Free Civilized Love by Diane Collier Page B

babying him now. He’s a trader and the William you loved is dead to this family. You remember that good woman!”
    As Gerry stormed from the house, the room fell silent. Margaret, who’d been outside entered the house and frowned at her sister. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself Caroline!” Then with nurturing eyes she looked at William and said “Come son. You can stay with me” she said. Feeling the loss of his family, William agreed and went with Margaret’s to stay.
     
    #
     

After, what felt like 20 years of much needed sleep, William awoke feeling almost as young as he was before the war. Yet, something inside of him felt hallowed out. Most men returned with different men; shells of their former selves. The house was quiet and bare. Then, stepping outside, he could hear the bustle of the city and decided to board his horse and rode along until he entered the main road of the city. There, he found a small restaurant that was serving his favorite southern breakfast items.
    He hadn’t noticed anything strange when he first entered the restaurant, but then one of the fellows recognized him and sneered. “It’s one of them damn yanks!”
    “Damn Yanks!” the people growled. “Fool don’t belong here…”
    Suddenly William became aware of the cold, chilling daggers of their death sneering eyes, but William kept his cool and walked by them until he found a table of his own; away from the immediate eyes of the ‘Southern Gentlemen’ .
    He confidently sat down and then began to read the local paper. It talked of the war and the new life of the south. He was pleased, but it was keenly apparent that was not a shared view at this restaurant.
    As he read the paper, he heard a sweet voice say “Coffee sir?”
    “Yes please” he said. At first he didn’t make contact, but continued to speak until he noticed the darkened hand as she poured the dark brew. As he looked into her young face, he noticed immediately that she was young… and vaguely familiar. Strolling through his memory, he final remembered the name of the little girl he’d played with all those years ago… was it her? He had to ask... “Denny?”
    She looked confused as he sized her up. The young girl had grown into a beautiful woman, although he could see that there was some pain hidden behind her beautiful facade.
    “Do I know you?” she asked.
    “It’s me, William Jacobs” he replied.
    “Oh William, of course!” She smiled with fond memory.
    “How are you Denny?” he asked.
    “I’m good William. How are you?”
    “Good” he smiled. “Say…where’s Sammy at? I should go say…” suddenly the look in her eyes caught him cold in his tracks.
    Tears were in her eyes. “War got him” she sniffed softly, trying to hold back the tears.
    “Oh gees Denny, I am so sorry” William’s sincerity was real.
    As he consoled Denny, a big fellow name Bud—who’d been listening nearby—spoke up and said. “Good, one less nigger!”
    “Shut your mouth!” William scolded. “Not in front of the lady!”
    “Lady? I don’t see no lady” he groaned.
    “Seriously Bud, cool it. The war’s over. She’s free. Move on!”
    “She may be free from slavery, but then again, she may be free for a good fuck too, right?”
    William was ticked and stood tall quickly, knocking his chair over. The rise caught the attention of everyone in the restaurant. “Listen Bud, I am asking you… stop it. Now!”
    “Or what?”
    “Or I will be laying some big white Yankee kick assing whipping all over your big fat ugly southern one!”
    The big man jumped to his feet and immediately stood toe to toe with William.
    “Back off!” William insisted, placing Denny behind him.
    “You got a big mouth for a fucking yank!” the man said forcefully, shoving William slightly.
    William lost his footing and fell back, causing one man to spill his beer.
    “Who shoved me?!”
    Denny jumped in. “It was an accident…William was shoved…”
    “Shut up