Hearts of Grey

by Earl E. Gobel

“‘Morning, Grady, do you know that there’s some men digging up your yard?” she told him as she turned to face him.

  “Yeah, and I was told to tell ya that she’ll be right down. But considerin’ who we’re talking about, it will most likely turn into a lie, so don’t blame me. I’m just relayin’ the message,” he told her.

  “Well, don’t they always shoot the messenger?” she told him with a smile.

  “Yeah, that’s why I’m telling ya that. So you don’t shoot me,” he explained.

  “I could never shoot you, Grady. But what in the world are they doing to your yard?” she asked.

  “Just laying out the cemetery and planting a sign. Katie doesn’t know what the sign says. It’s a surprise. It’s a tribute to her grandfather,” he told her.

  “Grady, you’re so sweet and loveable. Always thinking of your daughter that way. Katie is very fortunate to have such a caring and loving father like you,” she said.

  “Yeah well, some of us are blessed that way, I reckon,” he answered. “Would you like some coffee?” he asked as he turned to go back into the kitchen.

  Melissa shut the door behind her. “I was beginning to think that you would never ask,” she said as she followed him into the kitchen.

  About twenty minutes or so later, Katie came strolling into the kitchen.

  “Good morning,” Katie said as she saw Melissa sitting at the table.

  “Good morning, Katie. Are you ready to go meet a very special friend of mine?” Melissa asked.

  “Sure, whenever you’re ready I suppose. But you haven’t told me who this person is. I mean, I know that we’re going to go see about our dresses, but beyond that, you have me at a total disadvantage,” Katie told her.

  “You’ll just have to put your faith in me. I promise you that you’ll be pleasantly surprised,” Melissa answered.

  “You know that I do. But I’m really nervous about all of this wedding stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited all right but nervous too,” Katie told her.

  “No need to be nervous. Not where we’re going,” Melissa told her.

  “Well, Daddy, we’re off and running. We’ll see you in a few hours or so,” she said as she kissed her daddy on the cheek. Melissa did the same.

  “Wow, two beautiful young ladies kissing me. Hell, I’m a lucky man. You girls, be careful now,” he told them as they left the dining room.

  As Melissa steered the car out onto the road, Katie just looked at her.

  “What are you looking at?” Melissa asked.

  “You, just looking at you,” she told her.

  “Why? Is something wrong?” she asked.

  “No. It’s just that whenever I’m around you, I get this warming sensation. You know, like I’ve known you for years instead of weeks. I find it rather nice,” Katie told her.

  “I know what you’re talking about. You’re a very good friend too. And you’ll make a welcomed addition to our family,” she answered.

  “Speaking of which, our wedding, we’re going to be needin’ a ring bearer, right? Because I have someone in mind if you don’t mind,” Katie told her.

  “Really? And who would that be?” she asked.

  “Remember Bobby? That very polite little boy that I danced with?” Katie told her.

  “Oh, that little boy that likes you so much. I don’t see a problem with that. We’ll check it out with the guys, but I’m sure it will be fine,” Melissa answered back.

  Melissa pulled the car onto a small dirt road that lead through a very thick grove of trees. After several turns to the right and then to the left, the car came into a clearing. At the back of this clearing stood a small cottage. It was a very simple place, nothing fancy, just a small little cottage hidden away the road by a large group of trees.

  “How did you ever find this place?” Katie asked.

  “It wasn’t easy, I’ll tell ya. But as you’ll soon find out, it’s worth it,” Melissa told her as she pulled the car to a stop and shut off the engine. “You ready to be impressed?” she asked.

  “Sure, I think? Who lives here?” she asked.

  “The lady that is going to make our weddings the wedding of all weddings. You’ll see,” she said as she got out of the car. Melissa and Katie walked up to the front door. It opened before either of them had a chance to knock on the door. A very old lady stood in the doorway. The old lady smiled as she recognized Melissa.

  “Well, I’ll be, if it isn’t my favorite friend. Melissa, come give me a hug,” the old lady told her. Melissa walked up and gave her a hug.

  “It’s been a long time. How are you?” Melissa asked.

  “Darling, I’m getting older. Never better just older,” the old lady responded. She glanced over at Katie. “I know you. You’re the girl that sang that beautiful song at church last Sunday,” she said as she turned and gave Katie a hug as well.

  “I didn’t see you at church. I would have said hi to you then,” Melissa told her.

  “Well, it seems that you all ran off right after the sermon ended. I was going to say hi too,” the old lady told them.

  “Well, that was my fault. I apologize for running off like we did,” Katie told her.

  “That’s all right, dear. I’m sure you had your reasons. Let me think, you’re name was . . . Katie. But I can’t recall your last name. My memory ain’t what it used to be,” she told Katie.

  “My name is Katie Windslow, and you are?” Katie asked.

  “Well, my name is Vi or Violet, but everyone calls me Mom. So I guess you can too. Come on inside so we can talk. You’ll have to excuse the clutter. I don’t get that many visitors these days,” the old lady told them.

  “Well, we’re sure that it will be just fine,” Melissa told her as she followed the lady into the house. Katie followed.

  Inside the little cottage, nestled behind all of those trees, was like stepping into another world. Everywhere Katie looked, there were small ceramic statues of horses, unicorns, and other animals. Thousands of them lined the shelves all around the room. And not one of them showed any sign of dust. They were all shining as the day that they were made. But what caught Katie’s attention was a portrait that hung over the fireplace. Katie walked over to it and stared at the picture. The old lady looked at Katie.

  “That’s a picture of the man that changed my life,” the old lady told Katie.

  Katie turned and looked at the old lady. “And how was that?” Katie asked.

  “It was before I was born actually, but his kindness to my parents was so profound that my parents changed not only their beliefs, but the way that they lived as well.

  “Really? And how did he do that?” Katie asked.

  “Well, it was during the war. What my parents told me was this. Several drunk Confederate troops stopped here. And of course, my parents took them in and fed them. And like I said, they were drunk, very drunk. Then they turned on my parents, beating my dad until he was damn near dead, but they were just about to do things to my mom that were just unthinkable. And that’s when this man busted through the door and came to their rescue. Now while my parents tried not to take sides in that ghastly war, Mom begged this guy not to kill the Confederate soldiers. So he told them to run before the lady changes her mind. Under the rules of combat, he should have killed them, or at the very least taken them as prisoners of war. But he didn’t at my parent’s request. And for that, my parents were forever grateful. But for over twenty days, this guy that you see there stayed here while his troops took care of my parents. He refused to leave until my dad was completely healed from his injuries. He wouldn’t let either of them do anything. His soldiers did all of the cooking, the cleaning, and even took care of the animals while they were here. He refused any type of payment for anything. And from that day on, we were devoted Union supporters. Of course, I wasn’t even born yet, but when I was just a little girl, my parents told me of his kindness over and over again. And I guess I came to appreciate this man for what he did back then. Instead of just ridin
g away and leaving my parents to fend for themselves, he made the decision to stay and help them. And in a time of war, that was unheard of, especially back then. So I hung his portrait there to remind me of what a little kindness can do. Even in the worse of times,” the old lady told Katie as she listened to every word that the old lady had to say.

  “He did that?” Katie said as she pointed to the portrait above the fireplace.

  “Yes, he did. Do you know who he is?” the old lady asked.

  “Yes, I do. That’s General Sherman, my great-grandfather,” Katie told her.

  “Your great-grandfather? Are you serious?” she asked.

  “Oh, she’s serious all right,” Melissa told her.

  Katie just stood there smiling at the old lady.

  “Well, I’ll be. Child, it’s an honor to meet someone that has Sherman blood running through their veins,” she told Katie as she gave her a very heartfelt hug. Katie returned the hug. “Honey, your great-grandfather was a saint sent down from heaven in the most wicked and evil of times.”

  “Thank you. You’re much too kind,” Katie told her.

  “Come and sit down so you can tell me why you’re here,” the old lady told them. All three of them sat down, and Melissa and Katie started telling her about the weddings and the time frame that they were stuck in.

  “Wow, a double wedding in two weeks? And you need two very special dresses by then. Gee, let me think for a minute. Two weeks isn’t that much time, but I’ll do it under one condition,” the old lady told them.

  “And what condition would that be?” Melissa asked.

  “Well, I get an invitation to both of yer all weddings, of course,” she answered.

  “Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Melissa told her.

  “Of course you can come. We insist on it,” Katie added.

  “Great! So let me jot down some measurement on the two of you, and I’ll get started then,” the old lady said as she went over to her sewing desk and retrieved a measuring tape.

  “So do you want us to tell you what we want, or what?” Katie asked her.

  “No need, child. You’ll want a dress that makes your men’s mouths water while being glamorous and elegant at the same time. Right?” she asked.

  “Exactly! So can you do it? I mean, two dresses on such short notice? That’s a pretty tall order,” Katie asked.

  “Child, you’ll be amazed at what this little old lady can do. Ain’t that right, Melissa?” she said as she looked over at her.

  “Oh yeah, put your mind at ease, Katie ’cause everything will be just fine. Well, beyond your wildest dreams. Trust us,” Melissa told her.

  “But I do have to ask you both. Did you want your dresses to have hoop skirts?” Vi asked.

  Melissa and Katie both looked at each other and started laughing. “No hoop skirts,” both of them told her at the same time.

  “Sorry, it’s a private joke,” Katie told the old lady with a smile on her face.

  “Okay, which one of you tried it?” she asked as she threw glances at Katie then at Melissa.

  “Which one of us tried what?” Melissa asked.

  “You know what I’m talking about. Which one of you tried to have sex while wearing a hoop skirt?” she asked.

  “Whatever made you think that?” Katie asked. The smile was gone from her face.

  “Child, do you really think that you’re the first woman to ever try having sex in one of those damn things. Really?” she asked.

  “Never thought about it,” Katie told her.

  “So which one of you tried it?” she asked again.

  Katie slowly raised her hand. “I did . . . I mean I tried, but it didn’t work out quite like I had hoped it would have,” Katie said with a devilish smirk forming on her face.

  “I thought that it might had been you,” the old lady told her.

  “Really, and what gave away my secret?” she asked.

  “The way your face turned a bright shade of red when I asked which of you had tried it. A hoop skirt is nothing more than a very fashionable chastity belt. And that’s why we womenfolk don’t wear them anymore,” she told her.

  Katie glanced over at Melissa. “And you didn’t say a word, did you? You could have jumped in to help me,” Katie said as she looked at her.

  “And what was I supposed to say?” Melissa asked.

  “Doesn’t matter. At least you didn’t try to do it in a hayloft or somewhere like that?” the old lady told her.

  Katie turned her head to look at her. A very puzzled look came over her face.

  “You didn’t, did you?” Vi asked. “Well, of course you did. I can see your answer on your face. What were you thinking?” she asked.

  “I wasn’t thinking, but how in the world did you know that?” Katie asked.

  “I didn’t. But of course, I do now. I just wish I could have been there to see that. It must have been funnier than hell,” the old lady told her.

  Katie turned back to Melissa. “What did you tell her? You told her everything, didn’t you?” she asked.

  “Hey, I swear I didn’t tell her anything,” Melissa said in her defense.

  “Honey, I look at you, and I see a very beautiful and charming southern girl. And when you think of a southern girl rolling around with her boyfriend, you just think hay, as in hayloft. That’s all,” the old lady explained to her.

  “Oh, really? And what do you see when you look at Melissa over there?” Katie asked.

  “Well, I see her in the park or in the loft right next to you,” she told her.

  “Oh, do you now? That’s interesting. Very interesting indeed,” Melissa said, a smirk upon her face.

  The lady measured both of them as Katie wrote down Melissa’s measurement and vice versa. When they were finished, the lady looked at the measurements for the two women.

  “Well, this will be a lot easier than I had thought. It seems that you two are almost identical in almost every area,” she told them.

  “Really? I guess I never compared myself to her that closely,” Katie said as she looked at Melissa in a whole new way.

  “And neither have I. But I will now. We can borrow each other’s clothes,” Melissa added.

  “Well, why don’t you two ladies go on home now so I can get to work on your dresses. I have a lot to do and not much time to get it done. And as much as I like having your company, nothing will get done while we’re sitting around talking about this and that,” she told them.

  “Okay, I guess we’ll be going then. Thanks, Mom, for everything,” “Melissa told her as she gave the old lady a hug.

  “You’re very welcome,” she replied.

  Katie just stood there looking at the lady.

  “And you, you’ll have to come back sometime and tell me about your great-grandfather,” she told Katie as she gave her a hug.

  “I will, I promise. And thanks again,” Katie replied.

  “Now, you two, get on out of here,” the old lady told them.

  She stood on her porch and watched as the two ladies drove off down the gravel driveway, disappearing into the trees.

  Jack Finally Comes Home

  As Melissa steered the car through the main gate of Matterson House, another car was just leaving. The driver waved at the two women as they passed each other.

  “Wasn’t that Mr. King?” Melissa asked.

  “I think so, but I wonder what he was doing back here so fast?” Katie told Melissa.

  “Well, I’m sure your dad will tell us,” she replied.

  And as sure as the sun had come up that day, Grady was at Katie’s side of the car even before it stopped. He opened the door for his daughter.

  “Hi, Daddy. Was that Mr. King that we saw leaving?” she asked as she gave her dad a hug.

  “Sure was. Guess what? Jack is coming home,” he told her.

  “Yeah, I know,” she replied.

  “No, he’s coming home tomorrow,” Grady added.

  “Tomorrow? But we’re not ready
for him yet,” Katie answered.

  “I know, but Mr. King is going to transport his remains over to the mortuary tomorrow morning so they can put him in a casket and do whatever else they can do for him. Then we can have the services here in a few days,” Grady told her.

  “Well, that’s better. I mean, it gives a little more time to get this all done, but not that much,” Katie told him.

  “True, but there’s something else that Mr. King said that has me wondering,” Grady said in a very cautious tone.

  “And what was that?” she asked.

  “He said that he had a very big surprise coming,” he told her.

  “A very big surprise? What did he mean by that?” she asked.

  “Not sure. He said that he couldn’t tell me anymore. But you and I were in for a surprise of a lifetime,” he told her.

  “Well, considering we just found the stolen treasure of the south, and I’m getting married in a few weeks, and now we found out that Jack is finally coming home, it would have to be really huge to top all of that,” she told him.

  “I know, I know, and that, my dear daughter, is what’s so scary,” Grady told her as he rubbed his chin.

  “Well, I guess we’ll find out in a few days then. But I have to tell ya about this story about my great-grandpa that I just heard. It’s a whole different side of him that the history books don’t tell ya,” she told him.

  “Really? You grab the ice tea, and I’ll meet you on the front porch ’cause I have a surprise for you as well,” he told her.

  “Oh, yeah, that sign thing. I saw it when we came through the gate, but why is it still covered up?” she asked.

  “That, my dear Katie, is the surprise part,” he told her.

  “Really?” she told him.

  “Yes, really,” he said with a smile. “So as soon as Michael gets here, I’ll show it to you. Now go get the tea please, and I’ll meet you on the porch so you can tell me about your great-grandfather’s story,” he told her.

  “Well, okay, you’ve got to hear this,” she told him as she and Melissa headed for the kitchen to fetch the tea.

  “So tell me, what did you think of our dress lady?” Melissa asked as she pulled three glasses from the cupboard.