Фэнни Флэгг - The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop

The year before, she had fallen in love with the most wonderful boy, Brooks Lee Caldwell. They were now engaged, and this should have been the happiest time in her life.

Ruthie knew she loved Brooks, but after meeting his family, it was painfully obvious that they came from very different backgrounds. Her family was not poor, by any means. Her father made a good living. But the Threadgoodes were definitely not “old money” like Brooks’s family. The Lees and the Caldwells were two of the top old-monied families in Atlanta. Their house was located behind large black wrought iron gates and was a showcase. It had been regularly featured in The Great Homes of Atlanta magazine.

After spending the first weekend at their home at Number One Caldwell Circle, Ruthie felt that Brooks’s father seemed to like her. But his mother, Martha Lee, was a different story. Although Martha Lee had never been anything but polite to her while she was there, Ruthie had felt an aloofness and sensed an ever-so-slight aura of disapproval.

No matter how many times she visited, Ruthie was still afraid she might do something wrong, spill something on one of their beautiful oriental rugs, or knock something over and break it. Or pick up the wrong fork at dinner.

Doubly hard was when Ruthie learned that after they were married, she and Brooks would be moving into the large and lovely home at Two Caldwell Circle, right next door to her in-laws. Ruthie had expressed her concern to Brooks and told him she thought it might be better if their first home together could be something a little smaller and maybe not so close to his parents. But Brooks didn’t really understand the problem and explained that he couldn’t turn down the house without hurting his parents’ feelings. She loved him so much, what could she do? But it was going to be hard, taking care of such a large house, and living so close to someone who made her feel nervous. And, harder still, considering she loved animals and had been around them all her life, was that there were to be absolutely no dogs or cats allowed anywhere on Caldwell Circle. Martha Lee was deathly allergic to animal hair.

In fact, Martha Lee was not really allergic to animal hair, but saying so had ended the discussion. A little white lie was permissible when so much was at stake. She had worked too hard collecting her beautiful objets d’art over the years to take a chance. She had many expensive antique tapestries hanging on the walls, and she certainly didn’t want some cat scratching at them or some dog running rampant through the house knocking over any of her priceless Chinese vases. She had one of the most exquisite homes in Atlanta, and she was going to keep it that way.

Martha Lee Caldwell was not a particularly tall lady, but her perfect posture made her seem so. Though she wasn’t naturally beautiful, her high cheekbones and shiny black hair, which she wore slicked back in a tight, fashionable chignon, gave her a stunning and imposing appearance.

She also had a certain air about her that so many people envy and so few have. Her secret? Martha Lee was extremely pleased to be Martha Lee.

Being human, she’d naturally had her share of disappointments, but she’d been able to rise above any adversity. No matter what life threw at her, she could always cheer herself by reminding herself that thanks to her Philadelphia great-grandmother on her father’s side, she was a direct descendant of the beautiful Duchess Carolyn Lee, wife of Duke Edmond James Lee, owner of the stately Lee Manor in Yorkshire, England, a fact she would often let drop into the most casual of conversations, even with perfect strangers. A large portrait of Duchess Carolyn Lee hung over the fireplace in her living room and was seen by anyone who entered. True, it was only a commissioned reproduction of an original portrait. But no matter. After all, she was family.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

WHEN MARTHA LEE Caldwell first heard Brooks was engaged, she had been caught completely off guard. Brooks had called sounding thrilled that the Maryland girl had just agreed to marry him, and Martha Lee couldn’t believe it. Dating the girl was one thing, but engaged to be married? She demanded that he come home immediately so they could discuss it.

After Brooks had talked to his father in private and had assured him the girl was not pregnant, his mother cornered him in the library and began peppering him with questions. Poor Brooks was trying as hard as he could to point out Ruthie’s many wonderful qualities but was having no luck.

“She may be in a top sorority, but so are a lot of girls,” Martha Lee said.

“But, Mother, she’s not just in it, she’s the president. And she was voted homecoming queen. Ruthie’s one of the most popular girls on campus. She’s really a terrific girl. The truth is, Mother, I’m lucky she’s marrying me. She’s had a lot of guys after her.”

“That’s all very well and good, but we really don’t know who her people are, or where they’re from.”

“I told you.”

“I know you told me, but really, Brooks, think about it. If you had said Mobile, Montgomery, or even Birmingham, I might be able to hold my head up. But Whistle Stop, Alabama? And I shudder to think where they came from before they landed there.”

“Mother, please don’t be so snooty. Besides, her family hasn’t lived in Whistle Stop for years. I don’t think Ruthie has ever even been there. And her father is a well-known doctor in Maryland.”

“Oh, Brooks, he’s not a real doctor. He’s a veterinarian, for God’s sake. His patients are dogs and cats—what do they know? My point is, you are my only son. I am only thinking about your future and what is best for you.” She made a sad face. “Oh, Brooksie, aren’t there some nice Atlanta girls you like? God knows, I’m not name proud, but Threadgoode? It sounds like an ad for a seamstress.”

“Mother…”

“All right. I’m not ashamed to admit it. The Caldwell and the Lee families come from a long line of good stock, and we have an obligation to adhere to certain guidelines.”

Brooks rolled his eyes.

“I didn’t make this up, Brooks. It’s a law of nature. Her father, the vet that you’re so crazy about, would agree with me. You don’t mate a thoroughbred racehorse with a Shetland pony.”

“Oh, for God’s sake, Mother, you’re living in another century. Nobody cares about those things anymore. You’ll just have to meet them and see for yourself.”

Martha Lee could see she was not making progress. The boy was smitten and insisted that they meet the girl’s parents.

—

A FEW WEEKS later, after having met Bud and Peggy Threadgoode, who had driven down from Maryland to Atlanta for the occasion, Martha Lee was talking with her husband at the dinner table.

“Linwood, you have got to talk to Brooks about marrying that girl, before it’s too late.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just what I said. Now, the parents seem perfectly nice, but—”

“No more buts about it, Martha. The boy has made up his mind and he won’t back down. Nor should he. As far as I can tell the girl is terrific.”

“I’ll tell you what she is. A veterinarian’s daughter whose family is from some little Podunk hole-in-the-wall hick Alabama town that nobody’s ever heard of.”

Linwood closed his eyes and sighed. “Martha, no matter what your or my reservations may be, he is going to marry the girl. And it’s time for us to make every effort to welcome her and her parents into the family.”

“But Linwood…”

He put his hand up. “Let me finish, Martha. Like it or not, you’re going to have to accept the fact that one day, the Threadgoodes will be grandparents to our grandchildren. I don’t know why you’re so upset. I thought they were perfectly respectable. He struck me as being a rather delightful guy, very personable, and the wife seemed very nice.”