Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine (19 page)

“
I will, darlin
’
,
”
Savannah
said, smiling at her oldest son.

“
He
’
s all rinsed off and ready for breakfast, Mama,
”
Willy announced
,
bounding into the kitchen.
Johnny entered behind him and took a seat in the chair
Savannah
indicated.

“
Do ya think you can stomach some eggs this mornin
’
, Johnny?
”
Savannah
asked.

“
If I can
’
t, I
’
ll keep
’
em down all the same, Mrs. Turner. Thank you,
”
Johnny answered.

“
Then let
’
s get to eatin
’
,
”
Caleb said.
“
I need to get out to the bridge.
”

After gratitude was offered to the Lord, Vivianna watched as Justin enjoyed his mama
’
s biscuits and eggs.
He was voracious in his eating—and Vivianna delighted in it!
Justin would regain his full strength—she was certain that he would—and all would be well.
Furthermore, she knew her dreams would come true!
For over two years she
’
d dreamt of the day Justin Turner would return and claim her for his own as he
’
d promised in his letters.
It was true that for the past almost six months, Vivianna had tried to tell her heart and mind she would never know Justin—never see him again.
But that was the past
,
just as the war was the past.
Vivianna was determined to look only to the future now—to Justin.



“
Tell me, Viv,
”
Justin began
.
“
T
ell me about what went on here while I was away.
”

Vivianna smiled—shrugged as she watched Justin sit down, lean back against the large willow, and stretch his legs out in front of him in the grass.

“
I suppose…there isn
’
t much I could tell you that would compare to what you endured, Justin,
”
she said.

“
Tell me anyway,
”
he prodded.
“
I want to hear everything.
Tell me about
Florence
, the family
. W
as your family home destroyed when your parents were killed?
”

A sharp twinge of pain rippled through Vivianna
’
s body.
She preferred not to talk about her parents—about their death.
Still, this was Justin
,
and though it was difficult to speak of the excruciating loss of her family
,
she was comforted in knowing he cared.

“
The house is still there,
”
she began.
“
The Yankees didn
’
t harm our home at all.
Not one bit.
They destroyed other buildings…other homes…but not ours.
It
’
s there
,
and everything is just the same as it was the mornin
’
Mama and Daddy were killed.
Everything passed to me, of course…but I don
’
t go to the house often.
”
Vivianna sighed.
“
I suppose I
’
ll have to one day…have to pack things
,
sell things
,
sell the house.
But for now…it
’
s just there.
”

“
I forget
. W
ere they killed in the spring raid?
”
he asked.

Vivianna shook her head.
“
No…in December.
So much was destroyed that previous spring when the Yankees came
—
the cotton mills
,
the town hall
,
so many homes.
But ours was preserved.
Mama and Daddy were fine
,
and General Roddy
’
s men beat the Union troops back that May.
But in December they came again.
Daddy ran out to help a wounded soldier
,
and Mama ran out after him.
I…I don
’
t even really know how or why they were killed.
I was here
,
helpin
’
your mama with Nate and Willy
’
cause they were ailin
’
.
Mr. Maggee came to the door and told me Daddy and Mama had been killed…had been shot.
”
Again she shook her head—choked back her tears—determined to remain in control of her emotions.

“
Them damn Yankees,
”
Justin growled.

Vivianna looked to him and smiled, even for the pain in her heart.
“
You
’
re a Yankee, Justin Turner,
”
she teased.

He chuckled.
“
I know…but I never killed nobody that wasn
’
t a soldier.
Never.
”

“
I like to think it wasn
’
t intentional,
”
Vivianna began,
“
that it was an accident.
There was so much fightin
’
in the street…and I
’
m sure they were just in the way.
”
She paused and swallowed the lump in her throat.
“
Mr. Maggee…he thought maybe they were killed by Confederate soldiers…or someone in
Florence
who knew Sam and Augie were fightin
’
for the
Union
,
”
she confessed.
“
I don
’
t like to think that
’
s true though.
I don
’
t like to think that at all.
Besides, I don
’
t know of anybody other than your family and the Maggees who knew Sam and Augie were with the Alabama
First
.
Even when Caleb came home
,
we didn
’
t tell anyone he
’
d been wounded fightin
’
against the Confederacy.
It
’
s why the Maggee boys are buried in your family
’
s cemetery
.
Mr. Maggee was afraid the townsfolk wouldn
’
t take kindly to two Yankees being buried out at Soldier
’
s Rest.
There are a few Yankees buried there
,
but they weren
’
t local boys like Boy and Floydie.
Mr. Maggee wanted their gravestones to read that they died fightin
’
with the Alabama
First
Cavalry…and he didn
’
t want the folks in Florence readin
’
their stones and gettin
’
all riled up about it.
So your mama let them be buried out there in the meadow.
”

“
It
’
s a pity,
”
Justin mumbled.
He looked to Vivianna then, and she was warmed by the compassion in his eyes.
“
Boy and Floydie and your parents…I can
’
t hardly imagine they
’
re all gone.
”

“
I know,
”
Vivianna said.
“
Sometimes I wake up in the mornin
’
and half expect Mama will walk right through the door
,
smilin
’
and singin
’
the little song she used to sing to me to wake me up.
”
She paused and lovingly gazed at Justin.
“
I used to imagine you
’
d walk through the door one day too.
”

“
And I did,
”
Justin said, smiling.

“
Yes.
You did.
”

H
e winked at her
,
yet his smile faded.
“
So…folks in
Florence
…they still don
’
t know Caleb and me were fightin
’
for the
Union
?
”

“
They do now,
”
Vivianna explained.
“
Caleb had a terrible time tryin
’
to find work after he started tellin
’
folks the truth.
I guess it was Georgie Jones he first told.
He and Georgie even went around awhile.
Caleb came home all bloody and bruised.
But in the end, Georgie understood, I think.
Folks have accepted it…not that some aren
’
t still angry about it.
I suppose it was surprisin
’
to people
,
especially since your daddy fought for the Confederacy.
”

“
Daddy couldn
’
t raise his hand against
Alabama
,
”
Justin mumbled
,
“
e
ven though he thought things needed changin
’
.
”

“
I know,
”
Vivianna said.

“
Me and Caleb…Sam and Augie…we grew up with the Maggee boys,
”
he said.
“
It seems strange that me and Caleb should make it through…while two other sets of brothers didn
’
t.
”

His countenance was changing.
Talk of the war was despairing
,
and Vivianna did not want Justin to despair—not one more day.

“
Caleb has talked about movin
’
west,
”
Vivianna began, smiling.
“
He
’
s read about
Texas
and
California
.
He thinks it might be a good thing
—
a new start…a different life where the war isn
’
t so fresh in our minds every day.
Folks don
’
t care so much who a man fought for…especially in
California
.
”

Justin nodded thoughtfully.
“
I can see how that might be somethin
’
to think after.
Folks hold grudges a long time after something like this war
. G
enerations will hold grudges.
”
He looked at her and nodded again.
“
Johnny
,
he
’
s from
Texas
,
and he says there
’
re a lot of folks there who didn
’
t want the state to join the Confederacy.
He says it
’
s beautiful there…wide
-
open space
where a body can see for miles and miles.
And the sky…he says there ain
’
t nothin
’
like the sky over
Texas
.
”
Justin chuckled.
“
I swear
,
I thought that boy was gonna melt out there in
Georgia
.
Johnny says he prefers to be dry
’
stead of always feelin
’
like he
’
s been bathin
’
in somebody else
’
s sweat.
”