A Blue Mountain Memory

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Cora's encounter with Lawson Lew taunted her mind as she made her way into town. She found it peculiar that losing a loved one could transform a good man into a monster; then again, perhaps Lawson had never been a good man.

An immense sorrow for Elwood weighed heavy on Cora's tired bones. For nearly ten years Elwood had lived in a crumbling shack he called home. For nearly ten years Elwood had to endure constant physical and verbal abuse from the man he called his father. When Cora walked through her home's threshold with Elwood in tow, Lorna and Baxter asked no questions; the pair needed only to observe the hint of dread in Elwood's gaze.

As she continued walking to town, Cora's attention shifted towards Farmer Redd who approached her from his field.

"Hello Ms. Cora," he called out, tipping his weathered hat towards the girl.

"Hi Redd, how's that new calf of yours? I hope she's getting along alright," Cora responded, diverging from the dirt road and meeting him on the grass.

Redd frowned, removing his hat and holding it to his chest, "I'm afraid the lil' thing didn't make it more than three days. Harvest wasn't good enough this year and I've even had to sell a few of my ladies." 

Cora reached out, offering a gentle hand to the old man. Since she was a small child, she often visited Redd's farm, watching him tend to his cows whom he referred to as his 'ladies.' Cora never knew exactly how old Redd was.

As strangers to the Mount Baylin, Cora's parents did not expect to be welcomed by anyone-- but one day Redd showed up with a basket of bread and cheese, offering his friendship. Even then, Redd was a seemingly ancient man who hobbled around and forgot what he was saying midway through a sentence. After his wife died, Lorna and Baxter went over to the farm on holidays, cooking for the old man and keeping him company.

"Farming's gotten harder each year, not sure how much longer I can keep the land," he shrugged in defeat.

"Don't worry Redd, we'll make sure you get on alright. You can always come live with us, but only if you pull your weight in the chores!" Cora joked. 

Redd's body shook with silent laughter, the black gaps in his smile making Cora's grow wider.

"You Davis's will always have my back I 'spose," he smiled, patting Cora's head with his arthritic hand. 

❊❊❊

Cora stood at the front counter of Mr. Banks's shop, staring blankly out the window as she waited for him to emerge from the back room. She rang the bell once more, hoping she did not annoy the man. Mr. Banks hurried out of the backroom with an anxious expression, monitoring his feet to make sure he did not trip. When he looked up to see Cora, his face relaxed and he smiled kindly.

"Well, hello there Cora! It's nice to see you," he remarked as he settled himself behind the counter.

"Hello Mr. Banks, I'm just running these books over for Lee since he's at the mill right now and has to go see Dr. Janis later on," Cora said, sliding a small stack of books over to Banks. 

"Thank you, young lady! And make sure to tell Lee that I've got a new shipment arriving soon, should have one or two biology books in there that I ordered especially for him." 

Cora nodded with a smile and skipped through the shop door. She enjoyed running errands for her family and wandering around the town center. Although most townsfolk either looked down on her or did not look at her at all, she always found herself fascinated with watching them walk around, living lives completely foreign from her own. 

Cora hesitantly approached the boutique. She stood before the large display window in awe of the beautiful gowns, hats, and gloves adorning the slender mannequins. The boutique was the only nice shop in Mount Baylin and catered solely to its wealthier residents. Cora could only ever dream of walking through the boutique with even the slightest possibility of buying a dress.

She stared at one of the dresses in the window. Sitting on one of the blank-faced mannequins, the burgundy, silk dress brushed the floor. Its large bustle on the back reminded Cora of the women she saw illustrated in the fashion magazines at Mr. Banks's shop. She admired the matching hat ornamented with elegant, white feathers and golden flowers. Cora looked down at her own dress. Frowning at its shabby brown color, missing buttons, and loose threads, Cora imagined herself dressed as one of those fine English ladies across the ocean. 

The startling sound of Birdie Call's voice booming within the boutique pulled Cora from her daydream. The door opened and Cora ducked around the corner, leaning against a wall in the alleyway. 

"I hardly recognized him at daddy's dinner the other night. I mean, he's still the same quiet boy on the inside, but on the outside, he is the most handsome man I have ever laid my eyes upon," Birdie sighed.

"Where did he go? I don't even remember him leaving," Jolene Hines asked.

"He left about four years ago to attend school in Pennsylvania. I suppose he stayed with his cousins. Maybe they're responsible for this wonderful transformation," Birdie giggled. 

When the other girl did not laugh, Birdie laughed more aggressively, urging Jolene to join in the laughter. When Cora heard more than two laughs, she knew the other girls were in their company. 

"Do you think you'll see him more, Birdie?" Joanna Johnson asked.

"Our daddies are business partners, Joanna, of course I'll see him more, don't be so thick in the head," Birdie hissed.

"Sorry... it's just that you never acknowledged his existence before..." Joanna replied.

"That's because he was a skinny little mouse who stuck his face in a book wherever he went. But now... now he's a dashing young man and heir to his father's fortune. Even if I didn't want to marry him, I'm sure daddy would suggest the match, that way the Call-Brooks dynasty could finally be solidified."

Cora imagined Birdie saying that with her nose in the air, presenting herself as the town's finest jewel.

"I thought you liked Elwood," Jennie Mauer chimed in.

"I swear, sometimes I think I am friends with the dumbest girls in Mount Baylin," Birdie spat, "Of course, I don't 'like' Elwood, I just think he's charming, that's all, you oaf."

Cora listened for the girls' receding steps along the dirt road. To avoid confrontation, she remained in her spot for several more minutes, the conversation she had just overheard replaying in her mind on an endless loop. She felt like a fool when it took her a minute to realize which handsome young man Birdie had referred to.

Four years ago, Elijah confided in Cora at the harvest dance as his hands rested gently on her hips. She remembered his fear of leaving Mount Baylin for Pennsylvania. Cora smiled, recalling their dance together as they laughed shamelessly with one another. She often thought of Elijah, curious about how he was fairing up north. The happiness of her recollection, however, was spoiled by the thought of Birdie snaking her way around him. Perhaps Cora had missed her chance years ago, and now she would have to see Elijah transformed into another one of Birdie's toys, stuck by her side and trapped under her evil control.