Twenty-Three

Twenty-Three

It took me most of the morning to snap out of my disoriented state. I paced around my room, trying to remember exactly what had happened the night before. But the more I thought about it, the clearer it became that it never could have happened.

Isaiah was fighting for the Union. He was far away from here. He wouldn’t come back for just one night, only to disappear without a trace in the morning. There was no way it had really happened.

By noon, I had managed to at least half-convince myself that none of it had happened, that I had wanted so badly for him to come home that I had actually imagined he had. I eventually forced myself to shake off the disturbing happenings of the night before well enough to go downstairs.

My family greeted me in the parlor, seeming just as distant as they had the day before. They did not ask questions about the lateness of my arrival. They could clearly care less what I did anymore.

At luncheon, I drifted in and out of their conversation about the war. Daddy was furious that the Union was in such good shape while the Rebels were losing their ground as quickly as they had gained it. I said nothing. It would be fulfilling enough once the North won that I did not feel that I had to fight them to have my opinion known.

After the meal, Mama went to town to make calls, an invitation which I declined, and Daddy and Ethan took brandy in the parlor. Being alone at last, I felt it was the opportune time to go question Eli.

I snuck down the hall and headed for the door, but when I passed the kitchen, I got an idea. I slipped in and took a knife from the counter before heading out the door.

I ran across the garden until I reached the tree. It was January, and it was nearly out of season. The petals of the dying flowers were strewn across the ground.

I knew what I had to do. If Isaiah was really alive, really nearby, as Jordan said he was, he may come here. If what had happened last night was more than a delusion, if Isaiah had come into my bed and held me and kissed me, I could not let him slip away. If Isaiah came back, I needed him to know I was waiting for him.

So, before I could consider the consequences, I took out the knife and left a fresh notch in the trunk of the tree. Then I moved on to find Eli’s cabin.

When I reached it, I found no one inside. I considered going back, but since Eli lived alone now, I had no worries about being caught.

I sat down at the table and glanced at the small pile of papers on the surface. I took no notice at first, but gave it a second, unbelieving glance when something caught my eye.

13^th Ohio Colored Regiment

Colored regiment? It was just too coincidental to ignore. Not even thinking, I opened the envelope. It was short, but it was his handwriting. It was a letter from Isaiah.

 

Dear Hannah,

I’m sorry I haven’t written and apologize for any worry I have caused you. Please know that I’m all right. I’m writing now to tell you my regiment will soon be coming close to the plantation. We won’t stay long, but I thought you should know. If you have to see me, we’re headed for the fort a few miles from town. Don’t worry, little sister, I promise everything will be all right.

Isaiah

 

I read the letter several times before I could think of anything else.  It was dated a little more one week ago. That meant he was near. Isaiah was just miles away from me and I had no way of reaching him.

I felt so distraught, so helpless. I turned the letter over in my hands, only to find there was just a small bit more written on the back.

 

P.S. Please, please don’t tell Addy I’m coming. I’m afraid of what I’ll do if I see her. You know me. I won’t be able to leave her again.

           

My bottom lip quivered and I felt tears threatening to flow. I knew that if we met again now, nothing would stop us from making the same foolish choices we had before. He knew it to, and he didn’t want to see me. He couldn’t possibly have come to my room in the night.

Even as I cried over those words, I knew they were true for me too. If I saw Isaiah again, I would not be able to let him go.

I was not aware of the door opening or the second person in the room until a shadow fell on me and a hand touched my shoulder. I turned with a start.

“Damn it, Adeline,” Eli said. “Now what am I supposed to do?”

I froze where I was. There was no way out of this. I had been caught red handed.

“Oh, Eli, I’m sorry…” I babbled. “I just came down to… I-I didn’t mean to…”

“Hey, hey calm down Adeline. It’s all right.” He did not seem at all upset.

“Really?”

He nodded. “I was going to tell you anyway. It just didn’t feel right to keep it from you. I just don’t know what I’ll do if Hannah finds out.”

I felt relieved that he at least wasn’t angry, but I still was not at all sure what to think. Eli had pulled up the other chair and sat across the table from me.

“Eli, what is going on?” I asked firmly.

He lit a cigarette, something he did only when he was on edge. “Hannah got that letter last week.” He began, glancing down at the envelope on the table. “Now, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but she’s been real worried about him. I doubt she would have said so to you, but she misses him as much as anyone. Back when he left the first time, she was all right letting him go because she knew he would be safe if he got where he was going. But she’s mighty upset about the whole war thing, and that letter set her off all over again. She hasn’t been able to get in contact with him since he last left, and she was thrilled to hear he was coming around. She told me she was going to talk to him.”

I looked at him confusedly. “But… but what does she want…?”

“She wants him to come home,” Eli said bluntly.

My jaw dropped. “What?” Would she really bring Isaiah back here, back to me?

“I wouldn’t get my hopes up, Adeline,” he warned, shaking his head. “I know Isaiah, and if he wants to fight this war, he is not giving up until he’s fought it.”

I nodded. I knew it too. If Isaiah were determined to fight, he would fight the war to the end.

“So… so is he here?” I asked cautiously after a minute. “I mean is he… nearby?”

Eli nodded his head. “His regiment was supposed to reach the fort last night,” he said, motioning with the hand that held the cigarette. “She was going to talk to him today.”

At the mention of that, I almost wanted to tell him about what happened last night, but I held my tongue, afraid of what he would think.  “Oh,” was all I said.

Eli stood up and walked over to me, giving me a comforting embrace. “I know this is hard for you, Adeline,” he said. “And I know you’re worried and scared that he’s out there alone.”

I sniffled and Eli looked me in the eye. “But he’s Isaiah,” he said confidently. “You know how strong he is and if anyone can survive out there, it’s him.” It was true. “And if he still loves you, you know he’ll find his way back here sooner or later.”

I smiled. That was the most reassuring thing anyone had told me in a long time. “Thanks, Eli,” I said sincerely. “Really, that means so much to me.”

Eli smiled. “Don’t worry little sister. He’ll be all right.”

I hugged Eli again, feeling more hopeful that I had in a long time. I was so glad just to have a friend who believed in me. No one had been so good to me since Ruben died.

“Now, you ought to get back to the house before someone finds you out here,” he said, letting me go. “I’ll let you know if I hear anything more.” 

“All right,” I said, “Would you… would you send Hannah up when she gets back. I want to talk to her about this too.”

Eli nodded. “Sure,” he said, “but don’t expect her to be too happy about it.”

I smiled. “What is Hannah ever happy about?” I asked jokingly. Eli raised an eyebrow teasingly. “Don’t you dare answer that!” I laughed, cutting him off before he could say anything crude. Eli was still laughing as I stepped quickly out the door.

…

The rest of the afternoon was long and dull. I spent my time sitting anxiously in the parlor, pretending to listen to my mother, and waiting for the sound of the wagon. I wanted so badly to see Hannah, to know what Isaiah had said. I would tell her about the dream, if it was a dream, and try to work with her to bring Isaiah home.

It felt like a century had passed by the time I was able to excuse myself to dress for dinner. I took my time, not wanting to endure yet another family meal.

“Adeline!” something whispered from behind my chair.

I yelped and a hand clapped over my mouth. It was Eli, who had been crouched behind the armchair looking utterly panicked. “What the hell are you doing?” I cried, my voice muffled behind his hand.

He let me go. “Hannah’s back,” he said.

I knew what that meant. “What happened? What did Isaiah say?”

“He wasn’t there!” Eli hissed. “Adeline, he’s gone!”

 

Reviews

[Bexfinch]

HE"D BETTR LIVE CUZ I MEan gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
fuifjgiogjihjophvjplhjlc;gh
v'fy'ff
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fhjh'u puff puff good chapter i liked it made me anxious

[Banished]

AHHH
ISAIAH. BETTER. LIVE.
O.O
khaFHwbfedsjnxsdikfjcidididj
And i agree completely with CEG.
She should have brought Jordan with her in case he actually did die.

i will finish the story right now before i go insane.

Addy brings Jordan to the infirmary to see Isaiah, who is actually getting better. He realizes that Jordan is really his child and the three of them decide to run away. The North wins the war and everybody lives happily ever after.
THE END.

AHHHHHH your story is so f*****g addicting!!!!!!!

[C. Porter]

I TOLD YOU ELI WAS AWESOME! I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU! Oh yeah...you wrote it...you kind of knew...mm...yeah...
ANYWAY, will Addy please just get back and save Isaiah's a*s? Bring Jordan, too. Blindfold if you have to, to keep her from seeing anything really horrible, but MAKE Addy tell the truth. Or. Else.

[hannah]

GASP!

[Lorraine]

Such a cliff-hanger. I wanna know what happened to him, in fact, I'm really anticipating their meeting again. Still, at least, Eli's really wonderful in this chapter. He's a really precious friend to have. I'm just wondering why little Jordan seems to be out of the picture. Anyway, nice going. Keep up the good work.

Keep Writing. ^___^