Cairo was very generous and wrote me a story for my birthday. It is wonderful, as is all his writing, and he is allowing me to post it on my page. Thank you, Cairo, for this and all the other stories! -Cossy (Oh, yes -- it is very long so it is spread over a few pages. Enjoy!)
Although it was late July, the temperature in Atlanta was quite pleasant. By some delightful gift of weather, a large mass of cool air had moved down from the north, moderating the customarily fierce Georgia Summer. And with that cool air came a gentle, refreshing breeze, not forceful enough to stir up the dust, but just a whisper to bring relief throughout the city.
Of course the people of Atlanta were not acquainted with the meteorological explanations for this good fortune. They simply knew that they were enjoying extraordinarily fine weather.
Scarlett O'Hara had gone to Kennedy's Emporium to check on the inventory and review the ledgers. It was still early morning but although the street traffic in Five Points had started to increase, and the store was open for business, no customers had as yet arrived. And since Scarlett hated to pay employees to stand idle behind the counter, she had instructed the clerks to take up brooms and feather dusters and give the store a good cleaning.
As always the ledgers fascinated her, and she quickly became absorbed in the long columns of numbers. Rapidly adding the sums in her head, she noted with satisfaction that the store would turn a tidy profit for the month. And she was so preoccupied with thoughts of how they could do even better in August that she almost didn't notice when the front door opened.
It was Bonnie, escorted by Mammy, who scampered up.
"Mama, mama," the little girl squealed enthusiastically as she gave her mother a hug, "I went to work with Daddy, and I saw the fyre horses, and the twain just came in!"
"The fire horses!" Scarlett gasped in sudden alarm. But Mammy quickly reassured her.
"Dey ain't no fie', Miss Scarlett. Dey's jes waterin' de hosses down at de fie' house.
"Miss Scarlett, we jes walked down ta de bank with Mist' Rhett. An he sed ta come ovah heah and ast if'n you wuz plannin' ta go back ta de house enny time soon."
"In a few minutes, Mammy," Scarlett answered. "I'm not finished with the books."
"Well doan you take too long," Mammy grumbled. "Ah doan want Lil Miss in de stoah when dat Yankee trash start a'comin' in."
A surge of irritation rose in Scarlett, and she was about to give vent to an angry retort, when Bonnie suddenly diverted her attention.
"Dear, don't play with the merchandise," Scarlett called out as Bonnie ran over to the nearest shelf and began tugging on a bolt of calico.
"Come back here, chile," Mammy growled as she stalked over to fetch the little girl. "You ain't got no bizness with dat cloth."
Bonnie jumped up and down in protest as Mammy took her hand and led her back.
"Mama hurry. I wanna go back to Daddy."
Bonnie tugged on Mammy's hand, Scarlett moved to set the ledgers aside, Mammy struggled to restrain Bonnie from breaking free, when once again the front door suddenly opened. They all turned to look toward the entrance. A young woman stood in the doorway, a very young woman completely unknown to any of them, and there was something so striking about her that they forgot their previous distractions and focused their full attention on the visitor. Even Bonnie ceased her fidgeting and stared.
The young woman was dressed in a light blue travel outfit with matching hat and handbag. She stood silently, staring back and breathing deeply as if to absorb and savor every detail of her surroundings.
After a few moments Mammy broke the silence. "Dat ain't no Yankee," she whispered to Scarlett. "Dat a real lady. But she aw'ful young."
The young woman heard the comment and her cheeks dimpled as she smiled.
"Can I help you?" Scarlett asked, her voice uncharacteristically subdued. There was something about this young woman that completely mystified her.
"I just arrived on the train," the young woman said, "And I'm going to be in Atlanta for the next few days. I came straight here from the train station.
"My name is Cossette and I'm from Canada. I live near Toronto. So I'm not a Yankee. I'm a Canadian."
"Did anyone come with you?" Scarlett asked, looking out the store windows to see if someone was standing outside the door.
"No, I'm all alone."
"Then you must be visiting someone."
"No," Cossette replied brightly, "I don't know a soul in Atlanta."
"How ole is you, chile?" Mammy asked sternly, "And wher' is you plannin' ta stay?"
"I'm fifteen," Cossette announced proudly, "Well, almost. My birthday is three days from today. And I suppose I'll check into a hotel."
"You kain do dat," Mammy squawked in outrage. "You kain stay in no ho'tel by yo' sef. T'ain't fittin'."
Throughout this exchange Bonnie had been staring at Cossette with a friendly smile, and Cossette's eyes sparkled as she smiled back. Acting on a sudden impulse, Cossette knelt and held out her arms to the little girl.
"I need a hug. Would you give me a hug?"
Bonnie ran to her embrace, and Scarlett and Mammy smiled as Cossette wrapped her in her arms.
"You're a pretty little girl. What's your name."
"Bonnie Blue Butler," Bonnie squealed, in her usual exuberant manner. "Just like the Bonnie. . ."
". . . Blue Flag!" Cossette and Bonnie shouted it out together.
"My name is Cossette, but you can call me Cossy."
"You've heard about the Bonnie Blue Flag in Canada?" Scarlett asked, curiously.
"Yes, we have," Cossette replied with a mysterious smile.
"Miss Scarlett," Mammy asserted, "She kain stay in no ho'tel. T'ain't fittin'."
"Stay with us, Cossy!" Bonnie cried. "We have a big house and ever so much room."
"Miss Scarlett," Mammy pleaded, "She got' ta stay wid us. She kain stay in no ho'tel."
"Please, Mama," Bonnie cried, "Let Cossy stay with us."
There was an unmistakable aura of ecstatic happiness and anticipation on Cossette's face as she listened to these pleadings on her behalf, and she looked anxiously to Scarlett for her decision.
"Well. . ." Scarlett said reluctantly. She didn't know why, but there was something about this young woman that didn't make sense. Something out of place. And Scarlett did not like this feeling of bewilderment. But everyone was staring at her, waiting for an answer, and with an instinctive toss of her head, her natural inclination to take charge reasserted itself.
"Fiddle-dee-dee! Of course you'll stay with us." And glancing at Cossette's handbag, "Didn't you bring any baggage with you?"
"Yes!" Cossette exclaimed delightedly, almost triumphantly, and Bonnie squealed with joy. "Two trunks. They're back at the train station."
"Well, we'll take care of that," Scarlett answered breezily. "Mammy, go to the bank and fetch Rhett.
"Do you want to go too, Bonnie? No? You want to stay here with Cossette? Oh, very well, but don't you go playing with the merchandise.
"Mammy, tell Rhett to come to the store right away. Tell him we're having a guest for a few days, and we'll need a wagon sent around to the train station."
***