“Father and Brother Charles dug frantically. We were all silent for a moment when their shovels suddenly hit wood. You could have heard a mouse’s footsteps during that silence. Then we heard it: a scratching sound coming from inside the coffin. The sound quickly progressed to a frantic knocking. Ester passed out, but all of us were too preoccupied with the grave to come to her assistance. ‘Mittie, Mittie, are you okay,’ I cried. ‘But there was no answer, only the scratching and knocking.
“Father and Brother Charles went to work in double the speed, finally clearing most of the dirt away from the lid. Father then took a crowbar and pried it loose.
“That’s when it happened.”
Thunder vibrated the parlor windows, and Zelma sat silent for a moment, deep in her thoughts.
“When what happened? Ethan asked, nervously clutching his hands into fists.
“Father flung open the coffin lid. I’ll never forget that moment, not if I live to be two hundred. He opened the lid and Mittie sat straight up, looked me dead in the eyes, and screamed, a deep guttural sound loud enough to disturb the cemetery’s dead. That scream left her mouth and entered my head, where it’s been ever since, sometimes waking me up at night.
“I was too shocked and dumbfounded to do anything. I opened my mouth to speak but I had no voice. I tried to reach for her, to help her, but my hands wouldn’t move. My body was frozen in place. My blood turns to ice today just thinking about it. The scream awakened poor Ester, but she passed out again when she saw Mittie sitting up. Oh, if only I had passed out too.”
“So it was okay then,” said Ethan. “Mittie was saved?”
“No, she wasn’t saved. That scream had been the last thing she was able to say to the world. She fell back into the coffin and died.
“Why do we as humans always tend to remember the worse things about people? We may know someone for many years, know them as vibrant and healthy, yet when they fall ill and pass away, we can only picture them at their sickest, as though they were born and lived their whole lives wearing a death mask. It’s a dishonor, I say, to remember those we love in such a way when they were so much more than that. Yet, I can’t to this day think of Mittie without seeing her screaming in that coffin.”
“That’s terrible,” said Ethan. “I wish she had lived. That’s about the most awful thing to happen to someone I’ve ever heard about.”
“Yes, it was truly a horrendous thing.”
“So, did Mr. Drane get upset when he found out y’all had dug her up?”
“Mr. Drane never found out about it. Father and Brother Charles decided it would be best if no one ever found out about it. They closed the coffin lid back, once they were sure that Mittie was really dead, and covered the grave back over, making it look like it’d never been disturbed, as best they could. Fortunately, Mr. Drane wasn’t much on visiting Mittie’s grave, so he never knew the difference. We all swore to secrecy, though rumors spread among the black folks in our little community. I suspect Ester was the source. She never was much on keeping secrets.
“Horace had trouble finding help after that. All his servants having quit, he soon moved to a mansion in Russellville and hired help from Europe.
“That’s an incredible story,” said Ethan. “I’ve got chills just thinking about waking up in a coffin.”
“Well, just be thankful you weren’t there to witness it.”
“So what happened after that? Did everything return to normal?”
“I guess it depends on your definition of normal. I was a nervous wreck for a good many months after that horrible incident, wouldn’t hardly leave my room. And poor Ester, she was jumpier than a grasshopper. I think if I had of sneaked up on her and shouted, “Boo!” she would have collapsed and died. She had been superstitious before, but now she was almost religiously so. For example, one day a painting of my grandmother fell off the wall and landed facedown. Well, to Ester Granny was as good as dead. She freshened up my finest black dress and polished my shoes. I told her she was being silly, overreacting. I might have proved my point if Granny hadn’t of actually died, died about the time that picture fell off the wall. Ester had me thoroughly convinced of her beliefs, and I find myself a little superstitious yet.”
“So what finally got you to start getting out of your room?”
“My aunt sent my cousins Minnie and Samuel from Russellville to stay with me for a while. I don’t think they cheered me up so much as George Britt, the servant boy I told you about before. He came with the twins. He and Samuel had become great friend, as I’ve said, so Samuel always requested that George accompany them on trips.
“I was so shy and nervous around George that I could hardly speak in his presence. No, it wasn’t because of what had happened at the swimming hole; I had begun to see the humor in that. After the incident at the cemetery, something so minor as an embarrassment seemed frivolous. I was shy and nervous because I was becoming ever more fond of him, in love, in fact. Young girls sometimes act silly when they’re in love, as I’m sure young boys do too.
“One day when no one else was around, and I was about to cross the field to check on my bees, George came up behind me suddenly and startled me.
“‘I apologize; I didn’t meant to scare you,’ he said.
“‘No, it’s okay. I’m just nervous lately,’ I said.
“‘I really want to talk to you,’ he said. He suggested we go find a place to sit out by the swimming hole. I of course followed him there. It was a breezy, beautiful day. I remember it so well I can still feel the wind on my face. We found a shady spot and sat down close beside each other beneath an ancient oak tree.
“Once we had settled ourselves, George looked me in the eyes and said, ‘Why won’t you talk to me anymore. You hardly look at me. I know I’m just a servant, but I wish we could at least talk and be friends.’
“I looked into his beautiful blue eyes and suddenly it hit me to tell the truth. I don’t know why or how, but I seemed mesmerized, unable to say anything but the absolute truth. ‘It’s because I like you,’ I said. ‘I like you so much I feel like I’m going to collapse whenever you enter the room. I’ve never felt so strongly about anyone and never will again, I’m sure of it. I’ve been in love with you since the first moment I saw you at the Halloween party, even though you were dressed as a scarecrow at the time.’
“George didn’t say anything. He touched my chin and we kissed.
“I guess that was about the most wonderful day of my life. There have been other days as good but none better. Before we went back to the house, George asked me to marry him. I told him I would think about it, that there would be a lot to consider, being that we were from two different worlds. I would have to very gently break the news to my father. Oh what a lot of stuff and nonsense all that was. I should have said yes to George that day if it offended the whole world. Don’t ever let what other people want for you shape your destiny, like I did.
“George and the twins went back to Russellville a few days after that. I promised George I would seriously consider his proposal. Being the fool I was, though, I was sure it would never work. George was a poor servant, and I was the daughter of one of the richest men in this part of the state. It seemed enough to me at the time to know that George loved me back, like I would be happy with wearing that thought like a beautiful broach for the rest of my life, like a great prize I had won.”
“So did you finally tell him you’d marry him?”
“No, not at that time, I didn’t. George sent pleading letters saying that he wished to ask Father’s permission to marry me, but I never got the courage to let him do it, knowing what Father would say, knowing he’d be disappointed in me. I ended up marrying two more men before finally marrying George. My second husband was much older than me, as had been my first one, but he was very rich, so my father very much approved of him. He died of consumption, nearly taking me with him. My third husband, a wealthy distant cousin of mine, loved to race cars and died in a fiery crash. I su
ppose it was all my punishment for not marrying the person I should have.”
“What had happened to George?”
“Yes, that’s what I was about to get to. By the time my third husband died, George had started his own business and was doing extremely well financially. He owned a large feed mill just outside of Rocky Creek. He was gradually becoming a very respected and prosperous member of Rocky Creek society.
“I was ashamed to do it, but I decided to pay him a visit one day, knowing it would look like I was only interested in him because he now had money. But money meant nothing to me. I suppose money only becomes a thought when you don’t have enough of it. It was George that mattered to me. I would have wanted George even if he had still been poor and working for my cousin’s family. Not marrying him had been the greatest mistake of my life, and I meant to do everything I could possibly do to correct it. So swallowing my pride, I paid his feed mill a visit.
“George was talking to someone when I walked into his office. He glanced up at me and continued talking to the man at the counter. I felt horrifically awkward waiting for the customer to leave. I started to walk out but the man finally finished his business and left, leaving George and me alone together in the very plainly decorated office.
“‘I just thought I’d stop by and see how your business is going,’ I said. ‘I heard you were doing well. I’m very glad of it. You deserve it.’
“‘It’s too bad I didn’t own this business when I asked you to marry me,’ George said. ‘You might have accepted my proposal.’
“‘I’m sorry,’ I said, starting to leave. ‘I should never have come here. Congratulations on your business. I hope it continues to prosper.’
“‘Don’t go,’ said George. ‘I’m glad you came. I’ve dreamed of you walking in this door one day, and here you are. You’re more beautiful than ever. The offer still stands, you know.’
“‘What offer?’ I asked, hoping dearly I knew what he was referring to.
“‘The marriage offer,’ he said. ‘It still stands, if you ever decide you’d have me.’
“I started crying almost uncontrollably.
“‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,’ he said, putting his arm around my shoulders to comfort me.
“‘I’m not upset; I’m happy,’ I said. ‘I can’t believe you’d still have me after all these years of me being a fool.’
“‘So will you do it? Will you marry me? I know it’s a bit sudden. I’ll give you as long as you want to think about it.’
“‘It’s not sudden at all,’ I said, ‘and I’ve had more than enough time to think about it. Yes, I’ll marry you, the sooner the better. I won’t be a fool this time and spend another minute pondering.’ We kissed, and it was like we were back at the swimming hole, only this time I made the right decision. I had somehow been given another chance to do the right thing.”
“That’s great,” said Ethan. “I’m not usually much on love stories, but this ones almost got me teary eyed. I was hoping the two of you got back together. He seems like he was a pretty cool guy.”
“Yes, cool indeed. Brother Charles married us at the Icy Sink church about a week later. Some people, being the snobs that they were, questioned our having the wedding at Icy Sink Church, but I wouldn’t have had it at any other place. I was finished with worrying about what other people thought. Being that it was my fourth marriage, I wore a dark blue dress, certainly not white, though none of the marriages had ended by divorce.”
Wind blew rain against the windows.
“We had an extremely wonderful time together. He was already living in this house when we married. Finding the place satisfactory, I moved in with him and have lived here ever since. I brought a few things, such as the bedroom suite that you’ve been sleeping on, but most of what you see here are things that George had purchased, explaining why the décor is so masculine in appearance. George loved to collect things. The house and its content were never what mattered to me, though. I would have live in a one-room cabin if it meant living with George.
“At first it seemed I wouldn’t be able to have children. Years went by, and I so desperately wanted to have a child. I had beautiful nieces and nephew, but I wanted a child that belonged to George. Then one day, not to sound vulgar, but I found out I was expecting. It put George in tears when I told him the news. He was a nervous wreck until our son was born. He hired more help around the house so that I wouldn’t have to lift a finger. Even hired round-the-clock nursemaids months before the due date.
“George and I were so happy when Benjamin arrived. He was such a wonderful, kindhearted boy from the start. He was never strong, though. Oh how I wish he had been a strong, healthy child. As I had mentioned before, Benjamin only lived to the age of ten. Being a sickly child, he never really got over his father’s death. So many times I’ve wished that I had gone on before them both, not left behind to grieve.”
“Please don’t tell me that George died too,” said Ethan. “What happened to him?”
“I think I’ve exhausted my energy for now,” said Zelma. “I will tell the story on another day. It’s getting late and the storm has nearly passed, it seems.”
Ethan started to protest but realized that it must be difficult for Zelma to bring up such painful old memories, so he kept silent. When they entered the hallway, he noticed a dim light coming from the kitchen door. “Well, look,” he said. “The electricity’s back on. I wonder how long it’s been back on.”
“It may have been on for a while, for all we know. I guess most of the lights were turned off.”
“I’m glad we didn’t know,” said Ethan. “I would have hated for the light to of flipped on right in the middle of your story, would have messed it up.”
“Yes, I enjoyed having the lights off for a time too. I suppose it gave you a glimpse of the wonderfully shadowy world I grew up in.”
Chapter 15
That night Ethan had the dream again, though it was different this time. No longer was he in his bed in eastern Kentucky. This time he was in his bed at the little house in Rocky Creek. He could hear his dad standing next to him calling his name, telling him it was time to get up. Ethan was so happy. He wouldn’t mind living here so much now that his dad was back. “Get up. Let’s go play some basketball,” his dad said. Ethan opened his eyes and saw a man with no face standing next to his bed. He jumped awake with a start, and found himself back in the bed at Miss Green’s house, the morning sun shinning in the window. He sat on the side of the bed and cried quietly for a moment before shaking it off and getting dressed for the day.
He found Zelma downstairs sitting at the kitchen table. She announced that she would be staying at her sister’s house in Russellville for a few days. Her sister’s grandson and his family were visiting from Cookeville, Tennessee, and Zelma had been invited over to stay while they were in. She figured on staying for three nights. Ethan carried her bag to the front porch where she would wait for her ride. He was happy to learn that he would be paid all the same.
Excited about the prospect of a few days off, he thought he might go look for Cynthia and later on see what Daniel was up to. He hadn’t decided whether or not to tell his mom that Miss Green was going to be gone for a while. He would think about that later. It might be to his advantage if she didn’t know about it for now. In fact, he couldn’t think of any reason she even needed to know about it, as long as he could stay over at Daniel’s place. And Sophia seemed to be pretty cool with whatever.
He found Simon Green sitting at his usual spot in front of Square Deal.
“You still thinking about setting up some beehives?” asked Simon.
“I sure am,” said Ethan. “I just don’t know where to get the hives or the bees, to tell the truth.”
“You won’t catch me around any bees again,” said the old man with a red face, who was sitting on the other bench. “Thought I was going to be a beekeeper once, but the damned things about stung me to death.”
“Tha
t’s because that red face of your probably made them angry,” said Simon. “Bees don’t like bright colors.”
Ethan tried to stifle a laugh.
“Now how do you suppose I got this red face? It’s been like this ever since them old bees stung me.”
“Yeah,” said Simon, “I’m sure it don’t have nothing to do with that flask of whiskey you’re always sipping on.”
“Hell, I don’t drink enough to make a bird tipsy.”
“If you think so,” said Simon. He whispered to Ethan, “Maybe not a pterodactyl.”
“I hear y’all over there talking about me,” said the red-face man.
“We just over here discussing bees,” said Simon.
“Do you know where I can get some of the bee hives?” asked Ethan. “It’d be fun just setting the boxes up and learning about them, even if my mom won’t let me have any actual bees. I’ve got a feeling she’ll come around eventually, though, especially since she likes honey. I’ve heard her say that local honey is good for allergies.”
“Honey’s the best thing for allergies,” said Simon. “If you’re going to be home tomorrow, I’ll bring you some hives. I’ve several out in the barn I’m not using. We’ll have your mom convinced in no time, especially since it’s free. We can keep a lookout and find you some bees without paying a dime.”
“Oh, that would be great,” said Ethan. “You’re just the coolest. I’d really appreciate it.”
“Don’t mind at all,” said Simon. “I need something to do besides sitting on this old porch all the time.”
“I can’t wait,” said Ethan. He gave Simon his address and started to give him directions but Simon stopped him, saying he knew the area like the back of his hand and was familiar with the house.
“Hi, Ethan!” It was Cynthia, who had just pulled up on her bicycle.
“Hey, Cynthia,” said Ethan. “Mr. Green’s going to help me set up some beehives.”
A Million Doorways Page 15