Chapter 6
Two weeks later Scarlett and Katie stepped off the Livingston Star onto the Savannah dock. The following morning they caught the 9 A.M. train to Jonesboro, finally arriving at the station late that afternoon. As they stepped off the train, Scarlett immediately started looking for Will.
'Will I even recognize him after all these years' she thought as she scanned the crowd. Her answer came soon enough.
'Scarlett' she heard from the crowd. When she turned to look in the direction of the voice, there stood Will Benteen. The same Will from all those years ago.
"Oh Will" Scarlett said as she rushed to him. Hugging him fiercely she continued "Oh Will, it is so good to see you. I really never thought I'd see any of you ever again."
Will in his usual monotone replied "It's good to see you too, Scarlett."
As they separated he added "Now where is this daughter you wrote us about?"
Scarlett turned. Katie had stayed in her original spot. Scarlett motioned for her and she slowly walked over.
"Will Benteen, Katie Colum O'Hara, your niece. Katie this is your uncle Will."
Katie smiled, suddenly excited yet almost overcome by emotion "Hello Uncle Will. It's good to finally meet you."
"Hello Katie, it's good to meet you too. Now what do you say we get headed t'ward Tara. It's getting late and I'd like to be back before dark."
Scarlett laughed to herself as they waited for Will to load their bags. 'He hasn't changed a bit. Still the same straight forward, no frills Will.' Then she added 'Thank goodness'.
As they made their way toward Tara, Scarlett told Katie about every home they passed. And about all the ones that were no longer standing. Scarlett's voice had an air of melancholy as she spoke, yet there was a small smile on her face as she talked about the past.
Upon arriving at the entrance to Tara, Scarlett realized how nervous she really was. As they made their way down the long drive to the house, she was flooded with a million memories. Of her Pa and of Mother. Of her life in a much simpler time.
The stopping of the wheels brought Scarlett back to present day. As she looked up onto the front porch there stood everyone to meet her and Katie. Suellen was the first down the steps. She hugged Scarlett then stopped in her tracks when she looked at Katie. No there was definitely no denying who Katie's father was. Yet she definitely could see a lot of Scarlett there too.
She reached out and hugged Katie "Oh Katie, it's so good to finally meet you. I hope you know that you will always be welcomed at Tara."
Katie returned her hug. Scarlett had told her about how she and Suellen had once acted toward one another, and how they had finally become friends before she had left America.
"Thank you aunt Suellen. I'm so very glad to be here."
Next in line were Wade and his family. At first Scarlett just stood there staring at Wade. He had grown into quite a handsome man. He still had the expressive brown eyes of his father, but years of working with Will had left him lean and tan.
"Mother?" he said quietly.
"My God Wade Hampton you have grown into a handsome man." Scarlett said as she finally hugged him.
At that Wade blushed and pulled away. "Thank you" he said quietly then added in a much more confident tone "Mother let me introduced my wife Polly, and your grandchildren, Melanie and Charlie."
Scarlett knew that Wade had named his first born, his daughter after his aunt Melanie for he had loved her very much. And of course little Charlie was named after his grandfather.
"Hello Polly" Scarlett said as she took Polly's hands and kissed her cheek "It's so good to finally meet you."
Then walking up the children, Scarlett stooped down "Hello Melanie, Hello Charlie. Do you think your grandmother could talk you into giving her a hug?"
The children went willingly unaware of the looks on several faces in the crowd. Yes they all knew Scarlett had changed but still to see her interact with the children that way was quite remarkable.
As Scarlett stood she turned to face Ella. She had become quite pretty. Her reddish tinted hair had turned to a very becoming auburn and she had the glow of a new mother about her.
"Hello Ella" Scarlett said taking her daughter into her arms.
"Mother, I still can't believe you're really here." Ella said trying to keep her emotions in check. Finally she composed her self and left her mother's embrace. "Mother let me introduce you to John, my husband. And that little bundle he's holding is Gerald, our son."
Scarlett walked up to John and placed a kiss on his cheek "Hello John" then adding as she looked down at the cooing baby "Hello there Gerald. I'm your Grandmother Scarlett"
Next Scarlett spoke to all of Suellen and Wills girls and their son. Katie just stood watching this. She was so taken back by it all. She actually had a family.
Katie was still trying to take it all in when Scarlett walked up to her and put her arm around her waist saying, "Everyone I'd like to introduce to you Katie Colum O'Hara." Katie blushed as her mother guided her through the same procession of family she had just taken.
After everyone was introduced Suellen spoke up "Now there's plenty of food in the house for everyone. Will, you and Wade take Scarlett's and Katie's bags up to their rooms. Then come down and join us." Looking at Scarlett and Katie she added "Well, come on you two, you must be starved".
Although they had stayed up late into the night, catching up and reminiscing Scarlett woke before dawn the following morning. She dressed quickly and quietly made her way downstairs and out onto the front porch. As she sat there watching the sun rise over Tara, she was overwhelmed by the feelings that overtook her. This was her home and she truly had missed her family. How many times had thoughts of coming home tugged at her heart? And now she was here. She didn't know for how long, but she was home.
Two weeks later Scarlett and Katie stepped off the Livingston Star onto the Savannah dock. The following morning they caught the 9 A.M. train to Jonesboro, finally arriving at the station late that afternoon. As they stepped off the train, Scarlett immediately started looking for Will.
'Will I even recognize him after all these years' she thought as she scanned the crowd. Her answer came soon enough.
'Scarlett' she heard from the crowd. When she turned to look in the direction of the voice, there stood Will Benteen. The same Will from all those years ago.
"Oh Will" Scarlett said as she rushed to him. Hugging him fiercely she continued "Oh Will, it is so good to see you. I really never thought I'd see any of you ever again."
Will in his usual monotone replied "It's good to see you too, Scarlett."
As they separated he added "Now where is this daughter you wrote us about?"
Scarlett turned. Katie had stayed in her original spot. Scarlett motioned for her and she slowly walked over.
"Will Benteen, Katie Colum O'Hara, your niece. Katie this is your uncle Will."
Katie smiled, suddenly excited yet almost overcome by emotion "Hello Uncle Will. It's good to finally meet you."
"Hello Katie, it's good to meet you too. Now what do you say we get headed t'ward Tara. It's getting late and I'd like to be back before dark."
Scarlett laughed to herself as they waited for Will to load their bags. 'He hasn't changed a bit. Still the same straight forward, no frills Will.' Then she added 'Thank goodness'.
As they made their way toward Tara, Scarlett told Katie about every home they passed. And about all the ones that were no longer standing. Scarlett's voice had an air of melancholy as she spoke, yet there was a small smile on her face as she talked about the past.
Upon arriving at the entrance to Tara, Scarlett realized how nervous she really was. As they made their way down the long drive to the house, she was flooded with a million memories. Of her Pa and of Mother. Of her life in a much simpler time.
The stopping of the wheels brought Scarlett back to present day. As she looked up onto the front porch there stood everyone to meet her and Katie. Suellen was the first down the steps. She hugged Scarlett then stopped in her tracks when she looked at Katie. No there was definitely no denying who Katie's father was. Yet she definitely could see a lot of Scarlett there too.
She reached out and hugged Katie "Oh Katie, it's so good to finally meet you. I hope you know that you will always be welcomed at Tara."
Katie returned her hug. Scarlett had told her about how she and Suellen had once acted toward one another, and how they had finally become friends before she had left America.
"Thank you aunt Suellen. I'm so very glad to be here."
Next in line were Wade and his family. At first Scarlett just stood there staring at Wade. He had grown into quite a handsome man. He still had the expressive brown eyes of his father, but years of working with Will had left him lean and tan.
"Mother?" he said quietly.
"My God Wade Hampton you have grown into a handsome man." Scarlett said as she finally hugged him.
At that Wade blushed and pulled away. "Thank you" he said quietly then added in a much more confident tone "Mother let me introduced my wife Polly, and your grandchildren, Melanie and Charlie."
Scarlett knew that Wade had named his first born, his daughter after his aunt Melanie for he had loved her very much. And of course little Charlie was named after his grandfather.
"Hello Polly" Scarlett said as she took Polly's hands and kissed her cheek "It's so good to finally meet you."
Then walking up the children, Scarlett stooped down "Hello Melanie, Hello Charlie. Do you think your grandmother could talk you into giving her a hug?"
The children went willingly unaware of the looks on several faces in the crowd. Yes they all knew Scarlett had changed but still to see her interact with the children that way was quite remarkable.
As Scarlett stood she turned to face Ella. She had become quite pretty. Her reddish tinted hair had turned to a very becoming auburn and she had the glow of a new mother about her.
"Hello Ella" Scarlett said taking her daughter into her arms.
"Mother, I still can't believe you're really here." Ella said trying to keep her emotions in check. Finally she composed her self and left her mother's embrace. "Mother let me introduce you to John, my husband. And that little bundle he's holding is Gerald, our son."
Scarlett walked up to John and placed a kiss on his cheek "Hello John" then adding as she looked down at the cooing baby "Hello there Gerald. I'm your Grandmother Scarlett"
Next Scarlett spoke to all of Suellen and Wills girls and their son. Katie just stood watching this. She was so taken back by it all. She actually had a family.
Katie was still trying to take it all in when Scarlett walked up to her and put her arm around her waist saying, "Everyone I'd like to introduce to you Katie Colum O'Hara." Katie blushed as her mother guided her through the same procession of family she had just taken.
After everyone was introduced Suellen spoke up "Now there's plenty of food in the house for everyone. Will, you and Wade take Scarlett's and Katie's bags up to their rooms. Then come down and join us." Looking at Scarlett and Katie she added "Well, come on you two, you must be starved".
Although they had stayed up late into the night, catching up and reminiscing Scarlett woke before dawn the following morning. She dressed quickly and quietly made her way downstairs and out onto the front porch. As she sat there watching the sun rise over Tara, she was overwhelmed by the feelings that overtook her. This was her home and she truly had missed her family. How many times had thoughts of coming home tugged at her heart? And now she was here. She didn't know for how long, but she was home.
