It was 1863 when my father and brother went off to fight in the Civil War. I was 16 years old, and my brother was 19. We lived in a small house in Loudon, Tennessee. My mom was scared for our safety since we would be on our own, but I knew that she would be safe with me.
Despite girls not being allowed to fight in wars, I was trained by my father to be a soldier. I was almost as good as my brother, in fact. Of course, I would never tell my mother this unless absolutely necessary. She believed that girls should always be helpful and kind and gentle. She always seems like she has her corset on a bit too tight.
The day my brother and father left was harder for my mother than it was for me. Although, she was worried about herself more than them. She simply told them goodbye and prayed that God be with them. I held each of them in a long embrace and promised them I would take care of mother.
My brother, Evian pulled me aside just as he was about to leave. He kissed me lightly on my head and said, "take care, Evy (He calls me Evy since he could never pronounce the name "Evelyn" when he was little). Keep mother in check while I'm gone, okay?"
"Okay," I said quietly. "You're going to have keep an eye on father at all times, then."
"He's the one who needs to keep an eye on me," he chuckled.
He held onto me one last time before he and our father started their journey. Little did I know, I would never truly see my father or brother again.
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Blood Rose
Ficción históricaOnce upon a time, a story was written about a flower. But it was not just any flower. It was a rose. After this story, many others followed, and each was unique. However, every story shared two common denominators: the red rose, and a young girl. So...
