I'll Be Back In a Year Little Darling

Remembering a long time ago

If you read the first part of this story, scroll down please.
Rosemary Bowery added part two on April 11, 2001.

Sue Ellen had always been a bit off the wall, as she preferred climbing trees, playing kick-the-can, and shooting marbles with her brother's friends to doing girl things with her sister. But she was almost fourteen now, and had started to think differently about boys. She decided that she was going to catch herself a feller the following Sunday at the annual Flagpond church picnic. Her sister who was only a year and half older had gotten herself engaged to a draft dodger. Their daddy raised all kinds of hell about that, and threatened to go to the draft board and turn the boy in.

Sue Ellen was about as shapely as a stick of stove wood; she lacked the curves her sister seemed to have developed almost over night. Sue Ellen giggled at herself in the mirror, noting her long blonde curls, and big round blue eyes, while she stuffed her sister's bra, that she had borrowed without permission, with wads of cotton quilt batting. Her new light blue cotton voile dress had a fitted bodice with a full skirt. It was 1943 and hems were at least four inches above the knee, but her mama insisted on mortifying her by making her dresses calf length.

Sue Ellen packed a lunch for two, separate from the feast her mama had prepared for the family. She made hardy pimento cheese sandwiches with lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and sweet pickles, along with dainty cucumber sandwiches, and melon balls. She confiscated half of her mama's fancy white coconut cake, and filled a thermos with pink lemonade. She folded a white linen tablecloth, rolled up her handmade crazy quilt and laid them across the picnic basket, visualizing a romantic lunch for two in the orchard. All she needed now was to meet the right feller. (one with combed hair and clean fingernails)

Sue Ellen sat in the amen corner with her family, and looked out over the congregation observing all the fellers as they came in. All heads were bowed for the opening prayer when Sue Ellen caught the eye of a gorgeous soldier boy sitting on the back row. "He must be a sinner!" she thought, "he didn't even close his eyes for the prayer!" He gave her a wicked smile that made caterpillars crawl up and down her spine.

Butch wondered why he ever let his parents talk him into coming back to this God forsaken place. He could have been in Cincinnati, spending time with his friends. But his Grandparents lived in Flag pond and would have been hurt had he not come for a visit before he shipped out. He was stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and was home on a thirty day furlough before he shipped out on special assignment to an unknown destination. His commander assured him he would be back with his old unit in the states within a year; but the way the war was going no one could be sure of anything.

When the meeting dismissed for lunch, Sue Ellen passed the note she had scribbled on a gum wrapper, during the service, to the soldier who was now standing by the door, hurried to the church basement, picked up her picnic basket, and made a dash for the orchard, eluding the watchful eye of her mama.

Butch stood on the steps and scanned the crowd for the pretty girl that had flirted with him inside the church. People were hustling about under the tents getting the tables set up for the huge picnic. He opened up the crumpled note and read, "Come to the orchard." __"Where the hell is the orchard?" he mumbled, and took out his pipe, filled it with Prince Albert and struck a match with his thumbnail. His eyes meandered to the hill and spied the apple trees. He took a long drag on the pipe, let out, a breath of smoke and said, "Why the hell not?"

The caterpillars had changed into butterflies and were now doing their thing inside her stomach. She spread the quilt in the shade of an apple tree, knelt, and carefully arranged her mini feast on the tablecloth, in the center of the colorful quilt. Before filling the tumblers with lemonade, she arose to admire her creation on the ground, when a little breeze with essences of Aqua Velva and a Prince Albert pipe told her she was not alone.

"I am impressed," the young man said, and a pair of strong arms encircled her waist. "My name is Butch".

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ed note: We had no idea, but here it is:

I'll Be Back in a Year Little Darling, Continued-

Sue Ellen carefully freed herself from Butch's arms and turned to face her picnic guest. He was very tall and very blonde. She again caught the mischievous glint in his blue eyes and his wicked little smile sent her hyperventilating. When she caught her breath, she whispered, "Oh, I knew you would come. I just knew it. My name is Sue Ellen!"

"And I am starving," Butch said, grinning from ear to ear, as he sat down on the quilt, and pulled her down beside him.

The sun was straight up overhead; the shadow of a blue jay darted across the quilt as they ate in intense silence. Only the ebb and flow of the orchard spring, and the faint voices from the churchyard below disturbed their thoughts.

Butch was thinking, "I am falling in love with a child. Damn! What timing! I am going to war for goodness sake!"

Sue Ellen was thinking wild childish thoughts, "this is my feller and I am going to marry him."

"Unbelievable!" Butch said, and broke the spell, giving a whistle under his breath, "Sue Ellen, what a meal!"

Reality at last set in as they strolled through the orchard talking seriously of their growing up years, their hopes, and their apprehensions about the war. He told Sue Ellen of his life in Cincinnati ... about the girls he had known and how different and refreshingly beautiful she was.

"Butch..." Sue Ellen began slowly, "Sure, we have just met and you think I am a crazy mixed-up kid but I will be eighteen in a few months... well years ... it doesn't matter ... we are falling in love, you are going away soon, and I may never see you again. We must steal Daddy's pick-up and elope tonight."

Butch caught his breath, felt his heart briefly stop. "What do I do now?" What had happened to his ability to stay cool in sticky situations? Sue Ellen was right. What had gone down today was strong and powerful and he could not pretend it never happened. Yes, he was the adult and it was up to him to convince her that what she was proposing would have to wait a long time. He tried to be flip about it and said, "I must go and take my chances in the war. And If I die, don't you think dying for one's country more honorable than dying from a blast of your father's double barrel shotgun? Besides, you are not Lolita and I am not what-his-name. I will meet you here same time next year for another sumptuous picnic lunch, if you promise to sneak a bottle of dandelion wine into the picnic basket."

A year later on the second Sunday in August, 1944-

Sue Ellen's Picnic ebb and flow of orchard spring 'neath cobalt sky. she imagined essences of Aqua Velva and Prince Albert Pipe. ere shadows grew long, she felled wine bottle against a stone and lay among the shards. The languishing sun closed the day and a red orange glaze settled over Sue Ellen's crazy quilt.

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