I'll wait for you

Chapter 7:Home Sweet Home

Michelle and Jasmine were leaving Chattanooga and headed to Michelle's hometown in Treebush, Tennessee. Michelle hadn't visited her hometown in over twelve years. Treebush was a very small rural town where everybody knew everybody. Despite its size, the town was rich in love.

Treebush was a three-hour drive from Chattanooga and was quite different from the Chattanooga city life. Michelle needed a change of scenery, and Treebush was that change  she needed.

This was Jasmine's first time visiting since she was three years old, and she had mixed emotions about going to Treebush. She was excited to see her grandparents but sad about leaving her dad behind.

As they drove, Jasmine was amazed at how rural Treebush was. She stared out the window and exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, Mom! This place looks like a ghost town! I know it's dark outside, but where are all the people?"

Michelle laughed in response to Jasmine's question, "This is not like the city. So, around this time, most people are home with their families."

Jasmine expressed her surprise, "There are so many farms down here. I had never seen this many cows, horses, sheep, and goats before."

Michelle explained, "You will see a lot of those animals down here."

Michelle's parents were farmers. They lived in a big, beautiful house on a hill with over seven acres of land for their farm animals and crops. Michelle's dad was the best farmer in town.

Jasmine was feeling exhausted from the long car ride. She wasn't a big fan of road trips and was feeling bored. "PawPaw and Granny's house is so far away. But it feels so peaceful out here," she said.

Michelle agreed with her, "Yes, this place is very peaceful."

Michelle's father, Otis, was a tall, dark, strong, muscular and solid figure. He was bald and had a lot of charisma. Otis was taking out the trash when Michelle and Jasmine arrived. He was surprised to see them since he wasn't expecting any company at this time of night. Michelle and Jasmine got out of the car to greet him.

Michelle was thrilled to see her daddy in the driveway. She jumped out of the car and gave him a hug. "Hey Daddy, how are you doing?" she asked, beaming with joy.

Otis was surprised to see his daughter, "Michelle is that you?" Michelle replied, "Yes, Daddy, it's me." Jasmine then ran to hug her grandfather. Otis embraced his granddaughter and said, "Baby girl, you have gotten so big. Are you still missing that front tooth?" Jasmine giggled and replied, "Hey Pawpaw. No, I'm not missing my tooth anymore. How are you doing?" Otis was known for his sense of humor and was always ready to tell a good joke. He replied to Jasmine, "I'm doing much better now that y'all are here. What brings you down this way?"

Michelle explained to her dad the reason for their visit, "Daddy, we just needed a break from the city so we came down here."

Otis was delighted that they came to visit, "You know you are always welcome here. This will always be your home."

Michelle was grateful for this warm welcome, "Thank you, Daddy. Where is Mama?"

Otis joked around and said, "That old bat is in the house watching her TV shows. Let me grab your bags, and we can go inside. If you are hungry, your Mama cooked dinner. Unfortunately, you just missed your brother. He left to go back on the road."

Michelle's brother was a truck driver. Otis opened the door and allowed Michelle and Jasmine to enter, as he wanted to surprise Dorothy. Dorothy was a short, skinny, and beautiful woman with long curly grey hair. She also loved to crack jokes.

As Otis walked into the house, he yelled out, "Dorothy, come and see what the cat drugged in."

Dorothy was so engrossed in her show that she wasn't trying to leave the living room. "Otis, I'm watching my stories. Whatever fluffy brought into the house, you take care of it," she said.

Otis was attempting to persuade his wife to vacate the living room by calling out, "Women, pause that TV and come here."

Dorothy was becoming increasingly irritated by Otis's insistence, and was just about to rise from the couch and approach him when she retorted, "Look, old man, this better be worth it."

Jasmine was doing her best to suppress her laughter. She was eagerly anticipating the look on her grandmother's face when she saw what the surprise was.

Dorothy paused her stories and stepped out of the living room. When she saw Michelle and Jasmine standing at the door, she screamed, "Oh my babies are home! Come on in and make yourselves comfortable. It's been way too long since I had a chance to see you two. And Jasmine, my dear, you're as fine as your grandmother used to be when I was your age."

Otis chimed in on their conversation, "Look now, Dorothy, we're not gonna bring up old ancient times. We're gonna leave the past in the past."

Dorothy replied with a joke, "Go sit down. Nobody in this room came to see you anyway."

Otis laughed, "Alright now, Dorothy, if you keep showing out, I'll hide your glasses. You know you can't see without them."

Dorothy responded, "You bet not."

They all sat down on the couch and caught up. Being in Treebush took so much stress and pressure away from Michelle. There's no better feeling, than having a relaxed peace of mind.