Forever Country (4 page)

A man walks out of the church and greets us
warmly. My folks introduce me to the preacher of the church, Pastor
Jenson, and we shake hands.

“
Nelly and Bud, the church
sure does appreciate everything you do for us.”

“
No need to thank us, we’re
plumb tickled we’re able to help a family in need. I think this is
about everything.” Momma looks through the last of the bags. “We
bought Sugar-Frosted Flakes because kids like them.” It looks like
she gave half of the groceries to the church. “Oh, I forgot the
eggs. I’ll bring them down if you’ll still be here for a few
minutes.”

“
That’s fine, I’ll be here
for another hour or so.” Pastor Jenson gathers up some of the bags
of food and offers a warm and friendly smile.

We all carry bags of food into the cold
church. After we place the grocery bags on the counter of the small
kitchen, Pastor Jenson says that they already have a family to give
the food to.

“
If you need anything else,
let us know. We’ll do what we can,” Pops says. “I’ll run the eggs
back down within the hour.”

“
Thank you so much, and you
have done so much already.”

We drive up the hill to the
farm in silence. I think about how generous and caring my parents
are. Not just my parents but also my brother. I also think back to
the young mother in the store. Have I been that displaced from my
hometown that I forgot that people still struggle?
Is that why Momma didn’t spend the money I sent
them? Is she afraid of becoming detached from her friends and the
community she loves?

Once the food is put away, I say, “I’ll take
the eggs down to the church. I need to get some exercise
today.”

“
Thank you, Abel. I’ll
start dinner while you’re out.”

Once I’m dressed for my
run, I take the bag holding a
few dozen
eggs from the counter. “Hang on, your dad went to the basement to
get some walnuts. He thought maybe someone from the church could
use some, bein’ so close to the holidays and all.”

A memory comes into my mind of my brother and
me collecting fallen walnuts from the tree along the side of the
house. It was considered one of our chores in the early fall.

“
Does that tree still
produce nuts?” I ask in disbelief.

Momma smiles as she wipes down the counter.
“Sure does, more now than she ever did. The peach tree on the other
side of the house provides more peaches than I know what to do
with.”

Pops appears from the basement with a large
brown paper bag of walnuts. Momma smiles as he sets them down on
the kitchen table. I watch her as she walks into the pantry and
returns with a box of freezer baggies.

We all pitch in as we fill several bags full
of the walnuts.

“
This should be plenty.
Abel, are you sure you can carry all of this?” Momma asks as she
places the nuts into another bag. I watch Pops, who has the
nutcracker out and is already cracking open some of the nuts for
himself to eat.

“
It’s fine. I’ll take this
to the church, run for a bit, and then when I return I’ll feed the
animals. I also want to look at the light outside of the barn. I
noticed last night that it was burnt out.”

“
Levi’s been wantin’ to
change it, just not enough hours in the day,” Momma says as she
hands me the grocery bags.

I smile and she kisses me on the cheek before
I leave.

“
Thank you,
Abel.”

“
Momma, you never have to
thank me. I’m happy to do it.”

I walk towards the driveway and look over at
the huge walnut tree. It’s much bigger than I remember. It still
produces nuts and my family still harvests them. This should not
surprise me. I have very fond memories of gathering them with Levi,
peeling the foul-smelling green husk from the shell and then seeing
who collected the most. Momma and Pops always had something special
for the child who did the best, collected the most, or helped out
when they weren’t asked. It wasn’t much, maybe a couple pieces of
candy, or a cookie. But it was enough for Levi and me to always
want to do better.

When I arrive at the church, I see the woman
from the grocery store leaving. I nod at her and she gives me a shy
smile. The preacher is still standing at the door, watching her
drive off.

“
Thank you for bringin’
these by so quickly, Abel. Your folks never let the church
down.”

I smile and hand him the
two
bags with the eggs and the walnuts.
“They’re good people. They also sent some walnuts.”

He smiles and peeks into the bags. “I was
hopin’ they would. They do that every year. With the holidays fast
approachin’, these will be nice to have.” He looks up from the bag
and says, “Please, thank them for me.”

“
I will, have a good
night.”

“
You, too.”

I don’t run. Instead, I walk around the old
neighborhood. I look at all the homes and try to remember who lived
where. It’s too cold for people to be sitting outside, but I can
see them through their windows. Although the community is poor, it
doesn’t lack love or happiness. I can see smiling faces and can
imagine the laughter coming from within the house. I smile. It’s a
good feeling.

I walk past the houses in the direction of
the old Rose Farm Elementary School. It’s disheartening to see the
building in such shambles. The busted-out windows and the graffiti
on the walls are painful to see. What makes it worse is that it’s
in the middle of town, within view of many homes. I once wondered
why no one fixed it up, but now I understand the financial reasons.
I also have to wonder who would have busted out the windows and
written the graffiti on the red brick building. It doesn’t seem
like an area with juvenile delinquents running around.

“
It’s sad, isn’t
it?”

I turn around and I see the woman from the
store walking with her small son.

“
Hi, I’m Savannah Mae
Dickerson, and this is my son, Sawyer Jackson.” She smiles and
reaches her hand out for mine.

I extend my hand, “It’s nice to meet you,
Savannah Mae and Sawyer Jackson. I’m Abel Kennedy.”

“
Nelly and Bud’s oldest
boy? Your Momma’s been braggin’ about you all week.”

I smile. “Has she now?”

“
She sure has. Been tellin’
everyone that Abel Lee’s comin’ home for the holidays.”

I admire her country twang and laugh before I
release her hand. “It’s Abel.”

She laughs and searches my eyes. “I wondered
did you go by Abel Lee.”

“
Not since I was five years
old.” Although on occasion Mamma still calls me Abel Lee. On a very
rare occasion.

“
I was born Savannah Mae
and I’ll die Savannah Mae.” She thinks for a minute and says, “Just
Savannah would be nice.”

“
I think Savannah Mae suits
you just fine,
Savannah Mae.”

She smiles. “Thank you. Mae’s an old family
name. I imagine my folks would be disappointed if I stopped using
it.” She looks past me in the direction of the old school.

I turn around and look at the old dilapidated
school. “Do they have plans for the old school?” I ask.

“
I don’t know. The township
struggles enough. They don’t have to announce it by having this
building lookin’ the way it does.”

I put my hands in my hoodie pocket and frown.
“Maybe they are going to turn it into something to benefit the
community.”

“
Really, Abel Lee. No one
in this neck of the woods got money to spend on fixin’ this here
buildin.’”

I look at her and smile. She’s cute and that
country slang is music to my ears. I hear a horn and she says,
“C’mon, Sawyer Jackson, your daddy’s here.” She looks at me and
says, “Abel Lee, it was mighty nice meetin’ ya.”

I nod and say, “The pleasure’s all mine,
Savannah Mae.”

Savannah Mae

“
Ethan, buckle him in the
booster seat and I’ll get his overnight bag from the
house.”

“
Who’s your friend?” Ethan
asks, noddin’ in the direction of the school.

I look up and follow his eyes to Abel. “Don’t
start.”

“
I just asked who your
friend was. I ain’t startin’ nothin’.”

“
He’s Nelly and Bud’s
oldest boy.”

“
The boxer?”

“
I didn’t ask, but he must
be. They only have two sons, and we know Levi don’t box.” I look at
Abel and then
at Ethan. I shake my head and
run into the house to get Sawyer Jackson’s overnight bag. I hate it
when Sawyer Jackson leaves to go to his daddy’s house. We have been
divorced for only a few months and every day it’s still a struggle.
It’s hard livin’ in these parts with a man, but to live here
without one is mighty tough.

I walk outside and Ethan is still watchin’
Abel. I hand him the duffel bag with Sawyer Jackson’s change of
clothes in it, and focus my attention on my little boy. “Sawyer
Jackson, you be a good boy for Daddy.”

“
I will, Momma.”

I smile at my dark-haired, four-year-old son.
“I know you will. I love and miss you.” I look at Ethan and ask,
“Any news on a job?”

“
Savannah Mae!”

“
I’m just askin’. I’m
falling behind on the bills, Thanksgiving’s this week, and then
Christmas is next month. Gettin’ a little worried.”

“
I know, and I’m sorry. I’m
doin’ my best.” Ethan gets in the driver side of the truck and
fastens his seatbelt. He looks sad and worried.

I try to smile to assure him everything will
work out. “Well, maybe something will come up this week.”

“
I hope so,” he says as he
starts his old Ford pickup.

I know he’s tryin’ so I don’t say anything
else. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

“
Good night, Savannah
Mae.”

Abel

I stand in the field,
looking at the old schoolhouse longer than necessary. I want to see
if Savannah Mae was leaving with her son’s daddy. She didn’t. He
kept watching me when she disappeared into the house. Me being me,
I just watched him back.
I don’t even know
that girl. Why would I have cared if she left with him?
She didn’t say her husband or boyfriend. She did
say, Sawyer Jackson’s daddy.
Maybe she’s
divorced.

While running, I push the thoughts of
Savannah Mae far from my mind. I’m here only for the holidays, and
I’m not looking to hook up with a country girl. Even if she is
beautiful. The girl from the bar last night was also beautiful.
Megan Rose. This area sure does have some pretty girls.

I run around the local streets of Rose Farm
before I run on the back roads. It’s been awhile since I’ve been
here, but it doesn’t take long for me to remember where the back
roads take you. The air is cold and crisp, and it feels good
pumping in and out of my lungs. I think about being back in Rose
Farm, and I also think about Savannah Mae. If anyone else ever
called me “Abel Lee,” I think I might have been angry at them. But
not Savannah. It sounded like honey coming from her sweet
mouth.

After completing my run, I force myself not
to look in the direction of her house on my way to my parents’
farm. My body deceives me. As soon as I turn the corner, my eyes
dart straight to her little white house with red shutters and her
yard with a white picket fence. The house is dark with only a
single dim porch light lit. Turning in the direction of the farm, I
walk up the mile-long driveway to my parents’ house. It’s dark and
the barn light is still out. I chastise myself for not fixing that
earlier today. Even though I had only a few things to do, I
couldn’t get everything done. Tomorrow, I’ll do all of the chores,
and then I’ll complete my workout.

I see Levi’s truck and it makes me feel even
worse. He helped on the farm this morning, went to work, and still
had time to come back and help out on the farm again. Momma and
Pops need help and I feel like I let them down. I hang my head in
shame as I walk through the kitchen door.

The house smells of food and the sound of
laughter fills the air. Momma looks up at me and smiles. “There he
is.”

I smile. It feels good to be home. “I’m sorry
I’m late.” I look over at Levi, who is standing at the refrigerator
door. “How was work?”

“
Good, I could use some
help feedin’ the animals, you game?”

“
Ready whenever you
are.”

“
We’ll be back.”

Momma turns to stir a pot on the stove. “By
the time you finish, dinner will be done.”

I smile and nod before shutting the door
behind me. I feel resentment against Levi for being here helping
Momma and Pops. I know it’s misplaced anger. Why would his helping
them bother me? It makes no sense. Maybe I feel bad for not doing
what needs to be done today.

“
Something wrong?” he asks
as he walks into the barn to get some feed.

“
No, nothing. I’m just glad
you’re here to help.”

“
Wouldn’t have it any other
way.”

When we return to the house, Mia is standing
in the kitchen with Momma, and Pops is adding more firewood to the
fireplace. Levi smiles and rushes over to Mia. “I missed you.”

Mia stands on tiptoes and kisses him. “I
missed you. How was your day?”

“
It just got a heck of a
lot better.” He smiles.

Tonight’s dinner consists of soup beans and
hamhocks and homemade cornbread with peach cobbler for dessert.