“We see James and his family twice a year,” Asa said. “They come over around Christmas, and the kids come to stay a couple of weeks with us in the summer. They got four young-uns now. Abner’s going on twelve—”
“Twelve?” I exclaimed. “Oh my. I won’t even recognize him.”
“Percy’ll be turning nine next month. Now he’s a handful, that boy.”
Percy, I thought. They’d named him after Emma Rae’s father. I’d only seen him once, the day I’d helped Emma Rae give birth to him. The day Chester Calhoun had died. A shiver ran up my arms.
Asa kept on talking, telling me about the twin girls born two years after Percy. “Ellen and Jennifer are quite a pair. They’re right pretty, and boy don’t they know it.”
“They only come around for Christmas and a couple of weeks during the summer? I suppose James hasn’t softened any toward Mother.”
Asa frowned and shook his head. “No, I reckon he’s softened as much as he’s ever going to. He’s respectful when they visit, but he calls her Elizabeth. Breaks her heart, but she tries to understand. He don’t hardly speak to me a’tall. I figure he spoke to a few family members and found out about my part in his mother’s death, and that was that.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said.
“Well, you can’t go back and undo the past. You can just do your best to learn from it, try to make things as right as you can, and move forward with an aim to be better. Took me a long, long time to learn that lesson, but I’m grateful for it. Carrying around bitterness and regret in your heart is like drinking a little poison every day.”
I couldn’t help but glance over at Matthew. He didn’t say anything to acknowledge Asa’s words, but I saw the muscles in his jaw working. I realized that maybe I wasn’t the only one God was trying to get back to Alabama. Maybe there was healing for Matthew here too.
***
Asa slowed down as we turned onto the dirt driveway. “All right,” he said. “Let me go in and prepare her. She’s going to be shocked, and she’ll probably come flying out of the house as soon as I tell her. But if you just walk in there she might faint dead away.”
“Should we stay in the truck?” Matthew asked.
“I’ll park down by the barn so you can get out and stretch your legs. She won’t think to look for you.”
“She knows I’m with you, right?” Matthew said.
Asa cringed a bit and glanced at Matthew. “Well, not exactly. See, when I saw your letter, I was pretty shocked. The last I’d heard, you were killed in action. I wasn’t sure what was going on, and I didn’t want to upset Lizzy. So once I read you were just needing a lift somewhere, I figured it was best not to say anything. She ain’t even expecting you.”
“Wow,” Matthew said, turning his face to the window. “That’s going to be one heckuva surprise.”
We drove past the house and my chest warmed at the sight of the familiar farm. Asa pulled the truck into the barn. Hope tugged on my sleeve. “Momma, where are we?”
“This is where Uncle Asa and your Grandmother Graves live. Remember, I’ve told you about her before. You’re going to meet her today.”
“I have anudder Gamma?” Her eyes opened wide.
Matthew let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. Beads of perspiration rolled down his forehead. He pushed Hope into my arms and opened the door. “I gotta get some air.”
Asa closed his door, and I helped Hope climb out after Matthew. She took off running toward the entrance, and I yelled for Matthew to grab her. He lifted her up into the air, and she giggled.
“Daddy, thwow me up!”
“Not right now, sweetie.” He brought her back to the truck and pulled down the gate. “You wait here until Asa comes out to tell us to come inside.”
I’d climbed out of the truck and joined Hope on the tailgate. I soaked in the aroma of cows and pigs, grass and lavender. My stomach twisted with excitement. Part of me couldn’t wait to hug Mother and tell her how much I’d missed her. But part of me was afraid she was going to be mad at me for lying all these years.
Matthew leaned against the tailgate and let out another sigh. I couldn’t stand it anymore. “Is something bothering you?” I asked.
He crossed his arms and looked out over the fields. “I just hope you’re staying realistic, is all. It don’t do any good to get excited about seeing your brother or his kids. This isn’t a family reunion. I mean, I know you’re happy to see your mother and Asa. I am too. But we need to be careful and take this one step at a time.”
“Listen, I’m seeing my mother today for the first time in nine years. I’m happy about it. And I’m not going to let you spoil it for me.”
“I ain’t trying to spoil—”
Just then, Mother came flying out of the front door, just like Asa said she would, and ran faster than I’d ever seen her move down to the barn. I jumped off the tailgate and took off running too. We about crashed into each other in the middle, and by the time we were finished with our ruckus, we were both crying and laughing. We probably stood there hugging each other for a solid ten minutes before either of us let go. And that was only to take a good look at each other before we went back to hugging and crying and laughing again.
Once we’d settled down, Mother looked toward the barn. “Where’s my grandbaby?”
Matthew carried Hope out of the barn, walking up to us like he was nervous. “Mrs. Graves, this is Hope. Hope, this is your Grandma Graves.”
Mother held her hands beneath her chin, tears still streaming down her face. She smiled at Hope, beaming as she looked between us. “Hi Hope. It’s wonderful to meet you.”
Hope regarded her grandmother for a moment, her face pinched into a thoughtful expression. Then she opened her little arms and reached for Mother, who scooped her away from Matthew. Mother held on to Hope, her eyes closed in pure joy, and Hope squeezed her arms around Mother’s neck.
“I give good hugs,” Hope said.
“You surely do,” Mother whispered, a fresh set of tears rolling down her cheeks. “You surely do.”
***
While Matthew and Asa fetched our luggage, Mother showed me all the changes they’d made to the house, but it was the changes in Mother I noticed first. Her hair was completely gray now, and worry lines creased her forehead and cheeks. I couldn’t help wondering how much of that I’d caused.
She showed us the addition off the dog run of two bedrooms, just like our old house in town where’d we’d lived until Daddy passed away. Matthew set our luggage in one of the bedrooms, and Mother showed us the main part of the house.
It was mostly as I remembered it, with a bedroom off the back of the living room, and a kitchen and dining area connected to the living room. Asa had added an indoor bathroom just off their bedroom, with a large clawfoot tub. Mother was especially fond of that.
Arranged across the mantle on the fireplace were several photos, including one of me just after I’d graduated high school, and one of Henry in his pilot’s uniform. As I drew closer, I realized a Silver Star was displayed next to my brother’s picture. It must have been awarded posthumously on Matthew’s recommendation and sent on to his next of kin. Taking care not to disturb the medal, I picked up Henry’s photo and ran my fingers over his smile. He looked so handsome, so young and lighthearted. My chest ached with pride and loss.
Mother came up beside me, looking at the photo. “Henry sent that to us just after he was stationed in Manila. He wrote me a nice letter telling me how much he loved it there, and what a great time he was having.”
“He did love it there for a while,” I said, passing her the picture.
Across the living room, Matthew’s frown deepened. He cleared his throat. “Mrs. Graves, I…I don’t know how to tell you how sorry I am about Henry. He was a good man, and a good friend. I owe my life to him.”
Mother set the photograph back on the mantle. “So you were with Henry in the Philippines?”
“I didn’t get much of a chance to exp
lain things,” Asa said. “Soon as she heard you all were alive, she took off. She doesn’t know about you three being together over there.”
I picked up Hope, who’d been tugging on my dress hem. “Why don’t I get Hope down for a nap, and we can talk for a while? Matthew and I will explain everything.”
She nodded and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. “You can put her down in our bed if you like. She may be more comfortable there for now.”
I retrieved Velveteen and Skin Horse from our luggage, as well as a picture book she could look at. I brought Hope into the bedroom and did my best to get her to settle down. But she had so many questions; I thought she’d never go to sleep. After about twenty fruitless minutes, I handed her the picture book. “Look, sweetie, you don’t have to fall asleep, but you do have to stay in the bed and rest until I come back to get you. Understand?”
She sighed and pushed the book away. “I want to play with Belteen.”
“You can hold Belteen and Skin Horse, but you cannot get off this bed.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I kissed her forehead. “I’ll be back in a little while. I love you.”
“I love you too, Momma.”
I closed the door behind me and joined the others at the table. Mother dabbed at her red-rimmed eyes, and Matthew looked pale. “I’ve been telling your mother about our time on Bataan and Corregidor,” he explained. “I just finished telling her about your escape from Mindanao.”
Mother looked across the table at Matthew and clasped her hand over his arm. “I cannot thank you enough for what you did to get Ruby to safety.”
Matthew dropped his gaze, looking almost ashamed. “You don’t have to thank me.”
Mother stood and wrapped me in a hug again. “And you! You must have been so frightened, all alone in Australia. And pregnant too. You’ve all been through so much.”
“I don’t think we’re in the clear yet,” Matthew said. “Ruby’s determined to turn herself in.”
“What?” Mother said, stepping back and looking like she was getting ready to scold me. “Turn yourself in?”
“Ruby, you can’t be serious,” Asa said from the other side of the table. “That’s why you came back here?”
“I can’t live this lie anymore,” I said, searching their eyes for understanding. “It’s a burden my conscience can’t bear. And I don’t want to live a life always looking over my shoulder. It’s hurting us.” I met Matthew’s gaze. “All of us.”
“But why would you want to do this now? Why not wait until Hope is older?” Mother slipped back into her chair like she was exhausted. “She’s so young. She needs her mother at this age.”
“I’ve prayed about this for years now, ever since Henry and I left. I knew it was wrong to run away back then. I’ve just been too scared to face it. But God has shown me that I can trust Him. I can trust Him to provide for my family just as He always has.”
Asa turned to Matthew with wide eyes. “And you agreed to this?”
“Agreed? Not exactly. But it was either support her decision, or let her come back here alone. I couldn’t do that. So we’re here to see what we can work out. No one can know that Ruby’s here until we put a plan in place to handle what’s ahead. Can we agree to that?”
Mother and Asa nodded. The room fell silent, and I wondered if they were all remembering the last time we’d faced my legal troubles. Maybe they were wondering, like me, if they could face that trauma again. I’d been so determined to set my life back on the right path; I hadn’t really considered that it would affect more lives than just Matthew’s, Hope’s, and mine.
“Well,” Asa said, standing up and rubbing his hands together. “Don’t know about y’all, but I do my best thinking and planning on a full stomach. How about we get some food on the table?”
“That’s a good idea,” Mother said.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Matthew
September 12, 1945
Hanceville, Alabama
I had rarely seen Ruby look so happy as she did helping her mother prepare supper that afternoon. She was home, and I saw the Ruby I’d known before. The Ruby whose sense of peace and understanding baffled me. The Ruby I’d fallen in love with. Coming back here was good for her. I could see that with my own eyes. And somehow I’d have to find a way to make it last.
Asa and I went out onto the porch to talk until the food was ready, which gave me a chance to ask some questions I needed answering before I confronted Father about the documents I’d found.
“We’ll need to get in touch with Mr. Oliver as soon as we can,” I said, surveying the farm from a wooden rocking chair.
Asa pulled a long piece of straw he’d been chewing on out of his mouth. “I’m afraid we can’t. Mr. Oliver passed away a couple of years back.”
That would be a blow. We’d have to bring a new lawyer up to speed. All the same, it might work in our favor to have a different lawyer. As hard as he’d worked, Mr. Oliver had fumbled the ball as far as I was concerned.
“I reckon we’ll have to get a new lawyer,” Asa continued. “I believe the fella that took over his cases has done a fine job. We can start with him. Name’s Pierce, I believe. Stanley Pierce.”
“Do you know if there were ever any motions filed about Ruby’s case in the years after she disappeared?”
“I believe there was something a few years back. I didn’t pay much attention ’cause it didn’t seem to matter. The solicitor got in some trouble. Corruption or something. The court reviewed all the cases he tried within a certain time frame, which would’ve included Ruby’s trial. But at the time, with everyone believing she was dead, I’m not sure if the judge reviewed it. Come to think of it, they did overturn a few of his convictions.”
“That’s promising. I’ll go into town tomorrow and set up a meeting with Mr. Pierce.”
“Listen, son, not to get too personal, but starting this whole business again might get expensive. You have a plan for coming up with the money?”
“I have enough to get us started. But not much more than that. I haven’t been able to get a job since coming back from the war. I’ll have to find work around here if I can.”
He gestured toward the barn. “You can always help me if you want. I could use the extra help, and the money isn’t bad. Don’t know if it would be enough, but I’m willing to share the work and the profits if you’re interested.”
“What do you do?”
“Well, generally speaking,” he said, “I shoe horses and mules for most folks in the community, repair their plows, do some minor carpentry work here and there. I could use someone who’s a quick study and knows his way around tools. Lately, I’ve been getting more work than I can handle.”
I couldn’t believe it. I’d just spent weeks upon weeks looking for a job, and after no more than an hour at the Graves’ farm, God plops one into my lap. I’d never imagined myself as a blacksmith, but something about this opportunity felt right. “I’d love to work with you,” I said.
Asa stuck out his hand, and we shook on it. “Well then! I reckon it’s a deal.”
My heart flooded with warmth and gratitude. And the slightest hint of genuine hope that we really were right where we were supposed to be.
***
The next morning I drove Asa’s truck into Cullman, thankful Mr. Pierce’s office was several blocks away from Father’s store. I was surprised at how little the city had changed, and yet how foreign it felt to walk along the sidewalk of the streets where I’d grown up. I realized that I was the one who’d changed. And even though the city wasn’t large by any stretch of the imagination, somehow, it felt smaller.
I walked into the office of Mr. Stanley Pierce about ten minutes before nine that morning. A gray-haired woman in tiny spectacles sat at a desk off to the right. She greeted me with a smile as soon as I entered. “What can I help you with, young man?”
“I’d like to speak with Mr. Pierce, please,” I said.
She dropped her g
aze to a large calendar on one side of her desk, running her finger along it as she bent close to read it. “Let me see. I believe I can squeeze you in, but let me check with him first. Have a seat, and I’ll be right back.”
I took a seat across from the desk and waited. Nothing about this place spoke of success. The furniture was dated and worn, and cracks spread across the checkered linoleum floor. The walls were dark and bare, with only the windows in the front of the building to brighten it up. I had a feeling I’d be looking for another lawyer before dinner.
“Mr. Pierce will see you now,” the receptionist said, breaking my train of thought. “Come this way, please.”
I followed her into an office that was only slightly larger than the foyer where I’d been sitting. A young man who, judging from the freckles and auburn curls, couldn’t be much older than thirty, stood up from behind the desk and extended his hand. “Stanley Pierce. Pleased to meet you.”
“Matthew Doyle.”
“This is my secretary and legal assistant, Lilah Pierce.” Mrs. Pierce gave him a scowl. “She’s also my mother.”
“It’s nice to meet you both,” I said, trying to hide my dismay. There was no way this was going to work. This kid couldn’t have tried more than five cases in his lifetime.
“Please, have a seat,” he said. “Would you like some coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
Mrs. Pierce stepped out of the office, and Stanley took his seat as well. “What can I do for you?”
“Uh, well, I’m not sure yet. I may be in need of your services, but I’d like to ask you a few questions first.”
“Shoot.” Stanley sat back in his chair and propped his feet up on the desk.
“Well, uh…all right, first of all, how long have you been in practice?”
“Five years. I know I look young and inexperienced, but I spent four years before that working at a firm in Atlanta. I assure you, Mr. Doyle, I’m qualified to represent you in a criminal case.”
Abiding Hope: A Novel: Healing Ruby Book 4 Page 26