Rural Route 2
a Collection of Stories from the Tobacco Farmer's Daughter
by
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Kelly’s Fate
No matter how many times I tell this story I still feel the intense pain from that day. I still feel the hurt in my heart and I fight to keep the tears from slipping from my eyes. This story reminds me not to let a day go by without letting the people in my life know I love them. Don’t waste time being angry about unimportant things. Say, “I’m sorry” or “I love you.” You might not get another chance as none of us is guaranteed tomorrow.
This is Kelly’s story.
Summer of 1983 was supposed to be a happy lighthearted time for me. My baby was due in just weeks and life was genuinely looking too good to be true”. On
I picked up the phone and was shocked to hear the voice of Janet, my middle sister.
“Kelly’s been hurt. Kelly’s hurt bad! I can’t talk long. I have to call Cathy!”
I assumed Kelly had been hurt in a farming accident and that Janet was being overly dramatic.
“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” I said, my heart pounding, but my voice stayed calm. I think I was trying to reassure myself as much as Janet.
“No, Daddy doesn’t think she’s gonna make it!”
My heart sank, I felt dizzy. This is not happening I thought to myself. Surely I am not going to lose my baby sister. She’s only fifteen!
My memory of what happened next is still somewhat vague. I believe Janet told me the ambulance was headed to the emergency room at Lynchburg General.
“I’ll meet you there,” I managed to squeak out.
Without putting the phone down I tried to dial my husband’s work number. I could not get a dial tone.
“Oh, God, Oh, God,” I half screamed as I tried to once again dial the number.
My husband was out on patrol that day. He was a trooper with the Virginia State Police in
Finally my fumbling fingers managed to dial the numbers.
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About the Book
Linda Hamlett Childress, author of, A Tobacco Farmer’s Daughter, brings us Rural Route 2, More Stories from the Tobacco Farmer’s Daughter. This is an engaging book of stories that some say compares to the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Linda believes her stories are more like vegetable soup- with an edge. Many of the events took place on the farm of her childhood, in Charlotte County, Virginia. On this farm her parents, Harry Lee, and Jane Hamlett still reside and farm. This book offers something for everyone, from family tragedy, and lessons learned to hilarious tales of childhood antics gone badly. Everyday dealings turn into entertaining stories for people of all ages. As an added bonus Linda has added an excerpt of her very first novel, The Tobacco Row Girl. This is the story of a young defiant girl who longs to escape the pain of growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father and to have a life that is all her own. After her escape she finds you can run, but you can’t hide.
About the Author
Linda was born the second of four daughters and raised on a tobacco farm in rural Charlotte County, Virginia. With the success of her first book, A Tobacco Farmer’s Daughter, Linda was encouraged to write more stories; being told she had a special ability to story tell on paper.
In Rural Route 2, Linda gives up more than just tales of life on and around their Charlotte County tobacco farm, she shares stories from many others, and even gives us a sample of her first attempt at writing fiction.
Linda still works as a dental hygienist in Roanoke, Virginia, and is now pursuing her BSDH from East Tennessee State University. Besides writing she enjoys playing golf, biking, and spending time with family and special friends. She currently resides on Claytor Lake with her husband, Steve, and daughter Ashley.