The Apple of My Eye

Chapter 2

It was stormy that night and the sky had darkened to most frightening degree. The cruel wind pulled Charlotte and pushed her harshly about, forcing her into a murky and gray-green bayou. The ground was marshy and wet, walking on it left her shoes soaked and her clothes were torn by the brambles and thorns that got caught on them. The creatures in the bayou were unkind to her as well. Alligators snapped at her heels in hopes of making a meal out of her, wild pigs chased her away if she came too close to their territory, vultures screeched harshly at her, and other beasts would either claw or bite at her.

Finally the exhausted young woman found a safe place among the wet reeds and past the tall rushes and tangled vines where there lay a bed of Spanish moss. Not the resting place she was accustomed to but her feet were so sore and she was so out of breath from running that she hardly cared. With that last of her strength, she laid herself on to that bed of moss, said her prayers, and fell into a deep sleep. Her last waking thoughts being,

"Oh what's to become of me?"

She wasn't sure how long she slept but when she awoke the storm had passed and the wind wasn't blowing so hard. She had become hungry now and began to check the pockets of her now tattered clothes for any food that she may have brought along with her. All she could find was one apple that she had plucked from one of the trees as she was walking back from the orchards. It had about one bruise or two but still good enough to eat. She was just about to bite into it when she heard the sound a twig snapping. She stood up and became stiff, fearing that what was walking toward her was another alligator or wild pig but to her relief it was a woman.

A tall, slender woman as black and sleek as a velvet cat with mysterious and glistening eyes. Her hair was kept wrapped up in a shawl and her arms and legs bore scars that Charlotte recognized as coming from lashings and whippings. No doubt this poor woman was once a slave and judging by the scars, a very mistreated one.

"Good day to you, child." The woman said politely.

"Good day." Charlotte replied in an equally polite tone.

"I apologize if I am disturbing you at the moment but I have been wondering around all night and now I am so hungry that it is unbearable. Please, would you mind sharing some food with me if you have any?"

Charlotte looked down at the apple in her hand. It was the only food she had and there was no telling when or if she would ever get anything to eat again. But when she looked back at the woman she saw that she looked very frail, starved, and withered. Like she had not eaten in weeks. As hungry as Charlotte was in that moment, her kind heart would not allow her to deny food to this woman who obviously needed nourishment.

"Here you go." She said handing her the apple. "I'm afraid that's all I have though."

"God bless you child." The woman said with a grateful smile before biting into the fruit. "You're the first person I've met who's treated me with any decency. Everyone I've met while traveling across these fields and bayous have either ignored me or spat in my face. Makes me wonder how parents are raising their children in this day and age."

"Where are you wandering to good woman?"

"Call me Rosie, child and I am on my way to visit my nephew. He's the only family I have left now which means I'll have to visit him quite often. I do enjoy his company but Lord the trip to his home is a trial. Especially when I have to trudge through this mucky wetland and deal with nasty mosquitoes and snakes biting me. I swear if I didn't love my nephew as much as I did I wouldn't have made the journey."

"Do you have much further to travel now?"

"No. Thank heaven. I'll just rest for about a minute or two then be on my way. But what's a lovely and well mannered thing like you doing in this God forsaken bayou?"