Polly looked at Rachel with piercing eyes. Rachel needed to understand something important about living in these mountains. As she spoke, she pointed to the temple of her head. Its the mind, Rachel. You can sit here all day calling it taking care of yourself, but its the mind that has to stay busy. I know it hurt when you lost your first two babies, grief almost took your mind back then, and old Ko-wee will do the job on you this time if youre not careful.
Rachel glanced across towards Ko-wee Mountain. It always reminded her of large globs of gray steel, like one big melted ball stacked on top of the other, and the cliffs appeared like arms reaching upward towards the sky. It could be pretty with its scattering of green spruce and pine trees and especially so in winter when snow turned it to a glimmering white. But today old Ko-wee hadnt changed; it was just a mountain.
Look at old Ko-wee. Miss Polly said softly. Standing over there like God himself. Its been there since this earth was first created. Its watched many a life come and go, and its watched smart minds go crazy.
Polly tapped at her forehead, You see, Rachel, with old Ko-wee, it cant be half-way, you either love Ko-wee or you hate it. If you trust its power, it will protect you. Hate it and itll rob your mind. You dont want to end up like Callie Mae Phillips; do you Rachel?
Rachel knew Callie Mae wasnt right in the head. John had warned her many times to be mindful of her and if she saw Callie Mae anywhere near their house, she was to go inside and lock all the doors. Everyone in both valleys shied away from old Callie Mae and seemed to fear her with a reverence. Rachel had seen her up close only one time. Shed spent the morning working in her vegetable garden and was down on her knees pulling at weeds when suddenly Callie Mae appeared from nowhere. Rachel had frozen stiff with freight. Unable to run, or even to raise herself to her feet, she simply stared directly into old Callie Maes eyes.
Callie Mae stood very still, holding onto her hatchet cautious-like, as if deciding what to do next. Old Callie Maes eyes gleaming sharp, like the eyes of an eagle. She never moved as she carefully looking Rachel up and down. Then with a cackling laugh, old Callie Mae said, Youre not who Im looking for. Then she turned, and as quickly as shed come, she was gone.
Everyone living in these mountains accepted Callie Maes presence the same way they did old Ko-wee; same as they accepted that maple trees turned brilliant shades of orange and yellow and the same as sweet gum trees turning a deep mahogany red in the fall. Rachel soon became accustomed to seeing Callie Mae walking up and down the road making motions by swinging her arms and talking to no one but herself. What puzzled Rachel was that old Callie Mae appeared to be searching for something or someone lost. Callie Mae was known to be near Warrens age, that meant she had to be past eighty. The difference was Callie Mae didnt walk old. She walked with spirited little steps and moved briskly as any young person would. Shed asked John about Callie Mae, but he would say little about her.
Miss Polly, what causes Callie Mae to be the way she is? Rachel asked suddenly.
I told you, its old Ko-wee. Miss Polly took a moment to stare with reverence towards Ko-wee Mountain before continuing. Callie Mae came here as a new bride about the beginning of the big war. Her husband, Clay Phillips, joined the Confederacy and promised hed be back as soon as the war was over.
Warrens mama, Nona, knew Callie Mae while she was still right in the head and she told me Callie Mae hated living in these mountains. She stayed because shed promised Clay shed wait for him here. Nona delivered Callie Maes baby, but Clay never lived to see his son. He died in the battle of Fredericksburg and no amount of telling Callie Mae that made her believe he was dead.
What happened to her baby?
Id been living here about three years when Callie Maes boy disappeared. He was around twelve years of age back then, and even today nobody knows if he went to live someplace else or maybe something bad happened to him. Rattlesnake Mountain can be a treacherous place to live and its not been called that for nothing. Old Callie Mae learned to survive. She can sling that old hatchet of hers and chop off a snakes head standing twenty feet away. They say all she ever eats are them rattlesnakes and shes covered everything inside her house with their skins.
So its her son shes looking for? Rachel asked.
Law no, honey, Callie Mae never did care a thing for that boy. It was Clay she grieved for.
Rachels eyes moved like riveting bullets and that question shed always wanted so badly to ask kept going through her mind. Without warning, Miss Polly unbuttoned her dress and dropped it near her waist, exposing bare, soft skin young as a sixteen year old girl. But when she turned her back, what Rachel saw made her draw back in horror. A scar longer than both Rachels hands had left a thin web half as wide.
Rachel was so taken aback, she forgot what they had been discussing. Miss Polly, what on earth happened? she asked.
You wanted to know; didnt you? Miss Polly asked.
Wanted to know what? Rachel asked.
Why I fear old Callie Mae.
It happened a long time ago. I was pregnant with my fourth child and wasnt able to do much farm work. Id walked up near the ridge of old Ko-wee to pick up hickory nuts. Suddenly old Callie Mae came tearing out of the woods screaming, you took my man, you took him, you took him. Id never seen her before, but for some reason, I knew for sure that crazy woman was Callie Mae Phillips.
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