Wade heard his stomach grumble yet again and when he looked to Ella, she had stared back with puffy, red-rimmed eyes and a grimace; a moment later, he could hear her stomach's rumbling reply. They had been staying at their Aunt Melly's for they couldn't endure one more day in that dark, dreary house. Ella had become a semi-permanent resident of his room; the first night Ella had scampered to his room, pounding on his door, he had hesitated to let her in, for he already had more than a taste of the relentless teasing and taunting he would be subject to by other boys if any of them thought that he and his sister still slept in the same room, but he had ultimately relented for he understood.
Even after the yelling had finally stopped, there had been no respite for either of them. It seemed as if the lamps and fireplaces were never lit, save for the ones in Uncle Rhett's room and despite Prissy and Pork's best efforts, the ones that were lit would flicker and then die as quickly as fireflies. And with their untimely demise, a chill had begun to permeate the house, penetrating right through their clothes and down to their bare skin, so much so that Wade and Ella had taken to wearing their wool hats and scarves indoors though it was only fall. The floors and ceiling would creak and the wind would whisper, moan, and even howl, rattling the windows and sending tremors that would vibrate through their bones even after Wade had tightly bolted the shutters. Mammy had gone and with her departure, any semblance of order and security had as well; more often than not, they would go to bed hungry and, judging by the greasy rat's mess that had become Ella's hair, there were no more baths either.
Worst of all, there were nights when he and Ella had heard pattering footsteps echoing in the hallway, wheezing neighs, and snatches of bubbly laughter. On such nights, Ella's teeth would chatter like a jackhammer and she would take refuge in Wade's bed, burrowing under the blankets with her hands clamped round her ears and it had taken every fiber in Wade's body to resist joining her. Ella had also sworn to him that she had seen the rocking horse in the backyard sway back and forth when there was no breeze and Wade had tried to laugh it off, but it had been the final straw for both of them when his overgrown beast of a St. Bernard had barreled into his room one night, whimpering, with his tail tucked between his legs, from his house in the backyard.
When they had voiced their displeasure to Mother, she, with her face strained and white, had sent them to their Aunt Melly's, but it had been no good. They never had a chance to see Aunt Melly, for she had fallen ill as well and when Cousin Beau had stumbled from the room, crying into Uncle Ashley's stomach, he knew that she was never going to get better. The air in that little house had been thick, growing more oppressive with each passing day. There had been so many faces, but they all wore the same expression they had when Mother had been ill and after their baby sister had fallen from her horse. But Wade remembered the smell the most. He had wanted to go into Aunt Melly's room to say his goodbyes, but Ella, with her eyes wide and naked with fear, had clung to his shirttails, pulling him back. It had been the smell: the bitter, acrid stench of Dr. Meade's concoctions, the sour musk of sweat, the salty damp one of tears and grief, and a peculiar sickly sweet fragrance had combined into a potent cocktail of odors that had made him and Ella gag. Wade remembered that the same rich aroma had been emitting from his grandmother's and then from Uncle Rhett's room, and it was now wafting from their Aunt Melly's in a thick vapor that had made Aunt Pitty tear up and wheeze into her handkerchief.
When Wade had seen the carriage pull up to the pathway, he had wanted to leap off his chair and fly out the door into Uncle Rhett's or even Mother's arms for it had been weeks since he had really seen or spoken to either of them, weeks that to him had seemed like an eternity. But Ella once again had clung to his coat, shaking her head and chewing her already chapped bottom lip. Words of protest had bubbled to Wade's lips, but Ella had shaken her head again, solemnly pointing with one white finger. There was Uncle Rhett; Wade could recognize him from anymore…although, from where he was standing, he could only see his head and shoulders but when he had caught a brief glimpse of his face, all the excitement had died, for there had been no expression at all. Mother had placed a hand on his arm and Wade could saw her lips moving; even through the condensation that was clouding the glass, Wade could see the pleading on her face. He couldn't hear Uncle Rhett's reply, but saw that he had withdrawn his arm and had disappeared into the bowels of the carriage.
Mother had lingered on the porch, wringing her hands, but then Wade saw her square her shoulders in familiar fashion and enter the house, pausing briefly only to speak to Dr. Meade and Uncle Ashley before making a beeline for Aunt Melly's room; Wade had only been able to catch a brief glance of Mother bending over Aunty's bed before the door was shut. Mother had emerged from Melly's room with her face white and distorted with fear, as if her features had come undone and she had immediately barreled into Uncle Ashley's room. But after a short while, she had come bursting out with her chest heaving, her face flushed, cheeks glowing in a strange unhealthy manner, and a realization blazing in her eyes; she had swept right past Wade and Ella without sparing them a glance and had stumbled onto the porch, briefly pausing to wrap her arms around one of the banisters on the porch as if to steady herself. The carriage had gone, but his mother didn't seem to notice or care; bunching her heavy black skirts in both hands, she had leapt right off the porch and had taken off in a mad dash. Wade had watched as she turned a corner and disappeared into the mist.
I think I have developed a rather unhealthy attachment to GWTW…I'm supposed to be studying for an exam right now, for God's sake.
Tell me what you think…