Shamus MacFadden's Fiddle

Submitted into Contest #108 in response to: Start or end your story with a house going up in flames.... view prompt

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Drama Historical Fiction Sad

Sometimes Colin Fergus would wake to the mournful sound of a fiddle.  He would try to ignore it, but sour old tune continued to rise in his head until it could no longer be ignored.  His memories were filled with images of his life on the Fergus Estate and of Dalton, West Virginia which his Aunt Lucy had told him to forget.  It was her own memories of that horrible place that haunted Lucille Amundsen.  

It was a frigid October evening.  Colin awoke to the acrid aroma of smoke.  When he opened his eyes he saw his room was filled with smoke. He had no idea what was happening as his mind was still filled with the dreams of his sleep.  

Awakened by the smoke pouring out of the windows and doors, Isaac ran into the house.  Quickly he found that there was no hope for the rest of the family as the flames had spread to every corner of the house. He went to Colin’s closed door and began knocking, the wood was already quite warm. 

Upon hearing the knocking, Colin wondered who was there and when it opened, Isaac Collingsworth appeared.  He was frantic. 

“Follows me.” Isaac said as his heart was beating its way out of his chest.  Then Isaac led Colin through thick smoke, blinding Colin as they escaped.  

They survived because of the location of their rooms.  Colin’s room was just about six feet from the back kitchen door and Isaac had a modest room in the servant’s quarters in the back of the main house.  

 Grabbing the young boy’s hand, he led him out to safety as they would watch as the rest of the house caved in shortly after that as they stood in the grass heavy with dew.  Colin was twelve years old at the time.

Among the dead were Colin’s grandfather and patriarch of the Fergus family, William and his wife Rebecca. William’s badly burnt remains were still sitting in his wheelchair where he had been confined since his accident in 1937.  Otto and Brigette, Colin’s parents’ bodies, were found still in their room where they had been overcome by the smoke.  Christiania, Sarah and Welton were also found in their rooms overcome by smoke inhalation.  

Coroner Calvin Newsome was startled and saddened at the grizzly recovery of seven bodies from the Fergus Estate.  He was pretty certain of what he would put on their Death Certificates as the cause of death.  Sherman Willett, his assistant, just kept shaking his head until the bodies were all placed into the truck he had driven up here.

“Good Lord Almighty.” Calvin removed his hat as their remains were put in the flatbed of the truck.  Glancing over, he saw Isaac holding Colin’s hand, “I feel sorry for that boy.  His whole family jus’ got wiped out.” 

“Me too.” Sherman said, shaking  his head. 

Colin stayed in Isaac’s room until his Aunt Lucille could come down from New Haven, Connecticut where she lived with her husband Lars Amundsen.  

“Yaw kin be comin’ for ya.” Isaac told Colin the next morning.  Isaac was only twenty at the time, but he was William’s favorite house servant.  Gentle and kind, Isaac was a mulatto whose light brown skin made passing a possibility for him, but it was by personal choice.  Choosing to remain in the service of the Fergus Family, he chose to remain in the servant’s quarters.  Such a choice had saved his life.  

“Isaac.” Colin looked up with his sad blue eyes that made Isaac feel his heart weighed down like an anchor in his grief. He knew the boy was still in shock. 

“Yessir.” He put his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“I miss Welton.” His eyes flooded with tears.

“I know’d...I know.” Isaac felt his own grief well up in his eyes. “Your Aunt Lucille be comin.’” 

“I don’t remember her.” Colin bowed his head.

“Looky here, lemme starcha ya some vitals.” Isaac pulled a pan from a hook on the wall.

“I’m not very hungry.” Colin sniffed.

A single fiddle could be heard coming from just beyond the clearing.  Colin looked up as Isaac cracked open a couple of eggs he had retrieved from the small henhouse in the corner of the clearing earlier in the morning before the sun peeked over the hills.  Resting his head in his open hand, Colin waited until the fiddle stopped playing, “It’s Shamus MacFadden.” 

“Yes, I know’d.” Isaac forced a smile. “I know Massar MacFadden.”   

“He used to scare Welton.” Colin managed a smile at the memory.

“Ussa be a good man.” Isaac poked at the eggs with his spatula as they sizzled in the pan. 

“He said some bad things about Grandpa William, though.” Colin shivered at the thought.

“Ain’ no rule ‘bout folks havin’ to like each other now.” Isaac scooped the eggs from the pan leaving the yokes a bit runny.  It was the way Colin liked them.  

“Thank you, Isaac.” Colin picked up the fork, put some hot egg on it, carefully blowing on them before putting the forkful in his mouth.

“Y’all be careful now.  Don’t go burnin’ yasself.” He said as he cracked two more eggs for himself. 

Looking out the small window in the kitchen, Colin watched a beehive of activity as uniformed men examined the burned out skeleton of the Fergus Estate.

“Mens be comin’ till they get wha’ happened.” Isaac said as he sat down at the table next to Colin.

“I know what happened.” Colin said as he finished his eggs. 

“Ya do?” Isaac opened his eyes wide at that revelation, “Put da plate in the sink over yonder.” 

Colin obeyed Isaac’s request, but he did not take his eyes off the men buzzing about the smoldering ruins.  

Colin wandered up the hill to where the house used to be.  Most of the men were policemen, but there were a couple of firemen sifting through the ashes to make sure the fire was truly out.

“Are you Colin Fergus?” He heard someone call out his name.

He turned and saw a man about his father’s age ambling toward him with a limp.  He wore a policeman’s uniform and he was about five foot six with a slender build.  From his appearance, he did not seem like the man in charge, but he introduced himself, “I am Detective Monahan.” 

Despite the size difference, the smiling policeman shook Colin’s smaller hand.

“I heard you were inside when the fire started, is that true?” He squatted down so he could be eye to eye with him.  Colin nodded. “What did you see?” 

There was a loaded question as Colin’s memory had been filled with all kinds of pictures and images.

Grandpa William was screaming as he sat in his wheelchair at the top of the stairs. “Otto, what in tarnation have you done?” 

There was a laugh, not a joyful one, no, this was an evil laugh and it was coming from Otto his father. 

“You shall experience the flames of Hell for what you have done!” Grandpa William said as he disappeared in the flames. 

As the flames roared through the house, Colin could hear Shamus MacFadden’s fiddle playing a Scottish dancing ditty.

“Satan, come get me!” Otto screamed as part of the upper floor fell on him.  These would be his last words he would speak in this world. 

He heard his mother scream.  Her long red hair was ablaze and she ran down the stairs before some more of the structure collapsed on her causing her screaming to stop. 

According to William's will and testament, the family was to be buried on Fergus land in a family plot near the trees.  Chairs were set out in the grassy area by the Desmond Funeral Home people.  Seven caskets were set next to seven open graves.  Reverend Herbert MacAvoy, dressed in his solemn funeral robes stood under a tarp that had been erected for him to conduct the services.  Two helpers set up the stand where he would read from the Bible.  As he walked by one of the caskets, he laid his hand on the varnished wood and bowed his head. It was no secret in Dalton that he favored Bridgette Fergus, but had never acted upon his secret desire.  

Isaac led Colin down to the chairs.  Even though it was late October, the day would be sunny and bright as some of the vibrantly colored leaves would start to fall from the cedar and oak trees as a gentle breeze raked the branches.  Sitting in two chairs near the front of where the congregation would be sitting, Colin leaned over to Isaac, asking, “Where are all the people?” 

“They be along shortly.” He nodded.

Five minutes of squirming and fidgeting, Colin heard someone call his name.  When he turned he saw a woman wearing a thick fur coat and a black dress and veil that covered most of her face.

“Oh my poor child.” She embraced and kissed him leaving traces of her bright red lipstick on his cheek. “I am here.” 

Colin realized it would be very impolite to ask the woman who she was, so he just nodded and smiled at her.

“I am here.  Aunt Lucille.” She wiped the lipstick off his cheek with the thumb of her white glove hand.

So this was his father’s sister, the one who had left over twenty years ago to preserve what dignity she had left from being torn apart.  She had moved to Connecticut and married a man from Norway who had just gotten off the boat. At this moment, Lars Amundson was by her side with his long golden hair and his hawk nose under which a toothy smile appeared. 

“Pleasure to meet you, young man.” He held out his hand, but Colin did not take it as he was a complete stranger to him.  So was Aunt Lucille for that matter.

Lucille sat in the empty seat next to him, “Dear, I am taking you home with me. It’s what your father wanted.”

“No, no, this is my home.” Colin stamped his feet, but his anger had been muffled by the wet grass. 

“Lis’sen to her.” Isaac whispered in Colin’s ear.

“No, no...I wanna stay with you.” He pulled at Isaac’s arm.

“You must be Isaac Collingsworth.” Lucille acknowledged.

“Yessum.” Isaac bowed his head.

“I have all the arrangements made.” She informed him, “We will be traveling by plane from the airport.” 

“I see.” Isaac nodded, but when he looked down at Colin he noticed the boy had an expression of distress on his face.

“It’s the only way, really.” She took out a mirror from her purse and looked at herself  to assess the current state of her makeup.  She brushed off some that had become out of place. Satisfied she put the mirror back where it had come from. 

“I agree.” Isaac nodded.

“Doncha want me?” Colin whined looking up at Isaac.

“I can’t take care of you.” He shook his head.

“You will have your own room.” She put her face near his, “My husband Lars, teaches at the university. I hope maybe one day, you will be able to go there.”

Lars continued to smile when she mentioned his name. 

A shadow appeared at the edge of the woods.

“Shamus.” Colin stood up and ran to the old man who resembled a scarecrow, his face was gaunt, his features seemed to be sharpened like flint, small patches of hair grew from his chin. When he saw Colin stumbling toward him in grass that was not only covered in dew, but was higher making it more difficult to get through.  He got there in a hurry as he proclaimed, “Shamus, they are taking me away.”

“I know, son, I know.” He reached out and stroked Colin’s silky hair. 

“I want to live with you.” Colin said, pouting.

“No, you must go.” He squatted down on his spindly leg covered in denim. 

“I don’t want to.” Colin whined.

“But you have no choice this time.” He stroked the boy’s cheeks, removing some stray tears. “I am truly sad to see this, but I knew it was a long time coming.  I felt it in my bones.  You go with your aunt and soon this place will be nothing but a bad memory.” 

“I want to stay.” He tilted his head.

“I know ya do, but this is for the best.” He stood up and put his hand behind Colin’s head. “ I am here to play some tunes for your family.” 

“Shamus MacFadden.” Reverend MacAvoy shook Shamus’ hand, Glad you could make it.” 

“You don’t mind if I play a couple of tunes.” He lifted his fiddle so the reverend could see.

“Sure, no problem at all.” He smiled.

“The Fergus's have always been friends of mine.” He put the fiddle to his chin.

“Strange.  I heard they treated you rather harshly.” The reverend shrugged.

“Aye, let bygones be bygones as these folks will be trying on their heavenly robes here shortly.” He drew the bow across the string emitting sour notes that hung in the air. Reverend MacAvoy winced upon hearing them, his smile frozen to his face in the interim. 

“I hate that man.” William pointed out the window at Shamus as he played a tune on his fiddle.

“Oh now William.” Rebecca stroked the white hair on his head.

“He is a menace.  He organizes strikes up there near my mine.” Once the fire had started in his anger, there was no putting that fire out.  William had a true Scotsman temper which would rage whenever he saw something he did not agree with and Shamus MacFadden was one of those things. 

“What’s up, dad?” Otto asked as he stood at the side of his father’s wheelchair.

“It’s that dang-blame-fiddler son-of-a-bitch, again.” He shook as he held his finger out.

“Dad, he is harmless.” Otto assured him.

“Harmless, hey?  He wasn’t working for you when he walked off the job with no warning, taking a whole crew with him.” William shook in rage as Shamus continued to play his sour tune. “He gets all my miners riled up.” 

“It won’t do you any good to let yourself get all worked up.” Otto took hold of the handles on the back of his chair.

“Unhand me!” He yelled as all heads in the area turned to see what the commotion was all about. “Let me go you queer-boy!”

Otto let go as if the handles had burned his hands.  A savage expression crossed his face as he glared at his father. “Go to Hell.” 

“Did you hear that, Becca?  Did you hear what your own son just said to me.!” He slammed his bony fists down violently on the arm rest.

“I heard, William.  I heard.  Come on, let's get some lunch.” She stroked his red hot cheeks, “Isaac?  Oh Isaac, let’s get William some lunch.” 

“Yessum.” He nodded as he turned and went into the kitchen to prepare lunch. 

“Though I walk through the Valley of Death…” Reverend McAvoy read from the Psalm, but Colin’s mind drifted as it had when Brigette, his mother, took the four of them to church. Colin would squirm with Welton in a game of poke-me-poke-you while they sat in the pews.  

When the service was over and Colin had walked to each of their graves to throw a handful of dirt on their coffins, he made sure he did as the adults had done. 

“Grandpa William.  Grandma Becca, dad, mom, Christiania, Sarah, Welton.” He paused at Welton’s grave as his tears mixed in with the dirt he had dropped on his brother’s casket.  Lucille followed along, placing her hand on the boy’s shoulder. 

As the mourners filed out of the yard with the grim reminder of the once beautiful home in the background haunting the procession like a ghost, Colin pulled away.  Aunt Lucille called for him, but he continued to run for the fiddler who had played some traditional Scottish folk tunes in his patched overalls and flannel shirt.  Upon seeing Colin run at him, the fiddler knelt in the grass and held out arms to receive the boy.  As soon as he got there, the fiddler closed his arms around the boy and their tears fell like a river.

“My father did this.” Colin whispered into Shamus’ ear.

“I know.” Shamus nodded.

“He was tired of grandpa always yelling at him.” Colin replied as Shamus squeezed him tighter. 

“I knew your father when he was a little boy.  When I still worked for your grandpa. He and his sister Lucille were always being berated by his hollering.  Never let up. He wanted them to have thick skin like his.  Otto was a sensitive boy.  When the army carted him off to war in Europe, something changed inside him.  Something changed for sure.”  When Shamus saw Lucille’s shadow fall across them, he let go of Colin. “If you love me, you will go with your aunt.” 

“I do love you, Shamus.” Colin said, still wiping the tears from his eyes.

“I know...I know.” He stood up, put the bow to his fiddle and played “Abide in Me” as he watched Colin leave with his Aunt Lucille.  

August 20, 2021 23:12

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1 comment

Joan Wright
22:14 Sep 11, 2021

Great story. You created quite an amazing mood throughout with your great use of just the perfect words. The scene was easily obvious to the reader. Lots of drama and lots of sadness. I had some confusion in the middle when you were switching back and forth on the timeline. You gave hints about how the fire started but Colin's statement was still unexpected. Loved Colin and how he related to the people around him. Great job!

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