Chapter 8: Spending Time with Family
I could see Tara as it came into view. Aw, it was good to see home again. Pulling up to the house I got out and went to the door. Taking a deep breath and shutting my eyes before opening it, placing my hand on the knob I opened it. "Mother, Pa? I'm home." I yell through the rather large home.
At the sound of my voice my family came from different rooms. "Katie Scarlett, is that really you?" pa asked as he gave me a hug.
"Yes, pa, it's really me. Oh, how I've missed you so." I said hanging onto him as if I would never let go.
"Scarlett?" a voice came. Breaking the hug with pa I looked up and saw mother coming down the stairs. "Mother!" I said running up the stairs to meet her.
Giving her a hug we cried as we hugged each other. It had been such a long, long time since the last time I had seen her. After my reweighting with my family and seeing my old room we sat down and talked.
"Where have you been?" pa asked sitting in his favorite chair with mother sitting nearby.
"I can't tell you pa. All I can say is that I am safe where I was." I said avoiding his eyes. "I can't stay long." I said still not looking him in the eyes.
"What do you mean?" mother asked as her voice changed. I knew what I was about to say would crush my family forever. Seeing me for three days it would almost have been better to not come home at all.
"I can only stay for three days." I said looking at my family. I knew this just broke their hearts.
"You are staying here for more than just three days young lady. You are staying here from now on." Pa said as his Irish temper began to come out.
"Pa, I can't I have to go back." I said. I knew they didn't want to hear that, but it was true.
"Tell us why Scarlett." Carreen said as she chimed in with my parents. She must have not have been listening.
"I just can't." I said saying it again. "I wish I could but I can't." at that last sentence the topic was dropped. So for the next three days would be spent with family and seeing friends maybe for the very last time.
"Cathleen." I said as I saw her standing in front of the hospital talking to a rather tall lady. Hearing her name she turned and looked at me. She stood and looked at me for a few moments as if she didn't know who I was.
"Scarlett?" she asked as if she wasn't sure it was I or not. I smiled at her and she knew in an instant it was me. She ran and gave me a hug. "Oh, it's so good to see you. They said you were either had run away or were dead." Stepping back I saw tears fill her eyes and down her face. "What happened, where have you been?" she asked speaking a mile a minute.
By now we were sitting on a nearby bench. "I can't tell you Cathleen." I said looking at her as her cream colored hat sat upon her head causing a shadow to appear over her face. "It's like I've told my family I'm safe where I am and that I'm only here for three days."
"THREE DAYS!" She yelled as she stood up. This was even more of a shock to her.
"Shh, yes, three days." I said taking her hand and guiding her back to her seat. This shocked her just as it had my family.
"Why just three days? That's just madness." Cathleen asked as if she were scared to know the answer.
"Because, I told him I would be back within those days." I said not realizing what I had said.
"Who's he?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow while she looked at me.
Covering my hand with my mouth as air went through my lungs with a gasp. I couldn't believe I just said what I had said. I've already said to much.
"Scarlett, who is it?" she asked yet again as she saw the look of horror on my face
"No, I've already said too much." I said getting up from the seat with my bag in hand as the wind whipped by me as if it was meant to go over my heart.
"Scarlett, what is it? You look as if you've seen something awful." Cathleen said shaking my arms.
"It's nothing Cathleen. Um, I need to get going I have some other people to see before I go back." I said giving her a hug. "It was really good to see you." With that said I walked away leaving her where she stood.
Why did I say what I did? Because I hadn't seen her in over a year, whenever I talked to her I told her everything and anything. Trying my best to shake it off I went and saw Melanie and Ashley at Twelve Oaks.
A little while later I had arrived at Twelve Oaks. For not being here for a year things sure looked as I remembered them. The smell of a freshly baked pie filled the air as I approached the southern home. Being helped out of the carriage I looked to my left and saw some slaves I had once seen.
"Why if it ant Ms. Scarlett." The taller one said as a smile came a crossed his face.
Giving him a smile I went and knocked on the double white doors. I stood there for a few moments as my eyes over looked the grounds. Soon the door opened. I saw Melanie standing there.
"Scarlett." Her happy voice came as she gave me a hug. "It's so good to see you."
"It's good to see you as well Melly," I say as a smile came a crossed my face.
"Mother who is it?" a little boys voice came. The once little baby I had seen was now a six year old little boy. "Auntie Scarlett." The little voice came again.
"Yes, Beau, it is me." I said giving him a hug as he threw his arms around me.
"Beau, didn't you hear what I said?" Ashley asked coming to the door.
"Sorry dad, but look who's here." The little boy said pointing at me with his index finger. Ashley looked up and saw me standing there. "Scarlett, is that really you?" he asked looking at me with a rather blank look upon his face.
"Yes, Ashley, it's really me." I said just as I did with Melanie. He gave me a hug. Oh, how I didn't want to let go of him.
We talked for a little while and before I knew it I had to head back home for night was almost upon the little town. Heading home like I did I heard leaves crunching. Looking around I saw a shadow figure. Then out of nowhere I saw Rhett standing there.
"Rhett, how and what are you doing here?" I asked in an angry voice. I had only been home a day and a half and he was already doing this.
"I just wanted to remind you about your promise my dear." Rhett said as he walked around me as if I was an animal of some kind.
"I remember what I promised Rhett," I said as my eyes followed him. "I'm not going to go back on my word."
"I know what was said between you and Cathleen." Rhett still walking around me.
My eyes got wide with my body freezing. "Oh, yes, I know exactly what was said. Talking about me." Rhett said with a deep laugh.
"Rhett, all I did was-"
"I told you what was to happen if you breathed a word about me." Rhett's voice changed to an icy cold voice.
"Rhett, I didn't." I began as a chill began to go through the air. "I haven't said a single thing about you or where I've been." By now I was beginning to get very mad.
"You accept me to believe such a lie?" Rhett asked as he lit a cigar.
"Rhett, it's not a lie and yes I do except you to believe me." I said as I stood with my hands on my hips.
Rhett fell silent for a little while. Without a word I began walking back to my home for I only had this last night to sleep in my own bed. "Remember you promise Scarlett," I heard him say in that deep dark voice.
All of a sudden I got a cold chill down my back. Turning back around saw that he was gone. All that was there where he had stood was crunched leaves and the smell of his cologne filled the air. I didn't think anything of it. I began walking back home where I knew I belonged.
Later that night I lay in bed looking up at the ceiling. Within a matter of hours I would be back in that mansion of a place and would never see my family again. Sighing heavily I got up and walked over to the window and looked out. So this was what it felt like knowing that you only had a few short hours to live a normal and happy life. Looking out the window I saw so much of my childhood in that backyard. Being pushed on the swing by pa while my sisters waited for their turns, on a nice summer day. While mother sat on the porch doing her needle work, or sitting on the front steps with Stuart and Brent Tarleton hearing a little bit of gossip going around the town. Looking out one last time I walked away from the window and walked quietly over to my door. Opening the door I began walking down the hall of the great house.
I could just see all the memories that were held within this house. Me as a little girl running up the stairs and running through the house being just a happy little girl. Going up to a white door I opened it. I saw my parents sleeping peacefully. A tear came to my eyes I would only see them once more and that would be in the morning before I would leave. I can recall so many memories with my parents...one memory was the one I had thought of earlier. When Pa would push me on the swing with mother looking on…
"Higher, higher pa," I would say as my hands clung to the ropes of the swing. This was so much fun.
"Katie Scarlett, I can only get you so high." Pa said with his Irish accent. I was already high in the sky anyway. I still liked being pushed on the swing.
"Pa, I want on the swing." Suellen wined as she began to cry as she waited for me to get off.
Stopping the swing I looked over at pa. "No, Pa, I want to go higher." I said still sitting on the swing.
"Katie Scarlett, its your sisters turn." Pa said looking at me.
Getting up I stuck my tong out at Suellen as she got on the swing.
I laughed at this moment. Suellen and I where always fighting and even now a days we still do. Just like sisters do.
Another great memory would have to be on Sunday afternoons we would always go and get ice cream in town. Pa would sometimes keep one of use shoulders as we went into the shop. While mother would hold onto mine or one of my sisters hands. We were one happy family for quite some time. That was until my brothers died at a young age. I hardly remember them. I was so young when all of that happened.
Standing there for a few short moments I took in my parents then closed the door. Heading down the hall I came a crossed another room. Opening it a little I saw Suellen fast asleep as I figured she was dreaming of Frank Kennedy.
We had are good times and bad times as siblings. We fought like two little children. Oh, how we were mean to each other. At this thought I would miss these things. Smiling at her I closed the door and went to the last door at the end of the hallway.
Opening the white door I saw Carreen sleeping. She was youngest of us three girls. She would always ask mother when she could stay up late and do things that me and Suellen always did. Mother would always say she would have to wait until she was fourteen. I had missed a moment of my younger sisters life. Going to the balls and things I had missed out seeing her do. She had her first boyfriend and I had missed it. That year that was now gone I had missed so much in my families lives. Suellen was going to be getting married in the spring of next year and I was going to miss it, because I would be back at that mansion. Thinking of that thought I began to sob quietly while I shut the door.
Leaning against the door I took a deep breath while tears spilled from my green eyes. I wanted to stay here from now on, but I couldn't I made a promise. A promise I couldn't break. Going back into my room I lie back down and shut my eyes. I would have to get up in a matter of a few hours. Tomorrow would come a lot sooner then what I wanted it to.
A/N: Yeah! a longer chapter lol. What do you think? Will Scarlett go back to Rhett? Will I get this story done by Halloween? Boy I hope so lol.