An Appalachian Story

Chapter 5

Hannah and Joseph left the Maxfield cabin in the family wagon, wrapped up in blankets to protect themselves from the cold, wintry wind that was common in late January in Eastern Kentucky. The twosome was headed to Oakley Creek to the mercantile store for the week's supply of dry goods: flour for biscuits, salt and sugar. Upon pulling out of the yard, Hannah gazed at the bare trees and rocky mountain tops of the Appalachian Mountains that adorned the skyline ahead. Most of the Christmas snow had melted by this time, making the man-made road muddy and hard to maneuver by wagon. The sun was beginning to peak out of the clouds, creating a multi-colored sky with strips of purple, red, orange and yellow visible ahead of them, as Hannah stared in amazement at the sight unfolding right in front of her eyes.

"Look at how gorgeous the sky looks this morning, Joseph. This is why I love to get up early of the morning, before Al or even daddy either one is up. I just love to go out on the porch and see the sun rise and take it all in. It really...moves me, I guess is the best way of sayin' it."

"It sure is pretty. I never could figure out how the sun could make all them colors all by itself, with no one to help it," replied Joseph. Even though he was up early each morning to help his parents with the farm chores before going to work for Mr. Mulvaney, Joseph did not have the appreciation for nature or all of her marvels like his mother and sister did. He wondered how the sun could create such a colorful palette in the sky; but, between working with Frank, helping Mr. Mulvaney and trading labor for extras he did not want to pay for, Joseph did not have the time to romanticize, figure out the phenomenon or to give it much thought at all.

"'Just nature,' is what Mama says. She says that nature has a masterful way of makin' its own beauty all on its own. She says that we can observe it and soak up nature's energy and it will help us to be more creative, too," remembered Hannah, as she gazed, mesmerized by everything that surrounded her in that moment.

"I don't know about all that. I think if you can draw or paint, you can do it from a young child, you can't just learn it by fillin' yourself up with a bunch of air you breathed outside," Joseph said as he grabbed the reins with gloved hands. If his remarks appeared cool, it was because Joseph and Frank were both skeptical about many of the things Mary believed, even though Joseph chose to keep quiet in front of his father. Mary had her hands full with just one of them picking apart everything she said.

"I believe you can breathe in everything Mother Nature has to offer by just bein' outside and bein' grateful for all the gifts She gives you," Hannah responded, bringing the quilt from her lap up closer to her chin. The wind was blowing hard now, making the trees sway from here to there, but there were other things for which to be thankful, like the snow melting earlier than expected, making the downtown of Oakley Creek reachable with more ease. The melting snow was also making every yard on their way out of the holler muddy, and the wheels of the wagon were getting stuck in it continuously.

As the Maxfield wagon passed by the O'Sullivans', the siblings noticed Jack O'Sullivan walking up his driveway, just arriving home from the Oakley tavern, no doubt, after a night of drinking corn whiskey with some of his buddies. The O'Sullivans' big, white mutt, Rufus, turned his attention away from barking at his master and began chasing the wagon. Jack appeared relieved to get a moment's reprieve from the dog as he stumbled towards the house, holding the right side of his head as it was undoubtedly pounding with each beat of his heart. The dog's thick coat was caked in mud from rolling around in the dirt in front of the house.

"Shut up, you damn mutt," Jack shouted, tripping on the first step to the cabin. O'Sullivan caught himself on the rail which prevented him from falling yet again on the porch steps.

Joseph blushed because he was embarrassed a man had used a curse word within his sister's earshot and clicked to the horses, purposely increasing their speed past the neighbors.