“Shit. I hadn’t thought about that. I’d hoped maybe we left it in New York,” Ed said as Louisville crept away into the horizon.
“Not hardly. I worry about how bad it is at home. We ain’t got near as many doctors as they got in places like New York and Philadelphia — or even Louisville,” John said.
“You got any cough syrup on you John? I’m startin’ to feel poorly,” Ed said.
John reached inside his coat and pulled out the flask.
“I know what you mean. It won’t stop us from worryin’ but it might help some,” John said as took a nip before passing over to his friend.
Ed took a healthy drink.
“That ain’t bad but I can’t wait to get home and get a drink of Elkins moonshine,” he said as looked at the flask.
John just nodded.
“How long are you gonna stick around Maple Creek?” Ed asked.
“Not plannin’ on stayin’ too long. Maybe a few days, not much more. How ‘bout you? You gonna stick around now that you’ve seen the world outside of Evans County?” John asked.
Ed chuckled softly.
“Probably will. I ain’t you John. I don’t see any way I go anyplace else. But I tell you what I did learn. I learned how the world works and a man ain’t gonna ever have anything workin’ for another man. No, whatever I do, I’ll do it my way. I’ve took enough orders in the past year to last me a lifetime,” he said.
John took another slug from the flask.
“If you ever need me for anything, look me up. My family will know how to reach me,” John said. “Same here. You need me for anything, let me know. Fellers that have been through what we have ought to stick together,” Ed said.
The train made a stop in Lexington before pushing on to Silver Point. They pulled into the station at roughly three in the afternoon. A small crowd had gathered to meet the soldiers but not nearly as many as John and Ed had anticipated.
“I’m afraid this is a bad sign,” John said as they stepped onto the platform.
“Yeah. Where is everybody?” Ed asked.
“John! John!” Called out his brother Matthew from the other side of the platform.
John ran to meet his older brother. They embraced.
“How’re you doin’ John?” Matthew asked.
“Glad to be home. How’s everybody?” John asked and he saw his brother hesitate.
“I don’t know how to tell you this John — especially now with you just gettin’ home and all, but it’s bad news; ‘bout the awfulest there could be,” Matthew said.
“Just tell me,” John said as tried to brace himself.
“The flu epidemic...it hit pretty hard around here,” Matthew said, delaying the inevitable as long as possible.
John eyed him and let the expectation sink in.
“Who?” He asked.
“Mama, Daddy, Clayton, and Eli’s youngest girl, Sarah...’bout two weeks ago. We tried to write but didn’t know how to get a letter to you,” Matthew said.
John’s eyes welled with tears as his head dropped.
“Matthew, do you know anything about my family?” Ed asked.
Matthew exhaled.
“I hate to be the one to tell you, but your daddy and your mamaw are dead. Last I heard, your Uncle Elmer was in bad shape,” he said.
Ed was stoic.
“You know where he is?” He asked.
“His place, as far as I know,” Matthew said.
Ed looked to John.
“Go. I’ll see you later,” John said as Ed made a hasty retreat from the platform.
“C’mon. I got the wagon waitin’ for you,” Matthew said.
“Did...did anybody else get it?” John asked.
“Bob had it but he’s better now. Lilly, Clayton’s wife, had it too. She seems to be getting better,” Matthew said as they walked to the wagon.
John threw his duffle bag in the back of the wagon. He climbed up on the seat next to Matthew and looked at the mule pulling the wagon. After seeing so many automobiles in the cities on their way south, it felt so out of place to ride on a wagon.
Neither spoke for at least thirty minutes.
“What about the home place? Anybody there but Bob?” John asked.
“Me an’ Charlene’ been stayin’ with him. Everybody else is lookin’ after their kids. Since we ain’t got any, we left the company house in Newman. Figured it’d be better than him bein’ there all by his self,” Matthew said.
“How’s the kid holdin’ up?” John asked.
“Doin’ okay I guess. Just seems kinda lost with both of them gone. Still gets up and goes to work every day. He don’t talk much. And by the way, he ain’t a kid anymore. Just wait ‘til you see him,” Matthew said.
“How hard did Newman get hit?” John asked.
“Hard enough. Wasn’t a family it didn’t touch. At least five miners died; probably at least as many wives and children,” Matthew said.
“Company do anything for ‘em?” John asked.
“Company didn’t do shit. They did moved the shift to fifteen hours. I reckon it was their way of helpin’ pay for the funerals,” Matthew said.
John grunted.
“Listen John, there is somethin’ I want to talk to you about. I’ve talked it over with everybody else and if it’s okay with you, me an’ Charlene want to move into the house and work the land,” Matthew said.
“Fine by me,” John said.
An hour after they left the train station, the wagon pulled up in front of the Fulton home place.
“I’m gonna unhitch the wagon and put the mule up. Go on in the house and warm up. Supper ought to be ready soon if it ain’t already,” Matthew said as John hopped off of the wagon and reached in the back for his duffle bag. He walked to the porch and sat his duffle bag on it before walking on around the house and up the small hill behind the house.
John kneeled down at the two still fresh graves. Wooden crosses marked each grave until proper tombstones could be put in place.
He took his service cap off and bowed his head. The tears flowed freely but silently. There was nothing he could say and in his mind, no one to say it to if he did. He saw two other graves — his brother Eli and his niece Sarah. John’s heart was breaking. In France, he saw more death in a few months than any generation needed to see in a lifetime. He watched good friends die right in front of him. None of it impacted him the way these deaths had. All he could do was cry and remember the last time he saw them.
***
Ed hitched a ride on a wagon with Hill Dunlap’s family. Hill was one of a handful of boys from Silver Creek that went to France and made it back. Too bad Rufe didn’t make it, Ed thought. As they approached the small house owned by his Uncle Elmer, Ed jumped off the wagon and Hill tossed his duffle bag to him.
“If you need me, just holler,” Hill said.
“Appreciate it Hill,” Ed said as he turned toward the little wooden shack of a house.
He stepped up on the creaky wooden boards of the porch and went in through the front door.
Ed placed his duffle bag in the floor near the couch and tossed his service on top of it. His cousin Mae walked into the living from the bedroom off to the side.
“Ed?” She asked in surprise.
He looked over to her.
Mae was a slim woman of about nineteen. She had light brown hair and dark brown eyes with large dark circles underneath. She was somewhat attractive but remained unmarried.
“How’s he doin’?” Ed asked.
“He’s a little weak today. Why don’t you come on back an’ see him?” She asked.
Ed walked back to the bedroom. Elmer was propped up in the bed. His skin was ashen. The few remaining hairs on top of his head were white as the snow that clung to the mountaintops. His brown eyes were cloudy. He looked twenty years older than fifty-six. Elmer offered Ed a weak smile.
“C’mon over here soldier boy. Let me see you,” Elmer said in a raspy voice just above a whisper. Ed walked ov
er to the bed while Elmer looked him up and down.
“You look good boy...wish to hell I felt as good as you’re looking. Army...must’ve been good for you,” Elmer said.
“I made it back anyways. You feelin’ any better?” Ed asked.
“Anybody tell you ‘bout your daddy and your mamaw?” Elmer wheezed out as he ignored the question.
Ed nodded.
“I heard,” he said.
“Cryin’ ass shame,” Elmer rasped stoically.
Ed nodded silently.
“Mae, roll me a cigarette and get me a glass of my ‘shine. Get Ed here a glass too. He looks like he could stand some,” Elmer said.
She stood up and rolled a cigarette and handed it to Elmer, who put it in his mouth. Mae struck a match and lit the cigarette before leaving to get two glasses. Ed took a couple of puffs. He coughed several times. Mae returned with two glasses and a quart jar of clear liquid. She poured each glass roughly a quarter full before handing one to Ed and one to Elmer.
“Better drink up boy,” Elmer said as he raised the glass to his own lips.
Ed followed suit. The liquor — so familiar to him — burned in his throat and chest.
“I missed this,” he said, evoking a weak smile from Elmer. “You didn’t answer my question. You feelin’ any better?”
“I could lie to you but I ain’t gonna do that. You need to know the truth. I’m dyin’ boy, just as shore as the world,” Elmer rasped with a cough.
“You seen the doc?” Ed asked.
The question elicited a bitter laugh from Elmer.
“Hell no. The good doctor ain’t got time to help a moonshiner,” Elmer said.
“I went to see Dr. Corver. He said he was too busy tryin’ to help decent folks that worked for a livin,’“said Mae.
Ed seethed with anger.
“Did he see Mamaw or Daddy?” Ed asked.
Elmer just looked at him and Mae shook her head. Ed sat his glass down and stood up.
“Don’t go an’ do somethin’ that’s gonna cause even more grief. I can’t take much more Ed,” Mae said.
“Let’im go. Ain’t like you’ll disgrace the family name no how. I already did that,” Elmer said to Ed.
“Let me worry ‘bout the family name. I know a feller that might be able to help you. We’ll take care of Corver later,” Ed said.
“Who you gonna get Ed?” Mae asked.
“John Fulton. He helped a whole lot of sick men on the ship on the way home. I’d trust him more than most doctors anyway,” Ed said.
“You really think he can help?” Mae asked as they stepped out of the little bedroom.
“Couldn’t hurt none. If we don’t somethin,’ Elmer ain’t gonna make it much longer — can’t see we got anything to lose. I’ll be back quick as I can,” Ed said.
John was just getting up from the supper table when there was a knock on the front door. Leaving Matthew and Charlene in the kitchen, he walked into the living room and opened the door.
“Ed? Come on in and warm up by the stove. Or better still, come on in the kitchen and have some supper,” John said as he waved him in.
“I appreciate it but I need your help and I need it in a hurry,” Ed said through quick breaths.
“What’s wrong?” John asked.
“It’s Uncle Elmer. He’s in a bad way and ain’t had no doctorin’ of any kind — at least not from anybody that could really help,” Ed said, his breathing slowing somewhat.
“Let me grab my coat and that bag Major Mitchell gave me. I’ll do what I can but I ain’t real shore how much it’ll help,” John said.
“You leavin’ John?” Matthew asked.
“Headin’ back with Ed to see if I can help Elmer,” John said he went back to the bedroom he now shared again with Bob.
“You really think you can help him? I mean, what if you drag something back in here on me and Charlene?” Matthew asked.
John just shook his head and laughed bitterly.
“Then I’ll try to help the two of you,” he said as dug the brown canvas medical bag out of his duffle bag.
“And what if you can’t help us?” Matthew asked.
“Then I reckon somebody else’ll take the home place,” John said as he picked up his government—issue great coat.
Matthew followed him to the door.
“Tell Bob I’ll see him when I can,” John said as they left.
With Ed in the lead, they hurried back over the mountain to Silver Creek.
“I don’t care a bit to help Ed — not one bit. But I think Doc Corver could more for Elmer,” John huffed as they went up a steep grade of Greenbrier Mountain.
“Trust me, he can’t do anything for Uncle Elmer cause he refuses to help him on account of he’s a moonshiner,” Ed said.
“Do what?” John asked.
“You heard me right. He won’t help anybody he don’t think deserves it,” Ed said.
“Why that ol’ bug-eyed bastard. Who in the hell is he to decide things like that? He ought to be locked up,” John said.
“He’s one of the high and mighty of Evans County. He can do whatever the hell he wants and ain’t nobody gonna lock him up. Ain’t no way anybody named Elkins’ll ever get justice in this county,” Ed said as they neared the crest of the ridge.
John remained silent for two reasons. One, he wasn’t used to trudging up the steep slopes of Greenbrier Mountain after nearly two years away and second, he feared Ed was right. The Elkins family was not respected in the community. Ed’s grandfather Will had been a moonshiner as well as a coal miner. He taught his sons John (known to many as “Lyin’ John”) and Elmer to make liquor as well. The family seemed to make just enough to get by as they never had much more than a few unworked acres and a couple of shacks.
But Ed and John worked together in the mines before going off to France to make the world safe for democracy. Ed was a hard worker and could be counted on to keep his word. John didn’t trust many people but he trusted Ed.
About thirty minutes later they stepped upon the porch of Elmer’s house.
“He’s right back here in the bedroom,” Ed said as they took the short walk to the room.
John walked over to the bed and placed his palm on Elmer’s forehead. He shook his head slowly.
“You’re burnin’ up Elmer. We gotta get that fever down,” John said as he turned to Ed. “Bring a wash tub in here. Fill it up with cold water. If there’s any ice outside anywhere bring it and put it in the tub too.”
“What are you going to do?” Mae asked.
“I’m gonna cool him off as quick as I know how,” John said.
“You’ll give him pnemonie fever!” She said.
“If that fever don’t break it ain’t gonna matter,” John said.
“Mae pour me another glass of shine and roll me another cigarette,” Elmer said.
“You can smoke but no more liquor until you get stronger. Mae, get him a glass of water. Elmer, I got a couple of pills for you to take. I believe they’ll help you,” John said as he unscrewed a brown glass bottle.
“Asprin?” Mae asked.
“No. Major Mitchell called them sulfa drugs,” John said as he handed two to Elmer who eyed them.
“They look like horse pills,” he complained.
“Take’em one at a time but get’em down,” John said.
Ed dragged a number nine wash tub into the bedroom.
“Mae, help me fetch the water,” Ed said.
“No, I’ll do it. Mae, make sure he takes them pills,” John said as he followed Ed out of the room to get some buckets.
Twenty minutes later the tub was more than half full with several large chucks of ice floating in it.
“A coupla more buckets ought to do it Ed. Can you get in the tub by yourself or do I need to help you?” John asked.
“I can get in. Don’t know about gettin’ back out,” Elmer said.
“Don’t worry about that. Me and Ed’ll be right here,” John said.
“Can I do anything?” Mae asked.
“Just get out of here. I don’t intend for you to see my bare ass,” Elmer said.
“Mae, if you got any coffee, I’d love a cup and I bet Ed would too,” John said.
“I’ll go put on a pot,” she said.
“And we’ll need some towels here in a few minutes too,” John said.
Ed came back in with the water and Elmer stepped out of the bed as naked as the day he was born and stepped gingerly toward the tub. John and Ed steadied him as he stepped into cold water.
“Damn boys! That’s cold!” Elmer said they held him steady. He cussed even more clearly and steadily as his rear touched the water. He eventually submerged himself.
If Elmer had teeth, they would have chattered.
“How long does he have to stay in there?” Ed asked.
“Two to three minutes. Then we’ll haul him out and dry him off. Hopefully it’ll do some good,” John said.
A few minutes later Elmer was back in bed covered by a single thin sheet.
“Why don’t you try to sleep some Elmer? The rest’ll do you good,” John said.
“I ain’t as cold as I was. In fact, I’m startin’ to get warm finally,” he said.
Mae walked in.
“Coffee’s on the stove. I’ll set with him for a while,” she said.
John nodded and they walked into the kitchen. Ed got two cups from the cabinet over the stove and poured each cup full. He walked over to the kitchen table where John was sitting and handed one to him.
“You really think all of that’ll work?” Ed asked.
“I hope it does. Like I said, I can’t promise you anything,” John said.
“Well, regardless of how things turn out, I really do appreciate you tryin’ to help,” Ed said as he stared into his cup.
“You’d ‘ve done the same for me,” John said dismissively.
“I hate you didn’t get to see Bob tonight. I know you was lookin’ forward to that,” Ed said.
“I ain’t worried about it,” John said.
“And...I didn’t mean to put you in a bad way with Matthew,” Ed said.
John chuckled.
“You didn’t. Me and Matt fight like cats and dogs if we’re each other more than a minute or two. Been like ‘at since we was kids,” he said.
“Still, you went of your way to help us and I won’t forget it,” Ed said as he took a sip of the hot coffee.
Moonshine, Coal, and Hope Page 3
