The Healing

Chapter 51





Back in the kitchen, Violet sat quietly at the eating table working her clay while Gran Gran watched from her rocker by the stove. She could tell the girl was vigorously pushing her way back into the world. When she had healed, she would leave.

Tired beyond relief, Gran Gran headed out of the house and into the brush, driven in the direction of an old half-standing shack.

She found herself beside the broken chimney, in the same place she had stood so many years ago when she had last glimpsed Polly’s loose-limbed body before it disappeared into the dense, wet growth.

The sun had dropped well behind the tree line and for a moment the curtain of twilight that separated present from past was flung back.

She was a girl again, not much older than Violet. The choice had yet to be made. There was still time to call out, to rush through the door, crash into the bramble on nimble, youthful legs, and catch up to Polly, grabbing hold of her leathery hand, taking in the heat and her strength, feeling again that solitary pulse where their palms embraced.

Yes, there had been that one moment when she stood there watching, her breath locked in her lungs, the muscles in her legs tensed to run. There had still been time, even as the sounds of Polly’s steps and the sweep of her body against the leaves grew fainter.

If Polly had but turned and looked at her. The girl had waited in that spot, listening, watching, long after Polly disappeared through trees. Then as now there was only the sound of water dripping from clean wet leaves as a slight breeze stirred the branches.

“You said you would remember me. But you forgot like the others. Everybody done forgot. There ain’t no threads stitching us together. You left me here by myself. You should have told me! I would have gone.”

The old woman watched the sky grow dark. Then finally answered Violet’s question. “Yes,” she said barely louder than a breath, “I miss you bad, Polly. I want you to turn your face to me.” She closed her eyes and imagined her words being taken by the breeze.