Those days at Cousin Jean’s farm were golden.  The children basked in the love showered on them.  Geneva treasured her times with Cousin Jean, knowing her elderly relative’s time was running out.  Cousin Jean had a special affinity for little Charley, knowing the difficulties that lay ahead, difficulties she had faced decades earlier.  She and Geneva had many discussions of how Charley’s road could be made easier, especially in view of Ellen’s feelings toward her.  Cousin Jean resolved to leave her farm to Charley, knowing it would be a refuge and living.  Geneva felt greatly relieved, knowing the child would be well provided for.

Ellen slowly improved after her return home.  Her recent memory was cloudy due to the shock treatments.  She still spent most of her days quietly in her room, but Charles asked that she join him and the boys in the dining room every evening, hoping to ease her back into normalcy.  The boys chafed at formal dining and often wriggled out of it, but Ellen was starting to inquire about their school and sports again.  She’d not mentioned the girls, but did ask after her mother.  She was a bit miffed at learning her mother was attending Cousin Jean, but softened upon learning Cousin Jean’s health was failing.  “I suppose it’s only natural she’d want to be with her.  Cousin Jean was the closest she had to a mother.”  She sat quietly and sipped her wine.  “Charles, I am starting to feel lonely.  I am still to weak to go out, but I’d like to see my friend Sarah Marshall.  I think I’ll ask Cora set a light tea and invite her over a week from Thursday.  Do you think I’ve recovered my looks enough to see her?  I wouldn’t want word to get out that I’ve lost my looks.”

Charles was pleased to hear of her interest.  “You are still weak, but you seem stronger every day.  I love your hair in that soft curly style.  It makes you look like a girl.  I’ve noticed lots of women are starting to cut their hair.  You’ve gotten your figure back, too.  I think it would do you good to have Sarah to tea.  I could get Miss Jessie to send you some dresses over to try if you like.  If that doesn’t tire you too much, I think it would be good to have Sarah to tea one afternoon.  Let’s just see how it goes over the next few days.”

Charles made up his mind to talk to Sarah and Miss Jessie, warning them not to ask disturbing questions.  The time was approaching when they’d have to talk about the girls.  He’d not gone into her illness and she hadn’t asked specifically.  so far, she’d been satisfied when he’d alluded to female troubles and complications.

 

Rest and rehabilitation at home was restorative for the beleaguered Ellen.  For weeks, she rested taking her meals when Cora prompted.  Docile and fatigued, she only got out of bed for toileting.  Cora bathed her at bedside for fear the bath would upset her, and dressed her in the filmy dressing gowns Miss Jessie sent from her shop.  Her hair was still far too short to put up in the styles she favored, but with improved diet and care, it curled naturally in a fetching cap-like style around her face.  Her weight was steadily coming down since she had little interest in food.  Charles was relieved that she appeared not to have noticed her earlier heaviness.

He made a point to be home by six every evening to have dinner in her room with her.  They’d share a glass or two of wine afterwards as he read to her.  He felt as though his Ellen was coming back to him.  The boys, seventeen and fourteen, made polite appearances and were on their best behavior in her company, before going on their way.  Ellen made no mention of the girls.  Charles decided to leave well-enough alone and let that problem wait.

The little girls, Charley, now nearly five and Ginny eight months, thrived at the farm in the company of Grandmother Geneva, Cousin Jean, and Josie.  For her part, Geneva was glad of the chance to remain with Cousin Jean who appeared frail.  Charley spent her days playing in the barn, climbing trees, and romping with the baby goats.  She was in Heaven!

Bobby Harris, the son of Cousin Jean’s farm hand and Bessie, her help, had caught seventeen-year-old Josie’s eye.  A tall, shy brown boy, he was always dreaming up a trip to the pond for fishing or swimming, anything to get time alone with sweet Josie, though they had to take Charley along as chaperone.  Josie was a buxom girl with a glowing café-au-lait complexion.  Both were innocent in their first love.  Josie had never had the opportunity to have a beau.  Her mother kept her on a short leash, hoping to protect her from an early pregnancy, which was how Josie came in the world.

One April day, Bobby came over to let them know the dewberries were ready for picking.  Cousin Jean dug out big sun hats and overalls for protection, and borrowed a pair for Charley that Bobby’s younger brother had outgrown.  They spent a wonderful morning in the berry patch, filling buckets and buckets with precious dewberries.  Charley ate as many as she could hold, despite being told a bear or snake might have peed on them.  Sunburned and exhausted, they picnicked in the shade before returning to the house with their harvest.

That’s when the trouble started.  Geneva ran a bath for Charley, intending to bathe her and wipe her down for chiggers.  Everything was fine till Geneva tried to put a dress on her afterwards.  Charley insisted on putting the overalls back on, totally unconcerned that they were dirty and might be loaded with chiggers.  She threw such a fit, Geneva let her play in her bloomers till it was time for her nap, reasoning she’d forget the overalls.  She tossed the overalls in with the wash Bessie had in the wringer washer.  The overalls were blowing in the hot breeze when Charley went looking for them.  She pulled them off the line, dropping them in the dirt.  Bessie and Geneva found her struggling to get the dirty overalls on.  Bessie laughed and went to get her another pair of her boy’s worn overalls.  Charley was delighted.  This was the first interest Geneva had ever known her to show in clothes.

“Well, aren’t you a fine little farmer.  You can wear those overalls as long as you are here, but your mama will have a fit if she sees you in them.  Now, run play.” The women chuckled at Charley’s chubby little backside as she put on her straw farm hat and took off for the barn.  “Charley, you leave those new puppies alone.  Their mama might bite you!”

“I will, Granny.  I’m going to drive the tractor!” Charley called over her shoulder.  “Don’t get in my way.  I might run over you.”  Charley climbed on a tractor rusting in the barn lot.  It hadn’t run in years, only serving as a source for parts for the new tractor, the twenty-year-old one.  Charley enjoyed total freedom to use it for her “farming.”

“She’s just the cutest little thing, ain’t she?”  said Cousin Jean.  “Makes me think a lot of me at her age.”

“Yes, she is,” Geneva agreed. 

 

“but I’m afraid there’s gonna be a lot of trouble between her and her

mama.”

---

 

Heartsick at the change in his wife, Charles castigated himself on the long drive home.  I trusted James Jones.  His sanitarium is well-known for its amazing cures.  I should have asked more questions, observed his methods.  If God only brings my Ellen back, I’ll never do this to her again. Added to his regrets for Ellen, was the fact that he’d referred many patients to Dr. Jones over the years and never heard from them again.  Families were loath to discuss the craziness of their family members, a subject best not mentioned.  He’d even heard of one or two who had “killed themselves” and wondered about that now.

He tried initiating conversation with Ellen, only to receive one word, monosyllabic answers.  He pointed out sights on the drive home but she’d only look and look away.  He stopped for lunch at a little tea room they’d visited several times.  Ellen showed no interest, so he ordered tea and chicken salad for her, one of her favorites.  They took their tea on the terrace, as he was hoping she wouldn’t be disturbed.  Baskets of flowers hung all around.  He felt things were going well till a hummingbird whizzed by her ear.  Ellen jumped up screamed and slapped at her ears, upsetting the tea table.  She undoubtedly thought it was the buzz of the electroconvulsive charge she’d endured so many times.  He led her to the car, weeping, once her hysterics subsided, and sobs soon gave way to snoring.

Charles was glad he’d sent the Charley and Ginny with their grandmother Geneva to visit with Cousin Jean at her farm.  Cousin Jean was getting on in years and had been yearning to see the children.  Josie had gone along to help so it wouldn’t be too much for the older two ladies.  They’d packed clothes, books, and toys to last all summer should they need to extend their stay.  Charles and Geneva agreed it would be best to see how Ellen fared before bringing the little ones back home.  The boys, busy teenagers, were at home, going about their business as always, unlikely to concern Ellen much.  She’d never been too much involved in their lives, anyway.  Though Geneva was concerned about her daughter, of course, she felt the children shouldn’t be there until they were sure of her stability.

Cora was as shocked at the change in Ellen as Charles had been.  Together, she and Charles got Ellen upstairs and dressed her in a gown and wrapper not worn since her pregnancy with Charley, and helped her to bed.  Ellen looked around the familiar room and signed, “Home at last.  Thanks be to God.  I didn’t know if I’d ever get here.”  Tears came to Charles’s eyes as she nodded off.  Removing the hand mirror from her bedside table, he and Cora slid the dressing table out Ellen’s view, hoping to postpone the inevitable shock when she saw the change in herself.  Lastly, they placed a bell on her bed stand, though she remained too foggy to use it for several days.

When they were back in the kitchen, well out of her hearing, Charles took Cora in his confidence.  “Cora, I don’t want her taking phone calls or receiving guests.  She’d be ashamed for anyone to see her the way she is.  Don’t leave her alone for a minute.  Let’s keep her on broth, fruit, salads, and juices for now.  We’ve got to get some of that weight off her as quickly as we can. I’ll tell her she’s on a special diet because she’s been sick and that caused her to lose her hair. It’s dangerous that she’s gained so much in a few months.  I’ll call Miss Jessie’s shop and get her to send some bigger things over to help her get by till then.  Also, I’ll have to ask Miss Jessie about some help for her hair.  She might be able to come up with a wig, some false hair, or something.  She must know somebody.  Ellen will be horrified to see herself so changed.  Also, be careful not to bring up the children unless she asks.  I don’t know how much she remembers.  You can’t discuss this with anyone.  If I hear a whisper, I’ll know where it came from.  I will talk to the boys and ask Miss Geneva to keep the children at Cousins Jean’s a while longer.”

“Dr. Charles.  You didn’t have to remind me to keep your troubles quiet.   I ain’t gonna do anything to hurt this family.  I been working for y’all since you married.  Don’t you think I know which side my bread is buttered on?  Ol’ Cora ain’t fool enough to mess up the best job she ever had.”

“I apologize for putting it to you that way, Cora.  I guess I’m just so worried I am not thinking right.  Thanks for standing by us.  I should have said it sooner,” Charles replied.

“We all in this together,” Cora reassured him.  “We all got to look out for them babies.  They the ones.”

“That they are,” Charles agreed.  “That they are!”