Happy Sunday Everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful week waiting in store for you. Thank you so much Gabyhyatt for continuing to read and review my story. And thank you, too, Christag and LL for your encouraging reviews.

CHAPTER 68

After Rhett and Careen left, the heaviness of silence fell over the household until the front door opened and Mammy ran in and right back out of the kitchen. "Where es, Pork?! He's wuz s'posed to be a goin' inta town today to pick me up sum flowa and bakin' powda for suppa tonight and I don't sees none o' dem thangs en my kitchin. Dat gud fa nothin' lazy bag of bones!" Mammy bellowed from the parlor.

Mable Rose came out of her room and Scarlett ran downstairs from her room.

"Mammy, I dinks deyse somethun youse needs to know 'bout Pork," Mable Rose murmured softly.

"HMPH! I already knows alls Ise needs to know 'bout Pork, Rose Bud!" Mammy responded in a huff.

Scarlett could tell Mable Rose was still worried about being the one to tell Mammy about Pork's death, so she stepped into break the news to her.

"Mammy, what Mable Rose is trying to say is that Pork passed away sometime during the night. Rhett had the undertakers come and take him down to the funeral parlor a little while ago."

A mixture of shock and horror crossed Mammy's face. She couldn't respond and scampered away to her bedroom. She knelt to the floor in front of her window and her hefty frame quaked with guilt as she sobbingly lifted her eyes heavenward to beg forgiveness for the way she'd treated Pork. "Oh, dear Lawd. Please forgives me fa how I talk to Pork when he wuz here. All dem years and I ain't neva once told him Ise wuz sorry."

Scarlett could hear Mammy's weepings echo throughout the mansion and it tore at her heart. She couldn't take it anymore and went to check on her.

"Mammy, I'm so sorry, honey," she said lovingly as she softly wrapped her arms around Mammy's broad shoulders.

"Oh, Miz Scarlett. I feels so bad. Here Pork done gone to meet his Maker and me comin' in de house speakin' ugly 'bouts him being lazy. Truth was he was neva lazy – I doesn't know whys I give him such a hard time. Maybe dis here was a lessun in de makin' from Jesus dat was a lawng time comin'."

"Oh, Mammy, please don't talk like that. I happen to know that Pork actually found it kind of funny when you scolded him. I think everyone knew that about him but you. I dare say he'd milk it just to see how much he could set you off," Scarlett responded candidly.

"Why dat ol' rascal! All dese years and Ise neva knew dat!" Mammy exclaimed as her sorrowful expression brightened into a pearly grin.

"You better believe it. Your outbursts drew him into plumb fits of giggles when you weren't around to watch. The more upset you got with him, the more entertained he was. But make no mistake, Mammy he totally adored you at the same time. I am quite certain he would have been as deeply sorrowful if you would been the one to leave before he did."

"Why I'se mighty proud to have knowed him and for him to bin in my life as long as he wuz. He was a gud man of faith and Ise can't wait to sees him in Heaven agin. Tank youse Miz Scarlett fa makin' me feel better," Mammy said gratefully as she sopped up her tears with her apron. Where es Capt'n Butler and Miz Careen?"

"Rhett took Careen into town to see Nicholas. She is going to ask him if he will take her to Tara to fetch Big Sam and Prissy for the funeral."

"Es Capt'n Butler gonna ride down der wif 'em?"

"Well, no Mammy. You see Rhett was going to hire a livery driver from Farley's stable and she'd rather have Nicholas take her," Scarlett responded innocently.

"Oh no she don't! Et jus' ain't fittin' fo' an unmarried daughta of Miz Ellen's ta be ridin' 'round unescorted out en da middle o' nowhere's wif a man she don't hardly know!" Mammy fumed as she swiftly rose to her feet.

"Mammy, I don't see what the harm would be. Nicholas is Jack's son and Chandler's cousin," Scarlett replied skeptically.

"Ise don't care! Any o' dem peahens whut see's her a headin' outs of town all by herself wif a man is gonna be salivatin' to spread some wicked gossip. 'Specially dat Miz India who is so bitta she es jelush o' her own shadow! Ise gonna go wif 'em!" Mammy insisted.

Scarlett thought Mammy was being utterly ridiculous, but she also knew it would do her a heart a lot of good to be able to see Big Sam and Prissy right away so she conceded to Mammy's "command" to be Careen's chaperone to Tara. She sighed as she pictured Careen's protests about bringing Mammy along, but she figured she'd cross that bridge of Careen's disappointment when she came to it.