Authors: Annie Jones
“
I liked that story, Miss Lettie, can you tell me another, please?
”
Wendy seemed quite careful not to jostle or disturb the old lady lying next to where she sat cross-legged on the wide bed.
Still, Miss Lettie braced herself with one hand on the pillow that Sis had propped behind her back, as if she expected the child to start bouncing and somersaulting like a gymnast on a trampoline. Even so, there was a faraway light shining in those dark old eyes that Dixie had not seen in a very long time, the light of joy in the company of a young child.
Seeing that, Dixie gladly obliged Riley
’
s wish to linger on the fringe of the serene scene.
“
Another
story?
”
Lettie laughed.
“
No, lambkin, I don
’
t think ol
’
Lettie got it in her tonight. Old
‘
uns like me and the Judge, we tends to wear right thin when it gets to the very last nub of day.
”
A nudge from Riley sent Dixie
’
s gaze over to the overstuffed chair where Grandpa sat, head back, mouth open, snoring to beat the band. She laughed.
“
Chief Justice of log sawing, huh?
”
“
Does that mean I have to go now?
”
Wendy asked, her head bowed slightly over the limp figure of Baby Belle draped in her lap.
“
No such of a thing. Not at all. I
’
m all run out of stories to tell you right now, but that don
’
t mean you can
’
t tell me one.
”
“
I don
’
t know any
”
“
Then tell me about this baby doll of yours you
’
ve come toting in here.
”
“
It
’
s not mine, it belongs to Miss Dixie.
”
She held the doll up.
“
She said you made it for her when she was a little girl.
”
“
Yes, yes. That
’
s right, now I remember. I made so many dolls for that little gal, I almost forgot which one was which. But this one, she
’
s special. That
’
s the doll I made for her just before the accident.
”
“
Why did you make so many dolls for her?
”
Wendy fussed with the doll
’
s buttons.
“
Did her daddy not know how much little girls liked dolls and never buy her any?
”
Riley shuffled his feet. He looked down.
“
Her daddy could have bought her any doll they sold at the finest stores, lambkin, but she preferred the ones I sewed up for her because they was made with love.
”
Wendy studied the women for a moment, tilting her head one way then the next before she asked,
“
Are you Miss Dixie
’
s mother?
”
Lettie cackled up a laugh.
“
Only a pure heart could ask such a question child. No, I
’
m not my Dixie Belle
’
s mother. I helped to raise her, though, just like I raised her grandmother. Raised her mother, too, right alongside my own little girl, Helen Betty.
”
Wendy pointed toward the open doorway, leaning in as she asked in a loud whisper,
“
Is that the lady with the funny dog?
”
Again Lettie laughed.
“
No, darling, Helen Betty has gone on to live with Jesus in heaven like so, so many people I have loved and cared for in my lifetime.
”
Dixie thought of the grandson that Lettie had not seen in so long. Now more than ever she knew she had to do something to bring about a reunion. And soon.
“
I
’
m not blood relation to any of the folks in this house. They
’
re my family by fate, by the will and grace of God, and by some measure of mutual consent, I reckon.
”
“
I don
’
t understand.
”
Wendy shook her head.
“
Well, the way I sees it, the Lord has brung us together here for a whole lot of reasons and we
’
ve all of us made our home together, now. All of us that
’
s here, we
’
ve all had a heap of love but we
’
ve all known our share of loss. You
’
re too young to understand about grieving for them what
’
s gone away or gone on.
”
“
My mother
’
s gone away,
”
she said quiet but distinctly
“
She left me for my daddy and my grandma to take care of. Sometimes thinking
‘
bout her leaving makes me feel real bad, Miss Lettie. I know how that feels—all sad, and lonely, and wishing you knew how to make it all better.
”
Dixie reached out to pat Riley on the back, but her hand came to rest on his arm instead. She just left it there.
“
Faith and time helped me when I lost my Helen Betty, my only child, first when she moved away with that no-account husband of hers, Walter Summers, and then after...the accident.
”
“
There it is again,
”
Riley muttered.
“
The accident. It seems to be a defining moment in your family
’
s personal history.
”
Dixie said nothing. What could she say? To deny it would be to deny all the pain and anguish this family had endured because of that one eventful night. To acknowledge it meant an explanation that Dixie was not ready to issue to a man she wasn
’
t sure she could trust—or would ever see again after they dissolved his partnership with Grandpa.
“
After the accident, I lost touch with my grandson. I ain
’
t seen him since his mother
’
s funeral. Yes, this household sure has known its share of good-byes.
”
Lettie began to stroke Baby Belle
’
s hair as she spoke, her head lifted high and her gaze fixed somewhere in the unseen distance.
“
Miss Dixie, she
’
s done just lost her daddy and years before that her mother went on to
glory along with Young Bobby, that was Miss Sis
’
s husband, and—
”
“
Will you tell me about the accident?
”
Wendy asked softly as her small, nimble fingers worked in unison with Lettie
’
s gnarled ones to straighten out a row of yellowed lace on the doll dress.
Still, Dixie
’
s stomach knotted. She did not want to hear this story again. She started toward the door, determined to go in and break this all up with some cheerful excuse about Miss Lettie needing her rest or Wendy needing to go to bed or that the house was on fire...anything to divert the conversation away from this painful memory
Riley caught her by the arm.
“
Let Miss Lettie talk, Dixie. Look at her, she really seems to be going someplace with this, and it seems like it
’
s making a connection with Wendy.
”
“
It
’
s not an easy story to hear, Riley.
”
She looked away.
“
Or tell.
”
“
I trust Miss Lettie to handle it well, to tread lightly where she should and to be frank when frankness is called for. Am I wrong in doing that?
”
“
No, you
’
re not wrong.
”
She fought back the urge to either dash off down the hall or to stand there, frozen, with hands over her ears while she sang loudly and most likely off-key.
“
It was a long time ago, long before you was born even, when Miss Dixie was just a tad bigger than you are now, as I recollect.
”
Wendy settled in, nestling close to Miss Lettie while the old woman croaked out the tale in her ancient voice.
“
There was to be a party, you see, an anniversary celebration for the Judge, there, and his wife, Miz Samantha Eugenie.
”
Lettie jabbed a finger in Smilin
’
Bob
’
s direction.
As if he knew they were talking about him, he let out a long, laborious snore, then blustered and blubbered before quieting down again and falling back into the more familiar, rhythmic buzzing.
“
Now, so many folks was invited to this here party that they had to find a place big enough to hold everybody so they decided to have it out to the new place they
’
d just built, where they kept all the trucks and such, out to the Cartage company.
”
“
Cartage, that
’
s a funny word.
”
“
Just a fancified way of saying
hauling
, I reckon. You know how folks like to put on airs and make it sound like what they does and what they has is better than what everyone else has or does.
”
“
My daddy is going to run that cartage place. Should I tell him to just call it plain hauling?
”
“
Your daddy
’
s going to run that place?
”
“
Yes ma
’
am, he
’
s the main chairholder now. I thought he was going to make the sofas with Miss Dixie but he told me today he is going to run the trucks for the Judge.
”
“
Oh, my, that is good news.
”
Lettie lifted up her hands.
“
Your daddy coming to take over the Cartage is like, well, it
’
s like God sending a rowboat just when you think the flood of tribulations is just about to overtake you.
”
“
Rowboat?
”
Riley raised an eyebrow.
“
What is it with this family and rowboats?
”
Dixie pressed her lips together.
In the room, with the hazy halo of light from Lettie
’
s stained glass lamp, Wendy and Lettie shared a smile.
Then Wendy wriggled a little so that she could stay close to Lettie but still look her in the face when she asked,
“
Why is my daddy like a rowboat? Miss Dixie said it was a joke, but I don
’
t get it.
”
“
Oh, it ain
’
t no joke, lambkin. Your daddy taking over is a godsend, and when I tell you the
rest of the story about the accident, you
’
ll know why.
”
“
When you stopped, you had said they was having a big party
”
“
That
’
s right. Everybody was to get there early, then Geneva, Dixie
’
s mama, was to make up a reason for her mama and daddy to come out to the truck depot. Then she and her brother—who everybody called Young Bobby, even though he was a man fully growed and married to Miss Sis for many years—they was to come on in a car ahead of their folks. That way they could let us all know when their parents would get there.
”
“
It was a surprise party!
”
“
Yes, it were meant to be one, that
’
s right. But the weather weren
’
t good. The road out to the new building hadn
’
t been paved over yet and it were all rutted and muddy. Something went amiss.
”
Miss Lettie stroked her thumb over Baby Belle
’
s face.
Dixie put her hand to her own cheek, wishing she could rush in and take comfort from Miss Lettie. And give it back to her as well.
“
One of the trucks clearing out to make room for party goers...
”
Miss Lettie curled her hand around the doll
’
s braid. She took a deep breath before going on.
“
Lost control on the road between the depot and town.
”