Belle in Carolina

The two horses began to pick up speed as he shouted at them. But she could readily see that Uncle Denny was not thrilled over her upcoming new move. Nor had she expected he would be. But it was good to know he trusted her judgment and would do all he could to make the move a smooth one.

“Aunt Ary’s not doing too good,” he said. “Suline does all the housekeeping and cookin’ now, and Aunt Ary stays at the cabin. Old age getting at her.”

“I’ll go see her right away,” Belle said. The black woman had been the only mother she had when she first came to Springhill Farm, and Belle loved her dearly. Aunt Ary’s grandaughter Suline had been a good friend to Belle, and now she and Sammy had four children, ranging in age from seven to fourteen.

“Do Suline and Sammy still live with Aunt Åry?”

“Nope. Sammy built a cabin right next to her and the oldest girl, Sudie Belle, helps look after Aunt Ary. They’re good children. Suline taught them all to read.”

“I want to see those children,” said Belle. “Oh, there’s so much I want to do this week. I want to see Lulu, and I want to go see Gussie.” Her younger sister had married at age sixteen and already had three little ones. The husband was a farmer, but things weren’t going well with them financially, and Belle hoped she might help in some way.

When they pulled into the backyard at Springhill Farm, Suline came bounding down the back steps and ran to hug Belle the moment she stepped down from the carriage. “Watch it, Suline,” she cried, “you’re getting flour all over me! I hope that means you’re making something good to eat!”

“You betcha bottom dollar I am. Apple cobbler in the oven!”

“Then who cares about this old outfit! So glad to be home.”

Aunt Mattie Lou came out on the back porch to meet her. As usual, she was impeccably dressed to appear pretty and stylish, her dark hair in a bun and a rose at her side on a wide silken sash that enveloped her waist.

“Welcome, Belle,” she said, giving a slight hug that was quickly over. Then she turned to Suline. “Get the table set for dinner. It’s almost time.”

“Yes, Ma-am,” Suline said. “I done got it ready for y’all to sit down.”

“Will I have time to go to my room first?” asked Belle.

“You’ll have the guest room,” said Åunt Mattie Lou. “Oscar has your room now.”

In other words, I don’t have a room here anymore. Precious Oscar has it. I’m just a guest now…not family. Belle took her bag and started upstairs without pausing. “I know which room is the guest room,” she informed her aunt as she ascended the stairway.

#

The dining room had a new look about it. The old green drapes that Belle remembered were replaced by new blue ones, with soft white curtains blocking out the view of the pasture Belle had once loved to look at when she sat in the room with Grandma Mathers, who tried to teach her to sew. Grandma had strived to make her into a capable southern lady. She missed the warmth of the good woman in this polished room that now seemed so cold in all of its beauty.

Uncle Denny sat at the table with Aunt Mattie Lou and Oscar, who had just come in from the store he now tended.

“Zack is still in Birmingham,” said her aunt. “He has a good job at the steel mills and is married with two little ones. Oscar has a girl friend, too. Do you have someone in your life now, Belle?”

“No. I’m too busy getting ready to move to my new job.” She told about her upcoming transfer to South Carolina.

“She’s gettin’ a good raise in salary,” explained Uncle Denny, “but I don’t take to her going so far from home.”

“She could still be in Newman Springs if she’d married Starling Newman when he asked her,” Aunt Mattie Lou reminded them with a smug lift of her eyebrows. “He practically runs the pottery now and is doing well. Oh, yes, and he’s marrying your old friend, Lulu Johnson, next month. But he wanted to marry you, Belle, and I planned a lovely wedding for you, but you just up and left home. Too bad for you. Starling is a fine young man.”

“He and Lulu will make a fine couple,” said Belle. “And that was a long time ago when he and I were going together.”

“Belle wanted to go to school and make something of herself,” Uncle Denny put in. “She did the right thing, Mattie Lou.”

“I don’t know about that. Women’s work is not outside the home,” insisted her aunt. “A woman’s place is in the home caring for a family.”

Belle glanced at Oscar, whose face was getting red. “But Mother,” he spoke up, “you used to work… till you married Papa Denny.” “From necessity I ran the store, dear. Now that I have a husband, you can run the store and I can and do stay home.”

“Maybe I’ll have a husband and family some day and stay home,” Belle said.

“I hope so,” Aunt Mattie Lou said. “But you’re not a young girl any more. You stand a big chance of becoming an old maid.”

“Enough of that, Mattie Lou,” Uncle Denny said. “ Belle’s smart and pretty enough to snatch any young cutter she wants.”

Even the married ones. Thank goodness. At table they don’t know about my experience with Brian Kirkpatrick. What a hey-day Aunt Mattie Lou would have with that bit of information.