Julia smoothed the last stitches on her quilt and sighed in relief. It was finished in time for the Quilt Show. It was beautiful, probably the best she'd ever done, certainly the most challenging. It was a story quilt and it told a very troubling tale.
The main feature of the quilt was a large spreading oak tree, the branches alive with children, birds and small animals, on one side of the tree stood a wedding party - bride, groom and minister. Behind and to the right of the wedding party was a small log cabin. The young bride sat by the door with her sewing and her foot appeared to rock a small cradle by her side. The young groom was chopping wood with an eye to his small family. Behind the cabin, four men were sneaking up on the young family with axes and pitchforks in hand.
The other side of the tree depicted a lynching. The young bride stood to one side clutching her child, the group of four men was placing the rope around the young groom's neck, the axes and pitchforks were leaning against the tree. On the left of the tree, behind the lynching stood the cabin, the same 4 men were pulling leather bags out of the ground - the bags spilling out gold coins into the green grass.
Julia knew the tale well, as the young bride was her great-grandmother. She also knew that someone wouldn't be happy about the quilt she had created. But she knew that the story had to be told and it was time that it was.
She carefully folded the quilt and put it in its custom bag ready to transport to the Quilt Show. As she put it on the stack of other quilts, she heard someone at the front door.
The knock on the door startled her. She jumped as she placed the quilt on the stack of other quilts. She thought to herself who can that be? No body knows me here at least I think not. She opens the door and she is startled to see who it is.
Julia thought to herself that she thought she had seen a ghost. The person at the door looked like her great grandfather who had been lynched by the mob of men.
The man at the door said, "Excuse miss but I heard about the quilt show and I was told that you don't need to bring it in. I will take it in for you to save you the trip to the fairgrounds to where the show is being held."
Julia stood there for a minute she knew that the quilt show was being held elsewhere. Julia said, "sorry sir but I know that the quilt show is not being held at the fairgrounds, you must have the wrong house. I can take care of my own affairs so please leave me alone and don't ever come back."
"No need to be rude Miss I am only trying to help out."
Suddenly as the man appeared he was gone. Julia grabbed the quilt and started to the car to put it in the trunk, Safe and sound in the trunk Julia thought.
As Julia climbed into the car she started up her engine and started to back out of the driveway when. She started down the road toward the quilt show she heard some type of engine roaring up. She looked behind her and noticed that there was a car that appeared out of no where.
She had to stop at the stop light then all of a sudden...
Julia heard the car behind her gathering speed and readied to bypass other cars to reach her and knew she had to do something really drastic while she had the advantage of time. Looking around, she noticed that a police car was parked on one of the side streets, just in view of the traffic light. Before the light changed to green she pulled ahead of the car in front of her and zoomed past the red light. Immediately the police car sounded its sirens and began its chase. It was better being chased by the police than that horrid person, she thought, knowing that he had been sent by someone to do her harm.
She drove at top speed for some blocks, passing startled pedestrians, until she was sure she could stop. Reaching an isolated corner of a parking lot, Julia breaked and stopped the car. With a heavily beating heart, she leaned forward over the driving wheel, her head in her hands. The police car drove around her and stopped in front, preventing in advancement on her part.
Just as the police officer was stepping out of his car, a shot rang out, shattering Julia's front window shield. It appeared to come from the opposite side of the street. The officer ran over to Julia, opened her door and motioned to the ground. As she huddled on the ground near the police car, the officer radioed for extra reinforcements with long-range rifles. Julia was frightened, but felt safe with the officer. But she couldn't stay there any longer, she needed to get the quilt safely to the Quilt Fair. There no one would touch it because the family patriarch would be there, and while he might not like the truth to be known, she knew the quilt would be in safe in his hands. While all the commotion was going on in friont of her, Julia crept to her car trunk, opened it, took the wrapped quilt out and crawled with it backwards towards the emptying parking lot. She could guess the fairgrounds weren't too far away, because the lot was located on the city outskirts. When she could finally stand, Julia hugged the quilt with both hands and ran as fast as she could.
Julia kept running until she reached the building where the Quilt Fair was being held. Long after she stopped running, her heart kept pounding in her chest. She had to make herself take slow, deep breaths. Who would go to such a length as to try and harm her? What of this story her quilt was telling was so threatening to someone else? She knew they'd be unhappy, but this went way beyond that. Julia sighed, trying to remain calm.
She ducked in the bathroom for a moment to try and collect herself. There was no use dashing in all disheveled; as Julia looked in the mirror, she saw her makeup was running and her hair had way too many fly-aways. After carefully checking to make sure she was safe and alone, Julia locked the door and began to compose herself. She splashed some water on her face and fixed hr hair. Now no one would give her more than a passing glance. The less attention she could draw to herself until her quilt was delivered, the better. She wanted to take no other chances. She looked into the mirror one final time. She was ready.
Quietly, Julia poked her head out to make sure she was quiet alone and unnoticed. Her heart thudded so loudly, she thought it would pop out of her chest. She hugged the quilt close to her and hurried inside the main room. She scanned the room for the family patriarch, hoping she could locate him. She finally spotted him and raced to his side.
"I need help...Where have you been?"
"Calm down, What's wrong?"
Julia looked into his eyes, Could she trust him? Oh, but she wanted to. His face was dark, but the eyes were like ice, piercing her heart. He was tall, with a twist to his smile, his teeth so white. She melted inside, but still she guarded her thumping heart.
She grabbed his hand, and walked him through the small crowd. She found an empty rack, and quickly hung the quilt.
She pulled him softly as she backed with him into the people who were chatting amongst one another. They waited, They watched. Julia looked at every face that walked by. Who was she looking for?
Suddenly the room became quiet. People parted, and the most Beautiful woman she had ever seen, walked by. She had long golden hair, combed back with a gold band. Her body seemed like it flowed on air past her. Her dress was black, simple, but elegant, as it filled her every curve. Her shoes were gold, like her hair band. Her fingernails bright red, to match her lipstick.
Julia stared in awe....Who was this woman? Where had she seen her before? Julia turned around and saw the woman touching the quilt, rubbing it between her fingers. Julia watched, and thought, Where, Where, have I seen her?
The long and slender fingers gently caressed the quilt as it hung on the rack - and a slight smile appeared on the lovely cream skin of this beautiful face. It was easy to see the emotion and the fact that time had stood still for this lady as she viewed Julia's quilt. It was as if her fingers were reaching far back into the past, stirring memories and bringing a time of enlightenment.
The atmosphere in the room had changed; the hustle and bustle was gone leaving in its wake a calm and muffled sound. Julia too was reaching back into the dark recesses of her mind puzzling and struggling to piece together snippets of memory that would clear the story for her.
Climbing over other pieces of memory back to the time when she had been convinced that her quilt should tell the story of the young bride and groom and the baby in the cradle and the evil which had come creeping over the hill. She remembered being told the story by her grandmother and her mother too.
Part of the story was holding her and she could clearly see the pieces of gold glinting in the sunlight that fateful day…………….gold ……….she had seen other gold today on the hands of this lady. She tossed her thoughts around. This was not a young lady but this lady was truly beautiful and age had been very kind to her - there were signs of aging, but signs of love and life and a tenderness familiar to Julia.
She remembered her Mother telling her as much as she knew of this family story with all its anecdotes, of the terrible fate her Great Grandfather had met and that no-one really knew what had happened to her Great Grandmother and the baby so lovingly rocked in that cradle. The mist was clearing in her mind - could her Grandmother have been saved from that cradle and raised by another nurturing soul.
The elderly lady stepped up to Julia and the likeness was clear for all to see. The maternal line and genetics were very strong - this lady must be the baby from the cradle - her Grandmother. Her Mother had told her all she knew but not the intimate details nor the convoluted things that had connected two families. The man who knocked at her door knew the story and wanted to prevent Julia ever finding her true roots. He was prepared to snatch the quilt and destroy it - lest HIS family history and truth be revealed.
There would be time, there would be the place and there would be forgiveness and understanding. A time of explanation and a time for each family to be forgiving and to start again.
For the gaps to be filled in and for healing to begin for both families. It troubled Julia that she had been so convinced that her quilt must tell the story of all those years ago. It was a treasure quilt, a memory quilt and a history quilt. But most of all it had become a healing and restoring quilt sewn with love and it had opened memories long sealed away.
The lady smiled at Julia and took her hand and together they stared at the beautiful quilt that would bring healing to two families and explanations would be given.
Julia turned to the whole group - and most of their faces were familiar to her from distant mist filled days - she held tight to the hand that would lead her to peace and said "Let the healing begin."