The Rite Twins

5: Abole

Abole

In the town of Abole, everyone is happy. They’ve been quite happy for fifty years. Oh, this town has seen some troubled times since it’s settlement in early 1862. The Civil War had begun almost a year previous, and the Abolitionists of the area were conspiring to overthrow their Confederate government. It never worked. Several citizens were taken as prisoners, while the rest were left behind without a hope of safety, and very little hope of moving North. If they moved north, the Unionists would certainly think them Confederates and kill them. No, the citizens of Abole stayed put until the end of the Civil War, and were quite pleased with the results.

During Reconstruction, a plethora of former slaves found their way to this small town. There was a mixture of Christianity, from both the African descendants and the white-Americans, as well as ancient African religions and voodoos. Abole saw many people throughout the years. Women’s Suffrage and World Wars passed with Abole living the lives everyone else led.

In 1950, the Korean War broke out, and many of the town’s men left, most of their wives and children leaving with them. 9 people were left behind.

There was Abraham Goldman, the innkeeper. Abraham had seen both World Wars from the outside world. He lost his oldest son in World War One, and his youngest in World War Two. His wife died after the war ended. In 1946, she was found lifeless in her bed with tears running down her face. She had died of a broken heart. The following year, Abraham moved to Abole, where his eldest sister Edna had been living.

Edna Goldman had never married, and lived alone in a house on the edge of town. Many of the townspeople liked Edna. She was warm and caring, and never bothered anybody about their business. However, she was quite known for bothering people about somebody else’s business. In Abole there were no secrets, not with Edna around. Now, with her brother running Abole Inn, she knew about every person that passed through this small town.

George Hollow was the local grounds caretaker. George took care of anything that was publicly displayed. Flowers and trees planted in town were to be approved by him, and most often were because most often he planted them. He owned the flower and garden shop in the small village as well. Around the side of the town was a park that led to the cliffs, and George tended the park as well.

George had a daughter, Kaelie. By this time, she had grown to be a lovely young woman with flowing brown hair. During her teenage years, which were not far behind, she had enchanted the boys. However, most of the town had become boys, for the older folks of Abole had moved to some retirement spot, or found larger jobs in the big cities. Now the boys and their new young wives were away to a new war. Kaelie was left alone with her newborn son, Michael.

Michael’s father was the brother of a young girl named Marlina. Matthew never knew about his child. He had been recruited long before Kaelie herself knew she was pregnant. However, Marlina Falco and Kaelie became very close throughout the years after Matthew left, and Marlina became Michael’s link to the father he would never know. Marlina herself had inherited the town grocery store and took care of it with her sister Cassandra.

Cassandra was a young girl when their parent’s died. It was very sudden. Their car had managed to lose control on the side of a cliff, and the car fell several hundred feet down and exploded. Cassandra never feared their death though. She seemed to forebode it actually, telling her parents of how great her love was frequently the week previous to the accident. She often knew things others didn’t. Cassandra liked secrets. The citizens of Abole didn’t like that too much, but Marlina protected her sister. She felt responsible for her completely since their parents’ deaths.

Courtney Rowley and Adrian Garnier were much too young to join the army when the war started. Abraham, the innkeeper, gave board to the boys in his house on the hill, next to his sisters. They went to school in a city outside of Abole. Both boys were orphans, and had been adopted by Abraham and his wife at the beginning of the war, when they were very young children. Courtney was a blond boy who often minded his own business. Adrian, with his dark hair and green eyes, often caused mischief, and played many pranks at night. Like Cassandra, Adrian had secrets. Abole was never very fond of secrets.