Sugar Fields

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The rest of that next day was mostly spent packing.  I had allot to bring along and two moderately sized bags to put it all in.  I felt a tinge of sorrow as the sun started to set and my room began to look bare.  This had been the only home I had ever known and now I was leaving it.  I tried to cheer myself up with thoughts of a new life in Boston with Trip, but somehow everything was tainted with feelings of sorrow.  That made the hours between sunset and bedtime seem to be endless.  I thought I would never get away from Aurora’s ever disapproving stares.  My sister was giving new meaning to the term “stink eye”.  As the evening wore on her actions were increasingly becoming more juvenile and intolerable.  It was almost as if she was pushing me to leave.
The house was completely quiet when I slid into bed, it was a little after eleven.  I lay there for a few minutes wondering what Trip was doing and what he had planned.  Then one of my windows began to open.  I could barely contain the glee welling up in my throat.  It was Trip, he smiled broadly at me and I almost jumped from my bed.  He slowly closed the window and motioned for me to be quiet and stay where I was.  As he crept towards me he began removing his shoes and clothing.  He was wearing only his underwear when he slid under the covers and took me in his arms.  I kissed him excitedly and hugged his body so tight that it hurt my arms.  He let out a quiet little laugh and whispered.
“If I didn’t know better kitten, I’d think you missed me or something.”
I smiled playfully and pretended to push him away. 
“Now why on earth would I miss an arrogant Yankee like you?”
This prompted him to laugh again.  Then he drew me close and nuzzled his face into my hair.  His words were soft and sweet in my ear.
“God I have missed you.  I thought this day was never going to end.  I did not think I would make it until tonight.  I almost showed up on the doorstep this afternoon.” 
I smiled broadly as he rose up and looked at me, his voice sounded soft and tender as he continued speaking.
“I am so glad to be here with you.  I thought my heart was going to beat right out of my chest as I waited anxiously outside for all the lights to go out in your house.” 
Then he leaned into kiss me and whispered.
“I love you beautiful.”
I smiled, pulled away from him and spoke softly into his ear.
“I love you to handsome.  More than you will ever know.” 
That night we again made passionate love.  Then we lay in bed whispering adoringly to each other.  There would be no sleep for either of us that night.  When sunlight began to beam through my window, he miserably started to get dressed.  Every one of his movements were reluctant and forced.  I could tell that he did not want to leave.  I sat up beside him and kissed his shoulder.  I tried to keep an uplifting tone in my voice.  I did not want him to sense my heartache.
“No worries, remember?”  We will see each other soon.”
He turned to me and smiled.
“Sounds like somebody has been listening.”
I grinned and batted my eyes.
“Not too much, just a little!”
He smiled broadly and surprised me as he grabbed my waist and pushed me back on the bed.  For a moment, he lay on top of me smiling down mischievously.  I knew he was up to something.  After a few seconds, he spoke and his voice sounded playful. 
“I see you got your train ticket.” 
I smiled as I responded.
“Looks like somebody has been snooping!”
He winked and grinned as he said.
“Not too much, just a little!”
We both laughed, and then he kissed me one last time before he sat up and started putting on his shirt.  I watched him get dressed and my heart sank, it was always so hard to watch him leave.  As he got to the window he blew me a kiss and whispered.
“I love you”
I smiled and whispered it back.
Then he was gone.
I slept until noon that day.  I was exhausted.  Izzy came in my window sometime after lunch.  She had a wide knowing smile on her face.  I could tell by the look in her eye she knew something.  I addressed her cautiously.
“You look like you’ve got some gossip.  Spill it my dear little sister.”
She continued smiling and inched toward my bed.  I quickly grew tired of her silence.
“Are you going to talk or what?”
She stopped and stared at me with a wounded look.  She chose her words carefully.
“Dang, you sure are grumpy.  I didn’t figure you would be so moody after I saw Trip sneaking out of here this morning.”
I sat up in bed wide eyed and shot her a “you better keep your mouth shut” look.  She smiled and giggled out.
“I’m not going to say a word.  I’m happy for you.  Besides, I am really enjoying the fact that Aurora finally isn’t going to get what she wants.”
I opened my arms and motioned for her to come get a hug.  She accepted gladly.  I embraced her and joyfully told her thank you.  The tone in her voice became excited and curious.
“So, tell me all about it.  Is it the most wonderful feeling to be in love?”
I nodded yes and smiled. 
“Yes it is the most wonderful feeling.  I cannot even begin to explain it.  It is wonderful and frightening all at the same time.  I’m really scared Izzy, I wish Daddy didn’t hate the Huntington’s so much.”
She furrowed her brow and did her best impression of a knowing look.
“I know what you mean Avery.”  Then she smiled.  She did not have a clue how I was feeling but she wanted to be supportive and feel grown up so I humored her.  I smiled broadly as I teased her.
“Oh really now?  You would not by any chance have suddenly acquired all of this understanding because of a certain young and bookishly handsome young Huntington named Johnny?  Y’all seemed rather chummy at the party” 
She blushed profusely and picked up a pillow to smack me with it.  Then we both giggled and sat back on the bed.  She stayed in my room and we talked for a while.  It was nice to be able to tell her about Trip and how much I loved him.  After a few hours, we started to get hungry.  I got dressed and then we wandered down stairs for a bite to eat.  The day seemed to pass quickly, but hardly fast enough.  I avoided Aurora and she tried her best to let me know I was truly loathed.  Eventually this day ended like all the rest before it and I waited anxiously for Trip to crawl through my window.  Like clockwork, he did so just after eleven.  It became another night of passion and another morning of sadness.  We went on like that for the next few days, nights or passion, mornings full of sad goodbyes.  It broke my heart a little more every time he left. 
Then came the day when I was to leave for Boston.  I was beyond nervous and still did not have a clue what Trip had planned, when he left that morning he refused to tell me his plans.  He told me I just had to trust him, so I did, reluctantly.  I got dressed that afternoon in my smartest and most grown up looking outfit.  I did not want anyone on the train to take advantage of me because they thought I was a child.  I said my goodbyes to Izzy, and Ruthie at the house.  They both cried, as did I.  Aurora was nowhere to be seen when it came time for me to leave and I was not at all surprised, I figured she would find some dramatic way to make my departure about her.
Momma and Daddy took me to the train station.  As we passed the Sugar Fields city limit sign, I memorized what it said.  “Thanks for visiting Sugar Fields!  The sweetest little place you could ever call home.”  I turned around and stared out the back window so that I could read the back of it.  “Welcome to Sugar Fields, pop. 1231.”  As I turned around in my seat I thought to myself.  “Not anymore, it’s now Sugar Fields, pop. 1230.” 
When we got to the station I tried to be strong but my emotions got the best of me. I began to cry as we said our goodbyes.  I had never been on any kind of trip by myself.  At that point, I had never even been north of the Mason Dixon line.  I was frightened and worried, but I tried to keep a tough exterior.  As I stepped off of the platform and onto the train I suddenly felt like a little kid.  I turned and waved to my parents one last time.  They both looked proud and somber.  The conductor immediately took my ticket and pointed me in the direction of the dinning car.  I wandered aimlessly through the brightly lit interior of the train.  It was immaculately clean and luxurious.  Wine colored velvet adorned the chairs and curtains.  The table and windows were lined in brass and gold.  It all seemed so grown up and expensive.  I stopped for a moment to admire the uniqueness of it all.  Then a rather irritated looking man in a black uniform pushed me from behind and instructed me to move along.  I apologized and did as I was told.  I followed the signs that pointed me toward the cabin area.  I walked though a doorway and down a long dreary hallway of doors and windows.  I finally found my cabin toward the end.  It was a small little room with an even smaller bathroom and extremely uninviting features.  I hated it the minute I saw it.  Even worse was the fact that it was to be my home for the next two days.  The gray interior was depressing and I fought back a nervous bout of tears.  I had to sit down for a moment and I tried taking slow calming breaths to ease my nerves.  Within minutes the whole place shook and I was jolted forward.  A whistle blew in the distance and I could feel the wheels turning beneath the train.  I opened my door and looked out the window that lay parallel to my cabin.  The train was slowly pulling away from the station.  My heart sank as I left behind my old life.  For a split second a part of me wanted to run from the train and jump into Momma’s arms crying like a baby.  Then something inside me whispered.  “No, you are no longer a child.  You must be strong.”  With one last long and depleted sigh I shut my cabin door and headed back toward the dinning car.  By this time the train was moving along smoothly.  When I reached my intended destination, I took a seat at a table and watched miserably as the breathtaking Texas countryside whisked by my window.  It was taking every ounce of my strength to keep my composure and not start crying.
I had been there for only minutes when a familiar voice sent a surge of happiness through me.
“A beautiful woman like you should never look so sad or travel alone.  What’s the problem kitten?” 
I looked up at Trip and immediately began to cry big alligator tears of joy.  I felt like such a fool but I could not help it.  Between leaving Sugar Fields and missing him I had taken about all my poor heart could take.  I had never been so happy to see someone in my life.  He looked alarmed and slid into the booth next to me.  He placed his arm around my shoulders and whispered.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.  I thought you would be happy to see me.  I ‘m sorry if I scared you, I didn’t know you took surprises like this.”
I smiled idiotically and looked at him through tear-filled eyes.  My words were almost inaudible as I sputtered them out between sobs.
“I’m…happy…I’m …glad your…here…it…has…just …been…a rough day.”
I felt like such a fool.  He began to laugh uncontrollably.  Which in turn made me start laughing.  After a few moments of this I was better.  He reached up and wiped the tears from my face.  I knew I had to look horrifying.  I tried to straighten myself up.  He smiled at me broadly and leaned in close to my ear.  His words were a glorious whisper.
“You could not be anymore beautiful then you are right now.”
As he pulled away I kissed him and then blushed when I realized a couple in the corner were watching us.  He followed my gaze to where they were sitting and then started to laugh.  I looked at him bewildered as he said.
“See, isn’t it nice to be able to be together out in the open where people can gawk at us.”  I chuckled softly, completely mortified.
“Oh yes, this is wonderful.  It would be much better if I hadn’t started sobbing like a lunatic.”
This prompted him to hug me close and lean in for another kiss.  Before he pressed his lips to mine he whispered.
“Well at least you’re my lunatic.  So what do you say we give them something to stare at?”