A Peach of a Pair (19 page)

Emily didn’t answer. Just concentrated on breathing, which was next to impossible. She squeezed her eyes shut for one last covetous moment and wished to God she’d been able to outrun her secret like Nettie Gilbert had outrun hers. But it was so deep, so potent, even in the bosom of her sister’s forgiveness, it was still there.

M
uch to Lurleen’s shock, she was up early, just before six. Emily was snoring away, like she usually did when she first went to sleep, which made Lurleen wonder if Emily had gotten any sleep at all last night. While Lurleen hadn’t really wanted to come on this trip, she had to admit, aside from the physical trials, their little jaunt had been, well, fun so far.

She felt relatively good and wondered if she could get one of the waiters to sneak her a ham biscuit for the road at breakfast, but maybe that was pushing things a bit. Grudgingly she washed down her digitalis and her water pill with a swig of water Emily must have put beside the bed last night.

She dressed, slipped out of the room quietly, and knocked softly on Nettie’s door. A few seconds later, the door opened. Nettie was gathering her hair into a long ponytail. She was dressed in the lovely yellow
skirt she’d worn her first day of work and a frilly white blouse. “I’m going to let Emily sleep a bit; I was headed down to the dining room to get some breakfast and wondered if you were up and wanted to join me.”

The sweet girl blushed. “I don’t think Miss Emily would like that, and I really don’t want to get off on the wrong foot today.”

“All right then. I’ll get a bite to eat, and you all join me when you’re ready. What time do we have to be at the bus station?”

“The bus for Shreveport leaves around ten,” Nettie said.

“That’ll give me plenty of time to drink coffee and have a fine breakfast.”

“But,” Nettie said hesitantly.

“I know, no ham.”

She nodded, lips pursed. “I should walk you down.”

Lurleen started to protest, but she didn’t for Nettie’s sake. Nettie ushered her to the elevator; even with the prospect of being on a bus all day, Lurleen felt a little better today. Not that she was better, but she’d figured out a thing or two since they left Camden yesterday. Staying in bed all the time was not good for her, and not just because of her heart. Every minute of every day was about waiting to die when she should have been focused on making the most of the time she had left.

Over a year ago, after she got sick, if you’d asked Lurleen where her last outing would have been, she would have said the library. Just to walk in and smell the books, walk along the shelves running her fingers across the spines of classics that stole her heart, a good mystery or a romance that took her breath away. To take a young child who swears they hate to read to the stacks and find that one book that unlocks their heart and makes them fall in love with reading.

Never in a million years would she have opted to be held captive
on a bus with Emily and a young woman she didn’t know well, headed to Texas to see a faith healer who probably was a hoax. But lo and behold if she wasn’t excited, even hopeful that there really was a miracle at the end of this snipe hunt.

She passed over the ham again but did have a bowl of grits that hardly had any salt at all in them, some scrambled eggs. Toast. She was on her third cup of coffee when Nettie and Emily joined her in the dining room. Sister looked a wreck, although for Emily, that meant slightly less than perfect. While breakfast was lovely, Nettie still seemed on edge, much like she was yesterday. But they were soon off to the bus station.

Lurleen was dying for a book to read and bought a paperback romance she’d read recently at the newsstand. Pickings were slim and it was either that or a western, which she had no interest in. Emily was almost subdued, quiet. Lurleen tried to poke fun at her a few times, but she barely responded, and when they got on the crowded bus, Emily went right to sleep with her head leaned against the window.

“Is your book good?” Nettie asked.

“Yes. I’m not sure if this woman is a very good writer or if it’s just good to read again. Of course I could have read to myself back home, but it was nice having you do it. There’s just something about hearing the written word aloud.”

“I agree.” With her long red hair scraped back, her features looked even more tense than when Emily was on the prowl. Lurleen suspected it had everything to do with Nettie’s proximity to her homeplace. Of course, Thomas Wolfe was posthumously credited with suggesting you can’t go home again, and although Nettie seemed to be living proof of that, Lurleen disagreed. While the
protagonist in Wolfe’s story had in his hometown’s view besmirched them, Nettie was the one who had been wronged. She should be able to do whatever she pleased after what she’d been through.

Lurleen knew absolutely nothing about Satsuma or Alabamians as a whole, but it seemed to her someone owed that sweet girl a heartfelt apology. Not that it would change what had happened, but Lurleen suspected it would help Nettie heal. Of course Remmy would be only too happy to help mend her heart, and why not? He was good and handsome and caring. If Lurleen thought hard on every boy she’d known over her years living in Camden, she couldn’t pick a better one for Nettie.

“As a nosy old woman I’m entitled to ask, was it Remmy you called yesterday?” She blushed and nodded. “And how is he?”

“He’s fine. Concerned about you.”

“And you as well, I suspect.”

“Yes.”

“Of course I’ve known Remmy since before he was born, Katie too. Knew his parents well. It was a shame what happened to them.”

“He mentioned the accident, but never really said much other than it put Katie in the wheelchair.”

“It was quite tragic; one minute Remmy was driving his family to a restaurant to celebrate his graduation, and the next a truck crossed the yellow line. Remmy swerved but couldn’t avoid the truck and ended up being plowed into the concrete pylon of the bridge, crushed the passenger side of the car into a perfect triangle. His parents died instantly. Katie was on their side of the car; her legs were ruined. Remmy and Katie’s beau were barely hurt. Physically.

“The accident changed their lives; after Katie was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life, her fiancé promptly jilted her.
Remmy was supposed to take a big job in Charleston, but he ended up moving back home to Camden to take over his father’s practice.”

Emily snored softly as Lurleen changed the subject to a happier time. She shared stories about Remmy growing up, his mother pulling him into the library by his ear to return the books he had stolen.
The Sword in the Stone
and
The Boy’s Book of Adventure
, a collection of stories that was quite popular back then, mostly because there weren’t a lot of books written specifically for boys.

Lurleen watched the road signs fly past and finished telling the reptile stories Emily still held against Remmy. She was tired, but her work was done; she let out a tired, satisfied sigh and smiled.

Nettie’s brow furrowed. “What?” she said tentatively.

“You can relax now, dear. We’re in Mississippi.”

A
fter talking me out of Alabama, Miss Lurleen fell sound asleep between Miss Emily and me. The sisters snored softly while I studied the map I’d bought at the bus station in Camden. It was worse for wear from being unfolded and refolded often, like somehow that could make the thousand or so miles pass quicker. The sisters had traveled so well yesterday, I’d hoped we could make it all the way to Shreveport, leaving just a short ride to Palestine the following day, but no such luck.

Even with healthy doses of sweet tea and bananas along with her daily medications, Miss Lurleen’s legs were swollen so tight, when I poked my finger against her ankles, the skin didn’t give at all. And
she was pained; it was evident in her face. Miss Emily must have been worn out too, because she barely said two words the whole day.

When the bus pulled into Monroe, Louisiana, I spoke to the woman in the ticket office and about nearby hotels.

“There ain’t much in the way of hotels. Hotel Frances used to be a real nice place, but not since the motels out on Highway 80 opened up. I hear them motels are real swanky. Hear they got all kind of modern conveniences, though I ain’t quite sure what those would be.”

There were either no cabs in town or none available. We paid the woman’s sister to shuttle us back out to the highway to the Magnolia Motel. She thanked us all over the place for the two dollars we gave her and promised she’d be around to collect us in the morning and get us to the bus station on time.

The sisters went on about the motel’s diner being crowded; they couldn’t wait for suppertime. I was still full from when Miss Emily and I had gotten hotdogs in Meridian. It was hard eating mine since Miss Lurleen was still relegated to bananas and sweets, but Miss Emily gobbled hers down in surprisingly unladylike fashion. I wasn’t sure if it had something to do with the sisters being old, but one thing I noticed about them was their world seemed to revolve around their next meal.

Miss Lurleen asked for two rooms again, and the desk clerk said he had a room with two twins and a Murphy bed. “One room is just fine,” I said.

Three shiny new phone booths stood across from the office. The man carried the sisters’ luggage to our room; I set my suitcase by the space on the wall, claiming the Murphy bed, and went back out to use the phone. The operator put the call through. Katie’s voice on the other end made the bottom drop out of my stomach.

“Well hello, friend.” I wasn’t sure if she was being catty or genuine. “Haven’t heard from you in a while. I suppose I should reissue that invitation I purposefully forgot after Remmy fell head over heels for you.”

“Oh, I don’t think he’s—”

“Oh, but he is. And, after considering the alternatives here in Camden, no offense, Nettie, the idea of Remmy with a fellow C-Square sister is thrilling. So, will you come to dinner?”

“Didn’t he tell you? The sisters and I are on a—” What? A wild-goose chase? A pilgrimage? “Trip.”

“My brother doesn’t tell me much of anything these days, but you’re on a trip with the Eldridge sisters? I can’t imagine the fun you must be having.”

It wasn’t all bad; as a matter of fact, yesterday wasn’t nearly as horrible as I’d feared it would be. And today, even though both the sisters were tired, Miss Lurleen seemed much better off than she was when she was back in Camden, lying in her bed all day, waiting to die.

“I wouldn’t call it fun, but parts of the trip have been very nice.”

“So, you must be calling to speak with Remmy.”

“Yes, if it’s a good time.”

“He’s been so grumpy all day, it’s a perfect time. Hang on a second.”

Remmy picked up the phone and told Katie to hang up on her end.

“Bye, Nettie,” Katie chirped. “Hope you haven’t pulled all your pretty red hair out by the time you get back to Camden.”

“Katie. Hang up,” Remmy said firmly. “Hey,” he breathed, “so they do have phone booths west of Montgomery. How’s it going?”

“Good. We traveled about three hundred miles today, less than
yesterday. Miss Lurleen had a good bit of swelling, and it didn’t seem wise to continue. I wasn’t with her at breakfast; she may have broken down and eaten something she shouldn’t have.”

“Maybe or it could just be the natural progression of the disease,” Remmy said. And then he was quiet for so long, I thought the connection had been lost.

“Remmy?”

“Right here.”

“Oh, I thought I’d lost you.”

“I just wanted to hear you talk. How are you feeling?”

About him or in general? “I’m tired too, but good. The idea of another full day of travel is daunting for me; I can’t imagine what it must seem like for the sisters. When we get to Palestine, I told them we should take a few days to regroup.”

When we began this trip, I would have said
if
we get to Palestine, but, barring a catastrophe or the bus breaking down, we would be there tomorrow. And then what? Would we be there in time to see the healer? Would Miss Lurleen be crushed, disappointed? Or would she be healed?

The magazine had said the tent meetings were held almost every night at the local fairgrounds. The crowds were so big it would be difficult to get close enough to see the preacher much less be healed by him. One of the photographs in the magazine showed thousands of people around the tent, many huddled by loudspeakers, listening to the message. I’m sure after reading the article, Miss Emily envisioned bullying her way to the front of the altar with Miss Lurleen in tow. And to be honest, after coming all this way, I would be right there with her to make sure Miss Lurleen got her miracle if there was one to be had.

“You never answered my question, Nettie. Are you doing all right?”

“Yes, but Miss Emily has hardly said a word all day, and it’s bothersome.”

He laughed. “Never thought I’d ever hear anyone complain about that.”

“Remmy, I’m serious.”

“I never presume to read a woman’s mind, but, knowing a little about human psychology, with the sisters in such close quarters morning, noon, and night, it’s bound to stir some stuff up, or, at the very least wear on them. They do have quite a history.”

“I know some of it. Last night at dinner, I told them my whole sordid story. I was sure Miss Emily would be gloating, but she barely said anything then and hasn’t said hardly anything since. I didn’t mention my concern to Miss Lurleen because I didn’t want to worry her, but I am worried.”

“I know you are, honey, but I’d look at her silence as a gift from God.”

“That’s not funny, Remmy.”

“I’m sorry I’m making light of your predicament; truth is Miss Lurleen’s probably going to die; that’s a lot to put on you, Nettie. As for Miss Emily, watch her for the same symptoms as you do for Miss Lurleen.”

“Oh my God, you’re not saying both of them could be sick, are you?”

“They have a family history of heart disease, so it’s possible. I’ll be honest with you, I don’t like the idea of this trip one little bit, not for my patient and not for you.”

“I’m fine, Remmy, really; and you’re right, Miss Emily would have drug Miss Lurleen out here whether I’d come or not.” I paused. “You didn’t expect us to make it this far, did you?”
You didn’t expect me to make it this far.

“To be honest, I didn’t think y’all would get past Georgia. I was wrong, but I’m not wrong about this. Even though Miss Lurleen says she doesn’t believe in this guy, she’s only human and a part of her does. She gets herself worked up enough at that tent meeting, she might very well go into cardiac arrest right in front of you, and there won’t be anything you can do.”