Anna's Visions (2 page)

“I wouldn’t consider myself much of a drinker,” Tom
said, “though I do have a little laced eggnog at Christmastime. That’s about
it. I hope that’s all right.”

Anna laughed. “I don’t guess a little laced eggnog
once a year would be a problem. Pa isn’t a drinker, but my two older brothers
hang out with them Nelson boys, drink moonshine, and act mean and stupid. I
can’t stand any of them when they’re drunk, and I want nothing to do with
them.”

Tom joined her in laughter. “Well, I might act stupid
every now and then, but it’s not because of liquor. It’s just my natural
personality.”

“Oh, Tom, you’re funny,” she said, giving him a
playful shove.

“And you’re beautiful,” he replied, standing and
reaching down to help her up. Anna placed her hand in his and he lifted her
from the ground. Then he picked up his handkerchief, shook it a couple times,
and stuffed it back into his pocket. Hand-in-hand they walked back to the barn
and joined the dancers. When Tom twirled Anna around and caught her in his
arms, she laughed like a little girl.

After the dance, Tom asked Anna’s parents if he could
call on their daughter the next night.

Ma and Pa looked at each other, smiled, and Pa said,
“That you may. Just take the road straight up the mountain two miles. We live
in the first cabin on your left, but tomorrow is the Sabbath, so don’t call
until sunset – and you’ll need to take your leave by ten o’clock.”

“Sunset it is, Mr. West,” said Tom with a broad smile.
“Anna, I’ll see you tomorrow night.” Then he shook her father’s hand and said,
“Thank you, sir.”

* * * *

The next night, Tom Morgan made his way up the
mountain just as the sun dipped behind the horizon. He wiped sweat from his
brow as he pulled his wagon up to the log cabin. Just as he stepped to the
ground, he heard a soft giggle. He looked up and saw Anna’s little brother
running inside, singing, “Anna and Tom sitting under a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!”

Tom walked onto the porch and just as he raised his
hand to knock on the screen door he heard Anna say, “If you open your mouth
again, I’ll kick the salt out of you, you little pest!” She abruptly stopped
scolding when she turned her body and saw Tom. She cleared her throat; then she
said with a smile, “Don’t mind my little brother. Sometimes I think he’s
touched in the head.”

Anna opened the screen door and stepped out onto the
porch. Tom laughed and said, “I know all about little brothers. I only had one
and he was a booger, but I sure miss him now that he’s all grown and lives so
far away. I’d sure like it if he could come back and aggravate me again
someday.”

“Yeah, someday I’ll probably miss my little brother,
too, but right now I’d like to wring his neck,” Anna said with a smile. “You
can come inside if you like, or we can go sit under the elm tree.”

“Let’s sit under the tree,” Tom replied. “It’s a
beautiful night. Maybe we’ll see a falling star, and we can make a wish.”

“I’ll get a blanket. Be right back.”

* * * *

Anna was happy that he wanted to spend time outside.
For the first time in her life, she was a bit embarrassed by where she lived.
After all, Tom said he lived in a large house.

She spread the blanket and conversation came easy. By
ten o’clock, she felt as if she’d known Tom Morgan all her life. When it was
time to say goodnight, Tom asked if he could come back the next night.

“I guess I’m supposed to ask Ma and Pa, but what the
heck,” Anna replied. “Come back tomorrow night, but make it after six o’clock.
I have to help Ma get the housework done – and then I have to get myself
pretty.”

“You don’t have to do anything to make yourself
pretty,” said Tom with a chuckle, “but I know how women are. You have to
primp.”

“Get out of here.” Anna felt her face flush with
embarrassment.

“See you tomorrow. I enjoyed tonight. Thank you,” said
Tom with a sweet smile. As Tom Morgan drove away, Anna wasn’t sure how she’d be
able to breathe until he returned the next night.

For the next week, Tom came calling every night. On
the seventh night, sitting under the elm, Anna was talking when Tom leaned in
and softly kissed her on the lips. When she didn’t protest, he wrapped his
strong arms around her waist, pulled her close, and kissed her deeply.

The
kiss made Anna wonder
if
she were going to faint and fall headfirst into his lap. It was her first kiss,
but she wanted a thousand more – but only from Tom Morgan. She kept her head
tilted upward and Tom kissed her again, this time his lips lingered longer. It
felt as if electricity surged through her body. She felt Tom’s body slightly
tremble, which told her that he felt a jolt, too.

The following Sunday, Tom came after sunset and they
shared their life stories, talked about what they wanted in life, and they
found that they were in agreement about everything. When it was time to say
goodnight, Tom kissed her deeply, as if he never wanted to take his lips from
hers. Then he softly said, “Anna, I’ve got to leave for home on Friday.”

Tears sprang to Anna’s eyes. “Will I ever see you
again?”

“Well, that depends,” he said. His eyes were serious,
and they looked a bit sad.

“On what?”
Anna asked, barely able to get the words out of her
mouth, wondering if he had another girlfriend.

Tom’s face turned a bit red, he shuffled his feet,
jingled change in his pant pocket, and then said, “On whether you’ll be my wife
and leave with me on Friday.”

“Are you – are you asking me to marry you?”

Tom looked deep into her eyes and smiled. “Well, a
woman usually has to marry a man before she can be his wife.”

Anna threw her arms around Tom’s neck. “Of course I’ll
marry you, you fool!” Then she pushed back and looked into his green eyes. “But
aren’t you supposed to say something like–”

Tom placed his fingers on her lips and said,
“Something like: I love you dearly, Anna. More dearly then spoken words can
tell. I’ll love you till the day I die!”

He hugged her tightly as she replied, “I love you,
too, Tom Morgan, and I hope I die in your arms.”

Tom wiped her tears. “I suppose I need to ask your pa
for your hand – don’t I?”

“I guess so – but I’m going to marry you no matter
what, so I don’t care what Pa says!”

“That’s good to know, because I have a little
something for you.” Tom reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black
velvet box. He opened the box, exposing a diamond ring. “This belonged to my
mother, but I know she’d be happy for you to wear it.” Then he dropped on one
knee and said, “Anna West, will you accept this ring as a token of my undying
love?”

Anna looked down at the man of her dreams. “I’ve
already said yes, but I’ll say it again – yes!”

Tom slipped the ring onto her finger, and it was a
perfect fit. Then he kissed her hand. “I’m the happiest man in the world, but
I’ll be even happier when we make it final.”

Anna stared at the ring. The diamond was small, but it
was perfect, and she never wanted to take it off. “Why did you bring your
mother’s ring on such a long trip?”

“Like I said, Grandpa told me if I wanted to find a
wife, I’d find her in these mountains, so I believed him and I came prepared –
but you’re more than I ever dreamed I’d find.”

“I think I know what you mean,” she said, thinking
about her vision. She knew that life with Tom Morgan was her destiny, though
she hadn’t told him about her gift, since he might have thought she was crazy.
She’d tell him later, when the time felt right.

Hand-in-hand they walked toward the house, but even
before Anna could open the screen door, Ma and Pa stepped out onto the porch.
Tom was as formal as he knew how to be when he asked her parents for their
consent, and both Ma and Pa gave them their blessing. Then Anna’s brothers
busted through the screen door, grabbing Anna’s hand to look at her new ring.

“You’ve all have been watching and listening, haven’t
you?” Anna said with a smile. “A body can’t get one minute of privacy around
here.” She turned toward Tom, but spoke over her shoulder. “Now if you all
don’t mind, I’d appreciate it if you’d go mind your own business while I bid my
husband-to-be goodnight!”

The family went back inside, but Anna knew they were
watching out the window as she wrapped her arms around Tom’s neck and kissed
him deeply. When he finally drew back, she said, “I’ve got a lot of things to
do, and I’ve got to do them fast. Five days isn’t much time, but I can do
it.
”

“Tomorrow we need to go all the way to Fulton and
apply for a marriage license,” said Tom. “I’ll be back early in the morning to
fetch you. It’ll be an all-day trip there and back.”

“I’ll be ready. I get up with the chickens anyway. See
you in the morning.”

* * * *

Two days later, Ma opened her cedar chest and lifted
out her wedding dress that she had carefully wrapped in tissue paper some
twenty years earlier.

Anna beamed as she held it up. “Oh, Ma, it’s
beautiful! I’ll be proud to wear it.”

“I was bigger than you, honey, so we’ll have to take
in the waist, raise the shoulder seams, and maybe raise the hem, but we’ll have
it done in time.” Ma took the dress, caressed it with her hands, and said through
her tears, “It seems like it was only months ago that I wore this. I was so in
love with your pa. I thought I’d bust wide open the day I married him.”

Anna wiped away Ma’s tears and softly said, “Do you
still love him that much?”

Ma looked deep into Anna’s eyes. “Yes, I do. It’s a
different kind of love now, but it’s just as deep. No love stays the way it is
in the beginning, but it deepens and gets better as time goes by. I guess what
I’m trying to say is, the flame may die down, but the embers keep right on
glowing. You’ll know what I mean someday.” She kissed Anna’s cheek. “Now, young
lady, where’s the wedding going to take place?”

Anna smiled and took her mother’s hands. “Tom and I
want to be married under the elm where we did our courting. It seems fitting to
us – that is if it’s all right with you.”

“That’s so romantic. I like that idea,” said Ma.
“We’ll get Pastor Melton to come and hitch you two. Aunt Mable will come over
on Wednesday and we’ll start cooking. We’ve got a big family all over these
mountains and lots of friends, and Aunt Mable can spread news faster than a
radio. By tomorrow, all of Clay County will know about it, and on Friday half
the county will be here.”

“Oh, Ma, I never thought I could feel this happy,”
Anna said as she hugged Ma tightly. “I guess we need to start packing the old
trunk, which I’ve been using for my hope chest. Since it doesn’t have much in
it, it’ll hold all my stuff. Let’s drag it out of the corner, dust it off, and
start packing.”

* * * *

By two-thirty on Friday, May 21
^st
, the
West’s yard was brimming with people. Food covered the three long tables Pa and
the boys had made using boards and sawhorses. Ma had borrowed tablecloths from
family and friends, and Billy Joe was appointed as the official fly shooer.

Pastor Melton stood under the elm, Tom to his left,
and T.J. next to Tom as Pa walked Anna toward them. Anna was so delirious that
she didn’t hear much of what the pastor said, but she managed to say her vows,
and she clearly heard Tom promise to love, cherish, and keep himself only unto
her for as long as he lived.

Tom slipped his mother’s wedding band onto Anna’s
finger, kissed his bride, and then teetered as if he was also about to faint.
Pa and Pastor Melton grabbed his arms and steadied him as the crowd laughed.
Then Pastor Melton said, “I present to you, Tom and Anna Morgan.”

Cheers rang out as Tom led Anna across the yard, and
the eating began. Finally, the Nelsons started playing music. Tom and Anna led
the first dance, followed by Ma and Pa. Then the rest of the crowd joined in.

After two hours of celebration, Tom announced that it
was time for him and his bride to start down the mountain and head for
Kentucky. The guests wished them a long, happy life together, and threw rice as
the newlyweds walked toward the cabin.

Tom and Pa changed into work clothes, loaded Anna’s
trunk in the wagon, fed and watered the horses, greased the wagon wheels, and
headed back to the porch.

Anna changed into her traveling clothes, and then she
carefully wrapped Ma’s wedding dress in tissue paper and gently put it into a
cardboard box. She called out, “Howard, I need you for a minute.”

Howard pushed back the burlap sack and said, “What can
I do for you, Sister?”

“I need you to take this box out to the wagon. Put it
up under the bunk board. Okay?”

Howard smiled. “I’ll load it for you and I’ll wedge it
between other things so it won’t side around and fall open. You can count on
me, Sister.”

Anna smiled and said, “I always could, Howard. You’re
a good man. The woman who gets you will be one lucky lady.”