Weeping Willows

The Closest Betrayals Cause the Biggest Sorrows

Chapter 25

"Thank you for agreeing to speak with me Lizzy." Agnes's statement caused Elizabeth to be taken aback momentarily. This was a completely different woman then the one who argued with her sister all the time. This woman was composed, calm, and almost professional in her demeanor.

"What can I do for you Agnes?"

"All I ask is that you don't judge my sister Bertha too harshly. She admires your spunk girl and it would hurt her if you thought ill of her too." Intrigued Elizabeth leaned closer allowing Agnes to see she was listening.

"Why on earth would I think ill of her?" With a heavy sigh Agnes looked down and twisted her fingers in nervousness.

"Bertha's different from others and many, including our own father, have treated her poorly because of it."

"Go on."

"You see it's my fault that my sister drinks. I left her to our parent's tender care when I met the man who I married. Bertha had been hiding her difference from everyone and I never knew what pain she was in until it was too late. My sister was never destined to get married and start a family of her own one day. She bats for the other team you see and like Alice said it was a different time back then. I suppose I should have figured it out early on but when a boy flirted with her, she would flirt back. She joined in on our discussions of latest crushes and talks of what our married lives would be like one day. Maybe at that time she was confused herself, or maybe she was just in denial. It's hard to be sure what was going through her head then and bringing it up now would only dredge up a painful past for her."

Elizabeth was floored, it took a moment for Agnes's words to sink in but once they did, she was horrified. When she saw the two of them the first day, like everyone else she had assumed they were both fighting for the orderly's affections. She had dismissed it as that and hadn't thought it was anything more. How wrong she had been about more then one of these people.

"I confess Agnes after the first time I met the two of you I had no idea that she wasn't flirting with that male nurse." Agnes burst out laughing at her.

"Oh, honey she was. She could care less about getting him because obviously he isn't her type if you get my meaning. Bertha was doing that partially I believe to keep him away from me and partially because that was the way she was made to act in a way. Daddy never raised her to be a harlot by any means, but he expected her to want a husband one day and any time she acted otherwise, Bertha was disciplined for it. All of us siblings had moved away and by the time we figured out what was going on the damage was done. My husband, James, and I had been away for nearly two years ourselves after we were first married. Upon our first visit home I found my sister very much a changed person. The vibrant girl who use to have shy smiles and such a bubbly personality was cold and distant. Her whole world had become about what was practical and expected. And of course, she had developed a taste for liquor. I think it was what she used to chase her demons away."

"How does Margaret fit into all of this?" Elizabeth asked fearing the worst, but it wasn't nearly bad enough.

"Margaret was Bertha's best friend growing up. The two of them were inseparable once. When we all left Margaret was the only person Bertha could turn to. She thought that being like a sister she would be understanding and accept her the way she was. Bertha was very wrong. She agreed with our father just not with his methods. Margaret turned to religion thinking she could use the bible to make her normal. The more Bertha fought the two of them the more of a fanatic Margaret became until she no longer resembled the friend Bertha once knew and had trusted. It broke my sister's heart to lose her best friend in the whole world."