Read Online When Autumn Leaves: A Novel by Amy S. Foster - Free Book Online
Authors: Amy S. Foster
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her head in surprise. She didn’t recognize the young woman, who was wearing an obviously store-bought, light pink dress and floppy straw hat that shaded her eyes from the mountain’s haze. As she came closer, Stella could see that despite her clothes, she had a somewhat mousy complexion. Her cheeks were flushed from either the weather or the walk, or both.
The woman stopped dead in front of Stella and, in a small, quiet voice, said, “Oh, hello. I’m looking for a woman named Pearl Darling. Does she live here?”
“You walk all the way up here?” asked Stella.
“Oh no, I drove most of the way, but then . . . the road just ended, and . . . ”
“Yeah, ’cause them’s not very good shoes for walkin’.”
“I’m sorry, I hate to be rude, but I’m just about dyin’ of thirst. Could you please tell me if Pearl Darling lives here?” The young woman did look awfully faint, and Stella felt a stab of guilt that she hadn’t acted more hospitably. Just as she was about to call out for her grandmother, Pearl appeared in the doorway. She could be a fierce-looking woman when she wanted to, and she was coolly reserved when it came to city folks. It all depended on who sent them to her, and whether or not they could make peace with the mountain. The mountain was an excellent judge of character, repelling those who weren’t strong enough, clinging to those who were. The stranger blanched at the old woman’s unflinching appraisal.
“Humph, who sent you here?” Pearl asked.
“Marj Pennybaker.” The city woman’s face cracked into a tentative smile. “She also said you’d be as mean as a polecat till I told you it was her.”
At that, Pearl smiled widely. Marj was Pearl’s first cousin, who had grown up on the mountain but married a preacher from town. “She’s a hoot, that ole lady,” Pearl said. “I tell ya, that Billy Pennybaker married our Marj so he could love the heathen ways right on out of her, and she married him just to prove that God didn’t live in no church.”
The woman, looking a little embarrassed, smoothed out her dress over her knees. “Ahem. Mrs. Darling, I don’t want to take up too much of your time. I understand you’re a very busy woman, but Marj suggested you might be able to help me, and truth be told I’m at my wit’s end.”
“Well, if Marj sent y’all up here, it must be important. She don’t usually send no one up this way. Jis go on an’ tell me what’s weighin’ on you so heavy. Don’t worry, I save the judgin’ to God.”
“You don’t know me, Mrs. Darling . . .”
“Call me Pearl.”
“Well, Miss Pearl, I’m very pleased to meet you. My name’s Dolores, Dolores McDonald.” The woman smoothed her dress again, a little nervously. “You don’t know me, Miss Pearl, but if you did, you’d know that comin’ up here is just about the bravest thing I’ve done in my whole life.”
Dolores looked up at Granny Pearl, as if for encouragement, but Granny Pearl just stared back. Dolores would have to spit out her whole problem on her own.
“The thing is,” she said tentatively. “I feel like . . . Well, I feel like my whole life is a movie and I’m just watchin’ it happen. I try to get involved with things but . . . I don’t fit right. It’s like . . . like I’m not too good at makin’ decisions, and then before I know it other people make ’em for me. I just kind of let life spill around me, and then nothin’ quite goes right.”
Granny Pearl gave Dolores a shrewd look. “What do you mean, darlin’?”
Dolores chewed on the corner of her mouth. It took a second or two before she began again. “Well . . . the truth is I don’t feel comfortable in my own skin. Especially when it comes to men. Whatever I say, sounds right in my own head, but ends up comin’ out totally wrong.” Dolores leaned back after that, obviously close to tears. “I know this is going to sound crazy, but I feel like I’m trapped where someone else is supposed to
The woman stopped dead in front of Stella and, in a small, quiet voice, said, “Oh, hello. I’m looking for a woman named Pearl Darling. Does she live here?”
“You walk all the way up here?” asked Stella.
“Oh no, I drove most of the way, but then . . . the road just ended, and . . . ”
“Yeah, ’cause them’s not very good shoes for walkin’.”
“I’m sorry, I hate to be rude, but I’m just about dyin’ of thirst. Could you please tell me if Pearl Darling lives here?” The young woman did look awfully faint, and Stella felt a stab of guilt that she hadn’t acted more hospitably. Just as she was about to call out for her grandmother, Pearl appeared in the doorway. She could be a fierce-looking woman when she wanted to, and she was coolly reserved when it came to city folks. It all depended on who sent them to her, and whether or not they could make peace with the mountain. The mountain was an excellent judge of character, repelling those who weren’t strong enough, clinging to those who were. The stranger blanched at the old woman’s unflinching appraisal.
“Humph, who sent you here?” Pearl asked.
“Marj Pennybaker.” The city woman’s face cracked into a tentative smile. “She also said you’d be as mean as a polecat till I told you it was her.”
At that, Pearl smiled widely. Marj was Pearl’s first cousin, who had grown up on the mountain but married a preacher from town. “She’s a hoot, that ole lady,” Pearl said. “I tell ya, that Billy Pennybaker married our Marj so he could love the heathen ways right on out of her, and she married him just to prove that God didn’t live in no church.”
The woman, looking a little embarrassed, smoothed out her dress over her knees. “Ahem. Mrs. Darling, I don’t want to take up too much of your time. I understand you’re a very busy woman, but Marj suggested you might be able to help me, and truth be told I’m at my wit’s end.”
“Well, if Marj sent y’all up here, it must be important. She don’t usually send no one up this way. Jis go on an’ tell me what’s weighin’ on you so heavy. Don’t worry, I save the judgin’ to God.”
“You don’t know me, Mrs. Darling . . .”
“Call me Pearl.”
“Well, Miss Pearl, I’m very pleased to meet you. My name’s Dolores, Dolores McDonald.” The woman smoothed her dress again, a little nervously. “You don’t know me, Miss Pearl, but if you did, you’d know that comin’ up here is just about the bravest thing I’ve done in my whole life.”
Dolores looked up at Granny Pearl, as if for encouragement, but Granny Pearl just stared back. Dolores would have to spit out her whole problem on her own.
“The thing is,” she said tentatively. “I feel like . . . Well, I feel like my whole life is a movie and I’m just watchin’ it happen. I try to get involved with things but . . . I don’t fit right. It’s like . . . like I’m not too good at makin’ decisions, and then before I know it other people make ’em for me. I just kind of let life spill around me, and then nothin’ quite goes right.”
Granny Pearl gave Dolores a shrewd look. “What do you mean, darlin’?”
Dolores chewed on the corner of her mouth. It took a second or two before she began again. “Well . . . the truth is I don’t feel comfortable in my own skin. Especially when it comes to men. Whatever I say, sounds right in my own head, but ends up comin’ out totally wrong.” Dolores leaned back after that, obviously close to tears. “I know this is going to sound crazy, but I feel like I’m trapped where someone else is supposed to
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