Catherine's Cross (9 page)

“She said that the other presence might be expressing this thought about twins.” She took a sip of iced tea. “I was told to look closer.”

“At what?”

“She doesn't know.”

Seth took a deep breath and quietly said, “It couldn't be.”

“It couldn't be what?” Jenks asked.

Seth's face became pale, and he rose from his seat and pulled her up.

“Let's take a walk to Sands Beach.” “Let me get a Windbreaker,” she replied.

They walked to the beach, which was situated along the Beaufort River. The abandoned Port Royal shipping terminal was illuminated in the last rays of sunlight. Its hulking shape dwarfed the rest of the houses and buildings in the community.

“It's a shame that the shipping terminal isn't used.”

“There's been more than one attempt to develop the property at the port. A number of businesses in Port Royal closed down in the wake of the developmental failure and the economic downturn.”

“That's a shame.”

“I understand that another developer is attempting to purchase the property for development.”

“Really?”

“Yes, this area will be very different if things work out for them.”

When they got to the beach, Seth took Jenks's hand in his. “There's something I have to tell you.”

She looked up into his chestnut-brown eyes, which were suddenly very sad. “The night we spoke on the phone about your sister's death, I told you I understood how you felt.” He paused and his face darkened. “Like you, I had an identical twin, named Steel. He was my strength and my best friend—he died in Afghanistan two years ago.”

Jenks was stunned by his admission and her mouth fell open. “Seth, I had no idea. I'm so sorry.”

As night fell, they quietly walked back to Jenks's cottage holding hands. Once at home, she made lemonade, and they sat on her screened porch to talk. Seth opened up about his brother and some of their experiences. “Steel and I did most everything together growing up. We lived in a North Georgia community named Asbury, which had about five hundred residents. One summer, when we were about fourteen years old, my father's sister, Leona, came to visit. She had five of the worst-behaved kids I've ever known. My mother and my aunt went shopping one afternoon while they were there. My father was at work. He was a mechanic, and Steel and I were left in charge of Aunt Leona's five hellions.”

“Oh, my.”

“We told them several times to stay on the porch and play a board game, which is what Aunt Leona had instructed them to do. Anyway, they decided they weren't going to pay attention to what they had been told, and they were going to go down and explore the creek behind the house. Aunt Leona's oldest son, Frances, was about eleven and the leader of the group. Steel and I climbed up on top of the porch with our BB guns and every time one of them attempted to leave, we shot them in the rear. Frances was shot about a half dozen times. I was surprised that he could handle that many hits.”

“My goodness.”

“Well, when mom and Aunt Leona got home, her children raised cane about their punishment, and we knew we were in for it.” He stopped for a moment and then said, “My father was a strong believer in discipline, and he took a belt to Steel and me that evening. I think I might still have those scars.”

“I'm so sorry.”

He took a sip of lemonade and looked at Jenks. “Please tell me about you and your sister. I bet you two were like angels growing up.”

She smiled at him. “Well, I don't know if I'd say that. I know we took our first steps on the same day. We both twirled our hair when we got nervous. At times, she could be very secretive. And then there was this uncanny ability for each of us to sense if the other was in trouble.” Cold chills enveloped her as she thought of the day of Gigi's death. She had sensed Gigi's panic as she perished.

Fear washed over her, and she took a deep breath.

“Hey now, what's wrong?”

“I was just thinking of the day that Gigi died. I knew something was wrong long before I found out about her.”

“I understand,” Seth said as he took her hand in his and squeezed her fingers. “Tell me about your school days.”

“Well, let's see. We always did do our best in school. Gigi was my heroine, but I suppose she was everyone's leader. She had what I think you'd call charisma. We were both on the cheerleading squad in high school; she was the head cheerleader and extremely popular. I think I gained easier admittance to activities because she was so outgoing. One thing is for sure—you couldn't ask for a more loyal friend.”

“It sounds like she was a wonderful person.”

Jenks nodded. “I remember there was this poor girl in our class that had weight problems. There were these two girls on the cheerleading squad with us that made fun of her.” She sipped her lemonade. “I could never understand their cruelty toward her because both of them were very attractive. They were both named Susan. One had dark brown hair and the other was a blonde. To this day, I've never met a more vindictive female than the blond-headed Susan. Midway through our senior year, the dark-haired Susan decided that she was not simply Susan anymore. She changed her name, becoming the illustrious ‘Susannah.'”

“Whew—do I detect some jealously issues might have existed between you and those girls?”

“No, they were loathing issues—from my point of view.”

“Boy, you're a little fireball . . . go on.”

“Gigi found Beryl, that's the girl who had the weight issues, in the bathroom crying. She told her that she had been called hateful names by the two Susans and couldn't help her tears. My sister took those two witches to task over what they had said.”

“Witches?”

“Yes. They stopped making fun of her. Unfortunately, there were others who bullied her as well.”

“What happened to her?”

“Seth—she committed suicide.”

“I'm sorry to hear that,” he said, a deep frown passing over his countenance. He looked into her eyes. “What happened to your father?”

“He was an engineer with the North Carolina Highway Department. An overpass was under construction on I-85 near Greensboro and water pipes were being installed along the corridor. The pipes were stacked on a flatbed truck at the site. While a crane was unloading the pipes, one of them rolled forward on the flatbed. As it came off, my father was able to push his assistant out of the way but could not save himself. A five-hundred-pound pipe came down onto his chest. He died instantly.”

“I'm sorry.”

“I am too. My mother never got over what happened to him, but a few years ago a gentleman moved in next to her. He's a widower, and they became close friends. Gregg Mikell—you met him the day he drove us from Raleigh to Beaufort.”

“Yes. I'm glad your mother has someone.”

“What about your folks?”

“They split up while Steel and I were at home. As soon as we turned eighteen, we joined the Marines.” He paused for a moment. “Jenks, I have to be at work tomorrow at seven. I'll say good night now. Please call me tomorrow after you read more from the journals at Miss Meta's.”

She walked with him to the front door, and he took her in his arms. He gently leaned her backwards and kissed her on the mouth. “You smell good— like jasmine and honey,” he whispered. She felt her entire existence become fiery hot, and then he released her.

Attempting to regain her composure, she opened the front door and took a deep breath of the cool night air.

As he stepped outside, he said, “Don't forget to call me.”

“I won't,” she said as she watched him go down the walkway to his car.

At two o'clock the next afternoon, Jenks rang the bell in the hallway of Meta's home. Ida Mae called out from the back of the house. “Miss Jenkins, dat you?”

“Yes ma'am.”

“I be right dere,” she declared.

When Ida Mae entered the foyer, she was wearing a floral print dress with pink roses and little white flowers.

“Miss Ida Mae—you look very pretty this afternoon.”

She smiled broadly and responded, “Thank you, Jenkins. Meta and I are attending a program at church dis evening.” She looked at herself in the mirror of the hall tree and pushed her hair behind her ear. “Come to de kitchen. I have de books set out for you.”

Once again the books were on the table along with a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. Ida Mae excused herself into the room where she and Meta met with clients, and left Jenks in the room alone.

The next journal was from 1861, and as with the book from 1860, some of its entries were illegible. She turned the pages until she came to a recording from early April.

My cousin, Scipio, and me went with Mr. Jacobs to the wharf at Beaufort to pick up Miss Andrews's nephew, Simon, who arrive from Charleston. A freedman name Jessup one of the crew on the ship. He real talkative and says that the Confederates have fired on Fort Sumter and there's sure to be war now. I want to be free but I gets scared with this kind of talk. Scipio and me collect Mister Simon's luggage as quick as we can and start back for Andrews Hall.

During the late summer of 1861 was an entry that began:

18 August 1861

Master Preston has gone with his father to fight in Virginia. Why would they go so far away? He writes to his mother and she read a letter to us. It is not so much about fighting. I think he don't want to scare his mother. The letter about his family and how much he miss everyone. I pray for him every day.

In November of 1861, there was a chilling entry that marked the beginning of fighting in Beaufort.

We hear the sound of big guns all morning at Andrews Hall. Then we learn what the shooting bout. The Yankee navy done destroyed Fort Walker and Fort Beau-gard. Scipio and me went to the river. Ships fill up Port Royal Sound as far as eye can see. The white folks flee Beaufort- not a white man to be found. Missus Andrews pack a trunk and she leave with Miss Adelaide. She tell us to stay on the plantation and she be back when she able. She say she going to her sister in Columbia.

An entry dated two days later read:

For the first time in my life I am free. Scipio and me walk to Beaufort and we see both soldiers and workers in the big houses. What they can't carry off they destroy. We see a piano in the front yard of one house it hacked to pieces. A soldier see us and call out come here nigger. We run for the swamp. When we get back to Andrews Hall the workers is inside Miss Andrews' house. They is stealing and ripping things to pieces. I tell them to stop and they laugh at me–tells me they taking they due.

Ida Mae stuck her head in the door and asked, “Where are you in de journals?”

“I'm to the part where the Federal Navy takes control of Beaufort. Ida Mae, how was your ancestor able to hide these journals and keep them secret?”

“He only work on dem by firelight and he have a hiding place behind some hearth stones. Mus' have been a good hidin' spot 'cause no one find dem.”

She smiled as she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Jenks opened the next book, and it began in 1862.

Scipio has been down to the wharf at Port Royal and says that some of the Federal soldiers are looking for valets to assist them. We both small for our age and he say that we should go down and talk to them. One of them was nice to him. He an officer from New York. The next day we go down to Port Royal and Scipio point out this man and we go talk to him. He say that he and another officer want valets, but he can only pay a little. I get real excited at the thought of wages. The food is running out at Andrews Hall and I think I like this idea of working for pay.

She thumbed through the journal until she came to another legible entry.

Several days a week ships sail from Port Royal carrying cargo to the north. Scipio and me listen to some soldiers talking on the wharf and we hear one say. “I ship a sterling tea set and whole set of silver to my wife in Massatusets.” Then he start laughing. After this when I am not working for Leutenant Jeffrey I watch some of the items being put on ships bound for the north. I see one ship being loaded and I swear I see a fine rug that was in Missus Andrews parlor. I think she call it orental. I consider stealing a sin, but they just beat me or worse if I say sumthing.

In the spring there was an emotional entry about the Andrews family.

Scipio and I go to Andrews Hall one afternoon after work is finish for the soldiers. The big house is wide open and workers are living in the rooms. I look in the front door and there must be tweny folk inside two rooms. I don't even know some of them. Then I see James. He had gone with Missus Andrews when she went to Columbia. I ask him what he doing back here and he say that news is everywhere bout the Federals being in Beaufort and he want freedom. He say he run away from Missus Andrews and he say most of the people here are run aways. Then he takes my hands in his. I see scars from all the work he has done in the fields and I feels his coarse skin.