Appalachia

Chapter 11

We had played since before we could milk cows, my brother, sisters and I.  Joshua played the mandolin, Amy played the fiddle, Susannah the bass, and daddy would play the guitar. I played the guitar at first, and finally got stuck with the banjo when I was five because no one else wanted to play it.  The banjo is a heavy instrument for a five-year old, and I would come to dread the banjo jokes that my family and everyone from Sunday school would tease me with.  I eventually learned to play the guitar and the bass as I got older.  Finally the jokes stopped and most people began to respect my ability on so many different instruments.  My singin’ wasn’t bad either as I was told.2

When we came home from school, the family would practice for three hours before dinner.  After dinner we had an hour of chores and two hours of homework.  At around 9 o’clock the family could finally sit down together and read the Bible.  Amy got to go to bed the earliest because she was the youngest.  The rest of us would read and pray by candlelight until our eyes began to shut on their own.  Sometimes the praying would turn into singing, and we often sang gospel songs well into the evening. Uncle Joe would come over on Saturday nights and the whole family would pick.  Most Saturdays our neighbors would join us as well.  Sunday mornings were spent at church, followed by dinner with some people from the Congregation.  After dinner the late afternoon social would inevitably turn into a pick.  Some of the best singin’ would happen when the people from the church choir joined us.  3

Music was a way of life for us and practice wasn’t viewed as a chore.  We didn’t even think about other things we could be doing.  Other kids our age got to play some after chores and before dinner.  “Play” to us meant music.  The only fishing we did was on summer Saturday afternoons.  We knew no other form of relaxation.4

When I was fourteen daddy told us times were getting rough and we would need to start playing for money down the mountain.  I’d only been to town two handfuls of times in my whole life, and didn’t know whether to be scared or excited by the idea of playing music for money for strangers.  5

Our practices became more serious, and we each had to pick a “part” singin’.  I chose the high parts even though I could sing pretty much anything anyone asked me to.  Josh sang the baritone parts, and daddy mostly sang lead.  When daddy wasn’t singin’ lead, Susannah or I would, and as Amy got older and her voice matured she sang lead too.  When she was young still, we would have her sing one song per night and it became a big hit with all the townsfolk, bein’ that she was so young and all.  Her babyish voice had an innocent quality to it and the people just ate that up.  We would get paid for our performances and sometimes people would tip us too.  We started having Amy sing the last song of the night to keep the people around all night.  By then they’d usually had a few too many swigs of moonshine and the tips flowed more easily.  6

Finally daddy decided, although the money was nice, he didn’t want his children frequenting those “dens of iniquity” as he called them, so he started looking for different types of gigs.  We started playing fairs and festivals in the summer, which paid better than those Saturday night gigs at the taverns.  Soon we were asked to play the local theater for a concert.  Signs were hung up all over town months before.  It sold out in just two weeks.7

Daddy was nervous the night of the big concert.  I think he got a little bit of that stagefright we’d heard about.  I wasn’t scared none; I was excited.  I loved to sing, and when I was in front of one person or one hundred, it didn’t matter none.  I didn’t even know I had an audience I got so into the music.  Subsequently, I ended up singin’ most of the songs that night.  When it was over, some of the important people from the theater came backstage to mingle with us.  The women clustered and gossiped while putting out the food and drink for the menfolk.  While I was dining on some fancy cheeses and crackers, I noticed a boy a few years older than myself eyin’ me.  I could feel myself blush, as I’d never had a boyfriend before.  I never had time for that sorta thing.  Other girls my age were already goin’ steady and talkin’ marriage and babies.  “That was some mighty fine sangin’,” he drawled when he sauntered up to me.  That voice I’d had all evening was suddenly gone and I didn’t know what to say.  8

“Thank you,” I stammered.  9

“Shy, are we?” he asked me with a twinkle in his eyes.  “My name’s Christian,” he said with an air of mischievous confidence as he stuck out his hand.  10

I put mine out to shake his when he swept it up to his lips and tenderly kissed it as he looked deep into my eyes.  In that second I knew what all the girls were talking about when they spoke of butterflies in their stomachs and that lightheaded feeling like they were going to faint.  “How silly,” I thought.  “I’m not one of those girls.”  Yet I found I was speechless.  11

“How long have you been playin’ music?” Christian asked me. 12

“Since I was two,” I responded, feeling more comfortable now that we were beginning a conversation about my favorite topic.  13

Christian poured us both a soda and put his arm around me as he led me toward the door and into the warm summer night air.  He had so many questions and seemed so interested in me, a hick from up the mountain.  Wouldn’t the other girls be jealous, a handsome, rich town boy interested in me, a plain girl who cared not about makeup and fancy dresses (although I was dressed in one for the evening).  14

“You have beautiful eyes,” he said after a few uncomfortable moments’ silence.  15

“So do you,” I said.  Oh my god, I thought, how stupid was THAT!  Boys don’t have beautiful eyes!  16

He smiled and said “Thank you; no one’s ever noticed my eyes before.”  17

I found I was actually flirting when I said “I find that hard to believe” and giggled like the girls from Sunday school.  18

Just then my daddy poked his head out the door and said we would be leaving in a minute and to be ready to go.  I thought I saw a satisfied smirk on his face as he went back inside.  As satisfied as he might have been I was talking to a fancy rich boy, I couldn’t help but notice he stood in the doorway with one eye on me as he talked to his friends. 19

“Well it was nice meeting you,” I said. 20

“When do I get to see you again?”  21

“I’ll be playing the county fair at the end of next month.”  22

“May I call on you before that?”  23

Thankfully I didn’t have time to answer, as daddy came out right then and said we must be leaving.  To think!  A rich city boy comin’ up the mountain to my shabby cabin home.  I would die of mortification.  We said our quick goodbyes and my family and I climbed into the wagon for the long ride up the mountain.24

On the ride home from town I’d usually fall asleep.  On this night, however, I gazed up at the stars and found myself imagining a date with Christian in a fancy restaurant in the town, complete with candlelight and wine.  Wine?  I never even liked the taste but it seemed romantic enough.  Candles?  We used them for lighting the house, but I know some girls thought them romantic.  More romantic than lantern light. I must have fallen asleep on the way up the mountain because next thing I know daddy was tucking me in and kissing me on the forehead.  As I looked wearily up at him, daddy smirked that same smirk at me and said, “Sweet dreams sweetheart.”  25

“What’s so funny, daddy?!”  26

“Seems a fancy rich boy’s takin’ a fancy to ya.”  27

Even though I was as close to sleep as one could get without bein’ asleep, I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks as I blushed.  “You’re not mad, daddy?” 28

“Mad?  Why would I be mad?  Gotta marry ya off sometime!” he teased.29

“Daddy!”  30

“Good night darlin’.”  31

I lay there long after he left the room thinking about the idea of marrying a rich boy.  I ignored the nagging voice in the back of my head telling me a rich boy wouldn’t marry a poor girl like me from up the mountain.32

The next day was Saturday which meant chores all day.  I didn’t have too much time to think about the boy who occupied my dreams most of the night.  I did, however, find myself not mindin’ the chores so much.  My sisters and brother wondered why I was so happy and singin’ as I worked.  I usually sang as I worked, but it was more of the sorrowful, bluesy numbers.  This day every song seemed to be the happy ones, and I had everyone speculating as to why.  Daddy, on the other hand, seemed to know.  The day flew by.  Uncle Joe came over after dinner and we started to pick.  Before we knew it most of our neighbors were on the porch pickin’ and a-singin’.  We picked till the wee hours, even though we’d be tired in church the next day, the whole lot of us.  I felt like a little kid who’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar; I knew the preacher would take one look at us and know we’d had a late pick.  I went to bed feeling happy but just a little bit guilty.  33

Church was a long and hot one, and I fought with my mind to keep it from drifting.  It kept returning to Friday night’s concert and the boy who made me blush.  I looked around the church at all the girls my age who were boy crazy and I shuddered to think I might be just like them.  No, I fought with myself.  I would never let a boy occupy my mind all the time like they do.  Next thing I knew though, I was imagining next month’s concert and him coming to hear me play and sing.  I wracked my brain to remember if I saw him in the audience Friday night looking at me, but couldn’t remember anything but meeting him by the cheese and crackers.  How romantic, I giggled to myself. 34

Several heads turned to look at me, and I wondered if I just didn’t really laugh aloud.  The preacher’s sermon seemed drone on longer than usual today and it was all I could do to keep from running out into the sunshine and picking the hyacinths that grew out in the churchyard.  35

After what seemed an eternity, mass ended and we set about to gettin' ready for the social that always followed the mass.  I heard Susannah giggling with the girls and glancing over at me.  I went straight up to them to see what all the fuss was about.  “Sarah’s got a rich, fancy boyfriend,” I heard Susannah tell them when I walked up.  36

I could feel the heat from my anger rising in my cheeks and I opened my mouth to reprimand her when Rebecca asked when I would see him again.  “He’s not my boyfriend, and I don’t know,” I replied indignantly.  37

“Ooooh, someone’s in a tizzy!”  38

“I’m NOT in a tizzy; he’s just not my boyfriend!”  39

“YET!” Susannah reminded everyone satisfactorily.  40

I was a little flattered that she was so sure this handsome boy would become my boyfriend one day.  41

“When do we get to meet him?” Ruth asked.  42

I hesitated and it must have been obvious to these friends of mine what I was thinking.  43

“You’re going to have a fancy, rich boy visit you here up the mountain?” Isabella asked.  44

“I-I-I don’t…” I stuttered. 45

“You know, if he’s a gentleman he won’t care where you come from,” Ruth proclaimed.  46

I smiled a weak smile and noticed Mrs. Cole struggling with several dishes of food, and I was glad for the excuse to leave them to their discussing the ways of a gentleman.  I helped Mrs. Cole lay out the spread everyone had contributed to, and found myself singing “Feast Here Tonight” as I worked, Christian temporarily forgotten.  47

The respite was short-lived, however, when I heard a familiar voice ask my group of girlfriends if they knew Sarah Parker.  Susannah smiled so broadly it came out in her voice when she pointed me out to Christian who was now standing 15 feet away from me at my very own church social.  I wanted to die at that very moment.  48

“Hi!” he beamed.  He seemed genuinely glad to see me.  In that same moment I suddenly noticed the chipped paint and worn shutters and shingles of our poor mountain town church, and the beat up old chairs spread out on the lawn.  I’d never noticed how shabby our town was till that very second.  Even the dirt road looked poor. 49

“What are you doing here?” I asked angrily. 50

“I couldn’t wait to see you again,” Christian said sweetly.  Yet my temper continued to flare.  51

“Well now you’ve seen me and now you can be on your way.”  I stormed off, leaving Christian standing there bewildered.  I later learned that Ruth, the more mature of my friends, apologized for me and explained the truth – that girls from up the mountain were not accustomed to having rich boys from town visit our backwards mountain village.  52

Christian found me by the stream throwing pebbles at the rocks in its bed and watching the current carry them downstream.  I found myself wishing I too could float downstream.  53

He sat beside me on the bank of the stream and began throwing pebbles too.  “You’re lucky to have such a simple way of life up here,” he said, trying to break the tension.  Instead I took it as an insult.  54

“We LIKE our way of life up here!” 55

“I know, silly, I meant it as a compliment!” he said with a mock touch of anger.  56

I couldn’t help but smile at his pretty face grinning mischievously at me.  I grinned a crooked grin back at him and tossed a pebble at him.  “I’m glad you came,” I finally confided.  57

“You’d never know it by that display,” he teased me. 58

In the next half hour I let myself forget our two very different backgrounds as I told him tall tales about fishing in our stream and about the bass and catfish the size of cats and dogs.  He told me similar tales of fishing in the crick near town.  I fell against him laughing as he told me of his fight with a 50 pound bass he fought with and won.  As we talked, my mind wandered off and I pretended, “Wow, he’s just like me, just that he’s got money and I don’t.”  It wasn’t till I noticed the mud on his fancy pants that I remembered where he came from.  “Um, you have some mud, uh…” I said as I sheepishly pointed to his backside.59

He grinned at me, suggesting he was pleased that I was looking, and he was obviously more than slightly amused at my embarrassment.  “Where?”  60

I playfully threw a handful of mud at him and said “THERE!” 61

“I think you have some mud on you too” he said as he hurled a handful back at me.  Before we knew it we were having a full-out mud war.  I fell to the ground I was laughing so hard.  62

“Oh nooooooo, look at me!” I laughed. 63

“Won’t your mama be mad!” he exclaimed.64

“My mama’s dead,” I replied coldly, stopping the conversation dead in its tracks.  65

“I’m so stupid; I’m so sorry.” 66

I felt bad for him and said “That’s ok; you couldn’t have known.  Mama died during childbirth when Amy was born. It’s been so long now I don’t hardly pay it no mind.”67

“Must be hard bein’ raised by your daddy, ya know, bein’ a girl and all.”68

“Well I guess you can’t rightly miss somethin’ you never knew, now can ya?” I asked him.  69

“No, I guess not.” 70

Suddenly I was tired, from what with all the day’s excitement and last night’s late pick.  I felt so comfortable with Christian that I leaned my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes.  He rested his head against mine and we sat like that for a full five minutes, when Amy, out of nowhere, demanded, “What are you two doing up here?  You have the whole Congregation worried where you’d gone off to!”  71

I turned to see my little sister with her two best girlfriends giggling and snickering amongst themselves.  72

“We had a little argument,” I said with a straight face to them, with a sly wink at Christian.  73

“What’re ya arguin’ about Sarah?  Daddy said it’s not polite to argue, ya know!”  74

“Fishin’” I replied, and both Christian and I exploded into peals of laughter.75

“You’re weird!” Amy proclaimed, and she and her girlfriends broke into a run back to the church. 76

Christian and I walked more leisurely, side-by-side, and he asked if he might hold my hand.  “I’m not sure it would be appropriate, a girl walkin’ out of the woods holdin’ hands with a perfect stranger.” 77

“A perfect stranger?!” he said in fake astonishment.  “I’ve known you for two whole days!”  78

I giggled and gave him my hand.  Although we were well out of the woods by the time he took my hand, I still noticed daddy’s look of disapproval when he saw us.  “Can I meet your daddy?” Christian asked.  79

“Sure, I guess.”  80

I’d never introduced a boy to my daddy before, and wasn’t quite sure of the particulars of this social custom.  I don’t think daddy was accustomed to bein’ introduced to his daughter’s boyfriend either.  It was hard to tell if he was pleased or perturbed.  But he was polite nonetheless. 81

Christian ate with us and really seemed to enjoy the people from the Congregation.  82

“Gonna stay for the pick?” Mrs. Thompson asked him.  83

“Pick?” he seemed confused.  84

“Pickin’ silly.  Ya know, music?” I chided him.  85

“Ohhhh!”  “I can’t.  I have to start down the mountain.  I have to work in the mornin’.”  86

I was secretly thrilled as he answered everyone’s questions about his work and about the life I knew very little about.87

Finally dark was settlin’ in upon us, and Christian said he really had to be goin’.  That Sunday night sick feelin’ I always get thinking about school the next day and the end to my weekend was suddenly upon me.  I’d gone the whole day without the Sunday jitters.  Now I had a new reason to wish that every day was the weekend.  88

“When will I see you again?”  As I said it I groaned inwardly, knowing it wasn’t ladylike to be so forward.  Ashley’s words of wisdom to “Play hard to get!” echoed in my head, and I immediately knew I blew it with this handsome boy.  89

“I don’t know if I can wait till next weekend, but it seems as though I’m gonna have to,” he told me.  “I have to take a business trip into Wheeling tomorrow.  Don’t know how many days I’ll be.”  90

I knew it.  It was his way of letting me down easy.  91

“OK,” I said sadly.  92

He climbed on his horse, and with my head down dejectedly, I started to walk away.  Next I knew, he was spinning me around and grabbing for my hands.  “Goodbye,” he whispered passionately.  I thought he would kiss me on the lips when he leaned in towards me and firmly planted a kiss upon my cheek.  Just as quickly, he jumped back on his horse and disappeared over the hill.  I stood there for an eternity, holding my cheek and thinking about this boy who came into my world only two days before.93

All week my thoughts at school kept drifting back to the stream and the sunlight in Christian’s hair as we talked.  I failed my math test and my teacher spoke to daddy, who gave me a stern talking to about boys and my studies and how I was so much more intelligent than the other girls my age.  94

Well at least my music wasn’t affected by my thoughts of him.  In fact, it seemed like my singin’ was more powerful and soulful than it ever had been.  Our singin’ went later into the nights that week on account of my being so into it.  The nights, albeit late ones, flew by.  It was the days that dragged as I imagined Christian coming to visit me again that weekend.  Then I would berate myself and bring those thoughts back down to earth.  Why was I letting myself think about a handsome rich boy I had no chance with anyway?  95

I found myself doodling hearts with our initials in ‘em, and even writing bits of poetry, if just a few lines here and there.  I was feeling very poetic and inspired by this charming soul who haunted my thoughts night and day.  On Thursday a letter arrived for me.  I’d only gotten two letters in my whole life so I was excited to see who it was from.  It was stamped Harlan, a coal mining town not far from us.  Who did I know in Harlan?  I gasped to see it was a letter from Chris, as I started to affectionately call him in my mind.  It read:96

Dearest Sarah,97

It is with great sadness that I write to let you know I will be away on business longer than expected.  I had hoped to see you this coming Sunday if you will let me join you and your Congregation again at your Sunday social.  Thoughts of you and the fun we had at the stream will not leave my head.  I remember the red highlights in your hair as the sunlight streamed down through the leaves of the willows and I fear that when I see you again I must touch your beautiful hair.  I long to feel its softness under my fingers as I look into those eyes that haunt my dreams.  But alas, my father needs me here in Harlan to look after business a few more days.  May I call upon you next Friday night?  I wish to take you to town for dinner at my father’s restaurant.  Please write to me here to tell me I may.98

Thinking of you always,99

Chris100

Goodness, I thought.  I read the letter a half dozen more times, memorizing every word and looking for hidden meanings to the words that were there, although his feelings seemed to be obvious.  He really liked me!  Whatever will I do, I thought.  Will daddy let me go?  We were supposed to play in town on Friday night.  A restaurant, not a den of iniquity.  I had to write to Christian to tell him.  It was with great regret that I wrote that letter.101

The rest of the week went a little faster, and songs filled my head every waking moment.  I got in trouble in school for singing instead of minding my schoolwork but I didn’t care.  I even started writing a song for Chris that I wanted to perform for him at the fair next month as a surprise.  It was just the beginnings of one, but I thought it had promise. 102

Finally the weekend arrived, and we had great fun picking on Saturday night at our house.  As usual, it lasted until the early hours.  The next day Sunday mass flew by.  I couldn’t wait to tell the girls about my letter over cornbread and okra and soda pop.  103

Later on at the social, before I had a chance to read the letter to the girls, I heard daddy at the next table reciting a familiar line, when I realized that was my letter he was reading to the church ladies!  I was livid!  I stormed over and snatched that letter right out of his hands!  My eyes filled with raging tears, I ran and ran until I was at the stream.  I plopped down hard, clutching my precious letter against me. 104

When my sobbing subsided, I glanced down and read my letter again, even though I could recite it word for word by this time.  Susannah, from out of nowhere, tapped me on the shoulder.  “Daddy’s happy for you, ya know.”  105

“Happy about what?  Teasing me about Chris?!”  106

“Who’s Chris?”  107

“Christian!”108

“Daddy would love to marry you off to a handsome rich boy like him.”109

I was so scared to tell her I’d been letting thoughts of marriage creep into my head.  I was scared to let myself think a boy like him would marry a mountain girl like myself, so poor and uneducated.  He was so worldly and sophisticated.  He would surely be embarrassed to introduce me to his rich friends, and even more embarrassed to have me as his wife.  I pictured myself in a fancy home, serving tea and cakes to his rich friends.  I laughed out loud and smiled sheepishly up at Susannah through my tears.  110

“What’s so funny?” 111

“Me marryin’ a rich boy.”  112

“You’re a beautiful girl who can sing, who is funny, who is smarter than just about any girl on the mountain.  Any man would love you as his bride.”  113

“Any mountain man, maybe.”114

“Why don’t you just see where it goes.”115

In my head I vowed to do just that.  I was always the optimistic one in the family.  Even though reason told me Christian would never marry a girl like me, a voice in the back of my head said “I’m gonna marry that boy someday.”116

“We have to pick you out a dress for that dinner,” Susannah said.117

“I already wrote him and told him I couldn’t go,” I told her.  “We have a gig that night.”118

“Well daddy’s got a surprise for you.  I think you need to go apologize to him.”119

Hand in hand, Susannah and I walked back to the church.  Although we have our moments where we can’t stand each other, I know she loves me.  This was one of those times when I knew.  Like an older sister should, she reassured me that I was worthy of a life better than the one we knew on the mountain, a life that had been filled with poverty and hardship and struggles.  But it was also a life of love and music and good times, good people, and family.  But I couldn’t wait to get away.120

I sat down quietly beside daddy and slipped my hand into his and rested my head upon his strong shoulder.  He leaned his head against mine and patted my hair softly.  121

“I’m sorry daddy.”  122

“I’m sorry darlin’.”  123

“I guess I’m just sad I won’t be able to go to dinner with him.”124

Daddy leaned back and looked at me.  I could see the wheels of his mind turning, but he said nothing.  I wondered what the surprise was but didn’t dare ask after being so disrespectful.  He’d think I apologized just to find out the surprise.125

Just then, Josh crashed into our table trying to catch a ball his friend had thrown him.  I grabbed it and ran, four giddy boys chasing after me.  Josh caught me and wrestled me to the ground while Lyle tickled me.  Finally, kicking and screaming, I let go.  Lyle took off with the ball.  When finally Josh let me up, the race was on!  126

We played for hours until we were exhausted.  There was no singing tonight.  It seemed the adults had serious business to discuss and had no interest in sangin’.  Well after dark we walked back to our cabin, pair by pair, hand in hand.  We read the Bible and prayed by coal oil lamp light, and with the wisdom of my years I could tell something deep was troubling daddy, but when I stared at him to figure it out, he simply smiled back at me.127

The next week passed uneventfully, and I started to put thoughts of Christian out of my mind.  I even gave up on finishing the song, although I had named it.  “Down by the Stream.”  The image it conjured up in my head was more romantic than the song itself was turning out, and I was a little disappointed in myself.  I knew I just needed to see him again for inspiration.128

Finally, Friday came and we were about to set out down the mountain when daddy called me to him sternly.129

“Go change.”130

“What daddy?”131

“Go change those clothes.  Put on your Sunday best.”132

“But daddy…”133

“No buts.  Go change.”134

I went and changed, bewildered.  Why would daddy want me to wear my Sunday clothes to a restaurant to play music?  It wasn’t a special gig.  But I did as I was told.135

When we arrived I could see this was no run-of-the-mill restaurant.  It was absolutely beautiful!   I could see why daddy wanted me dressed extra nice.  I would have felt like a horrible hick in my mountain-girl clothes.  As it were, I was self conscious even in my Sunday best.  But I made do.  We began the first set when Christian suddenly appeared in front of the platform they made for a stage, tappin’ his cowboy boot heel and grinnin’ from ear to ear at me.  I’d never had stagefright before, so I wasn’t exactly sure what the gulp in my throat was all about.  All I knew I had troubles sangin’.  I could feel myself blush every time Christian winked at me.136

Finally the set ended and although the crowd was respectful, Christian clapped the loudest it seemed.  He took my hand and led me carefully off the platform and to his side.  He put his arm around me as if I belonged to him, and at that moment I was the proudest I’d ever been in all my life.  I worried what daddy would think as Christian led me to the back room to the bar.  But Christian merely got me a glass of water and seemed genuinely concerned for my singin’ voice.  137

“I’m fine,” I told him.  “I sing till the wee hours most nights of the week.”138

“It looked like you were havin’ troubles up there,” he said slyly.139

“I wonder why that is,” I smirked at him.140

Chris grabbed my chin and stared deep into my eyes as he pulled my face to look at him.  How it was possible to be mischievous and seductive all at once I couldn’t help but wonder.  But it seemed to come natural to Christian.  He smiled at me and I now knew what the girls all meant by the word “melt.”  I had melted for sure.141

“What are you kids up to?”  daddy asked playfully.  He said it in such a way that I knew he was only partly kidding.  142

“Our table is just about ready, Mr. Parker,” Christian told him.143

“Table?” I interjected.144

“Dinner, remember?”145

“But I’m playing!”146

“Not anymore you’re not!”  Daddy winked.147

“Daddy!  Is this my surprise?!”148

“Would I let my darlin’ miss out on a date with a handsome rich boy like this here?” he said, eyes twinkling.  He and Christian seemed to be two peas in a pod.149

Dinner was everything I’d hoped it would be.  I wasn’t even embarrassed when daddy announced from stage at the start of the second set that I wouldn’t be joining them as I was having dinner with Christian Garrett.  The crowd clapped in knowing acceptance.  Suddenly it dawned on me.  Garrett’s Inn.  Christian’s family owned this restaurant!  I smiled at him over the candlelight and couldn’t believe I could be so lucky to be with this handsome, rich, sophisticated boy whose family owned half of West Virginia.  What impressed me most was not his wealth, but with the down-home way he was in spite of his wealth.  He was the kindest person I knew from down the mountain and everyone in the restaurant seemed to know him.  They all stopped at our table to say hello, and Christian graciously introduced me to each one.  My joy was short lived when a man in an expensive suit and a derby stopped by.  When he was leaving, he said to Chris, “Fraternizing with the mountain help, are we now?  I should speak to your father about the choice of company you keep.  I knew that mountain music would never lead to any good.”  He tipped his hat and walked away as tears fell silently down my cheeks.  Chris brushed them away tenderly and told me not to listen to that bitter man.  150

“He’s just jealous my dad got the government bid on that job in Harlan.”151

“What job in Harlan?” I said through my tears.152

“The new coal mine.  That’s what I was in Harlan for.  We’ll be needing some workers for the new mine.”153

“I thought you went to Wheeling.”154

“I went there too.  Our bank is in Wheeling.”155

I suddenly felt small and inconsequential.  I think Chris could tell by my silence I was depressed.  156

“What’s wrong?”157

“Nothing.”158

“Don’t lie to me young lady. I know better than that.”159

“Don’t treat me like a child!” I hissed at him in an angry whisper.  I threw my napkin on the table and began to get up.160

In an instant Christian was by my side, helping me on with my coat, the perfect gentleman.  “Let’s go for a walk.”161

He led me out into the brisk night air and we walked down the lane in uncomfortable silence.  Finally, Christian stopped and grabbed both my hands and turned me to face him.162

“I’m sorry that man made you feel bad.  Please believe me when I say I don’t think that way about you at all.”163

“I know you don’t.  But I can’t help but think about how different we are is all.”164

“That doesn’t mean we can’t fall in love.”165

I glanced up at his handsome face in the light of the crescent moon and knew in that instant I was falling in love.166

“Is everything alright out here?” Daddy called from the doorway of the inn.167

“Yes daddy.”168

“Good, then you kids come back here.”169

Chris held my hand tight as we walked back to the restaurant, and he seemed to walk taller and prouder as we entered, with me by his side, his arm around me tight.170

Chris wouldn’t take no for an answer when the waiter came around and asked us if we wanted dessert.  He ordered us both a slide of apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and coffee for him, tea for me.   “Best apple pie in all of West Virginia,” he told me.  171

I could hear daddy in the background announcing a song for Chris.  “Oh no,” I thought.  “What is he doing?”172

I could hear my favorite Ralph and Carter Stanley tune drifting out into the crowd.173

“Get down boy, go back home, back to the girl you love.  Treat her right, never wrong, how mountain girls can love!”174

“Get up here Sarah Jane and sing tenor!”175

I happily skipped my way up to the stage and reached it just as daddy was ending the verse that would now and forever make me think of this night with Chris.  176

“Remember the night we strolled down the lane, our hearts so gay and happy then.  You whispered to me and I held you close and hoped that the night would never end.”177

I beamed at Chris from the stage as I sang my part directly at him.  178

©Teresa A. Brogden179