Lorinda Williams didn't dare do anything but obey her husband. Even though he worked hard and managed to do more than scratch a living from the rocky soil of Appalachia, Jesse Williams succumbed every evening to the temptation of corn liquor. Endless toil and a dozen pains from broken bones and pulled muscles made the clear liquid necessary for a night's sleep. After only a few cups Jesse always passed out, but never soon enough.
For a short time between lucidity and sleep Farmer Williams lost his mind. The mountain dew affected countless men the same way. Many, mostly women, considered the corn squeezin' a curse. Lorinda saw it as her doom for every evening Jesse turned mean. Real mean.
Most often hot coffee, a good meal, or a fresh baked pie could calm him. Sometimes he demanded the marital attentions of his wife either lovingly drunk or more brutishly. On occasion Jesse Williams lost his mind completely and whooped and hollered like a 'wild Indian.' Lorinda feared those few nights where the corn turned her husband into a monster.
Every morning the good wife rose before the sun and prepared a full breakfast. Their hard work allowed them to eat well with hot coffee, eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, fried apples, and fresh biscuits with spicy gravy on the table each morning. Lorinda always served her husband before sitting herself.
Sometimes Jesse saw a bruised arm as she poured his coffee. Maybe he heard her distressed shuffle from a twisted ankle. Usually in his half drunken state Jesse never noticed anything till he looked up from his cup of coffe to say good morning to the wife he loved more than anything else ever. A split lip or poached eye would bring him to tears, then to his knees in apology.
A hundred times over the years Lorinda had begged her husband to quit. A dozen times he'd tried. The pain and something deep inside him always brought him back to the 'corn.' She quit pleading as the subject made him meaner if drinking or despondent if not. Instead Lorinda abided her man's weakness.
She did not stay out of fear or because she had no place to go. A dozen brothers and sisters would welcome her with open arms. Several tried to lure her away. She always refused because of the moments they never saw, the countless little gifts of love he gave her. Lorinda stayed and wondered if it would ever change.
On a particularly cold spring morning Jesse heard a knock on the door of their well built frame farmhouse. He pulled himself up from a meal of biscuits and fried apples and found himself looking at his sister-in-law Lucinda peering inside the small window in the store bought front door.
Lucinda explained that she'd walked the thirty miles to come visit her sister because of a dream. She'd seen Lorinda lying in her large brass bed with the feather mattress shaking she thought from fever. Jess, a man of few words, explained that she'd missed her sister who'd gone to visit Lucinda just two days earlier. Both laughed at the coincidence. Lucinda questioned why she hadn't passed her sister on the road. Jesse's answered Lorinda had gone by horse and by need had travelled a different path.
The two agreed that Lucinda would stay three nights and wait for her sister's return. Jess went out into the fields to clear for planting. Lucinda did as any mountain woman would and started dinner. At the noon meal and at supper the two spoke little. Lucinda expected nothing else. When evening came Jess reached for his liquor jar and then pushed it away. He turned to Lucy and offered to show her to her room.
Lucy filled a ewer of water from the pump in the kitchen and followed Jess up the stairs. He opened the door to a room where she'd often slept. Nothing had changed except for a new home sewn quilt covering the bed and new lace tatted by her sister for the night table.When Jess closed the door she undressed enough to wash. Lucy said her prayers and slipped into the high bed.
Lingering in the thoughts that come before sleep Lucinda heard a strange noise, a rustling like a high wind through the dried stalks of harvested corn. She tried to ignore the sound and get the sleep needed for another hard day. The sound continued and was joined by a whisper so soft that the words could not be heard. Curious she threw off the covers and crossed the chilled room to look out a tall and narrow window.
At first she saw only the barns and the fields. After only a moment she noticed a soft light like that of the halfmoon reflected off a cloud. The foxfire of a light circled the above the well three times with the rustle and whisper coming with every turn round. After the third circuit the spectre fell into the well. Lucinda stood silent and shaking, only moving away from the window once she knew the light had gone. She said another prayer and waited for sleep. For three nights Lucinda looked out the window at the lights, trying to hear the whispered words.
On the third morning Lucinda prevailed upon her brother to hitch the horses and take her into town. She pleaded female troubles, a subject certain to draw no complaint from shy and backwards Jess. Once in town Lucinda went alone into the shanty that served as the store. Jesse sat still on the wagon with his head down, not seeing the cold stares from Lucinda and the shopkeeper.
The ride to and from town wasted most of a day. Lucy chattered on about their relatives, both his and hers. Jess smiled and offered only a few words in answer. Upon returning Lucinda slapped together a quick hot meal of ham, fresh eggs, and morning biscuit. Just before the two retired someone knocked on the door. Jesse found the sheriff on his porch asking for Lucinda.
He watched his sister-in-law lead the sheriff to the dry well.. With a slow shuffle Jess walked back into the house. Out the kitchen window he saw the sheriff light a kerosene lantern to look down the well. The two visitors then returned to the house and found him sitting with his head in his hands.
"Well Jesse, your sister here is makin' some pretty strong accusations." the sheriff notified his old friend.
The three stayed silent for a long while till the sheriff asked "What do you have to say?"
As Jesse Williams looked up his vistors saw eyes filled with self hatred and loathing, red eyes filled with tears of a man whose life was null.
"I'm so sorry Lucinda. I woke up drunk one morning and found her and I was fixin' to join her in the well when you knocked on the door."
No comments:
Post a Comment