Kentucky Homecoming

When Tully told his friends that his family never met a stranger and to be prepared for lots of hugs, food, and partying, he wasn't joking. They had been with the Pettigrew family for two days and been welcomed by more people than they could count. Tully's extended family had turned out en masse to welcome him home and meet his new bride. In addition, they had invited Mary Ellen's family from Georgia to join them so everyone could get to know one another properly.

The food and the music had hardly stopped, and the dancing went on till the wee hours. This included square-dancing, which was unfamiliar to the others but after a few instructions they could now allemande, promenade, and do-si-do with the best of them. If Tully's mom or aunts saw someone without a full plate, they kept adding fried chicken and all the fixin's with listening to any protests.

Tully, his bride, Mary Ellen, and the Rats were upstaged by the presence of Tully's army jeep, Olive, a gift from Hitch's dad. Both former jeep drivers kept up a steady stream of rides for anyone wishing to try, and the riders were amazed at how easily the jeep could climb a steep hill.

The younger siblings and cousins dared everyone to jump from the hayloft into the safety of high-piled hay so of course, the Rats had to accept the challenge. There were games of horseshoes, target shooting, fishing, and hiking through the beautiful countryside around the area. There was swimming in the creek and a swinging rope bridge to cross to the other side. Isla impressed them with her shooting and Mary Ellen caught the biggest fish, every single time. Hitch was pleased with himself after learning to milk a cow and Moffitt found an avid cribbage player in Tully's dad. Troy was reliving happy memories of growing up on a ranch as he worked with the horses and the beer and bourbon flowed freely.

After dinner, those that could play an instrument, sing, recite or entertain in any way, showed off their talents. Hitch was in great demand on the piano and Isla led them in singing lots of folk songs and hymns. The Rats were surprised when Tully brought out a guitar and played for them, with several siblings joining him on the banjo, fiddle, and mandolin. Not to be outdone, Mary-Ellen's family joined with the instruments they had brought, and the night air was filled with clarinets, flute, saxophone, and oboe. Mary Ellen was quite good on the flute and she and Hitch pulled together a few classical duets for the crowd.

"It's a shame Isla didn't bring her bagpipes," Tully commented.

"That sweet girl can play the pipes?" one of Tully's uncles was amazed.

"Sure does," Tully assured him. "She also plays the harp, and dances like an angel."

An hour later, a car pulled into the driveway of the farm and a man got out carrying a rectangular case.

"Hey Lucius," Tully's dad called.

"I heard a piper needed some pipes," he called back, holding up the case. The others were astounded but sure enough, the case held a lovely set of rosewood bagpipes. Isla was begged to play, and she entertained them with several old Scottish songs.

The church threw a sociable for them and all the unmarried girls tried to get the attention of Troy and Moffitt with the tantalizing pies and cakes they had baked. Several tried to lure Hitch, but they soon realized he was somehow involved with the Scottish sounding girl. The ladies of the church set up a quilt frame with a top ready to be quilted and all the women took turns adding their tiny stitches to the workmanship. It was a wedding quilt for Tully and Mary Ellen.

Several nights included hayrides around the area and bonfires. Those with sweethearts cuddled up with them and everyone sang songs and told ghost stores around the fire. It was hard to pull away from all the fun when it was time to say goodnight and most of the guests went to the small family-run hotel in the nearest town.

The days flew by, and everyone was having so much fun they didn't want it to end. As the time grew shorter, every member of Tully's family found a few moments with each of the Rats to thank them for bringing their Tully safely through the war.

"Believe me, he helped us more than we helped him," Hitch was adamant. "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him."

"I can't tell you how many times he rescued me," Moffit informed them. "He was a skillful driver and became a good friend."

"There is no one quite like our Tully," Troy added. "He was an integral part of our team and I think he will do tremendous things with his life."

"We're all so excited about his going to college. First one of our family to do so," Tully's mom was so proud. "We can't figure out where that scholarship came from but it sure is a blessing."

"He'll make us all proud," Hitch was confident of his friend.

"And that little wife of his is a treasure," Tully's mom was so happy for her son. "And to think he wouldn't have met her if he hadn't been wounded. Well, God moves in mysterious ways after all."

Isla departed to return to England. The time came for goodbyes and like Hitch, Tully told his parents he would see them soon. They were going with Troy to meet his mom and stepfather and then Tully and Mary Ellen were going to visit her family and friends in Americus, Georgia, before returning to Kentucky. They had a lot of plans and arrangements to make before he started classes at the University of Kentucky.

Olive was safely stored in the barn, and they headed for the train station. It had been a wonderful time getting to know Tully's family and they looked forward to meeting Troy's. It was good to be home again.