Emerging Writers. Historical Fiction by Mary Ann DiLorenzo

Journeying Back to What Used to Be.  Part 14.

Percy died early that morning. When Johnny reported to the feed and seed for work at seven o’clock as usual, he was surprised to see Percy’s wife there. She never came to the feed and seed anymore now that Percy spent most of his time in happy leisure. She told Johnny Percy’s heart finally gave out after threatening all these years. She also told him she was packing up the business until she could find a buyer. And that was that.

Johnny’s life was turned upside down, his young business career over. “Good thing I saved what I could,” Johnny thought as he turned back toward home. “Poor Percy, he didn’t have much time to sit back and enjoy life in the end,” and then Johnny remembered all those boys he knew, so many cut down in the war before they could even make a start in life, much less fathom retirement. “Now just like them, Percy’s gone too.”

He walked slowly toward home on that dusty dirt road, allowing himself to get lost in days gone by. “Funny how it all goes so fast and changes so quickly,” he mused, “like me and Emily.” And he relived that day once again, the day he went off to war and left her standing there. He went to take the worn out letter from his pocket, like he had done so many times over the ensuing years, but he stopped. He hadn’t done that before.

Walking down that dusty road, he could point out every nook and cranny of it, it had held his life for so long. Around that bend was the old fishing hole, straight ahead was the spot wherehe shot his first squirrel, on the other side of those woods was the old schoolhouse and past that was the church. Emily lived just past the two mile marker. No more fishing hole, schoolhouse, church or Emily. The war took it all away, in one way or another. The innocence, Johnny guessed it was, of those days had been stolen by that cruel war. Lives lost, lives changed, lives scarred forever.

“No more of this thinkin’,” Johnny said out loud, “got to figure out where to go from here.”

Journeying Back to What Used to Be.  Original historical fiction that follows a Confederate soldier back from War.  Delivered in brief vignettes, the series depicts this defining time in the history of our nation.  Follow this Civil War Story About Going Home.

Journeying Back to What Used to Be, Part 1 

Journeying Back to What Used to Be, Part 2

Journeying Back to What Used to Be, Part 3

Journeying Back to What Used to Be, Part 4

Journeying Back to What Used to Be, Part 5

Journeying Back to What Used to Be, Part 6 & 7

Journeying Back to What Used to Be, Part 8

Journeying Back to What Used to Be, Part 9

Journeying Back to What Used to Be, Part 10 

Journeying Back to What Used to Be, Part 11

Journeying Back to What Used to Be, Part 12

Journeying Back to What Used to Be, Part 13

Journeying Back to What Used to Be, Part 14 (This one)