Memories, a short story ( oh really?)

Memories
By: thea Paarup
From a distance all to be seen is a lone figure standing, her skirts blowing in the wind. Moving closer, six fresh mounds of earth are visible. Closer inspection reveals the figure is a young woman, four months with child. Within the folds or her skirt is a young girl, looking up at her sister Chloe’s stunning face, striped with dirt and tears. Marie was only five when her mama died. The center of her world was now lying in one of the six mounds along with Marie’s seven year old brother Jack, her Papa, Tamara her sister, Tamara’s husband Jean, Matthew, Chloe’s husband of four and a half months. Marie stood grasping her sisters skirts understanding completely that her Mama was gone.

Chloe’s back ached; she had no one to help her move the bodies, no one to dig the grave, no one to bury her family, no one but God. She had no idea how she would survive. With no men to work the farm, there would be no money to pay the mortgage. then she would have nowhere to live, nowhere to give her baby life, nowhere to grow a garden to feed her sister. She was alone and she felt it. She let the shovel drop; it made a dull thud as it fell on the nearest mound. Hastily Chloe knelt, picking it up she patted the grave, as she did the earth fell away revealing the silver bracelet Matthew had given her as a sign of their union. With a silent tear she stood and slipped the bracelet on.
“ Why did you go oh my darling?
Why did you leave me my friend?
Why am I stuck here without you?
To live to my bitter end.”
My life is an opened grave
My soul is a rotting corpse
My heart is a place were no love is
Cause you left me on my own” her heart sang these words, for her mouth could not form them. Tears streamed down her face once more, as she drowned herself in self-pity
She felt a small hand clutch her skirt. Wiping the tears from her eye’s she looked down Chloe saw the sad and studious eyes of her sister looking up at her.

“Chloe, mama go away, I miss her.” the sad declarative tone bit at Chloe’s heart.
The child’s soulful eyes, looking so deep into Chloe’s sent a feeling of hopelessness course through her body, she had to look away.
“Come on Marie, Chloe’s got to make some food, and then we will go.”
“Where go to Chloe?’ Marie said, hanging her head.
“To wherever God leads us Marie, to wherever God leads us.” The last half of the sentence whispered quietly to herself.
“That’s what you say. Chloe, do you think God will lead us hear?”
“ I don’t know Marie, Perhaps”
Chloe’s insides were like ice, odd for such a warm, sunny day. She could now see the two room cottage looming on the hill. The house seemed to be fine, but Chloe knew it would hold the haunts of her memories. Reminders of what had once been, happiness. She could not stay in the house for her ghost like memories, and the bitter pain would surely kill her. If not the memories then the Mortgage would.
“ Oh, and don’t worry God will pay the mortgage.” Marie said, paused for a second in her walk. Chloe stood thunderstruck.
“Who said anything about a mortgage?” Chloe said turning to look Marie in the face.
“Papa was always sad about the mortgage. I told him God would pay it”
“Marie.“ Chloe gently held Marie by the shoulders looking her in the eye. “Dearest money is of no importance to God he doesn’t need it” with those word she felt the emptiness pinch her heart, only to be released again, by the pureness of a child’s faith.
“But we do Chloe, and God wills to take care of us, so why shouldn’t he care about money? ” as soon as these word were spoken Chloe knew in her heart everything would be fine.
In the distance Chloe herd the sound of an approaching buggy.
“ Marie go inside dearest.” Chloe said with a pat on Marie’s thick, black, curly hair.
Marie walked slowly toward the front door of their two-room cottage. Marie did not want to go inside, the memories of her mama, papa, Jack, and half sister Tamara, still fresh in her memory. So instead Marie stood on the front step, just out of Chloe’s sight, twisting her hair around her long delicate fingers.
Chloe wiped as much dirt from her face and hands as possible then gave up knowing it was useless. Looking up she saw a brand new, shiny, black carriage make it’s way up the driveway. Sitting in the back seat, where she had expected to see the bank manager sat a man she had never seen before. A man dressed as fashionably as she had ever seen a man dress. His gold curls shone in the sun and his green eyes shimmered with uneasiness.
Joseph Renault sat back enjoying the view of his child hood home, it had aged greatly in the last twelve years, and it was smaller than he remembered but it still had the same effect on him as it had when he was a child. Looking at the front door he saw a small girl toying with her hair, seeing her caused a memory to rise in his mind, a memory of his sister. The little girl could have been his sister’s twin if it were not for the girl’s violet-blue eyes and black hair. He ordered the driver to halt the carriage seeing a movement to his left he looked, and there stood the focus of his memories, Chloe. Though she was older and taller, it was most definitely she. Then as Chloe got closer he noticed two things: her face was covered in dirt, causing stark contrast with her pail cheeks showing under the tracks of her tears And, she was pregnant.
Recognition came, the man dressed in such finery, was her brother. Her heart leapt with Joy and her feet moved her forward as if a hand were gently pushing her. She ran.
“Joseph?” she called “ Joseph is that you, oh how I have missed you!”
“I have missed you too Chloe.” Joseph stayed were he was not daring to come closer, but Chloe Jumped up into the carriage to hug her long lost and beloved brother.
“Joseph were have you been? I have missed you so much.” Joseph hugged her back answering
“I Joined the railway Chloe, helped them build it right through to the Pacific Ocean, well almost.” She laughed. “ Oh tell me more Joseph.”
“Not now Chloe, first I must speak to my, father.” Chloe’s face immediately fell.
“He is dead Joseph, their all dead, all of them.” She buried her face in her hands and wept. Joseph choked,
“Dead, Papa is dead, mama is dead, Tamara, Jack, Jean, and even my Matthew, their all dead Joseph, all dead.” She wailed, her sobs tearing the heart of Joseph to ragged little pieces. Joseph began to cry silently at first but then nearly as loud as his sister was. He had come to apologize to his father now it was too late; he would never get to say ‘sorry’. Another wail was added to that of Joseph and Chloe’s. Out of the corner of his eye, through the tears he saw the little girl. She had her pointer and middle finger bent backward into her mouth as she tried desperately not to cry, but her tears would not comply and fell freely down her face.
“ Chloe, who is the little girl? Joseph whispered into Chloe’s ear. Chloe wiped her sleeve across her face “Oh, forgive me Joseph, this is Marie our sister.”
“Since when did we have a younger sister?” Joseph frowned and looked at the little girl
“Oh Joseph!” Chloe was gaining control of her sobs. “You didn’t know? Mama had another baby after Jack. Marie is five now. I thought for sure papa wrote you.”
“No, he didn’t.” Joseph stated bluntly. Tears threatening again
“Oh Joseph!” she gave a tinny sniff. “ Joseph come in side. I have a lot to tell you. Come on Marie, let’s go make tea for our brother Joseph.” Marie looked slowly between the two adults, her eyes pooling with tears. she shook her head and ran of on the direction of the woods.