The Long Winding Road

By Linda Bullion Meek

Time will tell...

Nancy Ellen has looked all her life for the place to grow old. During her lifetime, she fought many battles--one being cancer. Finally, after recovering from this, she found the man of her dreams in her old hometown. While dating William, she almost lost him one night because he was close to becoming comatose. She loves him, but now has second thoughts about getting married. Can she chance that happening again? Will the good outweigh the bad? He and she help each other through sickness, family problems, deaths, and many struggles of everyday life. Nancy Ellen is truly in love. It's not every day you find your "Prince on the White Horse".

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 26, 2008
• ISBN: 9781462815258

Linda Bullion Meek

Linda Bullion Meek has been writing short stories since she was a small child. During her battle with cancer, she wrote a short story about the steps she took to get through it all. It was published in the magazine “Health and You” in the spring of 2000. Linda has been an elementary educator for 29 years. Her joy is teaching, reading, and writing. She reside in her old hometown in Charleston, Mississippi. She and her husband, Sonny, live three miles out of town in the country. Her son, Rodney, lives in Dallas, Texas. She lives close to her parents. Her mother is her best friend. In her spare time, she loves to read. She enjoys the quiet morning while listening to the silence. Contact Linda at: [e-mail]

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THE LONG

WINDING ROAD

Linda Bullion Meek

Copyright © 2008 by Linda Bullion Meek.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

51419

Contents

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER 27

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER 29

CHAPTER 30

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 33

CHAPTER 34

CHAPTER 35

CHAPTER 36

CHAPTER 37

CHAPTER 38

CHAPTER 39

CHAPTER 40

CHAPTER 41

CHAPTER 42

Five men in my life:

Sonny, my husband; Rodney, my son;

Steve, my brother; Lee, my nephew;

and Charles, my dad.

PROLOGUE

This is the turn of the century, the year 2000. The world has been waiting with great anticipation, wondering what this new year would bring. No one knew what would happen. Some thought the world would come to an end. Others thought because of this computer age that we’re in, everything would be in total disarray. Nancy Ellen had prepared herself for anything that might happen. She knew that no matter what happened, God was in control. As the hands of the clocks brought in the New Year, all things went as God had ordained them to go from the beginning.

Nancy Ellen lives in Texas and teaches third grade in the Harlingen School District. She is planning a new marriage with an old high school friend, William. Nancy Ellen and William have both been married before. They know this time it will be forever. She doesn’t believe in fairy tales anymore, but she knows that she’s found her Prince Charming. Nancy Ellen and William are planning their wedding during the Christmas holidays. Her son, Curtis, who lives in Texas, will be giving her away.

The year 2000 has rushed in and rushed out. Nancy Ellen finished her teaching semester in Texas, where she taught for twenty-seven years. She has said good-bye to all her friends. It was hard for her, but she feels that this is the right thing to do. She loves William. She will be walking away from her retirement and a job that pays well. Love is worth it. As the saying goes, Love is sweeter the second time around.

CHAPTER 1

Her name was Nancy Ellen. It was a name that made you think of the South and visions of women with long dresses and hoop skirts. She did not live in an old antebellum home, but when speaking to her, you couldn’t help but picture this in your mind. She had a deep Southern accent, and when entering a room, no one could take their eyes off her. She moved with grace, and there was no one that wanted to miss even a gesture or motion she made. All attention and concentration were upon that small figure. There was warmth coming from the heat of the church. The song she had chosen for the wedding began to play as the mothers were ushered to their seats. The people began to stand, waiting for the special moment. The hours she had spent preparing for her wedding—wanting only perfection for this day—was exhausting, but well worth every moment. As she walked slowly down the aisle, every eye was upon her. Slowly her lips curved, and her eyes glittered as she gracefully reached the altar. William, the man of her dreams, extended his hand toward her, and she gently put her hand in his. Richard, her brother, performed the candlelight ceremony. As they were pronounced man and wife, you could hear the sleet falling and hitting the stained-glass windows of the church. As they walked out of the church to get into the limousine, rice from their friends and sleet from the cold hit their faces. William and Nancy Ellen just laughed and waved their good-byes.

In December, and only one day from Christmas Eve, William and Nancy Ellen decided to go to their new home for the night and take a honeymoon when summer arrived. The roads were getting bad, and it was only a twenty-five-minute drive from Cascilla to their home. Nancy Ellen, I want to carry you over the threshold, said William.

Well, be extremely careful. I surely don’t want you to drop me or hurt yourself, she laughed. When the lights were turned on and the heat set to warm them, William pulled her close and held her.

You smell of flower petals and scented candles. I love you so much, he said. She held his hand ever so tightly, and he squeezed her shoulder and drew her next to him.

I love you too, William. This day has been the most exciting in my life, she added. Nancy Ellen cuddled closer to William. Mrs. William Blake popped into her mind as she smiled at him.

Christmas Eve was spent getting gifts wrapped and loaded into the car. They were spending the evening at her parents’ home. This was a tradition for Christmas and had always been since she was born. All the family members gather at Sarah and Charlie’s home to eat, open gifts, sing Christmas carols, and shoot fireworks. Having her son home this year was very exciting. Tonight he would go home with William and her. He had spent last night with her parents since it was her wedding night. Having a new addition to the family was great, and they all welcomed William and treated him like one of them. It was extremely nice for Nancy Ellen to have a companion. She had spent so many holidays alone. This night was to be special for William. Her parents were true Southerners and believed in an old-fashioned Christmas. It was good to be home for the holidays.

It had been the year 1969 since Nancy Ellen had lived in Charleston. She had grown up in this small town. At the time it seemed to boom with excitement, and now she knew it was becoming a ghost town. Her parents had never considered moving away. Her grandparents had lived at Leverett about fifteen miles from Charleston. You just got used to the cotton fields and the gravel roads. The small country store that had once been her grandfather’s no longer existed, but the land they have would always remain in the family. Now being the year 2000, everything had changed so much. Curtis, her son, lives in Dallas, Texas, and this little small town is nothing compared to Dallas. It’s a good thing his visit will be short, or he would become bored. The few days together would be spent talking and catching up on what they both have been doing.

This is the town she grew up in, and now it would be her new home with her new husband. They would only live about twenty-five miles from her parents. William owns an old house that is said to be more than one hundred years old. It sits two-tenths of a mile from the highway. The gravel road leads to their house. It has a tin roof that lets you sleep like a baby when the rain hits it, a glass front porch that goes across the length of the house, and a carport that has a red swing hanging at the end. The swing is great at the end of the day to sit in and collect your thoughts. I guess you would call it an old farm house. He has many cows, three horses, one rooster, and one hen. He calls his hen Freda and his rooster Freddie. The house is big and has an old red barn behind it. Mom, won’t you be afraid to stay here by yourself? asked Curtis. I don’t think I could do it myself.

You didn’t even need to ask me that. You know I will have to get used to this place. I feel like I am out in the wilderness being off the road like we are. It’s so quiet and peaceful. I know I am going to love living here. I am so used to the city life and cars zooming by all the time. This is really going to be nice, said Nancy Ellen.

Not liking the country life, he replied, Well, whatever, Mom, just so it pleases you.

December is a cold month in Mississippi compared to the tropical climate of Harlingen, Texas. There were hardly ever cold days in Harlingen. The climate stayed about the same all year. It felt so good to wear a coat, and the cold stung your face. Nancy Ellen and Curtis took a walk around the farm. You couldn’t stand walking where you had eighty-five to one hundred degrees, could you, Mom?

No, I tried it many times. This feels so wonderful. Do you remember our first Christmas in Harlingen? We went to the beach at South Padre Island Christmas Day. It didn’t even feel like Christmas, Nancy Ellen said. This is just perfect for December. Having you with me even makes it more perfect, she said as she gave him a hug. They continued to walk the grounds of the farm with Nancy Ellen, explaining the changes that were going to take place in the next few years. William plans to put in an electric fence to keep the cows and horses out of the drive. He also is planning to build a shed to put all his farm equipment in. He has the tractors and plows along with everything else scattered up and down the drive. He says the cold weather in the winter is taking a toll on all the equipment. We are going to buy a storage building to store some of my things and his things that we aren’t going to use right now. I also need a place to keep some of my school materials. The movers are going to have a fit when they see all the items I am moving here. So is William. He has no idea how much I have.

The next time I come back to Mississippi, this place will look so different. I bet I won’t even recognize it. Mom, you need to go at things slowly. You shouldn’t just uproot William from his home. He is going to feel like he doesn’t even know his own house. You know what I mean? he asked.

I will go slowly. It takes money to do all the things we want to do. Remember how many times I have told you money doesn’t grow on trees? she laughed.

Boy, do I! he laughed too.

I guess we better get in out of the cold. You and I are not used to this kind of weather. We will be sick. Would you like some hot chocolate? I bet I can beat you to the house, Nancy Ellen said as she began to run ahead of Curtis.

CHAPTER 2

The next day, the three of them went back to be with the grandparents before Curtis had to leave. William and Charlie went outside to talk away from the women. Curtis decided to take a nap. I just love this place, Mr. Charlie, William said with meaning. How long have you and Mrs. Reed lived here?

Charlie said, Sarah was raised here where we’re standing at this very moment, just a different house, that’s all. Just meant so much to her for us to build this house where all her memories are. Charlie began to tell him how much they loved the country and peace and quiet of living, where you don’t have close neighbors. Nancy Ellen did not like growing up here because all of her friends lived in the city. She always complained that her friends were uptown having a great time after school and she was having to ride the bus home. She often planned to stay in town with friends when she knew it was going to snow. This was all right with us because we trusted her so much, said Charlie. Let’s go and see what the women are doing at this time. Come on, son-in-law. William walked beside Charlie, feeling welcomed and part of the family. It felt as if he had been part of this family for a long time. The two of them walked into the kitchen to find Nancy Ellen having a cup of hot tea with Curtis and her mother. The two men looked at each other and smiled because they felt such a warmth of love in this house. Curtis was sitting between his mother and grandmother. Everything looked so cozy.

Where have you been for so long? asked Sarah.

We’ve just been getting to know each other, said Charlie.

Yes, Mr. Reed has been filling me in on my wife and her girlhood days of growing up in the country, William replied.

Well, I bet you got your ears full, didn’t you, William? asked Nancy Ellen. It wasn’t fun being a teen and having to beg your friends to come twenty miles to get you on a Sunday afternoon, she laughed.

Oh, honey, I would have driven fifty miles to pick you up, William sweetly said.

You’re just trying to make me feel good, said Nancy Ellen. Well, I love you anyway, William, she said as she smiled at him. Come on, and I’ll show you the pond behind the house. We often went fishing and actually caught some fish.

Can you believe your little Southern girl did that? she asked. He winked at her and gave her a small kiss on her cheek. Curtis, would you like to take a walk with us? she asked.

I think I’ll stay and rest. I’ve about walked enough lately, he said. Within minutes, the newlyweds were off down the hill, running like two small children.

Memories of growing up began to come back as soon as Nancy Ellen started down the hill to the pond. She and her brother, Richard, spent many days at the pond and back in the woods, playing and doing things together like fishing and running through the trees and tall grass when knowing snakes were out there. Of course, they were told many times not to go to the pond alone, but somehow managed to do it anyway. There were so many times they could have gotten into trouble. Of course, Nancy Ellen got the blame when things went wrong. She was four years older than her brother. Nancy was supposed to be taking care of him. Even though he was younger, he still tried to be the boss.

William said, Come on, Nancy Ellen. You are being too slow. Just about the time he called for her, she tripped over a log and fell flat on her face. William ran to help her as soon as she yelled.

I am all right, William! she said. As she began to get up, she found she twisted her foot, and her head was hurting. She stood slowly with the help from William. They began to take a few steps, and Nancy Ellen started to feel faint. She leaned her head on William’s shoulder and mumbled a few words. William scooped Nancy Ellen into his arms and headed back to the house yelling for help. Mr. and Mrs. Reed and Curtis came running down the hill to help him. William started telling the story of what happened. Nancy Ellen did not stir or even groan. Her dad ran into the house to let the hospital know they were on their way. Apparently, Nancy had hurt herself worse than it appeared. Twenty minutes later, they were pulling into Tallahatchie General Hospital parking lot. William began to feel uneasy. All of this had happened so quickly.

Nancy Ellen was taken into a room, and the family was asked to wait outside. The doctor had her rushed to x-ray. They all began to pace back and forth in the waiting room. William was beside himself with worry. His life was just beginning with Nancy Ellen, and he couldn’t even begin to think of life without her. It took hours before the doctor appeared at the door of the waiting room. Her dad jumped up and rushed across the room to meet the doctor. It appears that Nancy Ellen has a mild concussion, declared the doctor.

Will she be out for long? asked William.

The next forty-eight hours we’ll monitor her and hopefully be able to tell more about the head injury. There doesn’t seem to be any swelling around the brain, and that is a big plus. Hopefully she will wake up and be able to tell us what seems to be hurting. There could be some damage inside the head that we can’t see at this moment, but I really feel that she’s going to be fine. She just took a hard hit on her head. She’s in good health and is a strong-willed person. I have known Nancy Ellen since she was a baby. If her cancer didn’t get her down, I wouldn’t worry too much about the head injury. Let’s just give it a few hours, and time will tell. She will be watched very carefully. I know this is a small hospital in a small town, but we do have good care. If it gets out of my hands, I can assure you she’ll be sent to Oxford Hospital or Memphis Hospital, where there are brain specialists. William, I want you to continue to talk to Nancy Ellen. I also want you to do the same, Curtis. Sometimes hearing a familiar voice helps. I’ll be coming by to check on her. If I should be needed, I will be at the clinic. Keep a smile on all your faces. I’ll be back shortly, Dr. T. T. said.

CHAPTER 3

Nancy Ellen lay quietly sleeping and looking like Sleeping Beauty. Mr. and Mrs. Reed, Curtis, and William were all resting in chairs in her room. She was hooked up to a heart monitor, and her heart was beating pretty fast. She was in a deep sleep in which she was dreaming of being a young child with her brother, Richard. They were playing on a playground. Richard was on the merry-go-round, and Nancy Ellen was swinging as high as she could go. Her heart raced as she pumped harder and harder to get to the height to reach the