Lily of the Springs (15 page)

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.

G
rider’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 the 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.

Beneath my feet, tucked between the bottom of the stool and the counter, rested the several packages I’d collected this morning—the Christmas gifts for Jake’s family…except for Royce.

“What on earth should I get for your father?” I asked.

Inis shrugged, her eyes on her magazine.

“What did
you
get him?”

“Nothing,” Inis mumbled, slurping on her milkshake.

“Well, what are you
going
to get him?” I prodded.

“I ain’t getting’ him nothing,” Inis said, staring balefully at a Revlon ad for “Fire and Ice” lipstick. “I
hate
him! I wish he’d die!” Her face whitened as if she’d just realized what she’d said. She abruptly closed the magazine and looked up at me, her eyes turbulent. “I know that’s wrong of me, but it’s true. I
do
hate him.”

I gazed at the girl, and summoned the courage to ask the question that had been hovering in my mind since we’d grown close. “Inis, does he ever hit you?” Now that I knew Royce first hand, I’d come to believe all the rumors I’d heard about him beating up on Jake and his older brother, Tully. And I wouldn’t put it past him to do the same to his girls.

But Inis shook my head. “Not me or Meg. He hollers at us, but never lays a hand on us. Ma would probably kill him if he did. She won’t truck with him beatin’ up on girls. But he like to beat Jake to an inch of his life one time.”

I chewed on my lower lip.
That can’t be the time he’d got into trouble for playing with me in the woods
. Inis would’ve been only two, and surely wouldn’t remember it even if she
had
witnessed it. But then, a horrible thing like that might leave its mark on a poor child’s mind.

“He always beat up on Tully, too,” Inis went on. “That’s why he left home and never comes back. We haven’t seen him in almost five years. Ma got a letter once from Cincinnati, and that’s it. Pa got even meaner after Tully left, and he mostly took it out on Jake.”

I shook my head. Poor Jake. No wonder it was so hard for him to show love and affection. He’d grown up deprived of both, so how could he show it to someone else? Well, that was going to change when he came home.

My heart gave a jolt. That would be in exactly four days. His bus would be arriving in Somerset on Christmas Eve, and I’d already arranged for Slim Jessup to drive me there to meet him. I could hardly wait.

And when we were together again, I vowed to do everything in my power to make up for Jake’s horrible childhood. I would give him all the love he’d never got at home, and we’d both shower our baby girl with love and attention, and she’d grow up to be secure and confident and…