"Son, you're going home!" the Lieutenant told Lee. "You are being shipped home in the morning so get your gear and follow me!" Lee quickly grabbed his crutches and his things and hobbled to keep up.
All the way home he thought of Molly and how fresh and pretty and inviting she would be to see again. He couldn't wait to hold and kiss her and love her.
He could see her walking toward him in her wedding gown down the wooded path toward the little bottle house. He would have the minister there to marry them with the sun shining through the colored glass and splashing onto her white gown. He would buy a new suit and wear that pretty tie she gave him. Molly would laugh as she threw her wildflower bouquet in the air as he lifted her into his arms and kissed her. It was so real a vision that when he opened his eyes he was pulling into the train station. He couldn't believe it was just a dream.
Lee stepped off the train at night and walked all the way home. No one was there to greet him. There was no way for others especially Molly to know.
Sunday arrived and Lee dressed in his suit and tied the blue tie around his neck .
He walked the short distance to the church and sat up front.
Molly and John arrived at the church late and took a pew at the back. During the service the minister acknowledged a special person was present with them today and thanked Lee for his gallant war service and had him stand.
Molly and John sat there with their eyes and mouths
wide open as Lee turned and faced the congregation. Lee stood there and held back tears as he saw Molly grab John's arm and start to cry as she rushed outside the church. Lee followed her out to the cemetery.
Molly was sobbing and holding on to the angel standing guard over her grandmother's grave. Lee approached her and gently put his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward him. He lifted her chin with his hand and looked into her flooded dark eyes. " Hi, Molly! It's so good to see you!"
"I'm married, Lee. John and I married just a few weeks ago. "I waited
and waited on word from you. I tried everything I could to find out if you were ok."
"Didn't you get my letters? I wrote every day and then they began to be returned unopened. I didn't know what to think!" she said through her sobs. "I got them sweetheart. I couldn't write very often and then when I was injured I wrote you every day that I could. Didn't you get my letters? " he explained. "No, I have not had any letters for six months!" Molly said still crying. "Shhh, darling, it's alright" Lee told her in a whisper. He held her out at arms length and offered her his handkerchief. John came around the corner of the church and walked up to them. He held out his hand and drew Lee in and embraced him. "I'm proud to have you home safe, Lee!" "Well it's great to be back home that is for sure!" "Congratulations on your marriage. You have one beautiful wife!" Lee said.
Lee Brown never married. He lived out the remainder of his life on his farm.
Many years later as an old man he got to know some new children who moved into a farmhouse on Howe Rd.
Mrs. Hewitt had five children. She was there alone frequently while her husband was in the Army. She needed some help from time to time with the place. He let the kids George, Hans and Cathy come and play at his place.
He built them a real covered wagon after seeing that they had tried to make one themselves on the back of a wagon. Lee enjoyed the kids running down to see him and play out in the woods in the bottle house he had made for Molly so many years ago.
The End
Cathy Windham
3/19/13
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