Sarah's Roses, Book II: Roses of White

Chapter XXII

Chapter XXII

Elsie and I set about to washing the dishes. She had just poured the hot water into the sink when we heard the kitchen door open. I glanced over my shoulder and hastily turned back towards the dishes, Sammy had just entered.

“I thought Sarah had asked the colonel to make sure his soldiers didn’t go walking around,” Elsie said to him, but her voice was kind and happy.

“I just wanted to talk to you,” Sammy explained. It was strange hearing his voice again, I had almost forgotten what it sounded like. “I haven’t seen or heard from you in five years, and I can’t pass up an opportunity like this, I might never get another.”

A knock made the three of us look up. The door cracked open and Robert timidly walked in.

“I’m sorry to disturb but, oh, Climb, you’re here. Does the colonel know?”

Sammy straightened out, “no sir.”

“Hmmm, well then I guess you are lucky I appeared when I did,” Robert chuckled, “or you would be in big trouble with him.”

“Elsie,” I introduced, “this is Robert Hosehigh, the son of my former landlord.”

Sammy’s eyes widened and he turned to Robert with a stunned expression. “You…know…her?” He pointed to me.

“I knew her before anyone else,” Robert smiled, “I’ll never forget when my mother called me and place tiny little Sarah in my arms. I was eight years old then.”

“Nice to meet you sir,” Elsie said, “Sarah always spoke very highly of you. I have to say, yous look a lot better than I imagined.”

“Pardon me?” Robert was very confused.

 “In the picture Sarah had of you, you looked positively frightful.”

Robert blinked at her several times before the truth dawned on him. “Ah, yes, that,” he laughed, “yes, that was my feeble attempt at art.”

“I still have it you know,” I giggled.

 “Oh no, I wish you would have thrown it out,” Robert shook his head. “Sam, what are you doing here?”

“I came to talk to my sister.”

“Elsie is your sister? Ah, right, you were a slave here once. Sarah said something about gardening.” Robert let out a chuckle, “to think that you were once a gardener?”

“Is there anything wrong with being a gardener, sir?” Sammy’s voice became strained. “Permit me to say how my garden, that is, Sarah’s garden, was the envy of the entire neighborhood.”

“You don’t say? Well, I should very much like to see it.”

“I am afraid that is impossible,” I softly said, “the flower garden no longer exists.”

“I noticed that,” Sammy glanced over at me, “what happened to it?”

“I turned it into a vegetable garden; after all, you can’t eat flowers.”

A silence hung over us for a few seconds. Elsie motioned for Sammy to come to the corner of the kitchen, obviously she wanted to ask him for all the details about her family. Sammy reluctantly went over to her, casting a dark, almost jealous glance at Robert and myself.

“I can’t believe how different your life is now,” Robert spoke at last, “what a drastic change.”

“Drastic change doesn’t quite describe it correctly,” I agreed with him. “It was so strange how I went from being an unwanted outcast to a well bred lady. Now the ragged child, and the fine lady are both gone,” I pulled my hands out of the hot, greasy water and studied them