Twisted Roots (DeBeers 3)

"I thought it best to put them away for now," she replied.

"I don't understand. Haven't you heard anything from them? Where did Rosemary and her father go?"

She looked at me, her lips quivering. "I hope to heaven," she replied.

12

Daughters and Ghosts

.

As soon as I heard Heyden and Chubs

returning, I rose and went out to see them towing the motor home up the driveway and parking it near the largest barn. Heyden had been standing behind Chubs on the tractor. I hurried to them.

"Are you all right?" he asked the moment he saw me.

"Yes. Oh. Heyden, it's all so sad." "I know. Chubs told me the story on the way to the motor home."

Chubs glanced at us, nodded, and went to unhitch the motor home from the tractor,

"How horrible, First, her husband filled their daughter's head with all these stories and accusations, and then he talked her into running off with him."

"Chubs says they were killed that day in a headon crash with a tractor trailer just two miles south of here on Peach Tree Road. He says the truck driver had no business taking that road. It's so narrow and full of curves, Mrs. Stanton refuses to go down that road ever since, and he has to drive an extra fifteen miles whenever there's a need to take her in that direction."

Chubs came up beside us. listening. "The crash was so bad," he said. "I'm sure there's still pieces of that car in the bushes. I gathered up most of it and got rid of it.

"Mrs. Bessie, she just won't accept the truth. It's all left her in a sort of driftin'," he explained. "like someone stuck in time, just waitin' on the clock to tick. She's been waitin' for that girl to come home ever since. You the first young- woman stepped into the house since the accident. too. Hope and sorrow sure can change the way people sees things," he added. "Imagine lookin' at a stranger and thinkin' it's your only daughter. That's real desperation."

"But what does her grandmother say to her?" Heyden asked. 'Why did she go along with Hannah being Rosemary?"

"Mrs. Lilliann, she doesn't disturb her with the truth. It's easier to just pretend the bad thing didn't happen. Otherwise, no tellin' what. She ain't the healthiest woman round here," he added.

"Mrs. Stanton?"

"No, Bessie."

"What's wrong with her?" I asked quickly.

Chubs looked very uncomfortable talking about it. His eyes went from us to the house. "You understand I don't poke my nose into anyone's affairs." he said.

"Sure," Heyden said.

"Heyden, let's not trouble Mr. Dawson anymore," I said, seeing how painful it was for Chubs to talk about it, too,

"Right."

Chubs looked from me to Heyden and back to me.

"When you're around the people you work for as much as I've been around the Stantons, you can't help but overhear stuff. but I don't go gossippin' about it."

Heyden nodded. "We understand. sure."

Chubs sighed. "Since they brought you into it, you should know somethin' about it. I guess."

He leaned back against the tractor wheel.

"Mrs. Bessie, she was barn with heart problems. They took her to see lots of doctors. The truth is she wasn't even supposed to have a child. That's what I heard once."'