Out West Ch. 16: Farewell to Arms

"To our guardian angel -- to Martha" they all agreed then drank. There was more than one tear, I suppose mine were there too.

Then the strangest thing happened, right through a stone wall came a young man in Union uniform, he walked up to Emma, kissed her lightly on the forehead, then came up to Jacob and saluted then stuck out his hand.

"Ready to go Lieutenant?"

Jacob asked, returning the salute in his own Confederate officer's uniform and shook the man's hand.

I must have looked confused, when Jacob put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Martha I would like to introduce you to Edward, Emma's hus...first husband." The boy stuck out his hand bold as brass, I shook it in shock.

"Thank you for taking care of Emma for me, it was kind of you." His eyes showed he meant ever word. Then he winked and I knew.

"You two saw!" I almost fainted, can the dead faint?

"Of course we did sweetheart, we watched over both of you." Jacob somehow knew I was weak in the knees.

"Don't worry ma'am, we was of no use to you, and I was mighty glad you took Emma in." Edward added, with all seriousness.

"Not half as glad as you were, I am sure." Jacob added with a laugh, as I blushed down to my shoes.

"Jacob Anderson, you watch your mouth!" I blushed more as those boys looked at me.

I watched my friends as they continue to tell stories, some getting taller with each telling, who knows what would be made of my story one day, I hoped it was close to the truth, but I was now beyond caring or affecting. The legend of Jack Anders had, it seemed, taken on a life of its own. I lived in infamy it seemed. That pleased me.

"One final goodbye."

I said as I walked to each of the women, I kissed Pixie for being my adopted daughter, Kate for being the second woman in my heart, both seemed to know, and looked at each other. Finally, to my Emma, she may be Tim's wife and the mother of a small army, but she would forever be mine. I kissed her neck, right in that spot that she and I shared, she jumped a moment, but Kate caught her hand, they shared a smile and yet another tear. "Goodbye my love, live a long and happy life, I will wait for you." I looked at Evie; she smiled; she knew.

Then I turned away, back to Jacob and Edward, "What now boys?" As I took one the arm of each one, being bracketed by such handsome dashing young men, what woman would not be happy?

"Well, we go and wait for the Lord to call us before him, we did our best, we ran our race. The rest is all up to him." Jacob said without a backward glance.

I could not help but glance back, I was not sure, but I think I caught Emma's eye, she was smiling.

[Here the account ends]

As we heard those words, shivers passed through all of us. We wept; but not all tears are bad. Even Tim shed a tear. We knew this was true.

The tears will not stop as I write this; this account must.

We shall never see her like again, my darling, dearest Martha Anderson, the truest heart that ever beat and though she would have scorned the idea, the noblest woman it's ever been my privilege to know.

We went, together, to her grave, and the Preacher said a prayer for her. And from somewhere beyond the ether we all heard it: "'tarnation, you youngsters get on with it, live those lives to the full - and I'll be seeing you in the sweet by and by."

And so we cried and laughed, and back home, we toasted her memory.

"Mama Martha - the best of us all!"

Truly, all that survives of us is love.