Fade To Black

The Long and Winding Road

* Hey everybody! Sorry FTB has been moving slosly lately. It's all for a good reason- a great one, in fact! I'm trying to get you all ready for a crying/"awwwww"-ing fest that's about to happen soon! Thanks again for understanding!

sister’s left with the twins and their kids, waving goodbye with heavy hearts, promising they would come to visit soon. As I watched them leave I couldn’t help but think of all the people that I have lost in the past years. It only strengthened my hopes in finding Clementine. I wanted to fulfill that promise I made to Gladys. I wandered past the house and over to the small lump of dirt topped with small wild flowers that was Gladys’ grave. I dropped to my knees and look at the mound of soil below me,

“Gladys.” I whispered to myself. “Remember what you made me promise that day you left? You wanted me to find Clementine… you wanted me to be happy, right?” I sat silent for awhile as if waiting for a reply. I smiled, plucking one of the petals off of the flowers over her grave. “Today I’m leaving. I’m going to find her. I’ll come back, don’t worry, but only until I find her. Until then I’ll find someone to keep you company.” I said. I felt like I was slightly going crazy talking to Gladys’ lifeless body beneath the ground, but somehow I knew she could hear me.

I got up, brushing off the dirt from my trousers as i walked towards the familiar break of willow trees that served as an entrance to the bayou. I hadn’t been in the bayou for ten years, ever since the last time I saw Clementine. I hadn’t even seen Josephine and Mr. Johnson and I decided to pay them a long awaited visit. I walked along the wet, earthy ground, the sun peaking through the leaves and warming my skin. The chilly weather had passed and the hot sun felt good on my pale skin. I saw the cottage but it looked different now. It was painted white, the shingles on the roof were fixed, the windows were clean and the house was surrounded by colorful flowers. The porch had three rocking chairs all in a row, the bigger one must be Mr. Johnson’s, the medium size Josephine’s, and of course the small one Jackson’s. I knocked on the door and heard footsteps come my way. I hadn’t prepared myself for this visit, hoping they were all alive and well, not sure what I would do if they were not.

I was greeted by Josephine who’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of me. “J-Jackson?” She asked, as I stepped into the house and she took my coat and hung it by the door. I saw a brown boy, Jackson, with his tuft of black curly hair, sitting on the floor studying a book of some sort. It was Jackson, about ten years old by now, who looked exactly like his father. The boy’s eyes met mine and he looked at me curiously. He had never met me growing up and he had no idea who I was. “Honey? Can you come in here?” She called out to her husband who wandered into the small room and stood there in shock, his mouth gaping open.

“Jackson? Jackson Sawyer?” Mr. Johnsons asked me as if he couldn’t recognize me.

“Yes?” I replied. Had I really changed that much?

“Honey, it’s him, nobody else would remember that we loved here.” Josephine stated and her husband shook his head in agreement. She began to lead me to the small shabby sofa in the corner where the boy was now sitting. I sat down next to him as Jospegine and Mr, Johnson sat across.

“So, how is the plantation going? We’re sorry we… we couldn’t visit you but after we heard the Klan would be paying visits we needed to stay out of mind, out of site. We hope you understand.” Josephine asked, almost pleading with me but I smiled politely. I didn’t mind that they were protecting themselves from the likes of me. In fact, I encourage it, I thought.

“Don’t be sorry you two, I understand. The plantation is no more, as you can imagine with no slaves and such. All I’ve got left from the ‘good ol’ days’ is Wolf, my horse.” I laughed and they joined in solemnly, looking rather guilty,