Beyond FOREVER CRY

Martha Jane Tenny Tucker Gillum, the star of Forever Cry, Died in Wing, Arkansas in 1941, shortly after her eighty-second birthday Party. I was born in that same house in 1944, three years later. As I look at the group photo from that birthday party, I see twenty-four mostly familiar faces, from infants to adults. These were the people who surrounded me, and loved me, as I grew to adulthood. As I approach my seventy-first birthday, only four of these people survive today. Enjoy those around you who love you. Life is short.

     Forever Cry is a historical fiction book, inspired by my grandmother’s colorful life. She was born as the Civil War was about to start, and most of the book took place during The Reconstruction.

     Sarah, Tenny’s mother, was a strong mountain woman who held her family together as the war wound down. Her children gave her much joy, and much shame, during a time of violent upheaval in Arkansas

     My best first-hand information about Grandma Tenny came from my older siblings. My brother Harold, as a small, rowdy boy, remembers her as a very old lady, his worst nightmare. Once, she told him to do something. He replied, “Just a minute.” She laced her fingers in his hair, and swung him around a couple of times.

     My sister Jonnie, as a frail and sickly little girl, remembers her as the one who held her in her arms and rocked her all day long. Every day. When she grew too large for Grandma to hold, she sat beside her in her rocking chair. And rocked. All day long.

     I remember my dad’s comments about Grandma Tenny as a very old lady, when a man came up missing. “The Law wanted to come question her, but was afraid to.” I never understood that. Why would they fear a very fragile old lady, nearing death?

     In researching for Forever Cry, I noticed a little side note on a family researcher’s paper. “Her family hung a man early one morning.” That’s all it said. What??

     Other bare comments. “Grandma and her sister were hidden in a cave once. For two years.”

     “A big wild hog ran in and got the Baby.”

     “Men were killed in her behalf.” Needless to say, all this stimulated more research.  What a life this woman lived!

     This comment, written in by my editor, stated, “This could never happen.” Actually, I could not change it, because it did happen. Truth, at times can be stranger than fiction.

     My two great grandfathers also make their appearance in Forever Cry.  LaFayette WAS held as a POW in the Civil War. He DID survive by eating white oak acorns. He WAS the first constable of Atkins, Arkansas.

     James, my other great grandpa, DID haul in his year’s cotton crop, got drunk, and threw all the money away in the road ditch. He DID marry his daughter’s husband’s baby sister, LaFayette’s youngest daughter, at age 78 and produce two children.

     All the actual events in Forever Cry, woven into the fabric of the story with lots of undocumented happenings I strongly suspect are true but can’t prove, along with pure fiction, at times, make for a story I think you will like.

     My real-life uncle by marriage, Harry Poynter, DID face the sheriff, Deputy sheriff, and county clerk in the streets of Dover in a gunfight, killing one man, and sent the other two racing for Russellville. He DID face down a thirty man posse in downtown Dover, sent to arrest him, with the words “I will give up my guns with my life, and I will make the man who takes it pay a heavy price.” They, also, chose to go home instead, without Harry.

     Several early readers have already finished. Comments: “That girl just completely destroyed the whole family’s reputation.” I dread telling her: “That girl never existed.”

     “I just kept being drawn back to it until I finished.”

     “That first major event was just horrible. So bad, it could not have actually happened.” But it did.

     I did a lot of research about the wars and politics of that time, doing my best to keep that factual. I hope you enjoy it. Either way, my contact info is at the end of Forever Cry. I hope you contact me when you finish. We need to talk. I will laugh with you, or apologize to you, depending upon which seems appropriate.

Forever Cry Excerpt

          Leading Bob’s two horses, James rode up to the Dudley cabin about noon the next day. He could see four other cabins nearby, and there were probably more. One of the children had run into the cabin yelling, “Pawpaw, there’s a man ridin’ in – from the outside!”

          Mr. Dudley was soon on the porch. Again with his scattergun. His wife was right behind, and two or three armed men were walking over. “Ya never stop surprisin’ me, Thacker! We bin told by the Alabama constable about Bob gettin’ shot. And since ya have Bob’s hosses, you musta’ been there. Whatta ‘ye say about that, Thacker?”

          James had survived the first thirty seconds. If he could survive the next thirty, he might live. He must pick his words carefully now.

          “Mr. Dudley, let me tell you first of all, I didn’t shoot your grandson. I notified th’ law, and they did. Bob was holdin’ a knife at my daughter Tenny's throat. I am not that gooda shot.  I wanta express my condolences for your loss. I brought Bob’s personal things for Mrs. Dudley. And, I felt it was right to bring your horses to ya’.”

          The old man spat a long brown stream at James’ feet and just stared at him for a long time. “Jest how would ya know to go to Talladega?”

          Before James could answer, Mrs. Dudley stepped up beside her husband, her head held high, a determined look on her wrinkled face. “I tol’ him.”

          With a surprised look on his angry face, her husband whirled to face her. She held his gaze.

          Mr. Dudley was in shock. “By damn! Why in hell would you do that, woman?”

          The younger men around just stared, and listened. “Clint, jest hear me out, an listen good. Do you remember why, forty-two long years ago, we brought our young children up here away from that sinful and murderous mess of Dudleys in Alabama?”

          The old man didn’t say a word, but his shoulders drooped a bit as he looked at his wife.

          Mrs. Dudley spoke, more forcefully now. “Well, if you don’t, let me remind ya, and I want my sons around us to hear me too. We decided we wanted no part of the scum our awful families were wallowin’ in. We knew our babies would turn out the same. But we couldn’t get my firstborn, Alfred, to come up here with us. It was too late for him. He’d already been tainted by that mess.

          And he raised Bob jest the same way. Jest what we were tryin’ ta get our babies away from. But then Bob came up here with us; he was already too far gone. He started spreadin’ his infection around up here, talkin’ how us Dudley’s never let nobody cross us. Then, our sons began to act the same way. That’s why I tol’ him. An let me say this. If any of my boys around us think this man standin’ before us did wrong when Bob stole his daughter, an hauled her off to hell to become like those no good folks, then jest get away from me. I don’t wanta see ya ever again!”

          Having had her say, she rose to her full height, as if the weight of the world was now lifted from her weary shoulders. She turned, and walked back into the house.

          Nobody moved or spoke for a long while. Then James turned to the big black and pulled a bag from his saddlebags. He walked over and handed it to the old man who reached out and took it. He looked James in the eye, and said, loudly enough for all to hear…..

          “It’s over, James.”

          Mr. Dudley turned, and as he too walked into the house, looked at each of his sons in silent support of his wife.

          James mounted the big black and rode away.

***

          Sarah walked again to the front door. She had been watching that trail for two hours now. Then Sarah saw the big black, loping up the trail. She was out the door and running.

          James pulled the big black up and stepped off to meet her. Sarah threw her arms around him, and kissed him long and deeply.

          “Oh James, I’ve been worried sick! I thought I might lose you! And I’ve got somethin’ ta’ tell you.

          You’re right. Goin’ to Arkansas will be hard on us for a while, but we’ve got to make that sacrifice for our kids so they kin have a future. And besides, what an adventure it will be for us all!”

          James hugged her. “Well, if that’s not some turnaround since last night! Mighty glad ta’ hear it. Now, let me tell you a little ‘bout my day.” As they walked up the trail arm in arm, James leading the black, told her the whole story.

          Now it was time to start making travel plans. Everything they would do from now until the day they headed for Napoleon, Arkansas would be geared toward that moment. April was not that far away. Of course, Tenny was totally excited out of her gourd!

  Forever Cry can be found at amazon.com. Locally, it is available at Hardman Interiors.

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