If You Came Back From Heaven

by

Marty Chrisman

Author's Note: The title of this story is from a song by Lorrie Morgan.

Chapter 1

Jesse Duke slowly rolled over in bed and turned off the alarm. He lay there for several minutes in the darkness summoning the strength to get up and start the day. He wasn't as young as he used to be and today he felt every day of his sixty-six years. Slowly, he shoved himself up off the bed and pulled on his clothes. Opening his bedroom door, he crossed the hall and knocked on the door to his niece, Daisy's room.

“I'm up, Uncle Jesse.” Daisy's voice called out cheerfully from inside the room. Jesse couldn't help smiling. Daisy was always happy and upbeat. She lit up any room she was in and she was the light of Jesse's life. He couldn't have loved her more if she was his own daughter.

He walked on down the hallway to the boy's room. This time he didn't bother to knock. Instead, he opened the door and quietly stepped into the room. Bo was sleeping in the single bed closest to the door. He was sprawled across the bed with one arm hanging over the side of the mattress, the sheet half on the floor and the rest tangled around his long legs. Bo was a restless sleeper, he always had been.

In the other single bed on the other side of the room, Luke was sleeping peacefully, lying on his side with one arm under his head. Luke slept more peacefully than Bo ever did, although he could have his restless nights too. He was also a lighter sleeper than Bo which was why Jesse woke Luke up first and then let him deal with getting Bo out of bed.

He crossed the room to Luke's bed and gently reached down to shake his shoulder “Luke,” he said softly “It's time to get up.” Luke muttered something in his sleep then his eyes slowly opened. When Jesse was satisfied that Luke was awake, he smiled and left the room, closing the door behind him. Jesse was proud of his two nephews, even if they were as different as night and day.

Luke was the oldest of the three cousins. He was 2 years older than Daisy and four years older than Bo. He was fiercely protective of both of his younger cousins, but especially Bo. The two boys shared a unique bond, closer than most brothers. Sometimes it was as if they were two sides of the same person. Four years in the Marines had changed Luke dramatically. He had left home a boy of 18 and returned home a man at 21.

Bo was the youngest of the three cousins and as the youngest used to getting his way. He was impulsive and impetuous. He was also more hot headed than Luke and was more likely to hit first and think about the consequences of his actions later. But he was a good boy, just a little immature yet. He was the one who still tended to get into more trouble than his two older cousins.

Jesse slowly climbed down the stairs to the first floor and went into the kitchen. He turned on the light and starting making a pot of coffee. It was only a few minutes before Daisy joined him, smiling brightly as she started gathering up the things she needed to start cooking breakfast. “Good morning, Uncle Jesse.” She said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek in passing.

“Good morning, Daisy.” Jesse said with a warm smile. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the head of the table. Daisy put two skillets on the stove to heat up, one for eggs and one for bacon. Upstairs, Jesse heard the boy's bedroom door open and close, then the sound of footsteps on the stairs. A few minutes later, Luke came into the kitchen.

“Morning, Uncle Jesse.” He said as he poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down in his usual seat on Jesse's right with a chair in between them where Bo always sat.

“Morning, Luke.” Jesse replied

Daisy was just finishing up breakfast when Bo finally stumbled into the kitchen, still looking as if he were half asleep. He slouched down in his chair and stifled a yawn.

“Good morning, Bo.” Jesse said

Bo mumbled something that sounded like “good morning” but Jesse couldn't really be sure. He smiled to himself. Bo definitely was not a morning person like the rest of the family. He wouldn't be completely awake and alert until at least seven o'clock . If left alone to sleep in, he wouldn't get up until almost ten. For the rest of the family, eight o'clock would have been sleeping late. But when you live on a farm and there's livestock to care for you don't have the luxury of sleeping in.

Daisy set a plate in front of each of the two boys and Uncle Jesse. She had fixed an old fashioned country breakfast with bacon, eggs, grits, and fried potatoes. Only after the three men in her life were served did she fix herself a plate and join them at the table. She sat in the chair to Jesse's left. They all bowed their heads and said grace, something Jesse insisted on before every meal.

Jesse smiled as he watched his family starting to eat their breakfast. Daisy laughed and talked and flirted in between dainty little bites. Bo shoveled in his foot like he was starving. And Luke ate at a steady relaxed rate. Their morning conversation centered around the work that needed to be done around the farm that day. After breakfast was over, the boys went outside to start their chores while Daisy started the chores in the house, starting with straightening up the kitchen and doing the breakfast dishes.

Jesse wandered into the living room and sat down in his favorite chair next to the fire place. Reaching down beside his chair, he picked up an overstuffed photo album that sat on a small stand. Holding the album in his lap, he slowly started turning the pages, letting the pictures on the pages carry him back to another place and another time. To a day just like this, ten years ago today to be exact, when his whole was turned upside by the death of his beloved wife, Martha.

It had started out just like any other day. The kids, fourteen year old Luke, twelve year old Daisy, and ten year old Bo were off to school and Jesse was sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a second cup of coffee before starting his chores. Martha was standing at the kitchen sink washing up the breakfast dishes. Jesse smiled warmly as he watched her.

They had been married almost forty years and Jesse loved her just as much today as he had the day he had married her. Her dark hair was streaked with gray now and she'd put on a few pounds but in his eyes, she was still the beautiful sixteen year old girl he'd married so long ago.

Then Martha had turned to face him with a strange expression on her face that alarmed Jesse. He bounded to his feet and reached for her just as she collapsed into his arms. Jesse gently lowered her to the floor and cradled her in his arms. He watched as the light faded from those light blue eyes and he knew in his heart that she was gone. He fought back the tears as he sat there holding her and rocking back and forth for several minutes. Then he carefully gathered her up into his arms and carried her into the living room where he laid her down on the sofa. Lovingly he covered her with an afghan from the back of the couch.

He decided to wait until the kids came home from school to tell them what had happened. He needed the time alone to make the arrangements and the phone calls that he had to take care of. Slowly he turned towards the phone and made his first call to Doc Pedicord. Doc arrived shortly afterwards along with an ambulance. After examining Martha, Doc told Jesse that it looked as if Martha had suffered a stroke or a fatal heartache. He assured Jesse that she hadn't suffered but Jesse already knew that. He'd held her in his arms as she died. The house seemed so quiet and empty after they left with her body. It was if the old house was grieving too.

Jesse made the rest of his phone calls and then slowly walked over to his favorite chair and sat down. Silently, he waited just staring at the wall, for the kids to come home from school. Daisy came running into the house first, followed closely by Bo and Luke. “Aunt Martha! Aunt Martha!” she called out happily. All three of the kids stopped in their tracks when they saw Jesse sitting in his chair with such a sad look on his face. Instinctively, Luke reached out to slip his arm around Bo's shoulders pulling the youngster close to his side. Luke was the first one to speak, to ask the question that was on all of their minds.

“Uncle Jesse, what's wrong?”

“Sit down, Kids.” Jesse said trying to hold back his tears. The three cousins sat down on the sofa with Luke sitting in the middle and Daisy on one side with Bo on the other. “I have some bad news.” Jesse told them “Your Aunt Martha passed away this morning.” His voice cracked at the end and the tears slowly leaked from his eyes.

Daisy immediately jumped to her feet and ran to his side, throwing herself into his arms and crying hysterically. While Bo leaned up against Luke and buried his face against his cousin's shoulder as Luke gently wrapped his arms around him. Bo's soft sobs filled the air. Luke was the only one who didn't cry, even though his eyes were moist. Jesse wrapped his arms around Daisy and held her close as she cried and his own tears fell without shame.

Jesse tried to stay strong over the next few days but the truth was he could barely function. And none of the kids were doing very well either. Luckily, friends and family members had gathered around the grief stricken family supporting them as best they could. Several family members were staying at the farm, the women folk taking over the cooking and helping to care for the children, while the men took care of the chores and the lifestock.

The worst times for Jesse was when he lay in his big empty bed trying to sleep but sleep wouldn't come. He found himself cradling Martha's pillow in his arms. It still held her scent and comforted him even though she wasn't there. And alone there in the bedroom that he'd shared with Martha for so long, he cried. He didn't know how he could go on without her. She had been his life for so many years that he didn't see how he could go living with her gone. He wanted nothing more than to curl up and close his eyes and join her in heaven.

Jesse had insisted on the traditional southern wake to be held at the house. Martha had loved this house and had made it a home. She had the right to spend at least a couple of more nights here before they laid her to rest in the family cemetery on the hill behind the barn. Jesse insisted on sitting up with her for the traditional three nights that she would be in the house. Fourteen year old Luke had insisted on sitting up with him. It was strange how the tables had been turned and instead of Jesse comforting his nephew, the young teenager was comforting him. But then Luke always had been the protector of the family and had taken his responsibilities for his younger cousins seriously. Jesse was proud of him and the fine young man he was growing into.

The funeral and the burial was a blur in Jesse's mind and always would be. He remembered being supported by two of his brothers at the gravesite so he wouldn't collapse. And he remembered Daisy and Bo both crying hysterically as they leaned against Luke for support and comfort. But Luke stood there without shedding a tear.

In the days following the funeral, Jesse could barely function. He got up in the mornings because he had to. The kids had to go to school but then he spent the rest of the day just sitting in his chair and staring at pictures of Martha. Chores were done haphazardly, usually by Luke and Bo when they got home from school and Daisy usually took responsibility for cooking supper. Jesse had fallen into a deep depression that he couldn't seem to pull himself out of.

And he might have stayed that way too if he hadn't come to realize how much trouble the kids were having adjusting to Martha's death. Bo was becoming more and more withdrawn, not talking to anyone but Luke. Daisy was spending most of her time in her room. And Luke was trying to be the strong one, the one who kept it together for everyone else's sake.

Finally, Jesse decided that he had to start getting things back to normal for his own sake and for the sake of the children. So he made a conscious effort to spend more time with them and to start acting like their father again. Bo and Daisy responded immediately but Luke was the one who worried Jesse the most. He had always been more reserved then his younger cousins, keeping things inside and not sharing his feelings that openly or that easily with anyone. Jesse tried without much success to draw the young man out. One night, Jesse watched as Luke slipped out of the house after supper and went into the barn. Telling Daisy and Bo to stay in the house, Jesse followed Luke.

In the barn, he immediately knew where to find Luke. The one place he always went when he wanted to alone. Slowly, Jesse climbed the ladder to the loft. As he stepped into the loft, Jesse could hear the sound of soft sobs coming from the back of the loft. Walking in that direction, he found Luke sitting in a corner with his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around his legs.

Gently, Jesse knelt down beside the teenager and reached out to touch his shoulder. That was all it took. Luke threw himself into the safety of Jesse's embrace and started to cry as if his heart was breaking. Jesse sat there, gently rubbing Luke's back in a soothing motion and let him cry until he had no more tears left to cry.

“It's alright, boy.” Jesse told him comfortingly “Uncle Jesse's here. I got ya…I got ya…”

Jesse closed his eyes for a few moments as Luke slowly quieted. He knew that he couldn't give up. He had three kids who still needed him desperately. He would have to find a way to go on without Martha. He knew he would never stop missing her or grieving for her but the rest of his family needed him to be there for them and he would be from now.

Jesse was pulled from his memories when he realized that Luke, Daisy and Bo had come into the living room and gathered around his chair. Slowly, each of them bent down and gave him a fierce hug and a kiss. Jesse saw the tears glistening in their eyes and he knew that they remembered too what day this was. And he wasn't alone in his grief or his memories.