Calvary Hill
A.B. Hughes
"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past,"
- F. Scott Fitzgerald
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011 A.B. Hughes
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To all those who’ve felt the weight of the world, this little book is dedicated.
****
That Tears Shall Drown the Wind
What the False Heart Doth Know
****
“All art is quite useless,” – Oscar Wilde
When I started writing the short stories that would make up Calvary Hill I was immediately skeptical. I knew the majority of people wouldn’t be interested. It is hard sometimes to face the tragedies in life, and a lot of people turn to literature for solace. That won’t be found here. This is a collection of stories I wrote to symbolize the pain that began to unfold around me, and it is with a heavy heart that I offer it up to you.
My only wish is that it never had to be written. If we lived in an idyllic world this would be so, but sadly we do not. These stories are about human truths in our society. It transcends time, but the message does not. Unfortunately, stories such as these are commonplace. That is not to say that there isn’t comfort to be found within the pages, as all writing offers some bit of wisdom, but that this collection was written primarily as a reflection of the reality we live in.
I have never been a fan of writing a Preface, and if I wasn’t approached on the subject I probably never would have. I find it much too difficult to discuss my own writing, and even more difficult to not seem conceited while forced to do so. In my opinion, anything that needs to be said should already have been written in the work.
-A.B. Hughes
30 January 2011
Toms River, New Jersey
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In a withered thought,
In a time forgot,
On a summer’s day,
In a world far away.
Remember the peace?
The wind through the trees?
Remember the love,
That soared far above?
In a mesmerizing dream,
In your radiating gleam,
On a summer’s day,
In a world far away.
When I loved you so,
Before you had to go,
When time stood still,
In the gentle chill.
In a simple place,
In amazing grace,
On a summer’s day,
In a world far away
****
Present Day (10-July-1945)
All is fair in love and war. What an odd statement. In truth, how can anything be fair between the two? They couldn’t be any more different.
When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor thousands of American men enlisted in the Armed Forces. Perhaps it was out of a sense of patriotism, or as an attempt to find adventure. The end result was the same, a hundred thousand men lying dead in the dirt.
Of the brave Americans who enlisted was an eighteen year old boy from Bedford, Pennsylvania named Johnny Weaverling. Like most soldiers, he left his life behind him, but he was never alone. The thought of his wife and son kept him vigilant. The thought of his wife and son made him the best.
Susanna Weaverling was the greatest thing that ever happened to him. She was the light that scared away the darkness. With her in his thoughts there was nothing he couldn’t handle. She made him brave.
Johnny was a senior in high school when he enlisted in the Marine Corps. He wanted Susanna to understand why he was leaving, and though she couldn’t she told him she would wait for him. No matter how long it would take, she would wait for him, and so she has.
It has been four years since that day. They have seen each other only twice since he left, but they have never stopped loving each other. They speak only through letters, and though they’re often delayed, they’re special none the less.
Susanna has just received one such letter. She walks outside and sits in the field to read it. She lives on a ranch, courtesy of Johnny. Past the ranch lies an open field, covered in lilies. A path can be seen cutting through the flowers, and leading up to an apple tree with a bench stationed in front it.
Johnny built the bench years before. He always claimed the lilies were just a random occurrence but even now Susanna remains unconvinced.
“Is it such a hard thing, to admit that you have a heart?” she used to joke with him when the topic would come up. Johnny never yielded. A smile grows on her face as she remembers the times she used to have with him.
She sits down on the bench near the tree. Her smile subsides, as she tries to open the letter. Her hands begin to shake. She is too nervous, but in her heart she knows she must read it. So she tears open the envelope.
With her green eyes swelling in tears, she unfolds the parchment and begins to read:
“Dearest Susanna,
I am sorry it has taken me so long to write back. Time has become scarce, but don’t think for a moment it is because I no longer care. I have not once stopped thinking about you or Addison. I wish I could be there to watch him become the young man I know he will become. Susanna, the war is getting worse. I no longer think we have the weapons or manpower to continue it. I’m telling you this, not to scare you but to inform you that I probably will not write you another letter.
I believe I am going to die here, in this unbearable country. I want you to know my heart will be with you always, and if I make it out of this alive, I will never leave home again. I love you Susanna and don’t ever forget that.”
-Sgt. Jonathan P. Weaverling.”
She looks away from the note and folds it up. She then looks at the lilies in the field and begins to cry. It is growing dark and she needs to get back home. She needs to make sure Addison gets to sleep. She wipes her eyes with her sleeve and places the letter in her back pocket. She gets up and carefully follows the trail out of the field and into the back door of her ranch.
She walks swiftly to her room where she grabs a tin container from the shelf above her bed and places the letter in it. This container is the home to every letter she has ever received from Johnny. She puts it back, and continues to her son’s room.
Opening the door she finds Addison lying asleep in his bed. She tucks the covers in at his sides, kisses his forehead, and whispers, “Good night.”
She attempts to shut off the light, but Addison rolls over. “Mommy?” he asks.
“Yes sweetie?” She responds.
“I’m not tired,” he begins to say. “Can you tell me a story?” He looks too cute for his mother to decline.
“Alright” she says “But just one, and then it’s off to bed.” She walks over and sits next to him. “What would you like to hear?”
Addison thinks for a moment and then shouts “You!” He lets out a small laugh and waits for her response.
“Me?” She asks curiously. “Now, what about me is interesting enough for a story?” She can’t help but laugh along with him. To her there is nothing exciting about her life.
With a serious look Addison says, “I want to hear about you and Daddy.”
“Why would you want to hear about that?” She asks as her amusement disappears, and a type of sorrow is felt deep in her heart.
“You’re always sad Mommy,” He says. “You always tell me that when I am sad I ought to talk about it. Maybe you should talk about it too.” A faint smile can be seen on Susanna’s face. She can’t help but think just how similar he is to Johnny.
“Well, alright. I’ll talk, but then you must get some sleep!”
“I know, I know.”
“So what would you like to hear?” She asks, preparing for a story.
“Tell me why he left,” He suggests.
“Well, as you know, your father is in the Marines, but he wasn’t always. One time he was only guilty of being loved by me.”
“Ew!” Addison shouts as he scrunches up his face.
“Well you asked for the story,” She says laughing. “So, I’m gonna tell it to you the best way I can. So as I was saying, we were both so young then, and we had the rest of our lives ahead of us”.
Four Years Earlier (January 1941)
Johnny can be seen packing his most important items. The weather is frigid, but the exchange of words can be even colder.
“Will you be taken care of?” Susanna asks.
“I will be given the best quality the Marines can give.” Johnny says as he starts to chuckle.
“Oh stop it Johnny!” Susanna says as she throws a packed bag at him. “You know I’m gonna be worried sick about you!”
With a smirk on his face he begins to sing “Oh Susanna! Oh don’t you cry for me!” His smirk turns into an obnoxious laugh. “I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee!” Susanna stares at him for a few seconds with a blank expression on her face.
“You’re unbelievable!” she shouts. Johnny tries to hold her hand but she slaps it away.
“Oh relax. I was only playing with you!” He says as he attempts to take her hand again. “I will be back before you even have time to miss me!” She shrugs. “Hey look,” he says. “If I was so worried, do you think I would be acting this way?”
“Yes! Yes I do!” She replies. “Because every time you’re scared this is exactly what you do! You make a joke about everything just to hide how you really feel!”
“Oh that is ridiculous!” he says in his defense. Though, it wasn’t ridiculous at all, and she was right. Johnny is scared out of his mind. The last thing he wants to do is abandon all that he cares about and fight across the world. “Hey, how about we just take a walk out of here?” He asks. “Maybe, just for a little while, help get our minds off all this?” She agrees and they begin to walk outside his family’s old ranch home.
Johnny had been a loner most of his life. No doubt due to his Dad, who abandoned him and his mother so many years ago. It was only the two of them, but earlier this year Johnny had lost his mother to cancer. The ranch was his property now, and he intended to live there until his dying days.
He grabs her by the hand and starts to run. She lets out a small shriek, but runs with him. They run through the lily garden, which is just soil this time of the year. They fall to the ground laughing. Susanna rolls on top of Johnny and they exchange a kiss.
“Susanna, I want you to know that I will always be thinking of you.” She smiles. “But because I won’t be here,” He begins to say. “I would like you to have the keys to my ranch. You know, to watch after it.”
She takes the keys. “Johnny, why do you have to go?” She feels like she shouldn’t have asked but deep down she knew she had to. “I need you here with me.”
“Susanna, I would never dream of making you sad, but I have to do this. This is my country.” Johnny responds. “I realize honor is basically dead, but for me it isn’t. The Japs attacked us, and I will do my part. This is the only way I know how.” He stares off at the sky, looking deeply into the clouds. “Sometimes we need to look farther outward than what our eyes allow us to see.” Susanna rolls over to stare at the clouds with him.
They lay there, motionless, speechless, and yet every bit in love. The sun begins to set, but still no words have been spoken. The first star of the night can be seen peering through the clouds. “I love you Johnny.” Susanna says breaking the silence,
“I love you Susanna, and don’t you ever forget that.” Johnny says trying hard to hide the tears as they begin to roll down his face. He grabs Susanna with a burning desire to never let go again.
Present Day
“Mommy, you’re crying,” Addison says with a sad expression on his face as he watches tears slide down his mother’s cheeks. “Mommy, why are you sad?”
“I just really miss your father sweetie.” She says as she touches his little face. “You know,” She says trying to cheer herself up. “You have his eyes, but now it’s time for you to go to sleep.”
“But you didn’t finish your story.” Addison says.
“Oh I believe I did.” She responds. “You’re not getting out of sleep this easily.”
“That’s not what I’m trying to do!” Addison claims. “Honest! I just want to know about Daddy. I can’t remember him well.”
The last time Johnny was able to see his son was two years earlier. Addison was only two years old at the time.
Susanna reluctantly agrees to continue her story. Though, it pains her to have to remember when Johnny left.
Four Years Earlier
Susanna wakes up to find herself alone in Johnny’s bed. She stretches and tries to remember how she got there. She remembers lying in the field with Johnny but not much more. She must have fallen asleep there. She looks over at the clock on the nightstand. Johnny needs to be at the base in an hour. Today is when he is to report for basic training.
Johnny walks into the room. “Oh, you’re awake” he says with a welcoming smile. “Want some breakfast?” Susanna smiles and follows him out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. The smell of French toast was far too enticing for her to ignore. “I just couldn’t leave without making you my signature French toast. Now could I?”
They eat their breakfast and enjoy their last few moments together, but time is scarce and Johnny needs to leave sooner rather than later. He walks away carrying the bulk of his bags to his old pick-up truck. He then grabs his old black Stetson cowboy hat.
“I don’t want you to have to get into that truck.” Susanna says to him. “I know you must but I don’t want you to.”
“I know you don’t” he replies. “But no matter how far away we are, you know I am always with you. Right here,” He places his hand on her heart. “I love you, and in the words of Burns, ‘Fair thee well.’” He touches her soft face and kisses her lips.
“I love you too Johnny.”
Present Day
“I have been here ever since.” She says faking a smile. “Sweetie,” Susanna says. “You were only in Mommy’s tummy at that time, but I couldn’t tell your Daddy that. I didn’t want to give him any reason to have to stay.”
“But why not?” Addison asks as he starts to cry. “I miss him.” Susanna gives him a hug.
“I miss him too honey,” she says, “I miss him too, but your Daddy is a soldier, and he was always a soldier, even before he left.”
“Why did this stupid war ever start in the first place?” Addison demands to know.
“Well,” says Susanna. “There isn’t only one reason for this.”
“Why can’t anything be fair?” Addison shouts.
“It started when the Japs bombed a military base in Hawaii.” She says.
“Who cares about dumb old Hawaii anyway?” Addison pouts.
“I raised you better than to talk like that!” His mother claims. “You’re lucky I have allowed you to stay up so late!”
“Sorry Mommy,” he says looking genuinely apologetic. “When did he find out about me?”
Three Years Earlier (January 1942)
A year has passed since Johnny left for South Carolina. He had been granted leave for two weeks. So, naturally, he came back home. He knocks on the door of his old Ranch. He never wanted to inform Susanna of his leave, he wanted to surprise her.
Susanna answers the door and lets out a shriek as she jumps toward him, gripping him as tight as possible. “I can’t believe you’re here!” she says as she gives him a hug and a kiss to compliment it.
“Nice to know I was missed”, he says with a laugh. He then tries to walk into the house but Susanna stands like a wall in front of him.
“Johnny, there is someone I would like you to meet,” she says as she guides him into the house.
“Oh?” he says with a confused expression on his face. “Who?” He follows Susanna inside and into the living room. He notices a crib next to the couch and drops his bags on the floor. “Is that?” he stutters, “A baby?”
“Johnny, he’s your son, Addison.” Susanna says taking his hand. He stares at baby Addison for a few moments, completely mesmerized by his little hands and feet, his golden hair and his dark brown eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asks.
“When you left last year, I already knew I was pregnant. I just couldn’t tell you. I knew you wouldn’t have gone if I did.” She looks at Johnny, and she can tell he understands. He isn’t mad at her, but then again he rarely is.
“How old is he?” He asks, still in shock.
“He is five months old.”
“Why did you name him after your Dad?” Johnny asks curiously. He was under the impression that she didn’t like her father all that much.
“Well you see Johnny.” She begins. “When my parents discovered that I was pregnant, they kicked me out of the house. They called me a ‘whore’ even though you are the only guy I have ever been with. I moved in here and when I had the baby I thought maybe if I named him after my Dad our relationship might improve. I have tried to contact them on several occasions; they want nothing to do with me.”
“Wow, I’m sorry all of that happened. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.” Johnny responds feeling horrible for having left. “I guess it is a good thing I gave you the keys then, huh?”
“You always did have a very unique way of doing the right thing,” Susanna says as she smiles. She knows life is growing more and more complicated, but she is happy right now. Whenever she is with Johnny she is happy.