Revel (Second Chance Romance #1)(48)
“How do you know this?” Charlotte said. “And what is Gullah?”
“Damn. You really didn’t live in Charleston long enough if you don’t know about the Gullah,” he said. “Geechee is how we know them around here. They are the descendants of African slaves. They have a unique culture and way of life. They’re a small community now, they used to live up and down the Carolinas, but now they live primarily here in the lowcountry. And you’ve seen them, selling their sweet grass baskets up and down Meeting Street near my house.”
“Oh!” Charlotte said. “Yes! I love those baskets.”
“And you’ve also met a Gullah woman. And that’s who we’re here to see today. She’s waiting for us over at the picnic tables.”
Charlotte was lost. Who could this be?
As they approached a table, a thick waisted black woman stood up to greet them, her smile broad and warm, her arms outstretched.
“Declan!” she said.
“Antonia!” Declan exclaimed leaning down to hug her.
Oh, yes! Now Charlotte recalled her. Antonia had been the DeGraff’s housekeeper and chef when Charlotte visited. She was older now and a little bit heavier, but Charlotte recognized her immediately.
“Hello, Antonia,” Charlotte said.
“Oh, sweet Charlotte,” Antonia leaned forward to embrace her. “I’m so happy to see you. When Declan told me how you’d find one another again, it made my heart so happy for you both. He’s told me so many things about you over the years. His heart has always been broken over you.”
Declan sighed, “Antonia. You’re making me sound a little pathetic.”
Charlotte laughed, “I like it. Tell me more.” She threw her elbow into his side. “I can’t help but get a little pleasure out of knowing you were pining away for me.”
“Oh he was!” Antonia said. “But now fate has thrown you together yet again. There are no coincidences when it comes to love.”
“Coincidences are just God being anonymous,” Charlotte said out loud and both Antonia and Declan looked at her in shock.
“Oh my. That’s some wise words there, Charlotte,” Antonia said. “And it’s true too. I think you might have been Geechee in another life. Just like Declan.”
Declan laughed, “You’ve been telling me that since I was a kid.”
“Well, it’s true,” Antonia said. “Not that Geechee believe in reincarnation. But sometimes I think it’s possible. And what I know, is that you have been with one another in many lifetimes. And now this one.”
Charlotte wasn’t sure what to say to that. She had no idea what would happen with her and Declan. But Antonia seemed so sure.
“Well, anyway,” Declan said, clearly embarrassed. “I came here to make sure arrangements were made and everything should be okay.”
Antonia nodded, “Yes. I’ve talked to who needed to be talked to. We will do it like with your mother. All is okay.”
“What’s going on?” Charlotte asked.
Declan looked over at Angel Oak and didn’t say anything for a moment.
“My mother,” Declan said. “Her ashes are here. We scattered them at night after the park closed. It was her request and now it’s my father’s request that he join her here. This is where he asked her to marry him.”
Charlotte teared up thinking of it.
“I can think of no better place,” Antonia said. “To begin a love and to sleep the eternal sleep with a love than right here at Angel Oak. She will guard their souls. No haints touch these grounds.”
“Haints?” Charlotte asked.
“Evil spirits,” Declan explained.
“Oh,” Charlotte said. Coincidence she could possibly deny. But evil spirits? She was a doctor. Pragmatic and mostly unbelieving in the things she couldn’t see. But both of them seemed so sure of it, so she said nothing.
“Charlotte,” Antonia continued. “I wanted to tell you something. And I hope it doesn’t upset you and I hope it’s not out of line. May I tell you?”
Charlotte looked up at Declan, “Sure. Though I’m a little nervous.”
“I was a longtime confidant to Miss Anna,” Antonia said. “I know what she done to you. I didn’t know it was you until a few years ago when Declan told me one night. But Miss Anna had told me about a terrible thing she did. And how it hurt her heart every day to know she made the wrong decision. Your mother’s death laid heavy on her soul.”
Charlotte’s tears stung her eyes. She wasn’t sure what to make of this.
“I tell her to tell someone. To tell the family, to take it upon herself to give them justice, even if it meant they hated her. Even if it meant she’d go to jail or be ostracized. But you see, she wasn’t afraid of none of that.” Antonia looked at Charlotte now. “She was afraid to leave Declan. She didn’t want to leave him for jail, or to leave him to be hurt by people’s cruel words. She didn’t want to bring him shame or make him pay for her mistake. So she didn’t tell. And instead, the guilt of it, ate her up. Miss Anna didn’t need to go to prison to pay for what she did. It ate her alive. She would beg me to help her die. Said she felt like she was being skinned alive from the inside. She wanted to trade places with your momma more than anything. She started to drink so much, take so many pills. Wanted to numb it all away, but she couldn’t.” Antonia was almost in tears now. “I don’t know why she never told me you were the daughter. I was with her the last days of her life but she never told me. And I don’t know why I am telling you this now. Maybe so it would help you to know that she suffered. Not as much as you. Not as much as your momma, God rest her soul. But Miss Anna died very broken. Very sick from what she did. Everything we do in this life catches up. She was so sorry for it. Sorrier than any of us could fathom.”