Rebel Heart: (Swept Away) Of Life and Love during the American Civil War

She wanted that boy

At last, she was finished with her chores. Her menfolk, her two brothers and her father, were fed. Even their slave Marcus had eaten, and she had cleaned up the dishes. Now she could visit Sarah, her closest friend.

"Going to Sarah's" she yelled to her dad as she unlatched the fence gate. Jenny made a pretty sight as she walked along the road. Hair of a definitely reddish hue, height maybe five foot three, if she stood straight and tall, blue eyes tinged with grey, a wasp waist, and hips that seemed to her a little too wide. Walking the short mile to her house, she rued that she had been eager to take up all the work of her deceased mother. She had fairly pushed out Marcus, their slave. At an early age, she wanted to prove she was capable. Well, she was capable all right, but now she realized it was all just so much work.

She smiled as she walked along the road, keeping out of the wagon ruts. Sarah was so much like her, a year older, both had two brothers. Just one big difference, Sarah had a mom. Not only was it great to have a mother, it was a lot easier.

"Hi, Mrs. Foster," she said after knocking and entering.

"Well, hello, Jenny. I think Sarah's out back watering the garden."

Jenny went through the back door, and immediately waved with a smile to her friend.

Sarah set down the watering can and came up to her. A pretty girl, light brown hair, a cute figure. Jenny liked that she seemed to be almost always in good spirits. "Hi, Jenny. Glad they let you escape for a while. So happy you came over."

"Yeah, wish there was more time. Heard about Anna Marie's wedding. You're going, aren't you?"

The two girls sat down on the two benches, angled on both sides of the back door. "I wouldn't miss it. She's not all that much older than us, and getting married already. I hope you're going too."

Jenny leaned back on the bench. She was already a bit tired from all the work she had done that day. "Yes, I want to go. Just can't stand to wear the same dress. I mean, it's the only good dress I own, but you and everyone else has seen me wearing it at least a hundred times."

"Oh, silly," she answered, reaching forward to pat her knee. "Who cares what you wear. It's you we like, not the dress."

"I'm embarrassed. It's not like we're poor. I'm sure if I had a mother she would understand and probably even make me one. But my dad, I just don't think he gets it."

"I know what you mean. Men are just dense about those things. All they think about is the farm, the animals, and getting what they want, like maybe a new buggy or horse."

Jenny looked down, dejected. "You're right," she spoke. "Maybe if I talk to him he would let me buy some fabric. I could make the dress myself. After all, I make their clothes."

Sarah suddenly looked bright eyed. "I know. Your eighteenth birthday is coming up, right?"

Jenny nodded yes.

"Well, your dad might not have any idea of what to get you. Just tell him to let you buy some pretty cloth for a dress. Surely he would let you do that and then he wouldn't have to wonder what to get you."

"If he remembered at all. Yes, that might work," she said, beginning to smile. She moved to be next to Sarah and gave her a hug. "Sarah, you have the best ideas!"

"I work at it," she answered with a grin.

There were other things they talked about that evening, before Jenny walked home in darkness. One was the talk of almost everyone—the breakup of the Union. Already, five southern states had seceded. Talk was, there would be war. What worried both Jenny and Sarah was that both of their brothers were of fighting age. The chance that they could be killed was already on their minds.

Jenny had a tough life. At least she thought so. Her mother died early and she was left with a father, two older brothers, and a slave. She didn't like the slave, at first. He was a young skinny kid when he came, she remembered. Her father bought him at a good price. The thing is, Marcus had learned cooking from his mother, and his job was to cook their meals and teach her how to do it. Well, she didn't like that at all when she was young. Having to take directions from a Negro. But now, things were different. She was almost eighteen, and did all the cooking now while Marcus helped her father and brothers on the farm.

Daniel was the one who really bothered her. The boy she had a crush on since they met at the one room schoolhouse. The one in whose arms she woke up in when she fainted. She should not have fallen for him. After all, he was almost three years older. That was then, at the one room schoolhouse.

They were both finished with school now, and yet he would still make her heart beat faster whenever he was near. What really irritated her was when she would see him passing by on his horse and buggy on his way to court Samantha. He would wave if he saw her. Probably didn't even know, thought Jenny, that he was breaking her heart. She wanted that boy.

Author's note: But is she going to get him? Hang on, for so much is going to be happening in this story. Hope you liked this part.

Buggy: Any type of carriage, two wheelers, four wheels, drawn by one horse, two, or even four. Simple, one or two seats, or something fancy and big as a stagecoach with curtains and doors. Some still speak of cars with so much "horse power." This is where that comes from.