The Long Journey Home

Little Comfort

Comfort, Texas

One Month Later

The news of the war’s end travelled slowly, but finally, the list had made its way to the small town of Comfort, Texas. Ellisa Townsend rushed to the town’s square to see the names of those dead and missing in action. She prayed she wouldn’t find his. She stood in line with the other onlookers: People who cared about one another, went to church together, helped bring in each other’s crops, and enjoyed the simple life.

A gut-wrenching cry went out, followed by another, as citizens of the little town found, one by one, the names of their sons, husbands, brothers, and friends on the list.

Ellisa noticed that Douglas and Mary Jenkins were next to look. Their son was in the same company as Dewy. Mary’s loud scream, followed by sobs, told Ellisa all she needed to know: Clem Jenkins, Dewy’s best friend, was dead. Ellisa broke from the line to comfort Mary and Douglas, and their daughter, Emma.

Emma, surprisingly, wasn’t crying. She looked instead like she’d seen someone trampled by a horse. She didn’t move or speak until their eyes met. “He’s not on the list, Ellisa. He’s not on it. Dewy’s name… it’s not there. Maybe he’s still…” Then she was engulfed in her friend’s arms as the sobs began to rip through her like a sharp stick through a pair of thin pants.

After a few long moments of attempting to comfort her friend, Emma waved and walked back to the wagon with her parents to go grieve in privacy. Ellisa’s heart pounded in her chest. She believed Emma. She really did, but she had to investigate for herself; she had to be sure his name wasn’t there.

Her memories took her to the day he left. He sure looked handsome in his uniform as he prepared to leave. He’d been trained, and then returned home to say goodbye to his parents, his siblings, and to her. In her resentment, Ellisa had decided she couldn’t be engaged to a man who probably would not return alive. Of course, there were not many other men to think about, as most had volunteered. His face had twisted at her words. Hurt poured from every part of him, but he’d kissed her goodbye.

“I promise you I’ll come back and I’ll marry you when I do.” He whispered as he lowered his face to hers one final time.

“I can’t promise that I’ll wait for you. In case you haven’t heard, men are dying and by the thousands. What am I to do if I wait for you and you return in a pine box? Marry a corpse? It’s not fair to ask that of me, Dewy. It just isn’t.”

Dewy touched her cheek softly with the back of his knuckle, moved a wayward curl away from her face, and smiled his devilishly handsome smile. His eyes were so blue, she could look at the sky and it would pale in comparison. He was fair-haired and taller than most of the other boys in the town. She’d fallen almost instantly in love with him.  Now he was leaving her for a cause; going off to fight a war that should not be happening, according to his Paw.

“I love you, Ellisa. I will return.” He said with one final touch, squeezing her hand in his just before he ran off to join the other men heading out by train.

Returning her thoughts to the present, she realized she had made her way to the front and was able to read for herself the names on the list. Alphabetically, they were listed. She began to skim the names, stifling back many a tear, of men she knew: Anderson, Carmichael, Donovan, Franc, Holloman, Ingalls, and Jenkins. She paused when she saw Clem’s name. A wayward tear escaped before she could catch it. Ellisa continued reading: Klein, Lancaster. Oh no! Emma knew the name Klein meant somthing to Dewy. His sister, Mary, was married to a boy named Klein. She prayed it wasn't Mary's husband. All of the deceased were boys she’d gone to school with, their brothers, their fathers; all dead. How would tiny Comfort, Texas, ever rebound from a loss as great as this? She was finally to the “M’s.” She read them aloud, softly.

“Matthias, Miller, Monroe, Murphy. No Montgomery." She took in a shuddered breath."No Montgomery. He’s not on the list.” Her hopes soared even as she wiped her tears away. She didn’t know if she was willing to marry him, but at least he was alive as far as anyone knew.

Turning to go, Ellisa spotted Gaius Montgomery in the line. She ran up to him, smiling. “He’s not on the list, Mr. Montgomery. We still have hope.” She said, hugging Miss Tilly, Dewy’s mom, as she said it. Tilly nodded silently, covering her mouth with her hands as a sob caught in her throat. She waved goodbye to Ellisa before turning to her husband.

~~~~~

Gaius Montgomery didn’t show any emotion. He was still, three years later, angry that his boy went against his wishes. Maybe that was a long time to hold onto a grudge, but he wasn’t about to compromise his beliefs. Others in this town had also gone, and where had it landed them? In the grave. He was relieved to hear that his son was alive, but Andrew would not be allowed back in his house again. He’d deliberately disobeyed and gone off to fight. His mother cried nightly in her concern for him, and prayed fervently for his safe return.

“Tilly, shall we go?” Gaius asked. He’d only come to check the list on her urging, and now that they knew his name wasn’t there, they were free to proceed with their day to day tasks.

Matilda, Tilly to everyone who knew her personally, shrugged and wiped a silent tear from her cheek. At least, for now, she could rest and know her boy was safe. It wasn’t so easy for his friend’s family, or many others in this town, but he may come home yet. Her hopes of reconciliation between Dewy and her husband brought fresh tears to her eyes. The man she’d married, and loved, was now a hard-hearted person. He only showed tenderness towards her in their private time together. She hadn’t seen him smile ten times since Andrew marched off.

Tilly made up in her mind that she would pray her son home that day and she had not wavered even once from her goal. Now, she hoped, he was on his way back to her. Gaius would come around, she was sure of it. Maybe she would have to pray for him, more than she already did, to welcome their only son back into his arms and their home. Otherwise, he may die a hurt, old man with no one to love because he drove them all away.

~~~~~

Dewy awoke in a puddle of his own sweat. He’d been dreaming; dreaming about home, about Ellisa, about his father and mother, and the long road from Austin to Comfort. He knew in his mind the journey could take more than a week of walking, but, all the same, his heart wanted to fly over the countryside directly to his backyard.

His dreams most nights were of the bodies, the blood, the screams, and the horrors of war. But last night had been different, and he thanked the Good Lord for that blessing. Too many nights, the battle waged on in his subconscious mind. Ellisa’s beautiful face, dark hair and light green eyes floated before his mind’s eye. He missed her so. He’d written a letter to her every month while he was gone, but he understood her silence, and remitted it to the fact that she was no longer his girl. Letters during war were not often received, and only then if they were able to locate a soldier.

The South had not fared well. In fact, they had lost terribly. He supported the North, because, unlike most towns in Texas, Comfort had supported the Union. It had been settled by abolitionists in the late 1850's and was still growing. His father had not supported the war from either side. This was the whole reason for their estrangement. His days of youth long past, Dewy prayed they could reconcile, but doubted as well.

“Faith has no room for doubt.” His mother used to tell him when he was a boy. He could hear her voice so clearly, he would’ve sworn she was sitting behind him. He missed his mother so. He knew his life was held up solely by her prayers. Returning to her would be bittersweet if his father refused to recognize his existence. He found a way to pen a letter, informing them that he was indeed still alive and returning to Comfort post-haste.

The idea that he was returning gave him a reason to smile. He would win his father’s heart again. They had been so close before. He was sure that would return once his father saw him safe and sound at home.

Released just yesterday, he was anxious to get back, but with the railroads incapacitated in so many areas, the journey would be much longer than the several days it took by train. He hoped for coaches, but was resigned to walking for most of his journey. Maybe he’d be home by Christmas, Lord willing. Dewy sighed as he rolled his sleeping gear and what little food he had and started walking West, with the sun at his back, towards home. A silent prayer went to heaven that he would be welcomed with open arms when he did finally arrive.