Black & White in the South, Pen & Ink Drawings of the Rural Southeast by Charles Sims: July 2018

     Mary sat in the dirt, playing with her doll. She was small and frail, but the dirt did not stick to her. It was almost as if she were playing on the living room floor. There was a sadness about her that troubled the watchers. She had been here a while, but still had not fully integrated with the other children. They were all joyfully running around, laughing and playing all sorts of games together. Occasionally they would stop by to ask Mary to join in their fun. She would just smile and say, "In a little while." All the watchers could do was to make sure she was taken care of.
     She missed her mother and felt betrayed that she had abandoned her. At night, she would watch the lights of the little village on top of the hill. The twinkling lights would soothe her and she would eventually fall asleep. Mary knew that her mother would come back for her soon. Every night she dreamed that she would awake and her mother would be there for her. Mary eventually did make friends with the other children and seemed to live a normal life. They knew that Mary had had a terrible start in life and tried to help as much as they could. After a while their efforts paid off and she was a little happier. As they say, "time heals all." Mary would join the others for trips and outings and occasionally laugh out loud. Her favorite game was playing with her doll in the dirt. Something about that was soothing to her.
     The watchers were pleased in the change that took place in Mary's life, but noticed an occasional sadness come over her. For fifty years, Mary remained a little girl, never giving up on the dream that her mother would return for her. And one day the sky seemed exceptionally brighter. Mary and the other kids were strangely excited.   The watchers were uncharacteristically excited. Normally nothing more than a smile from them, but today they were practically beaming.
     This day Mary was playing in the dirt with her doll as she had done for many years. Her mother was always on her mind, but today she seemed especially so. Mary did not know what caused her to look up. It could have been the sound of someone trodding along the path from the village or the rustling of the gown worn by the old woman coming down the path. She was walking toward Mary as fast as she could. All at once Mary recognized the old woman as her long lost mother, who was coming back for her after all these years. She jumped up and ran to her as fast as she could. As happy as she was, she could tell her mother was happier. "Mary, I have waited for fifty years to see you. Every day since we parted has been hard on me and I couldn't wait to tell you how sorry I am. I had other children, trying to replace you, but I could never get you out of my mind. I want to tell you how hard it was for a young, single girl with no support system to have a child on her own. Everyone, especially Planned Parenthood told me that an abortion was the way to go. How easy it would be to end a pregnancy and that the fetus was not alive anyway. I didn't like the idea, but felt pressured to go through with it any way. I knew immediately that I had made a terrible mistake." "Every day for the rest of my life was hard, knowing what I had done to you and trying to make up for it. I could not wait for the end, so that I could come to you and beg for your forgiveness".
     "Mom," I waited for years to call that, and now I am so happy you are here. Now I can be as happy as everyone else is here. Everything is complete and perfect and we have eternity to spend together."
     The watchers could see the happiness surround Mary as she walked with her mom up the path to the village on the hill. Their faces beamed with happiness.