front of his home. Silla heard the crash and rushed into the street to her father’s side.. She cradled his head on her lap as he looked up at her.
“I’m sorry Louise, I tried to get to you but I was too late. Forgive me Louise.”
Silla looked down at him as tears filled her eyes.
“I forgive you, Timothy I always will forgive you,” Silla told him, knowing that this was what he needed to hear to finally be at peace.
He smiled at her and closed his eyes. Timothy Montgomery had gone to join his Louise, leaving Silla left to face what was to come. Three dark days followed as Silla had to care for her thirteen year brother and face the fact that she had no prospects for employment. Neighbors came to offer sympathy after the funeral and when they stopped, Silla found that they were truly alone.
Silla was not prepared for the reading of her father’s will. It was early afternoon and she sat in Calvin Lockwood’s office as he began to read the document. Silla listened in stunned silence as Calvin read her father’s last will. With both parents gone, she was now the legal guardian of her younger brother and tasked with the responsibility of providing for him. As Calvin read on, Silla’s ability to provide for Jake dwindled. Her father had accumulated many debts and in order to pay them off, their home and possessions would be auctioned off. Silla was left with Jake and not much else. Her grief soon turned to panic.
“I’m sorry Silla,” Calvin said sincerely. “I wish I could have saved the house for you and Jake but the collectors were insistent on getting their money.”
“Mr. Lockwood, how long do we have before we have to leave the house?” Silla asked.
“They are allowing you ninety days before they take over. If there is anything I can do, don’t hesitate to call on me or my wife. Your father and mother were dear friends and we will do all we can to help you.”
“Thank you Mr. Lockwood,” Silla said numbly.
She stood up and headed out of the office, slowly making her way back home. Not home for much longer, she thought as she stared at the structure before her. She had to find a place for her and Jake, and a means of employment to support them. With her father, gone so were his patients and she could not very well go to work as a doctor without formal education. She suddenly remembered there was a safe in the study. Her father always kept some money in there for emergencies and she prayed that he hadn’t gambled that away too. They needed something to live on until she could figure out her next move. She had ninety days. She stepped onto the porch and noticed the local paper at the foot of the door; she picked it up and continued into the house.
“Ellie, I’m home,” she called to her faithful housekeeper as she made a beeline for the study.
“Everything go well Miss Silla?” Ellie said as she appeared in the doorway.
“No, everything did not go well Ellie. We have ninety days to find a new place to live. This is not our home anymore,” Silla said, the words tasting bitter on her tongue.
“Miss Silla, what are you going to do? Why you and Master Jake will be -” she trailed off.
Silla looked at Ellie. “Let’s not worry about that yet Ellie and don’t say a word to Jake either.”
Yes, ma’am. I’ll get you some tea,” the housekeeper said, not knowing what else to do.
As Ellie left the room, Silla tried to hold back the tears. She got up and turned to the back wall where the oil painting of Mama hung. Behind it was the wall safe. Slowly Silla worked the tumblers and pulled he handle to open the safe. There stacked next to her mother’s jewels was the money. Slowly she took the stacks of money and placed them on the desk. She then took out her mother’s jewels; the thought of selling them would break her heart. She sat and counted the money and to her surprise, found five hundred dollars. That would be more than enough to find a place to live and hold them over until she could find a job. Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Ellie ushered Calvin Lockwood into the study.
“Mr. Lockwood, is there something else?” she asked hesitantly. She couldn’t take much more bad news today.
He looked at the jewelry and the money on the desk.
“I’m sorry. I had forgotten to mention that your mother’s jewels also must go.
But I’m not heartless, I’ll leave you two hundred dollars.”
“All of my mother’s jewels?” Silla said, feeling the color drain from her face.
“I’ll let you chose two pieces Silla, one for you and one for Jake. It’s the best I can do,” he said with genuine remorse. Silla looked at him, and then took her mother’s wedding band for herself and one of her favorite broches for Jake to have. She looked at the emerald necklace that was her mother’s favorite, and gently placed it in Calvin’s hands.
“She always loved this this necklace. It was a birthday gift from papa.”
She rose from the desk and left Calvin alone in the study. She needed time to herself to think, and she retreated upstairs to her bedroom sanctuary. N
inety days is all she had for a miracle to happen for her.
Later that afternoon when Silla came down for supper, Jake was already eating. He looked up at her as she entered the dining room.
“Mr. Lockwood told me we to move out Silla, why?” he asked.
“Well Jake, papa had owed a lot of money to people and they had to be paid, and all we had was the house to pay papa’s debts.”
“So where are we to live Silla?”
“I’m working on that Jake, don’t you worry,’’ she tried to assure him.
Silla dropped into the chair across from her bother and picked up the newspaper in hopes of locating a job. Instead, an advertisement in the classified section caught her eye.
Wanted: A wife to work beside me on my ranch located in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Reply to Boardman, Broken Spur Ranch Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Silla read the ad over and over again, turning the possibilities around in her mind. Her first thought was Wyoming was far enough away that no one would know of her family’s shame. She noted again that this Boardman wanted someone to help with the ranch. Maybe he would settle for two people to work on the ranch instead of just a wife. The more she thought about it the more ridiculous it sounded. Neither Jake nor she knew anything about ranching. And what about housework? She could watch Ellie for a few days and could pick it up before they had to leave. But then what would happen to Ellie? She couldn’t very well leave her unemployed as well. She looked at her brother.
“Don’t worry Jake I’ll find us a place,” she promised.
That evening when Jake had gone off to bed Silla went into her father’s study. It was here she took pen in hand and began to compose a letter to Mr. Boardman.
Dear Mr. Boardman,
I am answering your advertisement in our local paper for a wife. I do hope the position is not taken as of yet. Permit me to introduce myself; I am Drusilla Montgomery, the daughter of Dr. Timothy Montgomery of Atlanta, Georgia. My father was killed only a few weeks ago in a carriage accident leaving, me and my thirteen year old brother Jacob alone in this world. Our inheritance was taken by our father’s creditors leaving us with just the clothes on our backs. I would like to apply for the position and ask that I may bring my brother and housekeeper with me on this trip. We are very hard workers and are not afraid to do what is asked of us. I was taught the ways of medicine by my father and have assisted my father many times in his office.
