Chapter One
Chapter One
Glendale, Alabama
Monday March 3, 1862
The rasp of Rosalie's pencil on the page of her brand-new journal her father got her for her birthday was loud in the dead of night. Parts of her day played in her mind as she was trying to figure out how to turn her feeling, thoughts, and her day into words. How do you write down what you did that day that doesn’t sound repetitive. Rosalie doesn't have the most exciting life. It has been working, chores, helping, and then sleep and do the same thing the next day. As she stares outside her window watching the tree limbs sway in the wind. She starts to think about her life. Is this all there is for her?
working at the diner, coming home and helping her mom with her younger siblings, helping do laundry, and clean. Is that it? the same routine every day. The only thing different is when she goes on a picnic with her friend every Saturday. So instead of writing her day she starts writing goals and aspirations. She is only 17, but she feels time slipping away. As she thinks about her plans and starts writing she notices all the things she wanted to do that she never realized before. Her list consisted of getting married, having two kids, having a big ranch like the rich people up town, not having to worry about money.
As she looked up from writing she didn’t realize how much time has gone by. The sun was just starting to come up. You could see the bright yellow and pink hues spreading in the horizon. She starts getting her clothing ready to start the day. she picks out a baby blue dress that goes just above her knees and is tight on the waist. she picks out her creme canvas shoes that used to be white, and her white apron. she sits down at her vanity mirror and begins to take out the rollers out of her golden blonde hair and starts to brush them out. She puts on some blush, and heads downstairs.
Since she has gotten no sleep and ready earlier than usual. She starts to put coffee on the wood burning stove and begins to cook. The smell of the hickory wood that freshly cut the day before filled the house. The smell of the hickory and coffee woke up her mother Lorraine first. Her mother walks into the surprise of scrambled eggs, biscuits, and ham on the table. Usually her mom gets up and does all the cooking before her father wakes up to get ready for a day of work. Rosalie pulls out a chair for her mother to sit and pours her a cup of coffee. Her mother was very appreciative of this for the first time in a while Lorraine can sit on the porch and enjoy a cup of coffee.
Rosalie then goes and wakes up her younger siblings so they can get ready for school. She starts by waking up her younger brother Beau up first. Beau begs for the usual five more minutes. He pleads with their mom almost every morning to just stay home and help dad with the farming. Of course, like every time he does, she gives him a lecture that he can work when he gets older but education now. He thinks since he is fourteen that he is a grown man now. Then Rosalie wakes up her little sister Judith. Judith has always been a morning person and wakes up when the roosters crow. She is already for school. Judith has always been very Mature for her age. She has no problem helping around the house and she always keeps her room clean. For being nine years old she is very intelligent.
After the kids have eaten and gotten ready, they head off to school. Her mother goes to wake up her father Alexander. He works so hard during the day he falls straight to sleep at night. In the morning waking him up isn’t a hard task. Lorraine usually has his clothes laid out at the foot of the bed along with his boots on the floor by them. He usually just gets up, grabs his clothes and a towel and goes outside to take a cold shower to wake him up. Then he comes in drinks a cup of coffee grabs a biscuit or two and goes to the barn. Rosalie then goes up to tidy up her room since she still has quite a bit of time before her shift starts at the diner. She Makes sure all her clothes are tidy, neatens up her desk, touches up her hair and starts walking to work.
Rosalie has been working at Louis's diner for a year now. It doesn’t pay much but it helps her father out with the bills and gives her extra money to put up for a rainy day. Thankfully today was beautiful. The sky was a bright blue, clouds were white and resembled cotton candy. The sun was shining bright , the temperature was perfect, all you seen was green grass, luscious trees and daffodils just about to bloom. She is in the best of moods. Nothing could get her down. She steps into work and heads for the back per usual. She tries to figure out her tables for the day and get to work since they only work for tips. Not an hourly pay. She has her regulars who come in every morning. Like Mr. Burfield her neighbor, Mr. and Mrs. Cook the sweet couple that come in after they walk their children to school, and her favorite regular John Luke which she just calls him john for short.
He is seventeen just like Rebekah. John works on the farm with his father Mr. Michaelson. Rosalie has had a thing for John ever since they met on her first day at the diner. She has been hoping that he would ask her out for 6 months now. He is such a hard-working young man. Very toned and defined arms. Always wears his slacks and boots everywhere he goes. Rosalie has gotten john and his father's orders memorized like the back of her hand. Rosalie starts greeting all her tables and taking orders getting into the flow of the day. She is hoping for some good tips today. She is saving to buy her Father a new hunting rifle and her mother this necklace she has been wanting for years.
She has only worked 3 hours and has already made two dollars in tips. She becomes saddened when she realizes that John has not came in yet. Was he just busy today? Did he well? All those thoughts started storming in her mind. She thought to keep busy she would just focus on working and nothing else. Then at last John and his father come in. Rosalie's heart feels like it is going to burst it is beating so fast. Then again that is every time she sees him. Every time she looks at him, she sees their future. Their children, their own farm together. Just like her father John and Mr. Michaelson have been working extra hard. So, they came in later than their usual time.
Rosalie kept seeing John from the corner of her eye just staring at her. Not in a weird way, but in admiration. He looked at her like she was the only woman in the room. Her heart skips a beat as she walks to him to bring him his tea and his father's coffee. John didn’t even have to say his order she had the order in as soon as they walked in. He always orders 2 fried eggs and a slice of toast with a piece of bacon, and his father orders fried eggs with the yolk runny with a biscuit. As she walks to the counter refilling everyone's coffee she always listens to the older men. They always talk about politics, financial things, and the war. The civil war to be specific.
The War between the north and the south has really affected the local farmers here. Many of them have went from growing grain and soy to cotton since it pays more. Most of the farmers been driven into poverty and debt. These big plantations are driving small farmers into the hole. Like her father most of the small farms are only ran by family. Like Rosalie's father and brothers, they are the only ones working the farm because they can't afford to hire help like most of the farmers. These big plantations have acres of land and several people slaved to work for them. which she knew this by over hearing conversations.
Rosalie's father never talked politics and money in front of women. including her mother, Judith, and her. He felt it wasn't a woman's place to stress about finances. He felt all a woman should be concerned with is the home and children. Rosalie didn't know the financial situation, how much bills were, or anything of that nature. She just wanted to help by giving her father money to help. She didn’t know how much her money changed anything, but it felt good to contribute and help her father out a little.
Alexander really didn't agree with Rosalie working, but he liked her being able to be independent, making her own money. He was appreciative of her money, but he felt it wasn’t her place to do so. Every cent Rosalie gave him he put away for her in a secret place. He didn’t want to take her hard-earned money. He knew how hard she has been working. So, when she would give him money, he put it in this old oak box and put it in a hole under a big hickory tree in the wood line. Which she would later find out. Today Rosalie worked from open to dinner time. She made two dollars in a whole day’s work. most days she will be lucky leaving with twenty-five cents.
The day light is still bright she slowly walks home as she is embracing the nature, and of course thinking about John-Luke. John is so handsome. He has dark brown hair and beautiful blue eyes. The most handsome man you have ever seen. of course, every woman in Glendale Alabama young and old wants to be his wife. Rosalie has had crushes in the pass, but none of them ever amounted to a relationship. The only crush she ever talked to was john Luke.
After a long hard had she finally made it home. She walks through the door says hello to everyone asks about their day and goes out to the barn to look for her father and tell him about how good work went today. As usual he was grooming the horses and checking their hooves. He takes care of his horses better than he takes care of himself. The way he looks at it he takes care of them and they will take care of him. The horses work hard pulling the plow and the buggy every day. She showed him how much money she made that day and his face lit up. He was so happy to see her hard work paying off.
In her usual routine she gives him one third of her money. She gives him one dollar and fifty cents and keeps fifty cents for herself. one dollar alone can go a long way. He gives her a hug and tells her thank you and she go back in the house as he puts the dollar fifty in the oak box. Rosalie goes upstairs to get some clean clothes to go and take a bath. She goes out to the water shed and takes a nice calming bath. John's face replay's in her mind. His smile, his blue eyes piercing her soul as if he could read her mind. His voice replaying like a soft melody. She felt like he was the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden. She wanted him so desperately but felt like she could never have him. Like he was so close but so out of reach.
She didn’t just want to date him. She wanted to marry him, Have children with him. Grow old with him. Do everything with him but all she could do is be a friend to him and wait for him. He hasn’t been with anyone for as long as she has known him. Girls throw themselves at him and ghee never even bats an eye. He doesn't really talk to anyone besides his family and me when he comes into the restraint. She tries to get john out of her head, but her feelings are too great. She gets out of the metal tub and gets dressed to go to the house. She walks into the smell of chicken, collard greens, and mashed potatoes with some tea.
She sits down with her family to eat dinner. She listens to Beau and Judith talk about their day at school. then her mother starts gossiping about the neighbors and how they are constantly arguing and her assumptions about their marriage. Her father talks about his trip to town and his day. Then Rosalie starts talking about work and how busy it was, and how pretty it was outside. After dinner Rosalie helps her mother clean and put away dishes and get clothes picked up. Rosalie then goes up to her room. She does her nightly Routine which consists of raising her window to let the breeze come in, she lights her oil lamp on her desk and places her journal on it with a pencil. She then choses her outfit for work the next day and ends the night at her desk to document her day and her feelings about John Luke.
Wednesday March 5, 1962
Today felt like a new day for Rosalie. She felt like a new person today. She didn’t know if it was from a goodnights sleep or she is just feeling good. She ran over to her closet to get her clothes and she sees a dress she has never seen before hanging on the inside of the door. Confused she takes it out to get a closer look at it. It is a coral pink dress with a white lace color. she is in awe of how beautiful the stitching and the lace is. As she is about to lay it on her bed, she hears something fall onto the floor. She looks down and it is an envelope. The envelope has her name on it in her father’s handwriting. She opens it and there is a letter that says "I am so proud of you and how hard you have been working, this is a present to show you that I notice your hard work. I love you so much with all my love, Papa"
She quickly put it on and did her hair and put on her creme canvas shoes and went to work so happy and with a fresh mind. A clear mind with nothing but positivity. She showed up at work and got straight to the point. Nothing could stop her. She was confident. She had waited on twelve tables in an hour. That is crazy busy for her. It starts to calm down and she goes behind the bar to refill coffee. With all the running around, she lost track of time and noticed she had not seen John or his father today. She is sad to think that she missed him. As she is about to grab the coffee pot, she hears someone at the bar call out her name.
She turns around and John is leaned against the bar. He is standing there with the biggest smile staring right at her. Startled she says, "Hey can I get you something?" He looks at her and says," Yes! My Father and I will go with our usual order, and I need to ask you a question." confused Rosalie says, "Okay?" He smiles and goes, "Would you like to go to church with me this Sunday?" She doesn't know what to say as she was shocked by his question "I would love to that would be great" she says while trying to stay calm. "Ok! great my father and I will pick you up Sunday morning" Rosalie is so happy she doesn't know what to do. She daydreams for a few minutes before a customer snaps her out of it.
She finishes her shift and runs home. She runs in the house and tells her mother everything. Besides her mother no one knows about her want for John. They hug and Rosalie runs upstairs to get her money savings and starts sprinting for town. She needs to look perfect for Sunday. She buys a new dress. All white lace with a synched waist. Then got some white shoes. she looked like an angel. Wearing all white with her blonde loose curls. She puts it a protective bag and hurry’s home so there isn't a chance of it getting dirty. She only used three dollars of her savings, but it was worth every penny.
She does her night routine and writes it all in her journal. she felt like this was a dream. If it was, she didn’t want to wake up. She works until Saturday and thankfully doesn't work Sunday. She tries to go to bed, but all they can do is toss and turn from the excitement. She keeps praying it isn’t a dream she doesn’t want to go to sleep and waking up to all of this being a dream. She eventually doses off and goes to sleep.
Sunday March 9, 1862
Today is the day that Rosalie had been waiting for. She woke up extra early so everything could be perfect from the dress to her hair. She sat down at her vanity to take time to do her hair. She went down to help her mom with breakfast and the children. After everything was picked up and cleaned, she put on her new dress and shoes and sat in the rocking chair on the front porch to wait for John and his father. She sits there fiddling her fingers and praying to God that everything goes well. After what seems like an eternity, he finally gets to her house. He is wearing a nice blue button up shirt that makes his bright blue eyes look like the blue sky. His slacks were khaki, and he was wearing his boots that he has cleaned and shined. He looks at her with the biggest smile on his face. She hurries up and gets in the buggy.
Mr. Michaelson was trying to make small talk asking her how she has been? How is working going? How the family is? All those things, John focuses on the horse as he drives to the church. They get there a little early the church hasn’t opened yet. There is probably six or seven people there just chatting with each other. John gets off the buggy and helps Rosalie off. They walk away as Mr. Michaelson is talking to the other parents and adults. They walk behind the buggy. Rosalie is trying to not act shy or nervous and keep her composure. John looks at her and tells her how beautiful she looks, and how he is happy she came with him. She tells him about how she hasn't been to church in almost a year since she has been busy with work and helping her mother.
They look at each other with a smile and a little laugh trying to break the awkwardness. Finally, the church doors open, and they go in and sit down and listen to the sermon, sing a couple of homes, pray and walk outside. As they are walking to the buggy John looks at Rosalie and says, "I am so happy you have come with me, I really liked this time with you. Maybe you would like to come over for dinner sometime?" Her heart stops for a second as she is trying to process what he just asked her. She thinks to herself did he just ask me that. Did he really want me over for dinner? What does this mean? She looks at him trying not to pause for too long and says, "That would be amazing. Maybe we could go to church together more often. I have really had a great time."
He looks at her with a cute smirk and asks her if she would be ok with coming over for dinner tonight? She tells him, "That would be great around what time." "Around six tonight is that is okay?" he says. She tells him that she will be over there. Mr. Michaelson drives back home while John and Rosalie sit in the back. They talk about life, how his farm has been going, about his new horse, they talk about work, and her siblings and all of that. Then he asks her about her older brother Alex. She hasn't spoken about him since he left to fight for the confederacy. She thinks about him all the time and writes to him, but she has only gotten one letter in two years. She explained to him she didn’t know how he was. She hasn’t heard from him since the last letter and how all she can do is pray. He left to war when he just turned eight-teen.
John told her that she has his condolences. He says that he hopes he won’t have to enlist. He wants to stay and help his father. Ever since his brother and mother got sick and passed it has just been him and his father. John's mother passed from illness , then his younger brother Paul passed shortly after. She told him how sorry she was, and she couldn’t imagine losing her mother or one of her siblings. She tells him of how strong him and his father are for staying positive after everything. They finally get back to her house.
John gets out to help her down. He gives her a hug and thanks her again for coming and he will see her tonight. Rosalie heads in the house and tells her mother all about it. Then she heads upstairs to her room to change and help her mother and do her chores before tonight. She goes out to the barn to groom and feed the horses which is her favorite thing to do. Hours have passed and she gets done with her chores just as the sun is starting to set. She helps her mother with diner and goes up to her room to get her clothes for tonight and goes to take a bath in the water shed. She fills up the metal with the water pump and gets in. The bathtub is her quiet place her time alone to reminisce on the day and to think.
She starts to think about John and the time they had together. She starts to question his motives. she starts to question why me? After all this time why now? He hasn't been with anyone since his has been here what are his plans? She starts to put a wall up to protect herself from getting hurt, but not to high that she is guarded. She is terrified by getting hurt by the love of her life. she starts to spiral in deep about thoughts of doubt. She starts to think what if he doesn't like me? Then She starts thinking of his blue eyes to calm herself down. She thinks about his soft brown hair and his firm toned arms that look like he could carry a horse. Then she starts to think what if this is it? Are her dreams finally coming true? and hoping this isn’t too good to be true.
After bathing she gets dressed and goes to her room to touch up her hair. She keeps her loose blonde curls down and puts the top half in a low ponytail to keep her hair out of her face. She put on some rose blush on her cheeks and some rose powder in some beeswax to put on her full lips. She goes to the closet and pulls out a light pink dress that accentuates her waist with a ribbon and long sleeves it is a teal blue with small baby blue pokeroots. She puts on her new shoes that she got and heads downstairs. She isn’t going to eat since she is eating at John's house. She starts walking down the road a little early since his house is almost two miles away.
She has been walking for 15 and notices a buggy in the horizon coming towards her. She steps to the side to get out of its way. As the buggy is getting closer, she realizes that it is John. He notices her and stops. He asks her why she is walking? and she explained to him that she was going to his house for dinner. Her heart sank a little thinking that he forgot he asked her. He said, "I was coming to get you. Do you really think I would let a lady as beautiful as you walk?" Her heart felt like it was glowing. She starts thinking did he really say that. He hops off the buggy and holds Rosalie by the waist to help her get on. She sits on the bench next him and she is just smiling so big she doesn't even realize it.
They are going down the road towards his sound kind of in silence. Since his father isn’t there to break the tension and start up a conversation they sit there awkwardly. His hands on the stirrups and hero’s in her lap. After what seemed like 5 minutes they get to his house. It is a Nice house. It was all white with white pillars, a huge tree in the front yard with a swing attached to one of the big branches. The house has roses that have been planted around the front porch. She didn't know what to say as it was her dream house. Her house wasn't much compared to his. She lived in a nice house it was a baby yellow with a white front porch with 2 white rocking chairs in the front. They lived in the back of the woods where her house way a little back from the road. Around 10 Acres back was the Woodline. Her house has been in her family for generations. It is where her father grew up. It wasn’t as big as the plantation houses, but it was perfect for her family.
His father walks up on the front porch to greet her and welcome her inside. She walked into their dining room and the table has a beautiful lace tablecloth with the food placed perfectly on the table. He had baked chicken, corn, green beans, and roasted potatoes. Along with their best dishes and silverware out. His father said, “we never get to use our nice dishes, so we decided to bring them out for you tonight.” Rosalie was so touched she replied, “Thank you Mr. Michaelson, but you didn’t have to go through all this trouble for me.” “It was no problem at all.” He said. John pulled out a chair for Rosalie to sit at. She sits down and John sits on the chair across from her. As they are eating Rosalie looks up a John just smiling at her. Mr. Michaelson just looks at both and smiles down at his plate.
Rosalie says, "This food is delicious Mr. Robertson." "Oh, honey I didn't cook this John Luke did. He wanted to make sure it was perfect." Rosalie looks at john in disbelief "I didn’t know you could cook John!" she said. John replied, " It was just basic stuff." "Well you did amazing." Rosalie said. They all finish their meal and Mr. Michaelson goes outside to check on his livestock. John starts picking up the food and Rosalie does the dishes. "You don't have to that." John said. "well you made me that amazing meal it is the least I could do." she said gratefully. "well how about next time you cook for me?" She was shocked. She did not know what to say. All she kept thinking was that there is going to be a next time.
She said, "Next time?" "Of course, I had a good time tonight." They finish up and go head out for the barn so she could thank Mr. Michaelson over and tell him goodbye. They load up on the buggy and head for her house. When they get their John Jumps off and helps Rosalie down. They stand by the buggy talking for what seemed like all night. They were joking around, talked about each other’s dreams and plans, just everything. As They are saying goodbye, he grabs the side of err face and caresses her cheek for a minute and just stairs into her eyes. She asked him, "Are you okay, is something wrong." "Your eyes are just so beautiful." he said. She smiles and looks down at the ground. He touches her chin with his finger to tilt her head up towards him. He leans his head towards hers. Their lips touch, Rosalie gets butterflies. She feels as if her heart is glowing. He puts his hand on her lower back to pull her closer. They kiss what feels to be like forever. She doesn’t want this moment to end. She wants to stay in this moment forever. They slowly part and they look at each other with an awkward smile. They start giggling not knowing what to do after something like that.
He kisses her goodnight and gets on his wagon and leaves. She heads back inside to her room and hurries to get her journal. She wanted to write every detail about the kiss. She lies down on her bed as she reads what she just wrote to make sure she didn’t leave out any details and also to reminisce at the moment. Then she started to question herself. Why now and why her? He has known him a little over a year and he has not been with anyone. Why had he waited this long? She was happy it happened because she has been in love with him for a while now. She is trying to wrap her head around it. She puts her journal away, puts out her oil lamp and drifts asleep.
