Chapter Seven
AN – There are things you need to know about the timeline to get this fic – here it is.
The timeline: Summer of 1941 the meeting of Sarah and Harm's grandfather
December 7 1941 – Pearl Harbor is attacked
June 4-7 1942 – Battle of Midway
Sometime at the end of July 1942 – Harm Sr. born
December 24, 1969 – Harm Sr. MIA – 27 years old
Harm woke early the next morning and found his brother in the barn gathering the eggs for breakfast.
"Harm! I didn't expect anyone to be up this early." Sergei told him putting the last egg in the basket.
"Sergei, I would have helped you with the morning chores." Harm said looking around realizing that the chores were done and the animals had been fed.
"You took care of everything with our grandmothers. She will be missed." Sergei said with a sad smile. "What time is her funeral tonight?"
"It is this afternoon at 1500. The caterers are coming by 10 to set everything up. Gram was very specific about what she wanted at her funeral." Harm said taking the basket of eggs from his brother.
Sarah came walking in wearing a pair of overalls. "I am ready for chores!" She said smiling.
Harm grabbed the straps of her overalls, "I didn't know you owned a pair of these."
Memories:
Sarah walked into the farm. She hated living in Belleville, and couldn't believe that her mother had sent her out to the farm. She had been living there a week, and this was the first time she had to help out with chores. She stepped through the barn and stepped into, what turned out to be manure, "Oh, now that is just plain gross." She complained jumping out of it.
Out of the shadows came a deep throaty laugh, "I bet you never stepped in a fresh pile of manure before, now have you City Girl."
"The name is Sarah Elizabeth Winchester if you don't mind, not City Girl!" She exclaimed. "My aunt sent me to get the eggs from you."
Francis handed her a basket of eggs. "Here you go Miss Winchester." Sarah turned away, "Miss Winchester?"
"Yes?"
"Why are you dressed in overalls?"
"I thought it would be practical if I was going to be mucking around in the salt of the earth. When mom sent me out here to live with Aunt Margaret, I bought them. Why are you going to make fun of me Mr?" Sarah paused, "I'm sorry we haven't been formally introduced."
"Francis Jacob Rabb. I am filling in for one of the sick farm hands for the time being, and no Miss Winchester, I wasn't planning on making fun of you. In fact, I thought you looking mighty cute in those overalls."
"Oh." Sarah Elizabeth Winchester (soon to be Rabb) answered. "Well, I guess you don't need anymore help out here then. Aunt Margaret said that breakfast will be served soon if you would like to join us."
"Sarah, I promise that living out here isn't all that bad. You need to give it a chance."
"I miss New York." She answered sitting on one of the bales of hay. "Of course you wouldn't understand being a small town country boy."
Francis Rabb looked at her with his deep blue eyes. "You know Sarah, sometimes you can't judge book by it's cover."
End Memory
Mac thought the world was spinning. Harm caught her. "You okay there Marine? Are you having a delayed reaction to the bump on your head from yesterday?"
"It's nothing really, just dizzy and tired. You have your grandfather's eyes." She whispered.
"Gramps had dark brown eyes. I got these from Grams." He said. He was starting to get worried about her. "I am going to make breakfast for the two of us. Come on farm girl."
Sergei smiled at the comment. "Harm, can you tell me stories about our family?"
"Yeah, in fact, Grams meet our grandfather in the barn. When Grams and Gramps started dating, it merged the Winchester Acres and Rabb Acres into one big conglomeration. Grams once said it was a joining of convenience for the two families, but she loved our grandfather deeply." Harm said. "Sergei, thank you for coming for her funeral. You didn't have to come, you barely knew her."
"The times that I spent with her though were some of the best times I have had. She is my grandmother, and you are my brother, there is no place else I would be right now."
Harm smiled at his brother and held a hand out to Mac. She gratefully accepted the hand and he held her hand back to the main house. The small trio ate breakfast together and got ready for the day in which Sarah Elizabeth Rabb would be put to rest.
1300 EST
St. Marks Roman Catholic Church
Belleville, PA
Harm sat in the front wearing a simple suit and tie with Mac sitting next to him. Her hand fell lightly on his thigh, and he squeezed it to show her that he appreciated the show of support. His brother was sitting next to Mac, his eyes closed while he was saying a quick prayer for his grandmother's soul.
The priest walked up to them. "Harmon, I remember your Christening. Your father and mother were so proud of their little boy, but I don't think anyone could have been more proud of you then your grandmother. She always thought you were destined for greatness." He looked at Sergei, "You grandmother loved you fiercely Sergei. She always regretted losing her son to that awful war, but you helped her know that he spent his last days free and you gave a part of him back to her." He grasped Sergei's shoulder. "You must be the beautiful Sarah Mackenzie. We always wondered when Harm you bring you home." He gave her a quick smile. "I must go perform the ceremony now."
The priest made his way down to the vestibule. Mac, who was raised with no religion, looked to Harm for cues of when to stand and sit. He held her hand throughout most of the ceremony and only stopped when he stood to give the eulogy.
He got up and took a couple of quick strides to the pulpit. "I struggled with this eulogy for most of last night, and even now for the most part, I am speechless. I think my partner in crime is going to write this date down on the calendar, the day I was left speechless." He grinned at her. "But how do you sum up the life of a great woman in just a few words? How do you talk about the greatness of the life that past? I look out in this church today and realize that it is not how we can summarize Gram's life, but how we can celebrate it and remember her. I will always remember my grandmother as full of life and love. When she loved it was with all of her heart, and she gave herself completely. She helped guide an angry six year old into the man I am today. I will miss her courage and her support."
Harm took a few moments and looked out into the crowd. For a brief moment, he thought he could see his grandmother, young again, leaving on the arm of a man. He shrugged the vision and made his way back to his seat, to hold the hand of his Sarah.
He watched as Sarah Rabb was placed into the ground. Even though not in uniform, Harm felt the urge to stand at attention while the casket was being lowered into the ground. He reached down and sprinkled a handful of dirt on her coffin. "I'll miss you Gram. Say hi to everyone in heaven for me. Tell Dad I love him."
Mac walked up behind him and put a comforting hand on the small of his back. "Come on Flyboy, lets go through your grandmother the party she wanted."
Coming Attractions:
More of Sarah's Letters
Sarah – Francis interaction
Sarah – Peter interaction
Of course Harm-Mac interaction (shipper as always, will their friendship bloom? I don't known quite yet though)
Read and review, any suggestions, comments, or concerns let me know – the more I get, at least I know someone is reading what I am writing. Enjoy, another chapter soon to come.