The Woman in Red

The soft Franklin, Virginia wind flew around me causing a few stray strands of hair to fly up. My crystal blue eyes remained focused on the mail order catelog in my lap as I daydreamed about a life where I could afford any of the merchandise it offered. I stared longingly at a pair of oxfords simple and dainty. Oh if only I had the money for them! But even if I did I would have nothing to wear with them. The usual hand me down dresses I wore barely fit often sitting off one shoulder or the other. The material swallowing my small malnurished body and with the days growing colder my daddy's cardigans soon found their place hanging loosley off my shoulders. A sigh escaped my lips as I closed the catelog and stood from my spot underneath the shadded tree.

"Fancy!"

I turned to see broad shoulders pumping and a brown hair flopping up and down through the corn field. The boy soon stood before me warm blue eyes staring into mine as his chest rose and fell with each breath he took.

"Hi Forrest." I smiled meekly clutching the catelog to my chest.

"Happy birthday" he smiled sheepishly handing me a small parcile wrapped in plain brown paper with a simple lace bow. My eyes stared at the beauty of the lace, one of my favorite materials that I rarely had the fortune of seeing let alone holding.

"Aren't you going to open it?" he asked slightly impaticent.

"Its so pretty wrapped I'm not sure I want to open it." I confessed weighing the packasge in my hands as the catelog was held under my arm.

Forrest scoffed before urging me to open the gift. My small fingers pried the bow loose and I greedily shoved the lace in the pocket of my fathers old cardigan for safekeeping. The paper came next revealing a small white box I lifted the lid and gasped my hand flying up to cover the 'o' my mouth had made.

"Forrest" I gasped "Its gorgeous!" I threw myself to him in a hug. He chuckled and pulled away picking up the necklace that held two arrowheads. One a genuine arrow head Forrest and I had found by the creek and another that resembled the other in size and shape but that had been carved out of wood with intricate designs swirling around my initals F.R.B.

"Made it myself." He beamed proudly as he fastened it around my neck.

"Oh thank you Forrest! Its perfect!" I stood up on my bare tiptoes and kissed his cheek. A blush stained his cheeks before he grunted a 'welcome' and we continued walking together.

"How's your momma?" Forrest asked.

I sighed heavily. "Been better. Daddy's deaths been hard on her and McCraney refuses to pay her anything more than he already has even though daddy died on the job."

"That ain't rite" Forrest grumbled.

"Momma was going on this morning about what she was going to do. She said shes only getting sicker and foods getting lesser. She said the babys going to starve to death." my eyes watered at this. "I do what I can. Picking berries and such but with winter coming on" I shook my head "its getting hard Forrest. And everyday I check in town for a job but aint nobody got a spot."

Forrest thew a thick arm over my shoulder and pulled me to his side. "You'll get through this Fancy." He kissed my forehead as I wrapped my thin arms around him for support as we continued walking. "You know you need anything at all all you got to do is ask. Ill take care of it Fancy."

I stopped causing Forrest to stop with me. "Anything?" I whispered looking up at him.

He just nodded. I dropped my eyes to the groud and began wrapping a strand of coffee colord hair around my fingers.

"Well um seeing that its uh my birthday and I'm eighteen and all um well and I-I havent had a boyfriend.."

"Spit it out Fancy" Forrest said in a gruff tone a hint of amusement in his voice. I dropped the strand of hair and looked him in the eyes.

"Kiss me."

Forrest looked genuinly surprised. He stepped closer. "You sure?"

I stepped back feeling my back hit wooden post of the fence. I gulped searching his blue eyes before nodding. His large hand cupped my cheek as the other held my hip. Slowly he lowered his lips to mine. I inhaled sharpley in surprise at the feeling of his plush lips against mine. Not knowing what to do with my hands they simply gripped the collar of his shirt holding him close. Forrests hand gently raked through my curls before pulling back. He brushed his knuckles against my jaw as I looked up at him through heavy eyelids. He pressed his forehead against mine before placing a kiss there.

"Fancy!"

I turned my head to see momma on the front porch the baby on her hip. She was staring directly at us as if even from the distance she could tell what was going on.

"My room tonight?" I whispered in his ear and kissed his cheek.

" ill be there at 10" Forrest nodded shoving his hands in his pockets and noddig toward momma as I jogged up the rest of the path.

As I stepped onto the creaky boards of the porch I noticed momma was wearing her outing coat and had her burlap bag in the nook of her left arm.

"Lottie needs some alterations for a dress. I need you to watch Reba for me while I'm gone." I nodded and took the 6 month old from my mothers grasp. She adjusted her coat and bag before kissing us both on the cheek. She paused at me and stared at me long and hard. Her Native American features became more obvious in the late afternoon sun. Her dark cropped shoulder length hair was flaked with grey and her rustic skin lined with wrinkles and plagued with exhaustion.

"Happy birthday baby" she whipered caressing my cheek before turning on her heel and tracking down the dirt road. I went inside retrieving the thickest quilt grandma ever made for us and doubled it laying Reba down on it as she stared at me with her big blue eyes.

"That Forrest sure is a cutie huh?" I cooed at her. Reba giggled. "Yes he is. Maybe one day you can find a man like him. You should! He's smart and funny and so strong. He'd take care of you Reba yes he would!" I continued cooing to my little sister until i heard the panting and paws scratching against the wood. Duke ,our Austrialian shepherd, walked over with a fairly decent sized rabbit in his mouth.

"Oh Duke" i mumbled managing to release the animal from his grip. I examined the animal before deciding "guess we're having stew tonight Reba"

Momma came home hours later exhausted she ate her supper in silence and fed Reba before putting the a baby to sleep and disappearing to he room. I cleaned up from supper and departed to my room. I stripped from my dress and cardigan and walked to the washbasin. I soaked the coarse rag in the lukewarm water and scrubbed my body and hair. Once I was clean i retrieved the crystal bottle of amber liquid my daddy had bought me for my 16th birthday. I applied the sweet smelling nectar around my body before dressing in a simple nightgown that once belonged to mother. I dressed and sat on my bed waiting.

Moments passed before I heard a noise at my window. Slowly the wooden frame was lifted and in scurried Forrest. I smiled as he closed the window. He saw me waiting and gave me a small smile. He sat beside me and took my hands in his. I stared at his eyes then his lips then back again. I couldn't shake the kiss from my memory. I leaned closer eyeing his expression for consent. When he didn't protest I continued claiming his lips once again. He responded by his hands caressing my face. My hands gripped his shirt and pulled him ontop of me as I laid back.

That night Forrest and I made love for the first time. It was the first time for both of us which made it even more special. We laid there the rest of the night wrapped up in each others arms for the first and for the first time in a while we were content. We had grown up together and had become close friends over the years and there was no one else I would rather share this expierence with.

"One day I'm gonna open up a station right by the creek where we found this here arrow head." He mused tracing over the pendent that lay nestled between my breast. "Have a small kitchen in the front so's people can eat and have me an office off to the side."

"What about an upstairs? You know in case it's a late night and you want to stay? You can have an upstairs with three bedrooms, one for you jack and Howard and a bathroom."

Forest shrugged "not a bad idea."

"Just promise me you'll have a window facing the creek in your bedroom?" I whispere tracing patters into his chest.

"What for?"

"When the sun hits that water just right" I sighed "its beautiful. Daddy used to take me all the time."

Forrest chuckled gathering me in his arms just and pulling me closer "yes ill have a window facing the creek but i tell you what I wont need no masterpiece painted by God cause ill have you're beautiful face to wake up to every morning. I ain't never seen nothing that looks more beautiful than you do right now not even that damn ole creek."

I blushed and hid my face in his chest. He chuckled. "Lord I swear Im going to marry you one day Fancy Rae Baker. "

A week and a half passed and Forrest and I had been spending most of our time together. Winter was coming on fast and Forredt had taken the liberty of helping me pick berries to store away for the harsh reality that was peeking around the corner.

Today's berries were held in the large bucket swinging from Forrest's hand his other interlaced with mine. We talked casually about how his brother Howard had left the day before for the war leaving Forrest next in charge to help his father on the farm.

"Well ill see you tomorrow" I sighed seeing the shack in the nearing distance.

"Now hold on now. What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't escort my lady to the door?" He chuckled as we continued to walk.

We reached the porch and I suddenly felt embarrassed on the run down creaky 3 room shack. One side of the proch had fallen in thanks to rotted wood leaving the porch askew. Forrest remained quiet his eyes remaining focused before him and not wandering over the large eye sore that was my home. The eerie creaking of the lone rocking chair sounded loudly as we approached finding momma feeding the baby. Momma's eyes raked over Forrest's form three good times before she acknowledged him.

"morning Forrest." she drawled.

"mornin' Mrs. Patsy. How've ya been?"

"Oh fine just fine" she sighed tiredly "I see you been spending an awful lot of time with my Fancy."

My cheeks burned hotter than Grandma's homemade biscuits at that statement. Forrest simply chuckled and wrapped an arm around me.

"why yes ma'm I have." he smiled proudly.

Momma grumbled "Well I don't like it."
I felt Forrest's arm stiffen as my eyes widened.

"Momma" I gasped at her

"You hush it now Fancy Rae! I got a mind to say this and I will." she huffed before turning to Forrest "I don't like you hanging on around my daughter. What could you possibly want from her? She aint got nothing nor will she ever have anything! All you could do is break her down and break her heart and I won't have it. She's all I have left! She can't possibly give ya anything you can only take away from her. She's just a poor little white trash girl"

Tears flowed freely down my cheeks as I cried out "Momma!"

"I don't want to see you around here Forrest! I want you off my land and out of my sight! I see you here again I'll shoot you where you stand. The only way I would even consider having you near her again is if you marry her and Lord knows you aint willing to do that!"

I had now been reduced to tears Forrest had removed his arm from around me. Forrest shuffled his weight from one foot to the other as I turned to him grasping his wrist.

"Forrest please don't listen to her she's-"

He gripped my wrist in his hands and looked at me from under the brim of his hat.
"Im sorry Fancy" he sighed leaning forward and kissing my forehead before turning back to the porch.
He tipped his hat "Mrs. Patsy" before turning on his heel and walking off.

"Forrest!" I called after him he kept walking as my voice broke thick with tears. I stepped forward preparing myself to run after him. My mothers hand gripped my upperarm in a tight grip.

"Let him go" she whispered. I looked up at my mother through the tears and jerked my arm away from her before storming off into my room.

I cried myself into a state. I had convinced myself by nightfall Forrest would be sneaking in through my window to hold me and comfort me telling me it would be alright, but he never came.

Did Forrest really care for me so little or had momma's words brought him back to reality. I was just a poor girl from the bottoms who could give him nothing where Forrest's family had a farm that his daddy ran and a share of a logging company under his belt. I had nothing my family had nothing but the $15 that had been in daddy's pocket when he died. Maybe momma was right. Maybe Forrest had no intention of marrying me and just used me to pass the time. As I lay in bed wallowing in self pity the day dragged on finally it was night. Momma called me for supper but I didn't get up, I stayed right there my cheek pressed against the itchy pillow staring at the window praying begging for a shadow to form in the window and in creep Forrest. But he never came Once the sunlight rose and danced across the dusty floor of my room I fell into another fit of tears. Hours passed and I settled with staring at the wall only focusing on the gaping hole in my heart and the betrayal I felt.

Near mid morning momma came shuffling in with a large rectangular, white box. I sat up to look at her as she set the box down and began rifling through it. The crunch of the wrapping paper echoed in my small room as she finally pulled up a deep crimson dancing dress I furrowed my eyebrows together we didn't have the money for this what on earth was she thinking? As if reading my mind she turned to me her eyes conflicted as she studied the material her lips in a thin line. Then, as if being struck momma looked up at me and sighed.

"Come on Fancy, lets get you cleaned up"

I questioned her repeatedly but she ignored me as she drew up the bath water and helped me bath confusing me further as she used the last of the sweet smelling soap of hers and washed my hair in her special mixtures. After she told me to dress in the stunning dress the satin clung to my body showing off my ample breast and hips stopping a little below my knee . The front dropped low showing the dip of my breast and small width of my shoulders. A pair of black stockings trimmed with lace encased my legs being visibly seen from the slit than ran to the top of my thigh. Momma sat me down in front of the mirror and pulled out her old wooden box engraved with intricate designs she opened it and pulled out her fancy makeup. She patted my face with powders and crème until my face resembled a porcelain doll's she lined my eyes and coated my eyelashes with a thick liquid lastly coating my lips in a sticky color of red. She combed and curled my hair pulling a small part up on the crown of my head and allowing the curls to fall around my face. I stared at myself in the mirror as momma put matching red high heels on my feet.

Momma held me at arms length studying me tears swam through her deep brown eyes.

"I'm sorry Fancy I'm so sorry" she cried as she pulled me to her she cried into my neck before pulling away a new form of determination in her voice as she took the bottle of perfume daddy bought me she coated my neck and wrist with it "here's ye one chance Fancy don't you let me down now you hear?"

I was confused so deeply confused. "But momma-"

"Ya know things ain't easy with your daddy being gone I'm getting sicker and the baby's growing I can't make it work Fancy, We ain't got no money the welfare people goin' come and take lil Reba and there's nothing I can do we goin' starve to death if not. Them welfare people will take care of Reba and this is how I'm taking care of you. I got a car coming for you goin' take you to Chicago make you a new life out there I can't have you living with not a penny to ya name out here. Ya young Fancy, ya pretty they'll love you..."

"But momma what do I do?"

New tears formed in her eyes as she stared at me she forced a small smile "Just be nice to the gentlemen Fancy, They'll be nice back."

As momma finished packing daddys old suitcase with essentials a shiny black car pulled up and momma called for me with Reba on her hip she handed her to me for a final goodbye and fished a gold chain out of her pocket. Grasping the necklace Forrest had given me she jerked it off easily and I felt my heart clench as the arrowheads fell to the floor she clasped the locket around my neck. She handed me the suitcase and took Reba from me. We walked outside and a man in a cheap suit took the suitcase from me as momma hugged me one more time the men offered me his arm. I took it and we walked to the car just as he had opened the car door I heard my name being called. Forrest was barrowing through the pasture as fast as he could I felt tears prick me eyes as I sat down in the car and the man closed the door before continuing to the driver side.

"Fancy! Fancy wait! Wait a minute!" Forrest boomed as he slammed his fist down on the car. I ignored him, just as he had ignored me in the past few days the driver grumbled something about the "stupid redneck" before putting the car into gear and pulling out of the drive. I assumed Forrest chased after seeing as his voice followed even after pulling on to the main road, but like all else it soon too drowned out.

"Oh don't you worry Miss, Chicago is beautiful full of different characters! No need to be wasting your tears on that crazy rough neck back there he won't be able to bother you again"

The driver's words made me realize I had been crying I wiped the tears away and gave him a small smile. My fingers traced the cold metal of the locket before brining it up to eye level and examining the words engraved on it 'to thine own self be true' sighing I squeezed the locket in my hand beginning to daydream about my new life in Chicago.