Lily of the Springs

by Carole Bellacera

  My heart gave a lurch. Oh, God! I’d forgotten all about Korea. My first thought had been about myself—how awful it would be to be separated from Jake. But if they sent him to war, he could die!

  “Royce.” Gladys stood and put the bowl on her chair. “Jake has a point. There’s lots of boys dying over there in that heathen country. I’m not gonna sacrifice my youngest boy for them funny looking little slant-eyes over there.”

  “You ain’t got no choice neither, Gladys,” Royce said, not even sparing her a glance. “Stay out of it. It’s like this, son. You’re the one who knocked up this here little gal and brought her into the family, and for all I know, she might’ve spread her legs for every Tom, Dick and Harry in the county, but you’re the one who got caught.”

  I gasped in outrage and started to protest, but Gladys threw me a look of warning that all but screamed at me to keep quiet. My mouth clamped shut, but my fingers itched to claw at Royce’s skinny throat.

  “But if you think I’m gonna keep supporting Little Miss Princess and that brat she’s carrying in her belly, you got another think comin’. Now, I don’t want to hear another word about it. Tomorrow mornin, sun-up, we’re headin’ to the Army recruiter’s office. And if I was you, I’d pack me a bag, because you’re gonna tell the U.S. Army you’re ready to go right now.”

  Hitching up his overalls, Royce strode out of the parlor, leaving the three of us stunned. I looked from Gladys to Jake, my heart racing. “They won’t do that, will they?” I stuttered. “Take you away tomorrow? Not that fast, right?”

  Jake just stared bleakly at the floor. In desperation, I turned to my mother-in-law. “Gladys, they’ll give him some time, right? I mean, they can’t just take him away like that, can they? Won’t he have to take some tests? A physical? Surely that takes time!”

  An inscrutable look appeared on Gladys’s face and she turned away. She bent and scooped up the bowl of peas, then padded out of the room. I looked back at Jake.

  “You can’t let him do this to you, Jake.” I gnawed on my bottom lip, trying to control the panic boiling inside me. “We don’t have to stay here. We can leave, just you and me. You can go find a job up in Louieville or Lexington. Jake, I don’t think I can bear it if you get sent to war. What if something awful happens? What if…” My voice died away. I couldn’t even say it.

  Slowly Jake got to his feet, moving gingerly. “I can’t think. I gotta go get some sleep.”

  And he, too, left the room.

  Mother’s Chocolate Gravy

  2 heaping T cocoa

  ½ cup sugar

  Pinch of salt

  ¼ cup flour or 2 T cornstarch

  1 T butter

  2 cups milk

  In small bowl, mix cocoa, sugar, salt and flour. Add a few drops of water until it’s a thick paste. Taste. If it isn’t sweet enough, add more sugar. Pour into heavy cast iron skillet and gradually add milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick. Add butter. Serve over hot biscuits.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  One more storm like last night, and all the leaves would be stripped clean off, I thought as my rubbers sank into the spongy ground of the path that wound through the woods—the short cut to the place I used to call home.

  Indian summer had given way to a wet and cold November. It had been raining for the past three days, culminating in gusty winds and heavy downpours through the night. This morning wasn’t much better. The rain had stopped, but it was still overcast, and much colder. I sniffed. Snow was in the air; I’d bet my life on it. Early for snow, though. It rarely snowed in Kentucky before Christmas.

  My heart gave a pang. Christmas. Surely, I wouldn’t make it to Christmas. My heart would break before that. Jake had been gone five days. The Army had taken him just like Royce had said they would. He’d taken the pledge that very day up in Louieville, and the next morning, they’d put him on a bus to boot camp in Aberdeen, Maryland.

  Oh, God. How was I going to get through the next eight weeks without him? I stepped out of the woods onto the hill that looked down on the south side of my family home. Without the protection of the trees, an icy wind from the north hit me straight on, and I shivered, wrapping my old wool coat more tightly around my expanding belly. A wisp of smoke spiraled from the stone chimney down below, and the scent of burning wood drifted on the wind.

  My heart ached with homesickness. Mother would be in there alone, busy with one of her daily tasks—maybe baking bread or putting up some apple butter from the autumn harvest. Norry and Edsel would be in school, and Landry would be working at the feed plant in Columbia. Since it was the farm’s off-season, Daddy would be up living in Louieville where he worked at the GE Plant, only making it home to Kentucky on weekends.

  Head down to shield my face from the wind, and with tears burning my eyes, I made my way down the hill and up the steps of the front porch. I hesitated at the door, wondering whether I should knock or just go on in like I used to. The decision was made for me when the door suddenly opened, and there stood Mother, a rolling pin in her hand, flour smudged on her forehead where she’d brushed away an errant lock of graying hair.

  “I heard ye comin’ up the steps,” she said with a pleased smile. “Come on in. I’ve just put on a pot of coffee.”

  Stepping into my old home and being greeted by the strong, rich aroma of Mother’s coffee mixed with the lingering scent of fried bacon felt like heaven. I blinked back my tears, determined not to let Mother see how close to falling apart I was. If the plan I’d formulated as I made my way through the woods had a chance of succeeding, I would have to appear strong and mature. I’d have to act like an adult.

  “I’m making a couple of pies for a potluck after meetin’ tonight,” Mother said, bustling back into the kitchen. “Come and sit yourself down.”

  I shrugged out of my coat and hung it on the rack near the door, then made my way into the kitchen. It looked just the same as it always had with its burnished pine cabinets and gleaming wood floor. Mother’s handmade red and white-gingham curtains over the sink looked freshly washed and starched. Scraps of pie dough and flour covered the big oak table. One unbaked pie rested on top of the stove, and another one on the table, filled high with sliced apples, waited for its top crust. Coffee perked in the black enamel pot on the stove. I felt an overwhelming impulse to plop myself into one of the chairs and just breathe in the atmosphere of the warm, apple-scented room…maybe just stay here forever.

  Mother deftly picked up the rolled out circle of dough and arranged it on top of the pie. Quickly, she trimmed, then pinched the edges of the crust and cut four slits in the top. “That’un’s cherry, and this un is apple.” She glanced at me. “You had any breakfast? I could make you something soon as I get these in the oven.”

  I shook my head. “I was feeling sort of sick this morning.”

  “Coffee’s done. Pour yourself a cup. I’ll have one with you while you think about what you want.” Mother slid the two pies into the oven and turned, wiping her work-worn hands on her apron.

  I took two cups from the cabinet and poured our coffee as Mother brought a small blue-flowered porcelain pitcher of cream out of the icebox and placed it on the table. “You still take cream, I reckon?”

  I smiled, placing the two cups of coffee on the table. “Yes, Mother. I still take cream.” I sat down and reached for the creamer.

  “Well, expectin’ mothers get peculiar notions.” She settled into a chair and reached for her coffee. “How you feeling, Lily Rae?”

  “Okay, I guess. Except for feeling sick to my stomach some mornings.” I stirred cream into my coffee. “Reckon you heard about Jake?”

  “Yes, I did. Ran into Louisa Ledbetter at Johnny’s Market on Saturday. She told me.” She paused a moment, then added, “I expect you’re pinin’ for him.”

  Something about the way she said it, perhaps the gentle tone in her voice weakened my resolve to be brave and mature. My chin trembled and hot tears blurred my vision. I placed my
coffee cup back on the table with an unsteady hand. “Oh, Mother! I feel like I’m dying, I miss him so much.” And just like that, I was sobbing.

  She let me cry for a minute, then got to her feet, came around the table and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Alright, now, Lily Rae. It’s not the end of the world.”

  I turned a tear-streaked face to her. “But Mother, it’s so awful! You just don’t know what it’s like living there with Jake’s family. Gladys is so bossy and I can just tell she hates me. And the girls aren’t friendly and Royce is just…well, he’s just as mean as a bag of rattlesnakes! I hate it there! And now, with Jake gone…” I buried my face in my hands and sobbed.

  Mother seemed at a loss for words as she stood there awkwardly patting my shoulder. Finally, she said, “I know what you need. Sit right there and I’ll make you some chocolate gravy to go with the biscuits I made this mornin’.”

  I cried harder. It was so like Mother to think that her chocolate gravy would heal all the problems in the world. True, when I was a child, the velvety-rich chocolate sauce, served hot over feather-light biscuits had been a treat that could cure all ills. But now…

  Slowly, I lifted my head and wiped away my tears. “Chocolate gravy sounds like heaven,” I said. “Can I help?”

  She shook her head, moving toward the stove. “You just sit tight and drink your coffee. This won’t take more than a minute.” She pulled out a cast-iron skillet from the bottom of the stove, and then moved to the pantry and reached for a tin of cocoa.

  A few minutes later, the seductive aroma of chocolate wafted through the kitchen, and my mouth began to water. “You’ve got to teach me how to make chocolate gravy, Mother,” I said, my palm pressing against the small mound of my tummy. “This little one will love it.”

  “Ain’t nothing to it,” she grunted, stirring the gravy with a wooden spoon. “Just mix some cocoa and sugar with a little flour, and add a cup or two of milk. Then cook it until it thickens. That’s how your grandma taught me, and how her mama taught her. I reckon it’s about ready.” A moment later, she slid a plate in front of me, and then picked up my coffee cup. “I’ll get ye a refill.”

  Suddenly ravenous, I ate every bite, and then asked for a second helping. Mother smiled and refilled my plate. As I ate, she filled the sink with soapy water and began to wash the dishes.

  “I reckon you heard about them bombs they’re testing out in the middle of the ocean somewheres,” she said.

  I nodded. “Yes, it was on the news. The Marshall Islands. I think that’s out in the Pacific.”

  Mother shook her head and stared out the window over the sink. “I can’t help but think all this bomb-making will lead to no good. It’ll likely lead to more war.”

  I nodded soberly. “And more of our boys going off to war.” I put down my fork. My appetite had disappeared at the reminder of Jake and the possibility of him going to Korea.

  Mother, apparently sensing my mood, changed the subject. “Oh, I ran into Shirley Nickerson at Johnny’s Market…la, I think everbody I know was shoppin’ there on Saturday. Anyhow, she told me that that boy of hers up and married Patty Huddleston last week. Did you know about that?”

  I pushed my plate away, absorbing the news. So Chad had married Pat-Peaches. What had happened to his college plans, I wondered?

  “Shirley didn’t say anything, but I heard tell from Sadie Wilson that Patty might be in the family way. ‘Course, that old woman is such a gossip; she likely made the whole thing up out of sheer orneriness.”

  I was glad Mother had her back to me. My whole body had gone numb with shock. Pat-Peaches, pregnant with Chad’s child? That would explain what had happened to his college plans. But everyone in Russell County knew how Pat-Peaches slept around. How could Chad be sure it was his baby?

  I no longer felt hurt and betrayal when I thought of Chad. But now, despite the fact that he had nothing to blame but his own foolishness, I couldn’t help but feel pity for my old boyfriend. He’d had so many dreams of a better life, and now, here he was, trapped in a loveless marriage with a woman he probably didn’t even like.

  Of course…some would say that Jake was in the same situation.

  I got up from the table and carried my plate and coffee cup over to the sink. “Here, Mother, I’ll wash these.”

  “You sit back down. It’ll only take me a minute.” She took the dishes from me and slid them into the soapy water.

  I remained standing, staring out the window that overlooked the pond. I squinted. Something was coming down out there, and it wasn’t rain.

  As if reading my mind, Mother glanced out the window. “It’s flurryin.’ I reckon we might be gettin’ our first snow before too long.”

  An overwhelming longing swept over me as I gazed out into the gray morning. I loved winter, especially when it snowed. There was nothing better in the world than to curl up next to the woodstove on a cold, snowy afternoon, sipping hot cocoa and reading a good book. “I want to come home, Mother.”

  Her hand paused on the plate she was washing.

  I went on, trying to fill the sudden silence, “It makes sense, don’t you see? They don’t want me there. I’m nothing but a burden. I can move back into my old room. You know Norry would love to have me home. I’ll just be here for a little while. Until Jake gets out of boot camp. I’ve been praying and praying to the Lord not to send him to Korea, and I know He is not gonna let that happen. We’re gonna go somewhere together…maybe some place like Hawaii. So…what do you say? I’ll go right back to the Tatlow’s and pack my things. I can be back here in time to help you with supper.”

  Mother didn’t speak. She moved methodically, rinsing the plate and placing it on a dish cloth next to the sink. Slowly, she turned to grab a clean dishtowel and began to dry her work-worn hands. Only then did she meet my expectant gaze. Her face was as sober as it had been that evening when me and Jake had been joined in matrimony. Sadness glimmered in her blue eyes.

  “No, Lily Rae,” she said softly. “You can’t come home. Your place is with your husband’s family now. You can come home and visit any time you want, but you can’t come back to stay. I’m sorry, but you’re a young woman now. I reckon it’s time you start acting like one.”

  I swallowed hard to hold back my tears. Finally, I nodded. Whatever had made me think she’d ever, in a million years, agree to me coming back home?

  The snow flurries had stopped when I left my childhood home a little while later. As I trudged through the woods back toward the Tatlow property, a steady freezing rain began to fall.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Grider’s Drugstore was all gussied up for Christmas with artificial greenery framing the windows and sprayed-on “snow” depicting snowmen, candles, Santa Clauses and what-not, so thick it was impossible to look outside and see who was passing by on Main Street. This was especially frustrating for me because it was the last Saturday before Christmas, and just about everybody was out and about, doing last-minute shopping.

  I bent my head and sucked at the paper straw nestled deep into one of Grider’s delicious strawberry sodas. The ice cream drink was so cold, it gave me a headache, but it was well worth it, and I hadn’t had one since summer.

  Twisting back and forth on my stool, I looked over at Inis next to me. “So, who all do you have left to buy for?”

  “Just Meg.” Inis dabbed a French fry into a pool of ketchup and slipped it into her mouth as she flipped through the latest copy of Photoplay Magazine on the counter in front of her.

  I couldn’t believe how much our relationship had changed in the past couple of months. And all because I’d rescued a litter of kittens that Royce had threatened to drown. Inis and I had trudged them over to the barn on our property, and given them into the care of Norry.

  Inis flipped a page of the magazine and gazed down at Doris Day in awe. “La, ain’t she the purtiest thing you ever saw?”

  I’d bought it for her when I’d seen her wistfully glancing through it at t
he magazine stand. I’d bought her lunch, too—or rather Jake had. Two days before, a check had arrived in the mail with a note from him.

  Dear Lily Rae, here’s thirty dollars for you to buy my folks some Christmas presents. See you soon. Jake.

  And that’s what I’d done after getting Daddy to drive me and Inis to town this morning. We’d been to every shop in Russell Springs, and I felt like I’d spent my money wisely; I’d even had enough left over to treat the both of us to lunch. Surprisingly, upon hearing of our plans, Gladys had slipped Inis a ten-dollar bill so she could buy Christmas presents, forcing me to reassess my opinion of the woman. Maybe she wasn’t as heartless as she let on.

  “Yes, she’s pretty, but don’t forget, all them movie stars have make-up artists and beauticians to make them look that gorgeous. So, what are you going to get Meg? Maybe you can find something for her here,” I glanced around the drugstore. “I saw a pretty compact over there at the Toni display.”

  “Meg don’t wear make-up,” Inis said, flipping another page of the magazine.

  “Well, maybe if you buy a compact for her, she’ll start wearing make-up. I think she could really be pretty if she tried.” I took a bite of my cheeseburger.

  Inis shook her head. “Pa would tan her hide if she showed up with make-up on.” She reached for her chocolate milkshake and took a long draw from the straw. “This is so yummy, Lily Rae. Thank you so much for lunch!”

  I smiled, feeling a tug at my heart. “You’re welcome, sweetie.”

  Poor thing, I thought. Inis had lived here in Russell Springs all her life, and I’d bet a dime to a doughnut that this was the first time she’d ever eaten at Grider’s soda fountain. And to think, I’d always felt that I had been underprivileged because I couldn’t come here for lunch every school day like some of the other popular kids had.