Song of the Meadowlark excerpt
Sherri Wilson Johnson
Lake Murray, South
Carolina
Cora Buchanan stared
out the paned window of her bedroom at Lake Murray through a mist of rain and
sighed, her olive green eyes filling with salty tears. This picturesque place
had become a prison to her.
Tossing her dark hair
over one shoulder, she moved across the room to her bed. Lying on her stomach
on her flowery comforter, she remembered how it had all happened. For the first
time since then, she scanned the tattered pages of her scrapbook, memories
flooding her with weariness. It had been such an innocent time.
On the next page, she
saw the pictures from her twenty-first birthday party. Twenty-one had seemed so
old and wise at the time, and Panama City, Florida, like the big city. She’d
worked awhile in college and considered herself a perceptive woman. But her
middle name should have been Naïve, since she didn’t see some people for who
they really were.
Cora rolled over onto
her back, propping herself up on her pillows. She raised her knees and placed
the scrapbook on her legs. Her eyes found the picture of her running in the
town relay race with him, and she remembered the pulled calf muscle that still
hurt on cold winter days. As she turned the page, she saw her engagement
pictures and the newspaper clipping from the wedding announcement. She
remembered that day like yesterday, her parents’ disapproval forever seared
into her mind.
She closed the
scrapbook, and it fell to the floor with a thud, another chapter now over in
her life. Three years had passed since Cora’s marriage to him, and she now
lived, as a twenty-five-year-old woman, with her in-laws. As she sat up on the
edge of her bed, she wondered where to go from here. She couldn’t wait any
longer to move on.
Cora left her room
and entered the earth-toned den. The Buchanans were watching Wheel of Fortune
on the television.
“It’s been a year
tonight.” Cora knew she didn’t have to explain what she meant. She plopped on
the couch next to Judy. “I think it’s time I finally do something.”
“What do you plan to
do?” Judy looked up from the television and patted Cora’s knee.
Cora pushed her hair
behind her ears. “A good place to start would be to go home and take time to
figure out what to do and how to make amends with Mom and Dad. I want them to
forgive me.”
“I hope they’re
ready. You could not have predicted the future,” Ben said tenderly.
“I’m tired of this
wedge between us. Three years is a long time, but I’ve feared the arguments
that will, without a doubt, occur.”
Judy nodded. “That’s
the mature thing to do.”
“I hope so, Mom.”
With her mind made
up, Cora felt a load lifted off her shoulders, like at the end of a tornado
warning. Though she still hoped deep inside things would change before she left
for Florida, she doubted they would.
***
“Hey, Anne.”
“Cora. I’m glad you
called. What’s going on?”
“I’m coming home.”
Cora folded her pajamas and stuffed them into her suitcase.
“You are?” The voice
of her best friend was incredulous.
“Yep. Clark’s been
gone a year, and I can’t wait around here any longer.” She opened another
drawer, took out her socks and pantyhose, and stashed them in the side pocket
of the suitcase.
“Are you going to
file for divorce?”
“No. I don’t want to
make such a drastic move. I figure I can come home and try to patch things up
with Mom and Dad. If Clark returns, he’ll know where to find me.” Cora went
into her bathroom and started packing her skin-care products and extra makeup
into her duffle bag.
“I’m so sorry you
have to go through all of this. I know it’s driving you crazy with him
missing.”
“That’s the hardest
part. I don’t know if he’s dead somewhere or living in another country with a
new woman.” She examined her reflection in the mirror. Not even the flecks of
gold in her eyes could disguise the bags underneath them. I look like a
ninety-year-old woman.
“No, don’t think that
way. I’m sure he’s fine…but I guess that doesn’t make you feel any better.”
“Not really.” Cora
laughed.
“When are you going
to be here?”
“I’m leaving in the
morning. I should be home sometime tomorrow night.”
“Okay. Call when you
get into town. Or from the road if you need someone to chat with while you’re
driving.”
“I will.” Cora hung
up the phone. She picked up the cardboard box by her bed, added the books off
her bookshelf, and the scrapbook from the floor. Then she sat on the bed,
looking through her too-often-forgotten Bible, and cried.
***
“That looks like
everything.” Cora shut the trunk of her ’68 candy-apple red Camaro and glimpsed
the pain in her in-laws’ eyes. “Don’t look at me that way. I told you I plan to
be back soon.”
“We hate to see you
go. It worries us that you’re driving by yourself. The big rigs own the road.
The highway can be very dangerous, and your car is old.” Judy brushed a hair
from Cora’s misty eyes.
“Mom, my car will be
fine. I promise to drink plenty of coffee if I get sleepy. I’ll call you when I
stop to eat and rest. I plan to drive until Atlanta, just four hours or so.
Then to Columbus—five-and-a-half hours—and stay the night.”
“We know you’ll be
careful, dear. Here, take this. You may need it.” Ben handed something to Cora.
“What’s this?”
“Some money,” Judy
answered. “It isn’t much, but we hated to send you off without something.”
“You can’t give me
money. I’m fine. I have all I need, really. Please, take this back.” Cora tried
to return the gift.
“No, you keep it. If
you don’t use it on your way to Panama City, you may need it on your way back.”
Ben pushed against Cora’s hand.
“Okay, but I hate
taking it from you.” Cora’s heart ripped from her chest as she looked at Ben
and Judy. “Guess I’d better go. Thanks again for everything you’ve done for
me.”
“Don’t you think for
a moment we’re upset with you for leaving. You’ve waited long enough. It’s time
for you to move on.” Judy’s eyes filled with tears.
“Even if I do decide
to stay with my parents, I’ll never stop loving you both. My heart will always
be here with you. You’ve been a lifesaver.”
“We wish you well, Cora.”
Ben squared his jaw.
Cora hugged both Ben
and Judy tightly, then got in to the driver’s side of her car. Careful not to
tear the rip in her leather seat any further, she shut the door, cranked up,
and drove away without looking back. She had to do this, though it could very
well prove to be the hardest thing she’d ever done. Tears cascaded from her
eyes like waterfalls.
Cora drove through
town—down Columbia Avenue, glancing at the places she’d become accustomed to as
she headed toward I-26 East. Merging onto the highway symbolized the launching
of her new life—slow, cautious at first, and then no looking back. Moving away
from Lake Murray took more out of her than moving away from her childhood home
in Florida had. She pondered Ben and Judy’s faith. They seemed so sure God
would work out her life. She wished her faith could be that strong. She still
had so many doubts….
An hour and a half
later, Cora entered Georgia and smiled at the welcome sign with the giant
peach. As she drove through one small town after another, she listened to
country music on her radio—not her music of choice, but definitely the most
available. The steel guitar and fiddle tugged at her heart as she went over
railroad tracks, past historic battlefields and glorious pastureland.
The temperature held
at 85 degrees, and Cora enjoyed the sunshine beaming down on her car. She kept
the windows rolled down and let the wind blow her cares away. White, fluffy
clouds painted pictures across the blue Georgia sky. She hoped the weather would
remain clear until she got to Florida. She hated driving in the rain.
Another two hours
went by as Cora admired the beauty of the land—pine trees and crape myrtles,
black-eyed Susans and old oak trees. She cracked up at the mailboxes along the
way—a giant emerald green fish, a miniature mail truck, and a mailbox about the
size of a washing machine box. She smiled when an old man in overalls climbed
down out of his tractor to retrieve his mail from his cow mailbox. “Aww, he’s
so cute.”
Outside of Athens,
she took a second look at a teenage boy who rode a motorbike in the pasture of
a farm while his pet Yorkie chased him. “I’ve seen it all now. Oh, I can’t wait
to tell…no one would believe me.” She laughed.
Eventually the green
grasses and golden hay made way for the city. Her stomach growled, and she
decided to have lunch before getting into Atlanta. Stopping at Arby’s, she
ordered a roast-beef sandwich, fries, and a Coke. The cold drink almost burned
the inside of her throat as it slid down. She added a cherry turnover for
dessert, deciding to save it for later.
Rubbing her bleary
eyes, she jumped back into the car again, stopped for gas and to check her
tires, then headed toward I-75 South. She’d really have to pay attention to
make sure she didn’t miss I-85 South since there was no actual exit, just a
certain lane heading south. It was so long since she’d driven through here.
Cora squinted in the
afternoon sun and talked to herself. “Why did I forget my sunglasses?” Cars
zipped by like something from a futuristic movie. “Good grief, where are they
all in such a hurry to go?”
Once on I-85 and
heading in the right direction, Cora battled construction along the highway.
The roads were extra narrow with cement blocks along the shoulder to keep cars
from veering into the construction zone. “Oh, I hate this!” She gripped the
steering wheel until her knuckles whitened. If she could make it through this
stretch of road and get to Columbus before having a nervous breakdown, she’d
stay the night there and give her body a respite.
Cora passed rolling
hills and tall spindly oak trees. Call boxes were every mile or so. Cora
checked her cell phone and saw she had a signal but was thankful to know she
could walk to a call box if the car broke down and her cell didn’t work. Her
mind wandered to the creepy movies she’d seen too many of. White crosses lining
the roadway didn’t help her relax, either.
“I didn’t think I-85
was this remote.” Cora dialed Anne and talked to her for a while to stay awake
and to drive away her fears of being lost and alone.
It had been awhile
since Cora had seen a road sign, a mileage marker, or an exit. By now she should
be to Columbus. She started to have that sinking feeling she’d missed an exit
and might be heading in the wrong direction. Up ahead she saw a sign and
squinted to see what it said. “I-185? How did I get on I-185? What happened to
I-85?” She hit the steering wheel with her hand and let out a scream. The late
afternoon sun caused a glare on her windshield and she rubbed her tired eyes
again, scratchier than sandpaper. “I’m going to have to stop and ask for
directions.”
The sign up ahead
read Lewistown. “Mmm, I don’t remember seeing that on my map, but it’s worth a
shot.” As she pulled off the highway, looking for somewhere to get coffee and
use the bathroom, her car started lunging forward and skipping. It was all she
could do to keep it on the road. She drove down Main Street hoping for a
service station, even though it was now late in the day. She passed a Piggly
Wiggly grocery store, a Burger Hut, Mike’s Barber Shop, and there, a block up
the road, a service station.
Once at the station,
Cora climbed out of her car and peered around, not knowing what type of people
she’d encounter here. The red lettering on the white sign at the top of the
building announced Millburn Service Station.
Sounds like a family
business. Maybe there’s someone nice inside. She walked into the office and
found a young gentleman standing behind the counter locking up the cash
register and the desk drawer. The smell of gasoline, new tires, and oil filled
her nostrils, sending a wave of nausea to her stomach.
“Excuse me, sir.”
Cora scratched the back of her neck. “My car just died, and I hope you can help
me.” She fidgeted with her hands.
“Sure I can. Let’s go
take a look at it. You must be new in town.” The gas station attendant wiped
grease off his hands with a rag covered in oil and gas and pushed open the
door, leading the way outside.
“Actually, I’m only
passing through. I’m from Lake Murray, South Carolina. I’m headed for Florida.”
Cora was relieved at man’s pleasant spirit.
“You got you a long
way to travel. We’re glad to have ya here, even if it’s only for a short time
and under a bad circumstance. My name’s Bobby Millburn. I own the place.” He
regarded the station with a prideful grin.
“How wonderful. Now I
know I’m in good hands. I’m Cora.”
Bobby lifted the
hood, looked around, and wiggled some wires. He got down on the ground on his
back and slid his body up underneath the car. He pushed himself out from
underneath and stood, wiping his hands on his rag, then adjusted his cap.
“Do you think you can
repair it?”
“From the looks of
things, it’s your transmission. I can repair it, but I ain’t so sure if we can
get the parts for ya right away.” Bobby considered her with a slight frown on
his grease-smeared face, his plain blue eyes full of regret.
“I was afraid the
transmission had gone out. It has been slipping a bit lately. How long?”
“A week, probably. We
don’t get many cars like this in here.” He took a long admiring look at the
classic automobile.
“Is there anyone else
around who could get me out of here by tomorrow?”
“I don’t think so.
I’m pert near the only repair place for miles. I’ll tell ya what, though. I’ll
try to find someone for ya—maybe someone a town or two away. Do ya know where
ya’ll be staying tonight?”
“Not yet. I got off
the exit and came straight here.”
“I could check around
for ya in the mornin’, and let ya know if anyone has the parts or if the
repairs can be done sooner than a week.”
“That would be great.
Do you know of an inexpensive place to stay?”
“Shore do. Go up this
street and over two blocks. There’s a bed-and-breakfast, Apple Springs Inn, on
the corner. Ms. Lottie McCallister runs the place. You can get a wonderful meal
and a comfortable room. She won’t charge ya much. Tell her I sent ya.”
“Thanks so much. I
really appreciate your kindness.”
“Would ya like me to
drive ya up there?” Bobby shut the hood.
“Oh, no, that would
be asking too much of you.”
“But you have your
luggage with ya. You can’t carry all of it.”
“I guess you’re
right. I’m pretty tired. I’ve been driving all day.” Cora hoped he’d do this
favor without expecting payment of some kind. She’d also never gotten into the
car with a stranger before, and she hoped she’d be safe.
“Give me a few
minutes, and I’ll lock up.”
“Thanks.”
***
No more than fifteen
minutes passed before Cora stood in front of the Apple Springs Bed-and-Breakfast
inn. This historic home had elegant country charm with its porches, ferns, and
swings. The oak trees towering above the house had to be more than a hundred
years old. At first sight, Cora’s nerves settled, and she relaxed her tense
shoulders. Bobby helped her with her bags as they entered the inn. Cora’s nose
filled with a mixture of potpourri and lemon polish on antique furniture.
Ms. Lottie, standing
only an inch or so taller than five feet and round, with her gray hair gathered
into a knot on top of her head, wasn’t a quiet woman. Her voice demanded
attention as she led Cora up creaking stairs to her room. “Supper is at six
o’clock. I like my guests to be on time.”
“Okay.” Cora closed
the door behind her and surveyed the room’s antique furnishings. More lemon and
potpourri scent wafted over her. Opening a door, she found an ample closet. The
next door was a bathroom. She let out a gasp of excitement. She’d assumed she’d
have to share a bath with the other guests. Stashing her bags in one corner of
her room, she opened only the suitcase with her traveling clothes and
toiletries. After freshening up in the bathroom, she changed into a pair of
blue jeans and a cotton button-down blouse.
Cora turned on the
television and lay down on the soft antique bed. The room reminded her of her
grandmother’s cozy guest room; vermilion walls made it dark in there. She had
thirty minutes until dinner. She knew she should go help Ms. Lottie, but her
legs felt cramped from riding all day, and her head was pounding. And, after all,
she was a guest.
She debated what to
say when she phoned Ben and Judy. Should she tell them her car had broken down,
or not? She was afraid they’d want to come get her. Swallowing her pride and
inhibitions, she picked up the telephone and dialed the operator since her cell
phone battery was dead. She called the Buchanans collect, knowing they wouldn’t
mind. As she’d suspected, they did want to come get her, but she insisted she’d
be fine and that she was enjoying the adventure.
Next Cora called her
parents simply to say she’d stopped in Lewistown for the night and would be on
her way soon. She knew if she told them about her car breaking down, her father
would be on the next plane to get her. She also phoned Anne.
As she left her room
for dinner, she wondered how she was going to pay for her car repairs. She had
no idea how much it would cost—or how much the expenses of staying at the inn
would be. Would she run out of money before she even left Lewistown?
Cora prayed that all
would work out and thanked God for a safe place to stay the night.
Copyright © 2012 by
Sherri Wilson Johnson. All rights reserved.
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