“We manage just fine, Ma. Rick and I get along just fine,” Joe added.
Lee waved the nearby dishrag at Joe in frustration. “I know, I’m just sayin’…oh never mind, Libby, go on!”
“Tommy was athletic, and very smart. He loved football, softball, even long-distance running. He graduated from high school a year early and went to the College of Charleston. He met Tara, his wife, there when he was eighteen. She was older than he was—by a couple years, I think. They got married after he graduated. She worked for the medical university in research. He went to grad school at night and taught school, too.
“When I was nine, Tara got pregnant with Megan. Tara found out just before Megan’s third birthday that she had cancer. She died just over a year later. Come to think of it, I’m 29—the same age as when Tara died. Hmmm…I hadn’t thought of that!
“Well, Megan was already staying at our house more than she did Tommy’s. After Tara died, I think Tommy hated to be alone—it’s really sad--he never really dated anybody else. He had a hard time losing Tara. Megan’s always seemed more like a little sister than a niece. We’ve sorta…grown up together, I guess you could say.
“Oh, Libby, that’s tragic! Your poor brother,” Lee’s serious expression made Libby smile appreciatively. Joe put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed.
“Well, thanks. Some folks just have that lot in life I guess. You can’t really make sense of it all…and I guess that’s the only way it’s all made sense to me.”
“That’s true. Some people just seem to have more on their plate to deal with than others. I guess you never know…till you walk in someone’s shoes…what’s happening in their world,” Lee reasoned. “Megan’s doing okay now, though, right? How old is she?”
“Aw, she’s great. Here…here’s her picture,” Libby pulled her phone from her pocket and showed Lee and Joe the picture of the bubbly, blue-eyed girl with bright red hair.
“Oh, she’s beautiful! Look at that hair!” Lee exclaimed.
Joe smiled and nodded. “She is…apples…trees. I mean, she’s got such a gorgeous aunt and all,” Joe winked at Libby.
“Thanks. She’s very special. She never gets down. She brightens the darkest room, just by walking in,” Libby beamed as she smiled at the image. When the screen went dark, the smile faded.
Lee stirred her grits, then lowered the heat. As Libby’s story continued, she checked the pasty biscuits in the oven.
“So, what brings you out in your RV? And alone! My goodness girl! I’d be terrified to be out in this world all alone.” Lee asked. Leaning against the counter, she listened intently.
“Well, in October, my senior year in high school, I was working on college applications when Mom’s best friend, Grace, came over. She was looking for a receptionist and asked if I wanted a job after school. I jumped on it...thinking it’d be great to earn some extra money, especially planning for college. I loved working there. By spring I was handling bookings, researching itineraries and stuff.
“My favorite English teacher came in one day to start planning his summer vacation with his wife. Mr. Stone gave me my love of journaling, as a matter of fact. I loved his class. He told me one day that he actually created assignments just so he could read my journals,” Libby laughed.
“Anyway, he wanted to take his wife to the Grand Canyon, and so I started doing research for him. I’ll never forget: the first image that appeared on my computer was The Freedom Festival—hot air balloons floating over the Grand Canyon. From then on, I was hooked. I’d find calendars with balloons, and when the year was up I’d pick my favorite shots and frame them. Everyone gave me grief at the agency, but I loved them. They inspired me...somehow.
“So, that’s why you had to go to the Grand Canyon...okay, it makes sense.” Joe rubbed her shoulders.
Libby smiled and glanced back at him, “Ten years…I waited to do that.”
“I’m glad you left me then...that’s a long time to hold onto a dream,” Joe smiled and moved his stool closer to Libby.
“And to think! You’re picking up strange men! Your Momma must’ve had choice words for you when she heard about that!” Lee exclaimed with a laugh.
Libby smiled and looked into her empty coffee cup.
Lee laughed, “I’m just so happy you’re here!” She walked over to Joe and hugged him. “I’m not making ANY plans, cause I don’t want to miss a thing! Libby, we have horses—you kids can go riding if you’d like! We have the pond for swimming, or there’s a pool, but one of you boys needs to clean it first.”
Loud footsteps from the stairs announced a newcomer as Chuck appeared in the doorway. “Mornin’,” he offered cheerfully.
Lee crossed the floor and gave him a kiss and hug. He lifted her off the ground for a moment. As her feet gently returned to the floor, she tousled his long hair and laughed, “Get a cup, Chuck.”
“Oh, I’m so thankful my boys are home!” Lee glowed as she returned to stir her pot.
“Breakfast’ll be ready in about ten minutes. Somebody needs to go shake Rick outta bed. Your father ate hours ago, but he said he wants to join us when we do. He’s down at the barn. Joe, give your Dad a ring and tell him to come on.”
Joe climbed off his stool and grabbed the phone from the wall. He pressed a button and waited. “Pop, breakfast in ten.” After a reply, he smiled and hung up the phone, then went to the cabinet for plates. Libby joined him, and the two began setting the table. After her hands were empty of dishes, he grabbed her and held her close.
“I’m glad you’re here…really glad.”
She nodded against his shoulder and held on tightly as a tear puddled in her eye.
* * *
The family gathered around the table for breakfast for lively discussion. An hour later, the dishes were again clean and the group took coffee onto the porch. Chuck brought his guitar and tried unsuccessfully to convince his hand to hold chords. After a few minutes, he gave up with a sigh. Joe took it from him, and began playing softly. The group grew quiet as the soft melody filled the air.
“Ah...I sure miss that sound,” Lee whispered as tears filled her eyes, and she smiled at Joe.
Giving her a wink, he continued playing the tune. Rick took his cup into the house, returning with pappy. The two began playing songs, occasionally laughing when one or the other played wrong notes or forgot melodies.
Libby looked around the family, remembering her childhood and her own family, doing the exact same thing on their front porch, playing music and singing songs. She smiled as she wiped a tear. Joe caught a glimpse and smiled at her. He laid his head back on his chair and watched her intently.
“You okay, babe?”
She smiled and nodded, settling into her chair as voices were raised in song. She drew her knees to her chest and closed her eyes to listen to the melody. Behind her eyes, she saw Maggie sitting on their front porch as her long fingers deftly picked melodies on the guitar in her lap. Libby snuggled against Tom, and Tommy kept rhythm against anything within reach.
So caught up in the memory, she was oblivious to the tear rolling down her cheek. The Kingston clan fell into harmony in their song, often laughing or talking as the song rolled along. As Chuck painfully attempted to pluck his guitar, Joe glanced back at Libby and noticed the tears streaming down her face. He stopped suddenly and knelt by her chair.
“What’s wrong? Libby, are you okay?” he quietly wiped the tears with one hand as he laid the guitar on the floor with the other. Chuck played on, oblivious to everyone else, as one by one the family noticed Joe and Libby.
Libby opened her eyes, realizing where she was and that her tears disrupted the party.
“Oh! I’m so sorry! I guess I got lost in the song, and…” her voice trailed off as her embarrassment rose. “I’m so sorry!” she whispered, quickly wiped her cheeks. Her tears wouldn’t stop, however.
&
nbsp; “What’s wrong?” Joe hugged her tightly.
“Memories,” she choked.
By now, Chuck realized nobody else was singing and stopped picking at his guitar. All eyes were on Joe and Libby, and Lee was on the edge of her seat with concern etched on her face.
Libby’s face grew dark. She glanced back at Joe, asking “Do you remember that kid...an actor named Brandon Harrison?”
“Yeah, vaguely. Isn’t he dead? Hey, wait…don’t tell me you dated him,” Joe smiled.
Libby shook her head, “No. I mean, yes, he died from a drug overdose when he was 21. Well, he was shooting some football movie in Clemson the summer after I graduated. While he was there, he celebrated his seventeenth birthday. His manager, a monster named Charles Boyett, threw him a party. Witnesses saw Boyett bring in cases of alcohol and hand a bottle of whiskey to Harrison, wishing him happy birthday. He partied hard, so they say. It wasn’t just his birthday, it was also July 4th.
“So the story goes, he got ticked off at somebody at the party, blew out of the parking lot at full speed in the shiny, new sports car his parents gave him for his birthday. Some people from the party said they tried to keep up with him—to try to stop him. He was driving over 100 miles per hour, and he lost ‘em.
“Well, unfortunately, he found Dad and Tommy. They were on their way to a fishing weekend at a friend’s cabin in Lake Jocassee. They were pulling a boat, and he…he blew ‘em off the road,” Libby’s voice trailed off. She was staring across the yard. She couldn’t look anyone in the eye for fear she’d completely break down.
After a pause for composure, she continued. “They told us the road narrowed just before the curve. Dad was driving up the mountain. Harrison came down…on the wrong side of the road, forcing Dad off. They said he left paint down the entire side of the truck and the boat. Dad barely left a skid-mark—he didn’t have time to react. He drove…straight off the side of the mountain.
“Oh, Libby, I’m so sorry!” Joe cupped her face in his hands, then pulled her close, holding her.
Lee’s eyes filled with tears, and she turned to look at her husband.
Joe released her and reached for her hand as she continued, “They were just thirty minutes from the cabin. I used to think...if they had just left a little earlier...they’d both still be here. Just minutes…my life, Megan’s life, even Mom’s life, would have been so different.
“Until today, I guess I never realized how music…well, it kinda died in our house when ‘the Toms’ died. That’s what Momma always called ‘em.” Libby smiled through the sadness in her eyes.
“Mom was never the same: seems like a part of her died with them. Megan needed somebody who was ‘all there’ – and Mom couldn’t be that person. It seemed she just went through motions. She never laughed anymore. She’d stare at nothing…a lot,” Libby sighed.
“I don’t blame her, though. She did what she could. She went back to teaching English, and I deferred college. She tried to talk me out of it, but there was no way I was gonna be a burden, Besides, she needed help with Muggs—that’s what we all called Megan. Grace took me on full-time at the agency. I picked Megan up from school every day, and she came to work with me a lot. So, we made it work. Muggs is half my age, and she and I pretty much became inseparable at that point. Other than when she was at school, we were always together. This trip is really the first time…” Libby’s voice trailed again.
“That’s a lot to deal with, Libby,” Joe said softly. He was still holding her hand tightly.
“You’re such a great daughter to sacrifice so much,” Lee said. The Kingston clan studied Libby with empathy—occasionally sharing glances as the story unfolded.
“Mom really tried to be there for us, don’t get me wrong. Something inside her just...died. I did all I could to keep Megan from being affected by her depression. We were always doing projects or homework and stuff. She and I went everywhere together.”
“Did that horrible boy die, then?” Lee asked.
Libby tried to pull herself together as she continued, “No ma’am, Brandon was arrested at the scene that night: a news crew shot a video of the arrest. It showed him barely able to stand, he was so drunk.
“There was a technicality, or Brandon’s lawyers were just so much better paid than the solicitor, I don’t know. Regardless, he managed to avoid jail time, even though there were fatalities. It was completely incomprehensible. Will, our lawyer, was great though. He went after both Brandon and his manager, who provided the alcohol to minors. There’s a law that allows a civil suit against the person who supplies alcohol that results in a wreck—and the fact that Brandon was under-aged just added to it. When the judge in the civil case found out that Brandon managed to get out of jail time, he really laid it on him. It was a lot of money. They appealed, of course, but when Brandon overdosed, Will resolved it quickly.
“Libby, that’s just so tragic! You’re too young to have experienced so much loss,” Lee shook her head woefully.
Joe played with Libby’s hair as he placed his lips against the back of her hand.
Libby smiled, “One slow day at work, I was staring out the window; and as I answered a call, I found myself looking at a calendar on the wall as I talked to the customer. I couldn’t take my eyes off the hot air balloons floating over a canyon. It’s like I left my body…and I was actually there—in the balloon. Every time I looked at them after that, I felt this…peace. Whenever I had a bad day…I focused on those images, and I just…felt better. The thought of floating over the world…and in such a beautiful place as the canyon…well it got me through a lot back then. It helped me to be there for Megan, too. So, see, I’ve sorta lived for that moment—seeing the Grand Canyon, and the balloons for myself--for a long time.
Libby smiled sadly, “Well, about nine months ago, I got a call from my ex-boyfriend, Scott Walker, who’s a Charleston County deputy. He happened to be at the hospital one night. He told me they brought Mom in from school. She’d had a heart attack in her classroom after school. The custodians found her several hours after it happened. If someone had found her sooner...they believe she…they could’ve…helped her. As it was, there wasn’t anything they could do.
Libby’s eyes filled with tears, “Miss Lee, being here with you…well, I really miss her.”
“Of course you do!” Lee couldn’t stand it any longer and left her chair to hug Libby. Joe smiled at her as she did.
“Thanks,” Libby smiled as she wiped tears from her face. Lee patted Libby’s cheek, and they both began to cry again as Lee hugged Libby tightly. Joe stroked her hair and blinked away a swell as he made eye contact with his own Mom.
“Libby, I’m so sorry,” he whispered.
“Feels like we’re all each other has, Muggs and I. I guess we’re both a bit over-protective. I didn’t want her to feel like she needed to miss out on her life—which was another reason I took this trip. I want her to know that it’s okay to live her life. That I’ll always be here for her, but I don’t want her to sacrifice her life for me in any way.
So, just before Mom died, Will told us about the lawsuit settlement. It was a long, drawn-out mess, and I’m so thankful he was there. When Mom died...well, I don’t know what I’d have done with him and Jane, his wife. They’ve sorta been surrogate parents to both of us—even though I’m not a child. I never could’ve managed all of it alone.
Joe smiled at her as he took her hand. “You’ve had so much tragedy to deal with girl, and you’re so young. It’s amazing that you’re so...together. Driving across country, alone no less! Geez,” Joe shook his head. “Well, I’m glad you did, don’t get me wrong. You’re just so...brave...so responsible...and grounded,” Joe shook his head.
“Well, our home is yours, Libby. You’re welcome here anytime,” Lee patted Libby’s hand and returned to her chair, wiping her eyes while trying not to be seen.
Joe reached ov
er and put his arm around Libby’s, kissing her neck.
“Maybe we should stop,” Joe said as he looked at Libby with admiration mixed with sorrow.
“No!” Libby forced a smile. “This is wonderful! I miss our Sunday afternoon family concerts! This reminded me of them…that’s what started this whole mess,” she laughed as she wiped her eyes. Memories of Mom playing her guitar, and we all spent Sunday afternoons lounging on the porch singing all kinds of songs. We had the best time. Please, don’t let me stop this…it’s so great!” She looked into Joe’s eyes and touched his face. “Please...keep singing!”
Joe smiled at her…something was different about him. “Anything for you,” he whispered. He kissed her cheek, then picked up his guitar and pulled his chair closer to her as he began playing an up-tempo song. Chuck and Rick followed along, and soon all were singing and laughing again.
Later, Joe began singing old country classics and his Dad let out a whoop as every song began. Everyone joined in from time to time. The morning passed as the group enjoyed each other’s company, and the music they all shared.
* * *
Lee was picking up glasses from the front porch as Joe walked out the front door. “Thought we’d run into town to gas up the RV, find a dump station and take care of a few things. We’ll be back in a bit. Mom, you need me to pick up anything in Paris?”
“Nah, Sweetheart. We’re good. I can’t remember the last time you boys sat around and sang with your ol’ mom and dad…I sure miss you boys!” Lee hugged Joe as he reached the top step. I’m runnin’ late with lunch though, I’m about to put somethin’ together.”
“We’ll grab somethin’ in town.”
“Oh…okay then. You kids have fun,” Lee gave him another quick hug, then gathered the glasses and turned to the door just as Libby came out smiling.
Joe and Libby walked across the dam holding hands. After disconnecting the RV, Joe and Libby paused at the door. Joe pulled Libby close and kissed her as he held the screen door open. Libby smiled back at him and climbed into the RV. As Joe closed the door behind him, Libby met him as he turned toward the cab and kissed him passionately.
Whirlwind Love: Libby's Journey Page 16