Because He Loves
This short piece has not been beta'd so all mistakes are definitely mine.
Because of the sensitivity of the issue (war period) guest reviews will no longer be accepted. Sign in to leave a review. I will NOT discuss politics or religion with anyone I can't speak to face to face with.
A/N This is definitely set in an Alternative Universe
The rain, which had been pouring cats and dogs, was now just a slow drizzle. Heath and his older brother were glad of that as they made their way through the military graveyard. Actually, Heath was following behind -as he had never visited this particular graveyard. Nothing was said as they passed one headstone after another. Heath knew his brother didn't feel like talking at the moment, and he was still too much in shock too. After all, he had been unaware of any of the Barkleys had perished in the conflict between the North and the South. No, nothing had been mentioned until after a confrontation between a few strangers in Stockton, did Heath learn about his lost half-brother and what he'd fought for. He'd confronted his family about what he'd heard…now here he was miles from California.
Heath gazed upon the headstone, shocked by the name he saw on the headstone. Slowly, he turned and stared at his Jarrod, as if to ask if he was reading the name correctly.
"He wasn't named after a Southern General." Jarrod, who knew full well what Heath was wondering, said. "He was named after a family friend. Remember, when our brother was born, there were disagreements between the states, but the situation was nowhere close to any war at the time. If wouldn't have made any difference if my parents could have seen into the future. The general was a good man- even if he wasn't fighting on the unions' side."
"If that's the case, why didn't you mention him before now?" Heath asked puzzled. "Why hasn't anyone in Stockton said anything?"
"When it comes to people in Stockton goes, the war's been over for just over ten years. They've gone on to other things, though they had plenty to say at the beginning of the conflict. Now? They don't know our brother is buried here. They assume he chose to live elsewhere after the war was over." Jarrod stood straight, with a look in his eyes that said 'and they will never know the truth'. "When it comes to the family not mentioning him…well….as I just said, the folks back home had already said more than a few things. Those words hurt Mother deeply. Father wasn't going to have her hurt more than she had already been. He strictly forbade the rest of us to mention our brother unless Mother mentioned him first. Nick and I agreed. Don't hold the fact that she never talks about him wrong. She loves him dearly, admires he'd stand up and fight what he had been converted to-even if she disagreed with him. She just can't bring herself to give anyone a chance to bad mouth him."
"Can't say I blame her. Goodness knows what they'd say, or do, if they knew his final resting place was in The Confederate Cemetery here in Virginia." Heath paused before shaking his head. "Mama was right. War costs the blood of too many good, honest men-no matter what side they're were on."
"Mother said the same thing." Jarrod's eyes took on a sorrowful look. "She always said 'It doesn't matter where the women lived, which side their son, husband or brother fought on….all their hearts broke the same when they learned their loved one had perished in a battle, died of illness or from lack of proper food. Still, those same women would have it no different as they know *the true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him. I'm just glad Nick and I made it home alive. I think it would have killed Mother to have all three of us die in the war."
Silence fell between the brothers as the contemplated all the men who had fought in the war-alive or not. Finally, Jarrod turned away from the grave. "I need to get you back home. Nick's probably driving the men crazy without his left hand with him."
Heath took another look at the headstone and once more read "Robert Lee Barkley August 5, 1842 – **July 21, 1861. 'War is hell, God bless all the soldiers' Heath thought as he turned and followed Jarrod out of the graveyard.
*A quote I got off the internet
** the 1st Battle at Bull Run was fought July 21, 1861 and was a victory for the Confederate Armies. At least, that is what my research is telling me.