by Londyn Skye
Amelia was now just as heartbroken as James over his upcoming departure. She could not bring herself to even look him in the eyes as she handed him his walking cane and sat a satchel full of food and medical supplies near his cot. She then quickly scurried away before her emotions got the best of her again.
Surprisingly, the heaviness of her sorrow did not go unnoticed by James for a change. “Amelia,” he called out, just as she was about to exit the tent. She turned around and watched James struggle to his feet with the help of his cane. Slowly, he limped his way toward her. “I wanna thank you for all you’ve done for my men … and for me. Your kindness has not gone unnoticed, and certainly not unappreciated. I’m truly grateful to you for takin’ care of me so diligently all these years. In fact, I somehow get the feelin’ that I literally would not be standin’ here healthy enough to go home had it not been for you.”
Amelia’s eyes quickly filled to capacity with tears. “Well, I don’t feel you’re healthy enough to leave quite yet,” she teased. “But it’s been my pleasure, Lieutenant. And I thank you for the kind words,” she said, as her tears overflowed and ran down her cheeks.
James gently wiped a tear from her face. “Your future husband betta’ cherish havin’ an incredible woman like you…” He raised a fist in the air. “Or he’ll have these bare knuckles to answa’ to.”
Amelia let out a genuine laugh. “I suggest you let that leg heal first before you go hurlin’ those fists at anybody.”
James reciprocated the laughter. “I think I definitely need to follow that advice,” he replied, groaning as he struggled to bend over and pick up his satchel.
Amelia helped him lift it onto his shoulders. She felt the need to cry again once the satchel was secured. “You take good care of yourself on the way home, ya’ hear?” she said, swallowing back her tears.
“I promise, I will. And you do the same for the remainda’ of your time here, okay?”
“I promise I will too. Goodbye, lieutenant.”
“Goodbye, Amelia.”
After Amelia walked away, James hobbled out of the infirmary into the warmth of the sunlight. Slowly, he made his way to his tent to collect the rest of his belongings. He was sure not to miss a single sentimental thing, especially what he now believed was Rose’s favorite story. When he finished packing, he breathed a heavy sigh as he looked around the tent. He now completely understood how Austin was feeling before he left. There was an unexplainable heaviness about leaving his brother’s-in-arms, as if he was deserting them. James looked down at his stitched leg and silently cursed J.R. for the fact that he was now being forced to abandon his iron brothers, and for ruining yet another one of his life plans. But he quickly realized that he should be appreciative of the fact that he was still alive, a claim he was happy that his father and J.R. could no longer make. As the sole survivor of their family, he no longer felt tainted by the evils of the Adams name. And with his military discharge, he was now free to resume searching for the woman he wanted to rebuild the Adams family legacy with. James steadied himself on his cane again, prepared to spend the rest of his life dedicated to doing just that. Before he took his first step to leave, though, a familiar soldier stepped inside the tent to speak with him.
“Heard you’re leavin’ this paradise today,” the soldier said.
James breathed a heavy sigh. “Unfortunately, that’s true.”
“Well, can ya’ do me a favor?”
“What’s that?” James asked.
“When ya’ find Lily, can ya’ ask ’er if I can get a pair ‘a front row tickets to ’er next show? I’ll pay any damn price she wants! I don’t wanna have to resort to whuppin’ an old man’s ass and stealin’ his ticket just to see ’er perform … But I won’t hesitate next time!”
James burst out laughing. “I think that can be arranged. Certainly don’t need any old men with black eyes layin’ in the streets outside ‘a her shows.”
“Much appreciated,” the soldier laughed. He then stood tall and saluted his lieutenant. “Y’ur damn sure gonna be missed around here, lieutenant. Safe travels to ya’.”
“Thank you,” James nodded.
“Lemme help ya’ with all that,” he said, picking up all of James’s bags for him.
“I appreciate that.”
After the soldier left to load up his bags, James slowly limped out of the tent to a sight that hit him like the force of a cannonball. The instant tightness in his chest nearly constricted his ability to breathe, as he stood there frozen in awe, absorbing the patriotic sight of all the Freedom Riders in his troop. They were evenly lined up across from one another, standing at attention with their hands held in the salute position.
Harrison walked up to his best friend. “Through school, through life, through this war, I now know what’s driven your honorable actions all these years … or should I say who. We all know.” Harrison suddenly stood tall and raised his hand to his head. He saluted and slowly lowered his hand down to his side. “For Lily and Rose,” Harrison whispered, swallowing back his tears.
James pursed his lips tight and swallowed hard to keep himself from breaking down in front of his men. Fearing his tears would fall, he refrained from replying verbally. He nodded to Harrison instead, stoically raised his head, and began slowly making his way to his wagon through the long patriotic corridor of his men.
“For Lily,” James suddenly heard from a Freedom Rider on his left as he passed him by. The soldier then saluted and lowered his arm back to his side, standing perfectly at attention. “For Rose,” James then heard from the Freedom Rider on the right. The soldier saluted and stood back at attention as well. “For Lily … for Rose.” As James limped his way down the corridor of his men, his ears were graced by the beautiful sound of his wife and daughter’s name, passionately escaping every Freedom Rider’s mouth as they saluted him.
As slowly as James walked, it took him nearly five minutes to get to the end of the long line of Freedom Riders, who had patriotically honored their founder. When he finally made it, General Blackshear stood proudly awaiting him. “Every man here vows to see to it that everything your wife and daughta’ suffered through wasn’t in vain. In honor of Lily and your little Rose, we all vow to fight with every ounce of strength in our bodies … until the bitta’ end.” He shook James’s hand, handed him his documents, and officially discharged Lieutenant Michael Adams from the United States Army with honor.
James saluted his General for a final time. He then turned to find Harrison there waiting to help him up onto his wagon. Both men stared at each other, neither wanting to be the first to say goodbye. Harrison refused. Instead, he embraced James in the way that a true brother would. He then pulled back and looked James in the eyes. “I’m proud to have you as my brotha’,” he said, his emotions causing his voice to crack slightly.
“Just as I am you,” James replied, miraculously holding his emotions together.
“Take care,” Harrison said, patting him hard on the back.
“You too.”
Harrison helped James into the wagon. After settling into the seat, James turned around to look at the hundreds of troops still standing at attention. A single tear finally drifted down his face when he realized that his wife was not there in the flesh, her beautiful music could not currently be heard, her dancing shadows could not be seen. But Lily Adams, composer of the Dream Symphony, still had the power to inspire an entire field of soldiers, simply by the memory of her monumental journey to Winter Garden.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
James brushed aside a pile of hay and opened the trap door on the hidden compartment in Ava’s barn. Considering James’s weak leg, Ava and one of her nurses pulled out his old trunk for him. Outside of being covered in dust and cobwebs, it was perfectly preserved. James did the honors of unlocking the trunk and opening the lid. He immediately pulled out Lily’s wedding ring and proudly placed it on his necklace, along with his metal military identification tag. After locking the necklace clas
p back in place, he held Lily’s ring up and stared at it for a moment, silently praying that he would soon be able to put it back in its rightful place.
“Told ya’ everything would be just fine down there,” Ava commented as she gazed at the ring along with James.
James nodded. “I’m certainly glad it all managed to survive the madness in this country.” He then looked up at Ava. “And you too.” He touched her shoulder. “I’m truly glad to see you’re okay.”
Ava smiled. “I owe that to the grace of God … and brave men like you.”
“More God than savage men like me.”
“You prefer savage. I prefer brave.”
James nodded his appreciation.
“I’m sorry you’ve yet to find your Lily. But I feel in my heart that God’s about to reward you for your courageousness.”
“I certainly hope so, Ava. I really do,” James replied, picking up the picture of him and Lily dancing together.
“It’d seem awfully savage of Him not to bestow you with such a blessin’ afta’ all your sacrifices.”
“I agree. But the Lord works in mysterious ways, as they say. You neva’ truly know how His plans may diffa’ from yours. I’ve learned that the hard way.”
“You and me both!” Ava smiled.
James suddenly closed his eyes and felt his body start to sway.
“You alright?” Ava asked, when she noticed he was slightly off balance.
“I’m fine,” James lied, shaking his head to clear his sudden dizziness.
“I ain’t tryna be disrespectful, but ya’ lookin’ awfully gaunt and ghostly. You’re welcome to stay here in my hospital and let me nurse you and that leg back to health for a few days. Sho’ looks like it needs more time to heal. And your body looks like it’s cryin’ for nutrition.”
“I’m fine,” James replied defiantly. “I just wanna collect my belongin’s and visit Rose’s grave. I wanna get back to searchin’ for Lily as soon as I can.”
“Again, I ain’t tryna be disrespectful, but you’ll neva’ find ’er if you’re dead. That leg don’t look right. You don’t look right. Your woozy body’s tellin’ you to rest.”
“Thank you for carin’, Ava. I truly appreciate your concern. But I’ll be fine. I’ve got medical supplies with me and plenty ‘a food.”
Ava blew out an exasperated breath and shook her head. “Hmph, we doctors sho’ do make the most hard-headed patients.”
“You sound just like my brotha’,” James laughed, thinking of Harrison.
“Well, he’s a wise man!” Ava laughed. “But since you refuse to listen to wisdom, I’ll help you get on your way then.” She and one of her nurses loaded his trunk in his wagon, then stood behind James to be sure he climbed up in the seat safely. “Last chance to admit I’m right and stay for a while,” Ava said, smiling up at James.
“I admit, you’re right … about the hard-headed part!”
Ava laughed and shook her head. “Well then safe travels, Dr. hard-headed Adams … and good luck!”
“I’ll be sure to bring Lily back here again when I find ’er. I have no doubt she’ll wanna thank you in person. So, we’ll see you again … soon!”
“Soon indeed! I have faith in that! Until then,” she smiled.
James tipped his hat and prompted his horses to carry him to the cemetery. His eyes instantly flooded with tears the very second he saw the grave marker bearing his daughter’s name. Ignoring the pain in his leg, he slowly climbed down from his wagon and sat next to her tombstone. Through the blur of tears in his eyes, he read her favorite story aloud and then placed a fresh bouquet of roses in the stone vase. Mama needs you, he heard Rose saying in his mind as he stared at her resting place. Those echoing words finally gave him the willpower to pull his emotions together and leave. He struggled his way back up into the wagon and turned to look at Rose’s tombstone again. “I need your mama, too. We’ll both be back here soon to get you, my sweet girl,” he whispered, finally snapping the reins to depart.
****
James stumbled as he limped along the dirt pathway to the blurry cottage in front of him. His fever-ravaged body affected his eyes’ ability to function properly. The extravagantly colorful flower garden on either side of the walkway was the only thing he managed to see clearly. He used it as his guide toward the steps of the cottage porch. As weak as he was, he struggled to make it up the three rickety stairs. Desperate for help, he pounded on the door. It cracked open the third time his fist hit it. The motion of the door carried his body weight forward. With no strength to stay upright, he immediately collapsed on the floor. Everything in James’s mind then instantly went black.
Hours later, an older woman entered the cottage. She looked down at James’s cane laying by the door. Her eyes then followed the drag marks through the dust on the hardwood floor, where James had slithered his way across it. The path led to the couch where she found this strange man passed out. Scattered on the floor nearby was all the medication and supplies he had used to treat his oozing, infected wound. The open opium bottle gave away the reason this strange man was likely deep asleep; so, too, did the fever he looked to be sweating out. Desperate to cool his body, he had taken his uniform off and laid it over a chair. He had nothing on but his thermal underpants and his leg brace. His bruised chest and weakened condition made her feel as though he was no threat. She sat down in a rocking chair nearby and diligently watched over him as he lay shivering, sweating, mumbling in his sleep, and screaming occasionally from his night terrors.
James woke up when a ray of morning sunlight hit him in the face … two days later.
“I don’t recall placin’ an ad for a new tenant,” the strange older woman said to James when he finally opened his eyes.
In James’s pasty eyes, she was a strange hazy figure looming over him. In his state of delirium, he suddenly thought he was at Harrison’s house with his wife. “My memory isn’t that great, but I’m fairly certain you’re not Lauren,” he said, his voice extremely raspy.
“I’m fairly certain I’m not Lauren eitha’,” the lady joked.
“Where am I?” James murmured.
“Safe.”
He opened his eyes wider and let them adjust to the light. “I know you. Feels like I’ve seen you somewhere before,” he said after finally having a good look at the woman.
“Oh, I’m certain you have.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I’ve been hangin’ around here for years. All my husband’s students call me Miss Em.”
“Well, hello Miss Em, I’m…”
“Lieutenant Adams,” she finished.
James looked baffled.
She pointed to the uniform bearing his name that was still laying over a chair.
James managed a weak laugh. “Ah, I’s convinced you were a mind reada’. Thank you, Miss Em. I can’t rememba’ how I got here, but I know I owe you my sincerest gratitude … for lettin’ a hard-headed idiot like me stay here and rest.”
Miss Em laughed. “No problem. I’m used to it. I gave birth to two hard-headed idiot boys ‘a my own,” she joked.
“What town am I in?”
“Athens … Ohio.”
“Well, at least I’m in the right town. Don’t rememba’ how I made it. Just glad I did.”
“May I ask why the wind done blew you this way?”
“Just passin’ through on my way to look for someone.”
“Anyone in particular.”
“A woman.”
“Got plenty ‘a those ’round here,” Miss Em laughed. “Might wanna be a little more specific.”
“My wife. Motha’ of my child … my best friend. Her name’s Lily. Been searchin’ for her for four years, ten months, and two weeks.”
“She sho’ must mean the world to you, if you’ve got the days and months locked in your head that way.”
“She sure does.”
“How’d you manage to lose ’er?”
James exhaled. “It’s a long and sordid tale with a w
ar in between.”
“Well, if you haven’t given up afta’ all these years, I certainly can’t say you aren’t persistent!”
“Only one thing will cease my persistence. And thanks to you lettin’ a hard-headed idiot like me rest … death ain’t got me yet.”
Miss Em laughed. “If you don’t learn to let your body rest more often, death gon’ catch you long before it really needs to.”
James laughed lightly. “You sound just like Ava.”
“Don’t know who she is, but she’s a wise woman! Betta’ take her advice more often!”
“I certainly will from now on. It took this hard lesson to get through my impenetrable noggin!”
“Afta’ raisin’ two boys, I know all too well about how verbal wisdom rarely penetrates a man’s noggin! Seems hard lessons are the only way you stubborn men eva’ learn!”
“I certainly won’t botha’ tryna argue against that fact anymore,” James laughed as he sat up, his body now feeling reinvigorated.
“No argument back from a stubborn man?! Victory is sweet!” Miss Em joked.
“And so are you, Miss Em. I truly thank you for lettin’ me stay. I think I’ve burdened you long enough, so I’ll get dressed and let you finally have this here comfortable couch back.”
“Thank heavens! Been sittin’ in this hard rockin’ chair prayin’ for ya’ for so long, I can’t feel my posterior anymore!” she teased.
James laughed again. “Before I go, what can I do to thank you for your bodily sacrifices? Name it and it shall be done!”
Miss Em smiled warmly. “You can escort an old lady like me to church.”
“It’d be my pleasure! That’s the least I can do for literally bein’ a pain in your posterior!”
“Me and my bum would certainly appreciate that!” Miss Em laughed. “I’m gonna see to it that you get lots more prayer while you’re there. As big as this world is, only almighty God has the powa’ to help you find your beautiful Lily. Togetha’, we’ll pray for Him to see ’er back into your arms.”