A Woman of Substance
An original Audio Story for Appaloosa Radio
In dedication to Mrs. Kay Fetner
Eugenia was just thirteen when her father married her off to an older man. This is the story of a girl from Charly, Arkansas who drove her Model A Ford to freedom and a new identity, to become a woman of substance.
~~~
I was playing with some of my cousins and my younger brothers up by the big chestnut tree, the one my Pap always refused to cut down. The tree had the blight and should’ve been cut down and the stump burned. But my Pap liked that tree. He would never cut it down.
To us kids, it did not matter that it had the blight. It was ours to climb on and to hide in. We were glad that he’d never cut it down.
Anyways, I was playing with my kin up by that big tree. Then, I heard my Pap say, “Eugenia!” He said it loud with a stern voice. I knew to come runnin’ when he called me like that.
He was sitting on the porch next to a gentleman wearing his best Sunday go-to-meetin’ dark suit. The gentleman had some gray hair at the temples, and he was beginning to bald.
When I came up the steps to the porch, both men stood up. My Pap spoke.
“Eugenia, I want you to meet Mr. Winston Garrison.”
“Please to meet you, sir.”
My Pap continued. “Mr. Garrison is an Engineer for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. He has a house up in Omega.”
His voice trailed off. I waited for him to complete his sentence.
“Eugenia, Mr. Garrison is going to be your new husband. I’ve promised him that we can make it official next week in the Parson’s House at the Presbyterian Church in Omega.”
I did not know what to say. I simply stood there. I was just thirteen years old.
~~~
Music performed by: Legendary Big Gerry, from his Large and Laid Back album. A selection of traditional Celtic and American music on the hammered dulcimer and acoustic instruments.
