Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine (6 page)

“
Mr. Tabor!
”
Vivianna exclaimed.
“
It would appear you are quite unwell.
”

Still, the man merely shook his head and mumbled,
“
I just need to sit down here for a spell.
”
He fairly crumpled to the ground
,
sitting down hard in the grass at the side of the road.

Certainly Vivianna herself wished to be in Justin
’
s arms—to know, through his touch, that he was alive and home with them.
But she could not ignore the poor soul who had helped him to return.

“
Hey, Viv,
”
Willy began,
“
I
’
m thinkin
’
you better not let that feller sit like that for too long
. H
e might never get up again.
”

“
Willy Turner!
”
Savannah
scolded.
“
What a thing to say!
”

Still, Vivianna owned the same sense as Willy—that perhaps the man ought not be allowed to linger in sitting outside.

“
Mr. Tabor?
”
Savannah
asked, bending down before him
,
frowning as she studied his state.
“
Are you indeed well?
”

Mr. Tabor nodded weakly.
“
I
’
m right as rain, Mrs. Turner,
”
he lied.

Justin dropped to one knee before the man.

“
Let
’
s get on in the house, Johnny,
”
he said.
“
I
’
m sure Mama
’
s got somethin
’
in there that
’
ll start in to fixin
’
you up.
”

“
I just need a little time
.
I
’
ll just sit her
e
for a spell,
”
the man mumbled.

Vivianna glanced to Justin—saw the worry in his eyes
,
the fear.
She would not have his friend die right there in the
Alabama
grass before him.
It was obvious Justin was weak himself
;
he might not endure losing his companion so soon after returning.

Kneeling before Mr. Tabor
,
she said,
“
We
’
ve killed a chicken today, Mr. Tabor.
It
’
s boilin
’
on the stove just this minute.
Let
’
s get you on your feet and take ya inside for some warm broth.
”

Mr. Tabor only shook his head a little
,
however.
“
I
’
ll…I
’
ll just sit here awhile,
m
iss,
”
he mumbled.
“
I
’
ll just sit here awhile.
”

Vivianna
’
s heart began to quicken its pace once more
,
again for the sake of renewed fear.
She looked to Justin
,
praying he was stronger than this poor fellow before her.
She could not bear to have Justin return only to die.

“
Johnny!
”
Justin growled.
“
You get up and get in the house!
”

“
Please, Mr. Tabor,
”
Vivianna begged in a soothing voice.
“
Let
’
s get ya inside
. T
hen ya can eat somethin
’
and rest.
You
’
ll feel better if ya eat somethin
’
.
”

“
I
’
m…I
’
m just tired,
m
iss,
”
Mr. Tabor mumbled.
“
We walked a fair piece today.
I
’
m just tired.
I
’
ll just stretch out for a minute and…
”

Mr. Tabor began to lie down in the grass
,
and a strange sort of panic caused Vivianna to tremble.
Somehow—somehow she knew he could not be allowed to rest there in the grass.
Somehow she knew that if Justin
’
s friend took his rest there, it would be his final rest.
They might as well fetch a shovel and begin digging his grave as to let him linger a moment longer.
She feared Justin may be lost as well—that his own will to press on in life might expire with the final breath of the man who had shared his journey home.
If Mr. Tabor was allowed to lie down in the grass
,
well
,
she might as well have Willy fetch two shovels.

“
Johnny!
”
Justin barked.
“
Get up, boy!
”
He reached out, taking hold of Mr. Tabor
’
s arm
,
and began pulling him to his feet.
“
Don
’
t you lie down and die here, Johnny Tabor!
We
’
re home, boy
.
We
’
re home!
Don
’
t you give up now!
”

“
I just…I just need some rest, Justin,
”
Mr. Tabor mumbled.
His body was limp and too heavy for Justin to support in his own weakened state.
As Mr. Tabor began to slip to the ground again, Vivianna took his arm, placing it around her shoulders to help support him.

“
Oh, dear!
”
Savannah
exclaimed.
“
Willy!
Run after Nate and make sure Caleb is on his way home
.
Hurry!
”

“
Yes, Mama,
”
Willy said.
The boy frowned.
As he looked to his brother
and
then
to
Mr. Tabor, his eyes misted with fearful tears.

Vivianna wasn
’
t certain whether Savannah w
ere
sending Willy off in search of Nate and Caleb because she truly wanted to make certain Caleb was on his way
or whether she simply didn
’
t want her youngest son witnessing the death of Justin
’
s friend.

“
Run along after Nate, Willy,
”
Vivianna said, smiling at the frightened boy.
“
We
’
ll feed Justin and Mr. Tabor so we can all sit down together when you boys return.
”

“
All…all right, Viv,
”
Willy stammered.
“
All right.
”
He ran off in the direction of town
,
his little feet kicking up the dirt in the road as they carried him as fast as they could.

In that moment, Justin stumbled—nearly collapsed.

“
Justin!
”
Savannah
gasped.
“
Here…let me,
”
she said, taking Mr. Tabor
’
s arm from Justin
’
s shoulders and placing
it
about her own.
“
You boys are so thin!
”

“
We
’
ll be fine, Mama,
”
Justin said
,
though he coughed into his fist and cleared his throat.

Vivianna
’
s worried gaze met
Savannah
’
s near panicked one.
It was obvious Justin
’
s homecoming—though wonderful to the point of near euphoria—had not ensured his well
-
being.

“
Let
’
s just get you both inside and put somethin
’
in those empty bellies,
”
Savannah
said as she and Vivianna helped Mr. Tabor climb the stairs of the front porch.

Once inside, Justin groaned as he settled himself in a chair at the table.
“
Oh, Mama!
”
he sighed,
“
I never thought sittin
’
in a chair would seem such a pure luxury.
”

Vivianna helped Mrs. Turner deposit Mr. Tabor into a chair on the other side of the table.

She was frustrated—angry!
She didn
’
t want to know in her heart that Justin had returned home simply to yet linger in danger
.
She didn
’
t want to nurse two more men
,
only to watch them die the way the Maggee boys had
.
She wanted laughter, love
,
kisses in the sunshine and beneath the honeysuckle vine!

For a moment, she feared she might burst into more tears—tears of returning hopelessness and the sore fatigue born
e
of enduring the seeming endless ramifications of war.

“
Will you ladle some of that broth for these boys, Vivi?
”
Mrs. Turner asked.
She was sitting at the table now
,
holding Justin
’
s hand
,
nervously stroking it for her concern.

“
I might could stomach a little bread if you
’
ve got any, Mama,
”
Justin said.
He looked to his friend
,
frowning.
“
Though I
’
m not sure Johnny
’
s up for it today.
”

Mr. Tabor shook his head in affirmation he did not have the strength or stomach to eat bread.

“
Oh, I baked two fresh loaves just this mornin
’
!
”
Savannah
said, brushing tears from her eyes.
She sniffled
,
desperately trying to remain calm—to appear strong.
Vivianna empathized with her
;
her own strength was waning in the wake of so much conflicting emotion.

As Vivianna ladled broth into two bowls, Justin sighed and looked around the room.

“
I can hardly believe I
’
m here,
”
he mumbled.
“
It seems a hundred years since me and Caleb left.
”

“
Two
hundred,
”
Vivianna said.

Justin smiled at her as she set a bowl of broth in front of him.
She s
e
t the other bowl of broth on the table in front of Mr. Tabor and retrieved two spoons from the cupboard.
Working quickly
,
she cut a slice of bread from one of
Savannah
’
s still
-
warm loaves
and
then returned to the table.

“
You
’
re only prettier, Viv,
”
Justin said, smiling as she handed him a spoon and the slice of bread.
“
Prettier even than I remember.
”

Vivianna couldn
’
t help but smile—and blush.
He was weathered
,
it was true.
But he was still Justin—the same eyes, the same smile.
Her heart leapt at the renewed realization that he was alive
,
that he
’
d come back to her.
She wondered how long it would be before they could linger alone together.