Page 45 of So in Love
“Mom.”Jamie stared at the faded handwriting.“You should read this.”He set the letter on top of the album she was still looking at.
He watched her as she read.When she finished, she closed her eyes briefly, then shook her head.“We don’t know what this really means.”
“I think we can make a pretty good guess.Don’t you?”He took the letter back and quickly scanned it.“He says Hoyt and Redmond aren’t good guys, that they murdered someone.And the words hate and intolerance are synonymous with the KKK.”
Mom put her face in her hands.“This is terrible.”
Jamie touched her shoulder again.“It is.And we can’t change that.”
She put her hands in her lap.“I know.It’s just… This isn’t who I thought we were.”
“Of course not.Andwearen’t those people.”
She looked over at the stack in front of him.“What else did you find?”
“Nothing yet.”He started sifting through it, looking for another letter, or maybe a photograph.Halfway through, he did find another letter, this one dated April 21, 1933.
Dear Lavinia,
I received what you sent, but I haven’t disposed of it yet.I want to make sure that’s what you want.I understand your shame and sadness.I would want to keep the truth buried too.It’s good that you are going to visit Turner and his family.It really doesn’t matter what color they are.Those children have your blood and that’s what matters.
There was more, but it was all about the weather and grandchildren and other topics that didn’t particularly interest Jamie.He scanned down to the end and read:
I’ll only say one more thing on the subject of what you sent.Don’t you think that woman’s family ought to know what happened?Don’t you think they have a right to know their daughter was murdered by the KKK?It’s not my secret to tell, but I don’t think I could live with that on my conscience.I will continue to pray for you, dear sister.
With love and faithfulness,
Clara
Jamie reread the letter, this time reading every word.He could feel this woman’s empathy but also her judgment.He moved the letter toward his mother and sorted through the rest of his pile.But there were no more letters or anything else of note.
From the corner of his eye, he saw his mother pick up the letter and start reading.Her hand went to her chest and stayed there until the very end when it ascended to her mouth.She shook her head again.With trembling fingers, she set the letter down and looked at him.
“You can’t give these letters to Kelsey.They’re too personal.Too private.”
“But they’re also history.”He recalled that TV show that researched a celebrity’s ancestry and how Ben Affleck didn’t want the fact that his family had owned slaves to become public.“It isn’t right to bury the past.”
She took both letters and folded them in half.“There’s no evidence, save these letters.We don’t really know what happened.”
“There’s another piece of evidence.Some guy from Lane County wrote to Redmond Stowe confirming their plan to burn down the brothel.With torches.”
Mom blinked at him.“Why would the KKK burn down a brothel?”
Jamie still didn’t understand that part, but it was clear that his ancestor, Turner Stowe, had married a woman of color and that he wasn’t a member of the KKK as Jamie had feared.“We should find out about Turner Stowe,” he said quietly.“And Hoyt—particularly how he died.It seems like Turner was somehow involved.”
It took Mom a moment to respond, and when she did, she sounded defeated.“Yes, we should.”She looked at him, her eyes beseeching.“Can we do that before we go about sharing this information?I mean with anyone, including your brothers.”
Hell.Those were the first two people he wanted to tell.Actually, that wasn’t entirely accurate.He imagined Crystal’s reaction.This information could really help her research.Then again, if he hadmoreinformation, wouldn’t that be better?
Mom’s shoulders suddenly drooped.“How do we find information?”
Jamie wasn’t sure but thought that digging up birth and death certificates on the Stowe family would be a good place to start.“Are there birth and death certificates in any of this stuff?”
“Oh!”She quickly stood.“They’re in the other box.Mom kept them all in a manila envelope.I’ll be right back.”
Jamie stood and stretched.His eye caught something white stuck between the cardboard on the bottom of the box.He pulled it out—an envelope with a Ribbon Ridge address on the front.And a San Francisco return under the name T.Stowe.
“Well, hello,” he murmured.“Now I know where to find you.”And he knew just who he’d ask for help.He had a friend from his undergrad days with a master’s in library sciences—like Kelsey.But he couldn’t ask her, which made him feel bad.He’d make it up to her—and to Crystal—when he had a better, more complete picture.
