Children Alone

By Mike Yarbro

In the rugged hills of 1880’s Tennessee, an intense family drama unfolds, reminding us that truth is indeed stranger, more harrowing, and more miraculous than fiction. CHILDREN ALONE follows the true-life story of young Edmund Buck Yarbro and his sister Alice Delilah, detailing their struggles to survive against all odds and to emerge victorious over a series of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

At tender young ages, Edmund, Alice, and their three siblings—one of whom is mentally challenged—tragically lose their mother, an event that takes the family on an intense downward spiral into misery, despair...and the ultimate nightmare. As a single parent of a houseful of children, Edmund and Alice’s father Milton Jasper feels the need to remarry, and within a year he has brought home a new wife to serve as a mother figure in his household.

But the situation isn’t quite as simple—or as idyllic—as that. Milton Jasper and his children never could have anticipated the living hell his new wife would make of their lives and her evil attempts to tear apart the family forever. Edmund, Alice, and their siblings are soon terrorized by on onslaught of abuse and mistreatment at the hands of their new stepmother. Their formerly happy lives are plunged into a dismal world where survival is key and where nothing matters but the next moment.

Little do they know, their situation is about to deteriorate even further. When Edmund and Alice’s stepmother gives birth to her first child, she becomes an even harder, crueler mistress. Even Milton Jasper’s love for his children does not prove valiant enough to save Alice and Edmund, only ten and eleven years old, from being cast out of the family forever.

Turned out of the house by their stepmother one cold, frozen night during a bitter Tennessee winter, the young boy and girl are told never to return to the family farm. They are on their own now, and they must make their own choices, forge their own way, and struggle to survive against the harsh elements. At last, they come to a rundown shack on the banks of the Tennessee River, where they set up house and do their best to scrape by on a rudimentary existence. Between odd jobs and foraging for food, Edmund and Alice learn to make do.

But while they are sustaining their physical lives, what has become of the emotional, the spiritual? Will young Edmund and his sister forever be broken, victims, haunted by the tragedy that tore apart their lives? Or will they find a deeper meaning, a purpose, a flash of divine intervention that will lift them out of the ashes of their heartache and pain?

Witness firsthand this true-life testimony of how God can work through even the most impossible of situations, how He can bring good out of evil...and how he wrought a miracle in the lives of Edmund and Alice Yarbro, making them strong pillars of light, love, faith, and honesty in the midst of a dark and lonely world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mike Yarbro
• Release date: May 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311330789

Mike Yarbro

Born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi Mike Yarbro worked in the construction equipment import-export business for most of his adult life and traveled throughout the world buying, selling, importing and exporting, heavy equipment and working with road building contractors on World Bank projects in developing countries and the U.S.A. After forming his company his travels took him to the far corners of the earth dozens of times where he worked with customers and contractors in bridge building, road construction, and large dirt moving projects. Visiting foreign countries and viewing various economic conditions and cultures made him appreciate and love the United States even more. He has been married to Marilyn Sue Childs Yarbro since 1968. Before and after college he was an avid horseman involved in rodeo, breeding, raising, training, and buying and selling quarter and thoroughbred horses and won horse races in seven states. At one time he owned the World Champion calf roping horse. He wrote and sold numerous songs and played violin for two years in the Jackson Junior Symphony Orchestra before playing guitar, piano, and mouth harp in the Tyrants rock and roll band during college.

Book preview

Children Alone

By

Mike Yarbro

Digital Edition

Copyright © 2016 by Mike Yarbro

All Rights Reserved.

Dedication: This book is dedicated to the greatest man I’ve ever known, Edmund Buck Yarbro, who ended his daily prayers until his dying day with, And Dear God—Lead, Guide, And Direct Us From Evil, and Protect The Afflicted No Matter Where They May Be.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Introduction

In the 1880’s hills of rural western Tennessee, an eleven year old boy named Edmund Buck Yarbro and his ten year old sister, Alice Delilah, survived a cruel, life changing experience that no child should ever endure. Through trials and tribulations and support of each other, they endured harsh elements and heartbreaks and became closer than most of us can imagine and eventually became shining beacons for others to admire and follow.

Much of what is written here was told directly to Edmund Buck’s only grandson, this author, who spent many summers with him after his wife died. Countless hours were spent as he reminisced and the grandson listened intently while the two were alone. His deep love for his sister was obvious as he talked about her often in the twilight of his life, and few things exceeded that love except the love for his savior.

This is their story.

Chapter One

Heads hung low and tears fell as four men lowered the wooden casket into the ground. Milton Jasper stood with his five children, filled with sadness and many questions, gazing over the edge of the grave. Each mourned their loss, holding hands as the sun shone bright on this warm June day in 1884. On a Tennessee hillside, they watched until the last shovel of dirt fell over the pine box, burying a wife and mother.

The last words of the preacher’s eulogy resounded within them, Dear God, Minerva Yarbro is now in her heavenly home. Thank you for giving her to us for the time she was on this earth.

What are we going to do without her? Alice asked her brother Edmund. She was the best mother in the world. Daddy can’t work the fields all day and take care of five of us too.

I know, replied Edmund, trying to restrain the crack in his voice that was about to come. I will keep helping him. We will have to take care of each other the best we can.

Alice motioned with her head towards her father, But look at Daddy with tears running down his beard. He will be as lonesome as us. I’ve never seen him cry before. Reaching for Edmund to pick her up, her arms wrapped around his neck as he pulled her to him.

As friends and neighbors walked toward their horse drawn wagons, a plump gray-haired lady said, We’ve all brought food for your family, Milton. We’ll leave it in your cabin. If there’s anything we can do to help with your children just let us know.

An older, short bald man said, If I can help you with your crops just ride over the hilltop and yell.

Thank you, friends, Milton managed. Thank you-all of you.

After she climbed onto the wagon’s wooden seat, the plump lady fixed her eyes on her husband. He can’t take care of five young children and work the fields.

Oh my goodness, the husband replied sarcastically, I can hear the wheels turning in your mind already. You hill women think that we men folk are helpless without you. What have you got in that conniving mind?

Gently, he popped the long leather driver’s reins and said, Giddy up horse. Instead of answering, his wife firmly tapped the ball of her right foot on the floorboard in rhythm with the wagon’s movements as they left the grave site.

He persisted, Woman, whatever you are thinking, get it out of your mind now. She looked straight ahead for a while then looked upward into the clouds as if her mind was in a full gallop.

Stop that. I don’t like that look on your face. Trying to dissuade her, Milton is a good man and he will take care of those children.

I’m not so sure about that, she finally spoke with conviction. It’s a horrible thing for children to be without a mother, especially in these hills. Something is telling me to keep a close eye on that family. I also know that the only thing Milton can cook is rabbit stew. Children can’t live on rabbit stew forever! He doesn’t know pooh squat about cleaning or washing clothes either.

Yep, interrupting her rant, her husband popped the reins once again, I knew something was on your mind. Now out with it! Spit it out, old woman.

Okay, she said, with a sigh. Every woman in Decatur County knows he is going to need a new wife.

Her husband shook his head and replied, I can see that you women started gossiping before she was even buried. You sure don’t waste any time. Lord, please protect Milton Jasper from the onslaught that is about to come.

*

The following week was difficult for the family trying to carry on as usual. Milton, a rough-hewn man of six foot three, rose early each day and worked his corn and cotton crop, and even toiled in his garden.

Sniffles and plaintive whines were often heard in the cabin as each child continued their assigned duties around the homestead. At nine years old, Alice tried to take the place of her mother, making morning biscuits and cornbread each night. She would soon become a good cook and housekeeper. As the oldest at ten, the strapping Edmund worked with his father and hunted for food. He was an excellent marksman, and rumors spread that he was one of the best shooters in the county. Tom, Henry, and Mary were the youngest of the five.

As hard as Milton tried to comfort his children, the place was just not the same without Minerva. The family didn’t realize how much she had done while caring for them.

One night after supper, in an effort to comfort and console the children, Milton told them to gather around to listen. It was only now that Milton confessed to his children that Minerva was his cousin.

Children, he motioned them to sit on the floor in front of him. He began, You need to know about your heritage and your ancestors. Our forefathers were Danish people. They fought with William the Conqueror, who launched the Norman conquest of England a long time ago in 1066.

Milton sat up straight, doing his best to imitate for them a proud conqueror. One of our forebears was actually given a seat in Parliament. He became good friends with William the Conqueror, after William became the first Norman King of England.

He bent forward and used inflections in his voice as a storyteller would to arouse curiosity, One night, he was gambling with the King, who lost a great sum of money to him. In order to pay his gambling debt to our forefather, the King came up with what he thought was a good plan. He owned vast tracts of land, Milton waved his arms out, practically the whole Earth—and he considered the continent, now called America, to be nothing but trash land. His hand motioned again, this time as if throwing something away.

The king and his people had never visited America, and they had no intention of ever coming here. It is a worthless place, they thought, a dust heap and wasteland. So, the king gave your forefather a piece of land in America!

Milton raised his arms to signal amazement. Years later, your forefather sailed on a ship from England to the eastern coast of the United States. From there he settled and his family eventually migrated into North Carolina and Tennessee. That’s how we got here.

Very confidently, his finger pointed towards them to listen, Your relatives from long ago were tough and diligent people. We must accept the fact that your mother was one of them. She is in heaven now with them and will not be coming back.

Young Henry spoke and asked, But God can do anything, so can’t he send her back if he wants to?

Then Mary spoke, Why does God want us to be without Mama?

Tom answered for their father, Because he wants her to be with him.

That’s right son, Milton said with a smile, Remember that one day, you will see her again when you get to heaven.

After this series of questions and answers, the children, for the first time since Minerva died, felt a small sense of understanding.

*

A couple of days later, the children were in the cotton field hoeing weeds from the rows. The sound of horses’ hooves coming toward them got their attention and one asked, "Who is that?

Another spoke, I think that is the old widow woman who lives down by the swamp. But what is that she’s carrying in her arms?

As she came closer, they could see her face under her bonnet. That’s her, said Edmund.

She sure is fat, replied Alice. I wonder how she got on that horse by herself while holding those two baskets.

The woman rode up to the cotton field just a few rows away from the children and asked, Can you kids help me off his horse? She lowered the baskets to them first, Here, hold these.

Henry, Tom, and Edmund walked to the left side of the horse and helped her down. Her feet hit the ground, kicking up dust with a thud.

Where is your Daddy?" she asked.

He’s out behind the barn sharpening tools, Edmund answered.

I brought you all something, just a few leftovers.

What is it, ma’am?

Oh, nothing much. It’s just a little of this and that.

It sure smells good, Alice said. You must be a good cook, ma’am.

I am good at anything around the house, the widow woman said, And you be sure to tell your Daddy that I brought his dinner.

Hearing the voices, Milton walked from around the barn to the field. He removed his hat and held it at his chest as he approached her. I’m Lula Mae Walton, Mr. Yarbro, she said. I thought maybe you folks might need something to eat.

Well thank you, Ms. Lula Mae, Milton said. That’s mighty nice of you. Everyone smelled the delicious aromas coming from the baskets. Alice has been making biscuits and cornbread while Mary has been cleaning the cabin. Milton explained, But they probably are getting tired of my rabbit stew. Pointing at the baskets, By the way, what is that?

Oh, it’s not much, the widow woman said. Just an apple pie, two loaves of fresh homemade bread, fried chicken, potato salad, pickled pig’s feet, boiled eggs, and two boiled pig ears.

Oh boy, I’m sure we will enjoy that, Milton exclaimed. Thank you, Ms. Walton.

The plump lady dusted off her dress with her hands, wiping her rear where she had been sitting on the horse bareback. I didn’t realize that horse had such a dirty back, she muttered. Then she pulled her blouse downward to conceal her bulging stomach as she said, I just live a little piece down the road, so if you need anything, be sure and let me know.

That’s mighty nice of you, Milton said. I know the kids will appreciate this tonight.

Remember if you need anything just let me know. In an attempt to flirt, she continued, And I mean anything at all.

Milton stepped backward a foot and thanked her again as he bowed.

Daddy, can we eat it now? Alice asked.

We’ll have it for supper, children, Milton said.

Getting his attention again, she motioned for his gaze saying, Will you help me up on my horse, Milton, sweetie?

Sure, Milton said.

She started walking over to an old stump in the ground. Pull the horse over there by that stump and give me a leg up.

We’ll do it, Ms. Lula Mae! Tom shouted.

Quickly came the reply, No, your Daddy can do it.

She smiled at Milton, who moved the horse beside the stump as she stepped up on it. Pulling up her skirt and raising her left knee, Milton grabbed her ankle and lifted her up. Mounted confidently on the horse, she smiled again saying, Just remember, anything at all. She turned the horse riding away, often turning to smile back at Milton.

Edmund said, Daddy that woman lives three miles away, but she said it was just a little piece down the road to her house.

I know, son, Milton said. I know.

Nearly a week later, as they were finishing breakfast, a horse and buggy pulled up to the cabin. They opened the front door and saw a tall skinny woman climbing out of the buggy holding a straw basket.

Good morning, ma’am, Milton said. All five children were standing around him gazing at the woman.

I’m Jane Blackstone, over from the county line, the skinny woman said. I thought maybe you all needed something to eat.

Milton said, Well, thank you very much. Come in and have a seat.

As she pulled her dress to straighten the wrinkles, she walked inside the cabin and put the basket on the table. Dirty breakfast plates, forks and knives were still spread across it.

Young Henry walked over, inhaling deeply and saying, That smells wonderful. You must be a good cook.

Oh, gracious yes. With pride she said, I cook all the time. I can cook anything except a rock and a board. One winter we were short of food and I boiled down some old shoe leather and made a meal out of it. Of course, I made something better for you. I hope you all like it.

What is it? Mary questioned.

Not much, just some sow belly, ham hock, and cornbread. We had more than we needed.

That’s mighty nice of you, Mrs. Jane.

Oh, it’s not Mrs., the woman politely corrected him with a smirk, It’s Miss.

Alice said, I make cornbread and biscuits all the time.

Miss Jane patted her head, I’m sure you are a good cook, darling, and immediately began picking up plates, glasses, forks and knives, taking them to the kitchen sink to wash.

Holding his hand up to her, Milton said, You don’t have to do that, Miss Jane. The kids do that every day.

Sometimes children need to play and let women do what we are designed for, she countered. She turned toward Milton smiling, but started washing dishes like she was at home.

I’ve got to get started to work in the cornfield, ma’am, Milton said. I don’t mean to be rude, but I am behind on my work. Thank you for coming by and bringing the food.

Anytime you need anything just come and see me, the woman said brightly. I keep a clean house and wash clothes regularly. I can hunt, skin a deer, milk cows, sew, and I am a good cook. I can cook anything.

Milton stopped her and said politely, Except a rock and a board, right?

That’s right, sir. I have good teeth too, and I can drive a buggy or a wagon. She stressed her point as Milton left through the door, And I’m only 28 years old. After the woman had cleaned the cabin to perfection, washed the dishes and straightened the children’s beds, she left.

Edmund walked to the cornfield and told his Daddy, I’ll bet she wouldn’t be worth a plugged nickel at carrying wood or working in the fields. She’s got the skinniest legs I’ve ever seen, and I saw something as she was driving away.

What’s that son?

She dips snuff, Daddy, and spits. Grimacing, I saw her stuff it between her bottom lip and bottom teeth when she thought I wasn’t looking.

Thanks son, Milton said with a wry shake of his head.

*

After a few days, a two-horse wagon carrying an old man and a woman pulled up to the cabin as the children and Milton were washing their hands for lunch. It was a store clerk and his thirty-year-old daughter bringing another basket of food for the family with instructions for heating and storage for later use.

Thank you, sir. Milton paused with a nod, and ma’am. Please step down and have lunch with us, he motioned toward the house.

The clerk didn’t have time to respond before his daughter excitedly replied, We sure will.

The prompt answer from his over-anxious daughter surprised the clerk, but he asked, Are you sure you have enough, Milton Jasper?

Sir, right now we have plenty, so wash up and come on in.

This is my daughter, Annabelle, said the clerk by way of introductions as they approached the door.

After everyone had gone into the house and had a seat at the table, the clerk blessed the food and began passing it. He continued the conversation, proudly telling Milton and the children about his daughter. She is the best cook in the county, and she can take leftovers and make them taste like they were fresh. She can plow the fields, hitch up the team, ride a horse or mule, and she cleans clothes as good as anybody. She can build a fire faster than I can. She is also a good woodcutter.

That’s good to know, sir, in nice reply, Milton looked at the food on his plate. He didn’t want to look into the face of Annabelle, because she was one of the ugliest women he had ever seen. Her upper two front teeth stuck out from underneath her top lip as if they had never stopped growing. The bottom two front teeth were missing and the rest of her visible teeth were full