by Mary Salyers
“Better get you inside before you freeze. I’ll pick you up for church in the morning and take you to the café for lunch.” He hugged her to him as they climbed the steps to the porch.
“Thank you for coming to see the games. Seems like it’s been a long time since you were home for Christmas break.” Maggie pinched him lightly on the cheek. “I thought maybe you had forgotten about me.”
Bud grinned. “Not a chance.” He gave her another quick peck on the lips. “Get in the house before you freeze your behind off. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
After lunch the next day, Bud drove Maggie to Miller’s Falls. They walked along the creek talking of various things. Bud comforted her when she got teary speaking of her fear for JD’s safety. She turned to him then, gave him a kiss and asked, “Will you be my date for the Junior-Senior Banquet this year?”
“Now that’s a date you can count on, Baby. I’ll knock the stuffing out of anyone else who tries to be your date!” Maggie laughed. Maggie began to shiver from the cold, and Bud led her back to the car. He started the motor and turned on the heater.
After a few more minutes of hugs and kisses, Maggie pulled away and looked at Bud. “I’ve noticed your letters don’t come as often as they did last quarter.”
The muscles in Bud’s jaw contracted. “You’re right. I’ve gotten busy with stuff and neglected to write. I’m sorry.”
Maggie held his eyes with hers. “Should you be telling me what’s keeping you so busy?”
Bud finally looked down at his hands and drew a long breath. “Maggie, you’re my best friend. I want that for always.” He switched off the motor. The silence of the woods surrounding them seemed ominous. A bright cardinal flew into a tree beside the car, cocked his head, and looked at them with his black eye.
Bud took Maggie’s hand and looked into her eyes. “You’re right. I do need to tell you something. In fact, that’s why I wanted to take you to lunch and find a place where we could talk in privacy.” He took another deep breath. “Maggie, I hope someday we can be more than best friends.” He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “But I think we’re both young and need to have other relationships before we make any lasting promises.” He paused and looked away. “I have dated a couple of girls on the campus. They can’t hold a candle to you, but seeing them has made me realize I want to date other girls. I think you should date some other guys too.” He squeezed her hand. “I will be very jealous of them, though.”
Maggie pulled her hand away, opened the car door and got out. She began to run down the path beside the creek toward the falls. She had not been willing to admit it, but she noticed Bud had been less attentive to her during his Christmas break. Now she could pretend no more. He wants to date other girls, but he will be jealous of any boys I date. Doesn’t seem fair. Standing by the falls, feeling the mist spraying her face, she remembered how last year she had wondered if this cord might be broken. She mused that ties she wished she could sever held fast, while those ties she wanted to hold on to kept breaking. Deep down she agreed with Bud–they were both young, but at the same time she felt like someone had slammed a door in her face. She heard the crunching of leaves as Bud walked toward her.
He stood beside her for a time watching the water rush over the falls. Finally, he tugged her to him and looked into her eyes. “Maggie, I don’t mean to hurt you. I respect you more than I can say. I do want us to always be friends.”
“I understand.” Maggie picked some lint off his coat collar. “I just feel at the moment that I’ve lost the best trophy I ever won. But I will always be proud that I was your girl for a while.” She tried to smile, and in spite of herself a tear slipped down her cheek.
Bud wiped the tear away with his gloved finger. “If you ever need a friend, I’ll be there. I do want to be your date for the Junior-Senior Banquet. But if you decide you want to ask someone else, I’ll understand.” He pulled her toward him and held her.
Maggie swallowed and opened her eyes wide to stop the tears, then slipping from his embrace began to run. “I’ll race you to the car.”
* * *
Mary Ann had been very sympathetic when she learned that Bud was dating others. Maggie felt the depressing effects of the cold and darkness of winter more keenly than in other years, and she knew it was not altogether due to the weather. However, by mid-April, spring had come to the holler again, and Maggie’s spirits lifted.
Bud still wrote an occasional letter, and she looked forward to going to the Junior-Senior Banquet with him in a couple of weeks. She had received no more letters from JD, but she wrote him every week anyway. On this day as she walked home from the school bus stop, she felt like skipping. Junior said, “Maggie, what’s the big hurry? Don’t go so fast, I can’t keep up.”
“Sorry, Little Brother. This gorgeous weather just makes me feel like dancing.”
“You better not be dancing. Mama says it’s the Devil in people that makes them dance.”
Betty Lou, walking beside Kenny, said, “We’re learning to square dance in gym class. I think it’s fun. I don’t think it has anything to do with the Devil. But, Junior, you better not tell Mama.”
“Okay. I won’t.”
After Maggie changed her clothes, preparing to do the evening chores, she heard a car. She ran to the front porch to see, and clutched her throat when she saw a khaki sedan with U. S. Army painted on it going past. That could mean only one thing. She jumped off the porch and ran down the steps to the road. She raced into the yard, as a soldier knocked on the door. Aunt Opal opened the door and came onto the porch. She looked at the soldier and sank into the porch swing. “No. Don’t tell me. Please, not my JD.”
The soldier stood ramrod straight in front of her. “Mrs. Campbell, I am Sergeant Jones. It is my duty to deliver this message to you from the Department of Defense.” He handed her an envelope which she threw on the ground.
“I don’t want to hear it.” She bent forward and hid her face in her skirt.
Maggie picked up the envelope. “Aunt Opal, let me read it for you.” When she didn’t object, Maggie opened the envelope, unfolded the paper and read in a shaky voice. “This is to inform you that CPL James Douglas Campbell was killed in action in Korea 25 March 1952.”
Opal didn’t raise her head, but began to wail. Maggie tossed the paper onto the swing beside Aunt Opal and then screamed, “I knew this would happen!” She began to run toward the ridge. Arriving breathless and holding her side in pain, she sat on the big boulder at the back of the ledge and let the tears fall. She slowly slid to the ground and lay face down sobbing into her folded arms. After a while she got up, picked up a handful of rocks and began to fling them at the old dead pine tree that somehow still managed to be standing. She threw with all her might as if she would knock the tree down with a stone.
“Why did it have to happen?” She screamed to the sky that had turned pink with the setting sun. “He was good. He didn’t deserve to die.” She shook her fist. “I hate you, God!” She sank down and lay on the big rock crying the bitterest tears of her whole life. Shadows began to fill up the holler, and she roused herself. She had chores to do. When she started down the path, Audie Lee stepped out of the clump of mountain laurel and lurched toward her. He held out his hand displaying the necklace on his palm. He grunted and gently placed the necklace in her hand. He looked into her eyes while he closed her fingers around the necklace, then turned and staggered around the clump of laurel disappearing into the woods.
Maggie stared at the necklace. The years of being jostled around in his tobacco sacks had polished it to a brilliance that surprised her. Seeing the beautiful thing that Johnny Ray had wanted so badly caused her to begin weeping again with silent tears for all the broken cords: Elsie Mae, Johnny Ray, Bud, and now JD. She began to descend the ridge with slow steps and a heavy heart.
* * *
Dear Bud,
JD was killed in Korea and his body is being shipped home. His funeral will be Saturday, April 26
. I need a friend.
Maggie.
She had forgotten when she wrote the letter that the funeral coincided with the Junior-Senior Banquet. She moved through the next few days like a zombie. Some days she went to school, but sat dazed in class forgetting to prepare assignments. Some days she stayed home to help Aunt Opal clean house and prepare the front room for the viewing. Uncle Thomas and Uncle WC came home, neighbors brought in food, relatives came from Kentucky.
On the evening of the wake, Maggie slipped away and climbed the ridge. It had been a beautiful day, unseasonably warm with clear skies. She stood on the ledge looking down the holler at the cars making their way to JD’s house until the yard had filled up. Men stood in the yard among the cars smoking and talking quietly. The women, many carrying a dish of food, went inside. Maggie had watched earlier in the afternoon as the hearse arrived, and members of the local American Legion dressed in their uniforms had carried the flag-draped coffin into the front room. Reverend Lewis had spoken a few words of comfort, read the 23rd Psalm, and offered a prayer. Maggie watched it all with a heavy heart but dry eyes. She thought she had shed all the tears she had.
Now standing near the front of the ledge, she got a glimpse of someone on the path below. Soon the person moved into a clear spot, and Maggie saw Bud. She flew down the path and jumped into his arms. As he held her close, the tears she thought had dried up began to flow again.
Bud stayed beside her until late that evening, holding her hand, letting her cry on his shoulder, even sometimes shedding tears of his own. He came the next day and took her to the church for the funeral. He sat with his arm around her during the service and stood close for the ceremony at the grave. When the American Legion members gave the three gun salute, she flinched with each crack of the rifles, but Bud steadied her. The sad wail of “Taps,” played by a boy from the high school band, sent a knife through her heart, and she turned to walk away. Bud led her to his car, took her home, and stayed close by her until late that night.
He came the next day to say goodbye, and they walked up to the ledge, where they stood looking out over the holler, where the fresh greens of spring had covered the hillsides. Maggie loved this view at all times of the year, but spring was her favorite. She turned a sad smile toward Bud. “Thank you for coming.”
“I’ll always be here if you need me.”
Maggie picked up a rock. “I bet you can’t hit that dead tree down there.” Bud took the stone from her and threw it toward the tree, but it fell short by a yard. Maggie picked up another and as always her aim was true. It bounced off the tree and fell to the ground.
“Bull’s eye!” Bud yelled. “Do you remember that time at the falls when JD kept trying to hit that bottle on the other side of the creek and you zinged it with the first try?”
“Yeah. That was the day you said you wanted me to be your girl.”
Bud looked at her intently. She hoped he was going to change his mind and say he still wanted her to be his girl. But he shoved his fists into his pockets and took several steps away. He stopped and turned to face her. “Hey, I’m sorry our date to the Junior-Senior Banquet got messed up.”
“Me too. I had really looked forward to it. But I didn’t feel right to try to go to the banquet on the day of JD’s funeral.”
Bud walked back toward her a few steps. “I didn’t want to go under those circumstances either.” Then he grinned and those dimples Maggie loved punctuated his cheeks. “I was just thinking maybe I could be your date for next year.”
Maggie moved closer to him. “You’ve got a date, for certain! Let’s just hope nothing like this happens next year.”
Bud leaned toward her, and she thought maybe he would kiss her, but he kept his hands in his pockets and slowly drew himself up to his full height. “What do you have planned for the summer?”
“I’m not sure. Miss Erickson has arranged for me to have an interview with Gilbert Carson who has a law office in town. She says he wants someone to do office work about three days a week. I’m supposed to go to his office at 11:00 Monday morning.”
“That sounds great. Have you talked with your folks about it?”
“No, I thought I’d wait until I see how the interview goes. I know Mama will say no. I just hope Daddy will think it’s a good idea.” Maggie kicked a rock off the cliff and watched it drop to the ground below. “What about you? What are you doing this summer?”
“I’m going to work for my uncle again. He wants me to change my major to Business and take over the store when I graduate. They have only one daughter and she’s not interested in the retail business. She’s getting married in June and plans to move to New York with her husband who has some big job in finance. My folks think it’s a good opportunity for me.”
“In your letters last summer you seemed rather bored with it. Do you really think you’ll like it?”
“Well, last summer I did the grunt work. Being manager will be a whole different ball game. Yeah, I think I’ll like it.”
“Good. I hope you turn it into a million dollar enterprise!” She put her hand on his arm.
He took his hands out of his pockets and covered her hand with his own. “Maggie, I have to drive all the way to Cookeville tonight, and I also need to study for a test in Economics tomorrow. I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to say goodbye.” He put pressure on her hand. “Thank you for needing me this weekend. I hope I can always come when you say you need a friend.” He took her hand in his and led her to the path. Once they reached her house, he didn’t come inside, but rather quickly got into his car and drove away.
Maggie watched the car until it rounded the curve. She slowly climbed the steps to the porch where her father stood just outside the door. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “Sometimes life hurts, Sunshine.”
* * *
As Maggie had predicted, her mother strongly opposed her taking a job in the lawyer’s office. “You can’t never tell who all might come into a law office. What if some drunk comes in when Mr. Carson is out somewhere? Besides, I need you here to help us like always.”
Fortunately, Maggie had already talked with her father who had asked several questions and finally agreed that it was a good opportunity for her. Maggie supposed her mother had realized the decision had already been made because she stopped protesting, but announced, “Nothing good will come of this. Just wait and see!”
Mr. Carson’s office was above the Five and Ten a few doors away from the café. Beginning in June, Maggie’s father took her to work on Wednesday mornings and picked her up on Friday evenings. She stayed at Aunt Lillian’s at night and had free time in the evenings to be with her friends. Mary Ann had gotten her driver’s license and often drove her father’s pickup into town in the evening. They would visit other friends, hang out at the drug store, sometimes go to a movie. Maggie enjoyed more freedom than ever before.
The work challenged her, but she found it interesting. Mr. Carson had quite a backlog of filing and reports. Almost every day he had Maggie take dictation for a letter or a legal document. The legal terms sometimes baffled her, but he patiently helped her learn. After a couple of weeks, he told her he had increased the amount of her paycheck to match the quality of her work.
One Wednesday in mid-July after she had worked for six weeks, she opened the door to her office and saw a young man sitting at her desk. He grinned at her. “Oh, is this your desk?” He stood. “I’m sorry.” He stepped away and made room for Maggie to pass with a flourishing gesture of his arm. “Be my guest, Miss...er?”
“Maggie Martin. Who are you?”
“Jack Carson, at your service, Ma’am.” He pretended to doff a hat and bowed deeply.
“I’m sorry? I don’t understand.”
Just then Mr. Carson walked through the door. “Good morning, Maggie. Did you meet my nephew? He’s a second-year law student at the University of Kentucky and will serve an internship with me this summer. I asked him to work on that Burton case. I hope you
’ll be able to do the secretarial work for both of us. If it is more than you can do in three days, we may have to hire you for another day.”
“Sure, Mr. Carson. I’ll do my best.”
Mr. Carson nodded and smiled at her. He motioned to Jack. “Come with me. I’ve got some people you need to meet. We should be back before noon, Maggie. Is there anything you need before we go?”
“No, thank you, sir. I need to finish typing the briefs you gave me on Friday.”
Maggie watched as Jack followed his uncle out the door. Before moving out of sight, Jack turned, waved, and gave her an exaggerated wink. “Toodleloo.”
Not knowing what to make of this guy, Maggie tried to put him out of her mind as she started her work. She did not understand why, but he made her feel uncomfortable. Pretty good looking, though. Wavy blond hair and blue eyes. She scolded herself for continuing to think about him when she wanted to concentrate on her work.
After work that day, Maggie and Mary Ann went to the drug store to get a root beer float. They sat at the soda fountain when Jack walked in. “Well, who do we have here? My secretary and her friend. Won’t you introduce me, Maggie?”
Maggie turned to face Mary Ann. “Mary Ann, I’d like you to meet Jack Carson. He’s Mr. Carson’s nephew who will work in our office for a few weeks. Jack, meet my best friend, Mary Ann Collins.”
“Ah, nice to meet you, Mary Ann.” He took a stool beside her. “So, tell me, Mary Ann, what does a fellow do for fun in this town?”
“Not much, I’m afraid.”
Maggie made a production of noisily slurping up the last of her float. “Well, that’s the end of that. Are you finished too, Mary Ann?” Maggie gave her arm an urgent pull.