Part One, Chapter Fourteen

Christmas Furlough

...

Three days Christmas furlough is herely granted to Maj. Mike Wilkes.

...

Confederate soldiers were happily greeted by their relatives at the train station, including Mike Wilkes.

"Oh, you're here!" Zoey said happily as she embraced Mike, who kissed her cheek. "Oh, you're here. You're really here at last. Oh, my dear, I've waited so long."

"Zoey, my dear, m darling wife," said Mike just as happily.

Courtney, wearing the bonnet Duncan had given her as her and Zoey were finally out of mourning, watched the scene with a look of mixed sadness and disgust.

"Oh, but we're forgetting Courtney," said Zoey, still beaming with tears of joy rushing out of her eyes and staining her cheeks.

"Courtney, dear," said Mike as tears started to come to Courtney's eyes. "Well, is this any way yo greet a returning warrior?"

"Mike, I..." Courtney started, but trailed off not being able to find the right words. She forced a smile and said instead, "Merry Christmas, Mike."

...

Uncle Lightning was chasing a skinny rooster with an axe so the family he served could have Christmas dinner. He attempted to grab it while it was sitting on a door, but when his hand touched the rooster, it jumped. Uncle Lightning opened the door and opened his umberella and chased the rooster out in the pouring rain.

"Come on, old gentleman, come on," Uncle Lightning said. "We've got all your wives. We've got all your little chicks. You've got no one to worry your pretty head about leaving. Come on. Now just stand still so you can be a Christmas gift for the white folks. Now hold on. Hold on! Don't go gettin' so uppity, even if you is the last chicken in Atlanta."

...

The rooster was nearly finished. Courtney, Mike, Zoey, and Aunt Dawn were sitting at a different table having conversations.

"Let's not talk about the war," said Courtney. "It's Christmas. Let's talk about Twelve Oaks, and Tara and tall the times before the war. Can we have some more wine."

Uncle Lightning brought the bottle of wine and Aunt Dawn stood up. She went over to Uncle Lightning and picked it up.

"Why did you say there wasn't enough, Uncle Lightning?" Aunt Dawn asked. "There's plenty. It's the very last of my father's fine Madeira. He got it from his uncle Admiral Shawn Hamilton of Savannah, who married his cousin, Izzy Carroll of Carrollton, who was his second cousin once removed and a kin to the Wilkeses too. I saved it to wish Mike a Merry Christmas. But you mustn't drink it all at once because it is the last."

Uncle Lightning was holding a candlebrea and led Zoey and Mike, who was wearing a new tunic that Zoey had made as a Christmas present for him, up the stairs.

"I meant it, my dear," said Mike. "It was a lovely Christmas gift. Only generals have tunics like this, nowadays."

"I'm so happy you like it, dear," said Zoey. There was a joyus smile that was plastered upon her lips.

"Where did you get the cloth?" Mike asked as he touched the grey fabric of the tunic with his hand.

It was sent to me by a Charleston lady," said Zoey. "I nursed her son while he was in the hospital, Mike, before he died and... Oh, you will take good care of it, won't you? You won't let it get torn. Promise me.""

"You mustn't worry," said Mike with a smile on his lips. "I'll bring it back to you without any holes in it, I promise." He looked down as he reached the top of the stairs and saw Courtney. "Good night, my dear."

"Good night, Courtney, darling," said Zoey, still with a smile on her lips as she blew a kiss to Courtney.

Courtney watched them wlk away. Her face was an expression of sadness and pain that was mixed together.

...

Courtney waited by the door for Mike to come down so he could leave to the depot. She turned and saw Uncle Lightning coming down stairs.

"Is it time yet, Uncle Lightning, for Mr. Mike to leave?" Courtney asked with an anxious expression on her face.

"Pretty quick now, Miss Courtney," said Uncle Lightning. He started stepping off the stairs and towards the door.

"Miss Zoey," said Courtney. "She isn't going to the depot with him. She hasn't changed her mind?"

"No, ma'am," said Uncle Lightning. "She's laying down. She's so upset Mist' Wilkes told her she can't even come downstairs."

Courtney looked up and she saw Mike heading down the stairs. Courtney walked up to the banister and said his name.

"Mike, let me go to the depot with you," Courtney said. Her voice had a slight pleading tone in it.

"Oh, Courtney, I'd rather remember you as you are now," said Mike, "not shivering at the depot."

"All right," Courtney muttered in defeat before perking up. "Oh, Mike, I've got a present for you, too."

She took him into the parlor and handed him a yellow sash with fringes. Mike smiled as he looked at it.

"Why, Courtney, it's beautiful," said Mike happily as he undid his belt and took it off. "Tie it on, my dear,"

"While, Zoey was making you a new tunic," said Courtney as she tied on the sash, "I made this to go with it.

"You made this yourself?" Mike asked Courtney and Courtney nodded. "Well, then I shall value it all the more."

"You know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you," said Courtney as she finished tying the sash on.

"There's something you can do for me," Said Mike as he looked at Courtney with a little bit of intensity.

"What is it," Courtney asked with some eagerness as she started to move a little closer towards Mike.

"Will you look after Zoey for me?" Mike asked and Courtney's face fell. "She's so frail and gentle and she loves you so much. You see, if I were killed-"

"Oh, you mustn't say that," said Courtney with worry in her tone and her face "It's bad luck. Say a prayer quickly.

"You say one for me," said Mike with the slightest hint of a smile. "We shall need all our prayer now the end is coming.

"The end?" Courtney asked puzzled as she was slightly confused by the words Mike had just said.

"The end of the war," Mike clarified sadly for Courtney. "And the end of our world, Courtney."

"But, Mike," Courtney said worriedly and slightly distressed, "you don't thinkthe Yankees are beating us?"

"Oh, Courtney," said Mike, "my men are barefooted now and the snow in Virginia is deep. When I see them and I see the Yankees coming and coming, always more and more... Well, when the end does come I shall be far away. It'll be a comfort to me to know she has you. You will promise, won't you?"

Courtney, who had not looked at Mike during his entire speech, finally turned to him and she mutter one word, "Yes." There was a moment of silence before Courtney spoke again, "Is that all, Mike?"

"All excpet, goodbye," said Mike sincerly. He stood up, but Courtney frantically grabbed his hand and tried to pull him back.

"Oh, Mike, I can't let you go," Courtney cried with a mix of sadness and passion in her voice.

"You must be brave-" Mike started comforting and soothing Courtney before she inturrupted him with a "No." He continued anyway, "You must. How else can I bear going. Oh, Courtney, you are so fine and strong and beautiful. Not just your sweet face, my dear, but you."

Mike stood up and began walking towards the door. Courtney followed him and grabbed onto him.

"Oh, Mike," said Courtney with a bit of sorrowness and desperation, "kiss me. Kiss me goodbye!"

Mike pulled Courtney in and he gave her a kiss on her forehead. But Courtney wrapped her arms around Mike's neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss on the lips. He wrapped his arms around her back and kissed her back.

"No, Courtney," said Mike as he let go of Courtney and pulled away from their passionate kiss.

"Oh, Mike," said Courtney as tears began making their way out of her eyes and down her cheeks, "I love you. I've always loved you. I've never loved anyone else. I only married Alejandro just to hurt you. Oh, Mike. Tell me you love me. I'll live on it the rest of my life."

"Goodbye," said Mike as he walked out of the parlor and out of the door, leaving Courtney alone.

"Whe the war is over, Mike," said Courtney as ahe watched him walk out of the gate. "When the war is over."

...

Atlanta prayed while onward surged the triumphant Yankees... Heads were high, but hearts were heavy, as th wounded and the refugees poured into unhappy Georgia...

...

Courtney and Zoey were in the church which had been converted into a hospital. The were working as nurses.

"And there's a place back home," said one of the soldiers they were nursing, "where a wild plum tree comes to flower in the springtime. Down by the creek, you know."

"Yes, I know," said Zoey sincerly, acknowledging what the patient she was nursing was saying.

"When we were little, my brother and I used to," said the patient, "I told you about my brother, didn't I, ma'am? I know I did. He, we don't know where he is now, ma'am. Since Bull Run we haven't heard anything and..."

"Please," said Zoey as she began to stick a thermometer into the patients mouth. "we must have your tempature now. Just take this in your mouth and not talking anymore. Not just now."

"Zoey, I'm so tired I've got to go home," said Courtney stubbornly. "Aren't you tired, Zoey?"

"No, I'm not tired, Courtney," said Zoey. "This might be... Mike. And only strangers here to comfort him. No, I'm not tired, Courtney. They could all be... Mike."