 Old Airstream
Awaken again by fever dreams of ghosts from the past and things unknown, Suzanne gets up from out of her bed. She quickly gets dressed knowing that in a few minutes the three little ones will be up demanding her attention. The tiny trailer they call home is parked in a secluded area of Table Rock State Park in northwestern South Carolina along the edge of the Great Smokey Mountains. Suzanne found herself here several years ago after being thrown out of the only home she had ever known in Georgia. Her intention at the time was to head to the mountains of North Carolina to camp out and find her bearings again. But car trouble left her abandoned at this state park. So she camped out there till she could find work to pay for the repairs and then move on. But what she thought would be a few weeks stay turned into years. After falling in love and giving birth to three doorstep children. Her husband Bernard has worked at the park for years as the maintenance man and jack-of-all-trades. Where Suzanne raised the kids, tended her garden, and sustained their little slice of heaven. Suzanna met Benard soon after she started her little “homesteading project” to get the car fixed at the park. It didn’t take long before Benard and the other park employees and volunteers figured she wasn’t going anywhere fast. But due to her gentle nature and radiant smile they all fell in love with the little hippie child from Georgia, especially Bernard. Soon their little romance soon became the worst kept secret in the park. The volunteers and the regular seasonal campers all kept a running tally of their young love as it blossomed over the spring and summer. As Bernard and Suzanne’s romance grew beyond the summer and into fall. Suzanne had moved into Bernard’s old Airstream camper. Although Suzanne’s had long since been repaired, she felt with all her heart she had finally found a home with Bernard. So she continues working odd jobs in and around the park. Doing everything from running errands for older campers, to chopping firewood for those that really couldn’t, to helping Bernard and the park crew clear hiking trails that had overgrown. As the months and years passed Suzanne made a home in that old Airstream nestled in the pine hills of that old flat rock. As often the case with love, Suzanne eventually give birth the three doorstep kids one right after another. Benard and Suzanne never had siblings of their own but come from large distant families. So in their youth and enthusiasm they decided to make a large family of their own. But as you can imagine the reality of raising and clothing three growing little kids was hard, and money was tight. A state employees salary might have its benefits, but the pay is never enough. While their home life was manageable, Suzanne had to have major surgery after the birth of their youngest child. Leaving Bernard a small group of friends to help care for the young ones. That and the added debt of aftercare took this young family to places they dare not wanted to be. After Suzanne’s long eventual recovery, she knew that somehow, some way she needed to step up and help her family financially even more. So Suzanne’s mind turned to the potions and folk magic her grandmother taught her. And how those potions and spells brought a little extra money into their household. So during the isolation of the pandemic, Suzanne pooled together all her knowledge and resources to create a social media page where she told stories of going up in the sandy foothills of Central Georgia. With tall tales of haunts and ghosts, of the black panthers that secretly roamed the woods and hollers. Along with simple potions one can make for scratches, wounds, and bug bites. Along with tutorials on canning and managing a small backyard garden. On various platforms her post took off captivating a wide audience. Soon she was publishing booklets of home remedies and appearing on a number of other like-minded individuals podcast and websites. Her slow southern draw and the fact that she was an absolute beauty didn’t hurt either. Only added to her viewership and eventually bringing in much needed cash for her family. All from the inside of that old Airstream. But hard times would eventually come again, leaving Suzanne and Bernard to have to make some tough decisions about their families future…
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 Running a farm is a huge burden to place on a young man. It’s an even harder when all the work you’ve done goes unappreciated when you father returns from the war. During the years when Ernest was overseas, it was left up to Ernest’s elderly father to take up the slack of maintaining the farm. But given that Ernest’s father Hud was old and given to bouts with shine. It was up to his wife and the grandkid to do most of the chores. Since Joesph was the oldest grandchild it naturally fell on him to do most of the hard work. From hatching up the mules, to plowing the fields, along with helping his younger siblings with their farm chores. Joe’s Grandma did her best to take care of the household chores along with the girls. While their mother Maggie Mae was more concerned with conjuring up spells and selling shine for her kin, then helping out her own children and her husband’s pitiful sharecropper kin. Besides they had her boy Joe to take care of things.
But with the armistice signed it was only a matter of time till the first of the battle scared Yanks would return home. And so it was when Corporal Ernest Higgins returned in Fall of 1919. By the time Ernest made his way home the tobacco harvest was already finishing. Still Ernest had never completely recovered from his time in the war, and it wasn’t long before he fell to the temptations that overcame his own father. His wife Maggie Mae also never completely forgave him for abandoning her. So their endless fighting and bickering only made it worse. But as dictated by the laws of the time, Ernest was still head of the house. So while a share of the profits made from the harvest was to go to the landowner and other debtors. What money that left over went to feed the appetites of Ernest and Maggie Mae first. So as the 1920’s turned into the Great Depression Joe and his brothers and his sisters became nothing more than hired help for their father and mother’s ambitions and greed, leaving Joe stuck obligated to care of his siblings. But life wasn’t without it’s small glamour’s of hope. Because just a few farms down was the beautiful auburn haired daughter of the Coward family. Joe had taken a shine to Dorothy or Dottie as she was known, ever since he first saw her at a revival meeting at the nearby Baptist Church. While Joe only got to attend school till his father went to war. Dottie had no such option since they were needed to help tend to the farm after her father abandoned the family. Still in her dirty clothes she was a thing of beauty. So as the years went by Dottie and Joe meet up ever chance they could. But with the demands of running the farm on Joe and Dottie’s mother’s determination to marry her off to a rich family, often kept them apart. They attempted to start a formal courtship, but both families had their own reasons for keeping them apart. So they would secretly meet along the creek bed where the spring bubbled up from the ground. As the lasting effects of the Great Depression lingered over rural America, the passions of young love only grow stronger between Ernest and Dottie. Wanting to start a life of their own, but they were practically forbidden to do so. So they planned, and they schemed in order to make their escape from the realities in which they lived. Impatient and fighting the clock till Dottie was eventually married off, they saw no other choice but to run away and elope. Late one Saturday afternoon, Joe told his father he was going into town to meet up with some friends. In a drunken stupor his father waved him off then Joe headed to town. At the same time Dottie asked her mother if she could spend the night at her cousin’s several miles away. Dottie’s cousin knew of her and Joe’s plans, while Joe’s family had no clue. So when Joe arrived at her cousins house, they quickly loaded Dottie’s suitcase and drove away. But before they left the county they had one more stop to make. Pastor Stephens’ and his Mrs. Katie lived near the creek down by the spring down from the Baptist church. Through happenstance pastor Stephens got to know Joe and Dottie well. It seems while the pastor would often go fishing down by the creek, he often notice a young couple alone down by the spring. Curious soon the pastor introduced himself to the couple, where he soon learned of their tragic story. So pastor Stephens considered his own feelings about true love. He considered it an honor to be asked to formally/informally marry the couple down by the spring. Once the small ceremony was over, hugs and good byes were given and the young couple quickly drove away…  It’s an overcast day the and still Gray is sweating profusely from the hoeing he was doing around the garden. With sweat running down his arms and onto the hoe handle, his garden gloves are soaked. The heat and humidity of the summer, along with the spring rains mold and the blight affected most of his crops this year. A far cry from the days when he worked in his father’s backyard garden at their suburban home outside Savannah. But Gray’s Dad, a child of the Great Depression like most of their neighbors still kept “victory gardens” just as they did when they were kids. Gray laughed at himself just a little, wiping the sweat from his brow. Thinking about how many times he cursed under his breath when working the old man’s garden. Peggy called from the front porch for Grayson to come inside before it got too hot and to take his medicine. Without an argument Gray climbed the porch steps, put aside his hoe took off his shoes and stepped inside.
Inside his office he carefully lays out each pill he has to take. . Like a morning ritual each pill lined up according to size and shape. After he takes his pills, he turns on his computer and lights a scented candle and begins writing. A far cry from laborer, contractor, correctional officer, and systems analyst he once was. Gray now pursues his first passion writing. A pursuit that began by watching his Grandpa Higgins spending most of his free time in his own office reading and writing. As a moderately successful independent blogger, poet, and storyteller. Gray has never considered himself anything more than a hack. But the books he has self-published and the stories he has told bring pleasure to those who have taken the time to read them. Along with his own disabilities, Gray is a caregiver to his wife Peg, who suffered a earlier illness that caused physical and cognitive damage. While the burden of dealing with his own health issues is bad enough. There is a silver lining to it all, his disability allows him more time to care for Peggy and pursue his passions. Staring at that blinking curser is often an intimidating thing. Some days it’s a total struggle while on other’s the words flow like sift river current. Today is one of those struggling days, with his mind racing through moments of the past. Thinking about things like his parents and the family he lost so long ago. Other than parents and grandparents, Gray’s seen the deaths of aunts, uncles, and even cousins over the years. After a while of staring at the dark screen, Gray decides to take a break and rest his back. Stretched out on the bed Grey takes a moment to check his emails and messages on his phone. After deleting most of the emails, he checks his social media pages where he promotes his stories and interacts with his fans. No social media Gray also follows a number of likeminded “struggling artist” on various platforms to help with his relative isolation. One of the newer artisans he follows is a young woman named Suzanne who lives in the Carolinas. Besides being cute as a button, she spins tales of folk magic and growing up with a grandmother that practiced old natural folk magic and made potions. The attraction to her was nearly instantaneous as Grey started following her account, he began to notice a familiarity about her story. Rather it was her old wives tales similar to the ones he heard all his life. Or just the fact that she was a young married woman struggling with a young family just as he and Peg did. There was something about her story clicked inside Grey’s taking him back to the tales of his own family in those sandy foothills of South Central Georgia.  Never far from her Granny, a young Suzanne scurried about the creek bed picking up all kinds of little shiny little things and putting them in her knapsack. Within it she collected all manner of rocks, twigs, and flowers to show her grandmother and hopefully get her to a story about them. Suzanne a slight little girl with curly bright auburn hair wearing a hand-me-down clothes from the local charity. Abandoned by her mother nearly from birth, she had a curiosity and maturity few her young age processed. While most girls her age were just learning their numbers and the alphabet, Suzanne was already reading and often helped her grandma work up spells and create potions for those in need.
Estell Grant wasn’t always so old or granny-like, raising a brood of her own back in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Her children were more interested in leaving the foothills of south Central Georgia then ever learning Mom’s “old folk ways”. Estell wasn’t always the nicest momma to be around, she was a task master who believed in strict discipline and hard work. Long abandoned by her husband, Estell clung to her children praying that hard work and even tougher love would keep straight and near home. Unfortunately it seemed the opposite effect, as one by one they left the impoverished foothills for the promise of a better life elsewhere…all except Gracie. Gracie was the result of a momentary lapse of judgement, according to Estell. When one day her estranged husband’s came home, with promises that he had changed. So Gracie was conceived, and once again he quickly scampered away. Unlike her other siblings Gracie was a free spirit that often delighted in helping her mother Estell. But as Gracie grew she grew into a beautiful young teenager with plenty of young man a calling. Not only was she a free spirit but she grew into a bit of a rebel against momma’s rules. It wasn’t long after her 16th birthday Gracie got pregnant and nine months later gave birth to Suzanne. But just like it is with most young girls months of the time, opportunities for a young poor country girl were limited. So Gracie found a steady boyfriend with a decent job. But tragically after a Saturday of partying with friends, Gracie and her boyfriend were killed in a drunk driving accident. Now in her 60’s, Estell was left all alone with another small child to raise. Suzanne grew up quickly, a little too quickly Estell thought. But throughout school she was a gifted student, full of curiosity and with a never ending supply of friends. After graduation, Suzanne stayed close to home to take care of her aging Granny, unlike her aunts and uncles who took full advantage of Suzanne’s love for her grandmother. It was the mid-2000’s and the Great Recession was in full swing. Most of her friends had moved on to college or better work in Macon or Atlanta. Luckily enough Suzanne secured herself a job at a local convenience store, quickly moving her was up to assistant manager. But because of her beauty, fair skin, and curly auburn hair; she was still one of the most popular gals in town. Every logger and log truck driver stopped by her store every morning coffee or energy drink, just to flirt and get a smile. While the temptations were plenty she didn’t allow herself the pleasure, not as long as her grandmother needed her. Tragically Estell passed away, and it wasn’t long before her children and their grandchildren were there to pick over her carcass like a band of vultures. When the dust settled and no will was to be found. Suzanne was left with a small share of the land’s value, along with the rest of the grandkids Estell hardly ever seen. So after a few months the house and property were sold, and Suzanne had to leave the only home she’d ever known.  On a hot and humid Wednesday morning Grayson Walker starts his day as he usually does in front of a keyboard with a lite candle. After a shower and a myriad of prescription medications and other natural remedies. His head finally begins to clear of the vivid dreams that have kept him awake the last several nights. But despite his poor physical health stemming from heart failure brought on by stress, smoking, and obesity. Grayson also suffers from health anxiety, bouts of PTSD, and Chronic Depression. Still Gray’s doctors tell him he’s doing okay because he followed their advice to quit smoking and changing his diet. But even with all that good news, it offers very little comfort to his damaged soul.
Grayson and his young family moved to the piedmont area of Georgia from Savannah in the early 1990’s. To escape the struggles early struggles they had, including stalled career opportunities. Not satisfied with themselves or the path they were taking, Grey and his wife Pam made the insane decision to move from everything that was familiar to an area they only heard about in old family tales. To live in a rural part of the state where his mother’s family was from originally, in and around the counties of Treutlen, Wheeler, and Montgomery The first few years were a bit of a culture shock, even though they were only 125 miles from where they begin. But in the early 1990’s the slow pace and the isolation were often too much. But the children took to it like ducks to water, unlike their often shunned “out-of-town” parents. But soon they both found work and with the much lower cost of living decent shelter in which to live. All the things Grey’s dad tried to teach him, but often complained he was either too slow or too dumb to do, come back to him. But with the help of his uncles that lived in the area, Grey became skilled at simple home repairs. Often helping his Uncle Gabe with small construction jobs in the area. But Grayson was still unsatisfied with what he was doing, he know he could do better. So for several years Gray went back to school. First trade school then to a four-year college. But nothing came easy to Gray due to the verbal abuse he remembered from his father and neighborhood bullies. Even as he grew older the ghost of their voices can still be heard. He felt like he was marked at a young age by a community of bullies and name callers he grew up near. But here Gray and his family were given a second chance. For those that didn’t know them, they were a blank slate. To his family he was simply “Missy’s” son. While he may have still been “Junior” to his uncles, aunts, and cousins; and “June Bug” to his beloved Grandma. At least he could feel their respect… so he keeps typing.  Born out of necessity the ancient people for the foothills of south central Georgia used what they had to make their way. Along with growing their own food and making their own shelter, these early settlers used skills they brought with them from Europe and skills they learned from local native people. My grandfather was no different growing up at the feet of his mother and grandmother, his family were sharecroppers working the ground of the landowners for a share of the crop. But it wasn’t easy at the time with most young men drafted to fight in the great world war. Which left the planting and the harvesting to the old men, the wives, and the children.
After the war things got better, but the bitterness carried by some left behind put a heavy weight on the families, especially the children. Joseph Higgins my grandfather was the oldest of five children born to my great-grandparents before the war. With his father gone he was as left to tend to the mule and help his grandfather plow the acreage allotted his parents and grandparents. His younger siblings did other household chores, including tending to the animals, helping at harvest, and tending to the garden. Their mother, to my understanding, wasn’t fond of farm life. Raised in the low laying swamps along the river, her family were of the more leisurely kind making corn whiskey and selling potions. Joe’s grandparents were tolerant of their daughters-in-law less than hardworking ways due to the extra money her potions brought in. That and along with the spirits her family made that seemed to help Grandpa’s gout. But once Hud, Joe’s father came home things appeared to improve. First they took the money he made while in the war and brought their own plot of land. But as with most good things wanderlust began to settled in. So Maggie Mae, Joe’s mother, continued remembering the promises Hud made to her years ago when courting. So the dull routine of farm life and motherhood started wearing thin on her. |
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