Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing series which runs each Thursday morning titled the Richland Chronicles, by author Paul Lintern. It is set in the 1860s and tells the story of Richland County through the eyes of young people. The books are available from Lintern for $25 a set, tax and shipping included. Each book is about 120 pages written for intermediate readers (4th grade) with local illustrations. Volume I is Amelia Changes Her Tune. Volume II is Isaac and Wolf Paw Find Their Home. Volume III is Autumn Keeps Her Secret. Volume IV is Mr. Gamble Starts a School. Volume V is Jacob Blows his Horn. Volume VI is Cassie Fights the War.
Emilene stormed out of the house, walked right past the children in the yard, and started down the hill.
She found herself on Mulberry and because she was going downhill, she found herself running. She felt her vision become blurry from tears that were welling up in her eyes and that just pushed her harder.
At the bottom of the hill she came to Touby’s Run, the main water stream on the north side. It was just a creek this time of year, and Emilene decided to follow it upstream. She had not done that but a couple of times, but there was something about flowing water that created a definite path, even if it was not straight and rather wet.
Emilene did not know why she was running, really. She did not suppose she was running away; she imagined she’d go back. Of course she would go back, what else does she have?
She also did not know why she was upset.
More people? Why not? Who said she had to be the only one? If a couple had room for her, why not others?
She had been by herself with her parents, but having others around was not bad.
So why am I running?
The plant growth along the creek was thick and so Emilene stepped along the banks and on rocks that were in the stream. It was not easy walking, especially since she had not stopped to put on shoes when she set out, but neither was it impossible, because she was used to being in bare feet this time of year.
And, she wasn’t out for speed, she just needed to be out.
The Zimmermans are nice to me. Cassie has tried hard to share a room and share her Mama and Papa. She’s tried hard. And Jacob is not mean to me. He doesn’t like Winny, but he doesn’t like any goat, and he still helps take care of him.
Winny! I walked right past him and didn’t give him a thought. He’s my best friend. The only one who really loves me.
Emilene snorted a little laugh.
You’re the ninny. Winny is a goat, and goats are nice to people who feed them. Winny likes me because I am nice to him, but other people love me. I’m not blind, and I’m not stupid. They all are nice to me, Nate, Phillip, Levi. The Pleasants, the Days. Miss Porter, kids at school.
But why are they nice? Do they just pity me? Do they think they have to? Are they doing it because it’s “the right thing to do?” I have everything, and if they bring two more children in, I’ll still have everything I need. They will see to it. And if these two are black, it will be strange, but will it? Josiah and Tabitha are friends, and they are nice and pleasant.
Pleasants!
Emilene snorted a little laugh in the midst of her teary-eyed march through the creekbed.
Pleasants! What a good name!
The water was gathering in little pools along the way, and Emilene realized she was at Fourth Street — here it was called Leesville Road — walking under the bridge that she had ridden over several times. She just kept walking, powered by her anger, but still not sure why she was angry.
I wish I had my violin. I wish I were playing it right now. I wish I were playing it for Father, for Papa. I wish he were here, right now. I miss you, Papa. I never got to say good-bye. Why did you leave me? Why didn’t you come back? Didn’t you know it would kill Mama to not have you? Didn’t you know we couldn’t get along without you?
I didn’t know you could die. I didn’t know what that even meant when you left. I didn’t know what alone even meant. Now I can’t stop being alone, ever. I am always alone!
Emilene felt herself collapse on the bank of Touby’s Run, the bottom of her dress getting wet from the stream but the rest of her crumpled on a mound of dirt with grass by her folded arms on which her face rested.
I want my Mama. I want my Papa.
The tears flowed hard, harder than Emilene had remembered in a long time. Hard enough that she was almost scared that they wouldn’t stop or that she would lose her breath, or that something inside her would break from sobbing so hard. Something besides her heart, which was already broken.
She couldn’t say how long she lay there, or when the tears finally slowed and her shoulders stopped jumping from the sobs, but there was a point when she was just done, nothing was left inside, she was empty. She barely had realized she was no longer crying, when she felt a pair of hands gently touching each arm and strong arms carefully lifting her up.
Papa?
She raised her eyes in anticipation of the man who had left her to go off to war.
Instead she looked into the eyes of… Jacob!
“You have us all worried, sis,” he said quietly, and he put his arms around her, the first time that had ever happened.
Emilene felt more tears coming, but not the violent ones from before. Rather these felt somehow healing, safe, calm. She sat there with him a few minutes longer, saying nothing.
Finally, he said, “Let’s get you home.”
They stood up.
I am soaked!
Emilene realized that most of her dress, from her knees down, had been lying in the creek water and was sopping wet. That made her feel twice as heavy as she stepped onto the bank and started up the incline to Leesville Road. The extra weight, her exhaustion from crying and walking, and the fact that one foot was almost asleep made it nearly impossible for Emilene to walk straight.
Jacob leaned over and picked her up, carrying her to the road.
“Putting on a little weight there, Sister,” he said, gasping for breath when he sat her down.
She smiled.
Then Emilene started wringing out the bottom of her dress.
I think I took half of the creek with me, she thought.
“Hoo-wee, girl. I think you took half of Touby’s Run with you in that dress,” Jacob said.
They both laughed. Emilene’s shoulders still flinching from half-sobs that were mixed in. Jacob carried her a couple more times, just to proved that he could, but mostly they walked slowly, and said little.
Finally, as they neared home, Emilene said, “Thank you, Jacob.”
“Yeah, well, don’t tell anybody I was nice to you.
“And I still don’t like your goat.”
