Ever since his father’s funeral, Leonard and Jill have come to a kind of truce. Joanna misses him somethin’ fierce. Leonard can’t afford to take the shuttle every weekend back to their old home, not with the kind of money he’s not making right now (he gets a stipend, but by Starfleet’s amazingly stingy rationale, he’s not on the payroll, since he’s not on duty yet), so they arrange regular videochats. Joanna’s bedtime is at 8 pm, Central time. Jill and Leonard work around their schedules and Joanna calls him every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday night at 6:45 pm, which puts Leonard at 5:45 pm. They talk for twenty, thirty minutes, and then it’s bath time for daddy’s little princess and getting ready for bed (brush your teeth, comb your hair, story time, and lights out).
Sometimes Leonard can’t make it, but he tries real hard to make sure those times are few and far between. Most of the time, it’s Joanna who’s not able to talk because she’s tuckered out, or she’s been a bad girl throwing tantrums all day, or she’s playing over at her friend’s house. He and Jill don’t talk much except to say how Joanna’s been faring at school or something else related to her. She feels like the only safe topic they’ve got. Leonard asked Jill once how she was doing, and she replied by quietly asking him not to ask her that ever again. That hurt obscenely. His heart felt like it had been ripped out-again. But he respected her request.
Leonard doesn’t know what he’s gonna do when he’s out in space. He’s pretty sure that Starfleet’s got all sorts of idiotic regulations about communications limits for starship crew personnel, so he probably won’t be able to talk to Joanna three times a week, if at all. He figures he’ll deal with it when it comes. He knows that Jill’s thought about this too-she always was a very thorough person. Besides, she’s going to be the one who deals with Joanna’s emotions when their baby girl finds out that daddy’s going far far away, someplace that she can’t follow. Leonard’ll find a way. There aint nothing that love can’t do, and there is no way in hell that he’s giving up the last bit of contact he has with the remnants of his family.
Tonight, Joanna wants him to tell her a story.
“What kind of story, sweet pea?”
“A magical story! With a prince and a princess.”
“All right then. How about I tell ya about the story of Moss Gown? How’d ya like that?”
“Yeah!”
“Okay then. Once upon a time, down in old Louisiana, there lived a rich gentleman with three daughters. Their names were Scarlett, Belle, and Candace. Scarlett was the oldest, Belle the second, and Candace was the youngest. Of the three girls, this old gentleman loved Candace best, because she was the kindest and loveliest of them all.
“Now one day, it happened that the old man knew his time was comin’. He wanted to settle his will and divide his estate among the three girls-he planned to give the largest part to his Candace, and give his two other girls a good portion too. But this man, though he was a good and true gentleman, he still had some vanity and stubborn pride in him. He called his daughters to him one day out on the big porch, and he asked them this question.
“’How much do you love me, my daughters?’
“Now these girls were no fools. They knew what was goin’ on, probably better than their daddy guessed. They knew he was planning on givin’ his plantation to them, and they guessed that whoever gave him the best answer would get the most land and riches. Scarlett, bein’ the oldest, answered first.
“’Father, I love you more than all the gold and silver in the world. The bright and sparklin’ jewels can’t shine as bright as my love for you. Pearls are lusterless when you compare them to my love. All the richest silks of India and the brocades of China are worth nothing to me, so precious are you to me.’
“Hearin’ those mighty fine words and poetry, the old gentleman was very pleased. But wanted to hear what his Candace would say. His second daughter, Belle, being second oldest, answered his question next.
“’Father, I love you more than the earth and stars, more than the beautiful pale moon in the night sky. The sun’s brightness is but the light of a candle, so strong does my love for you shine in my heart. All the oceans of this world could not contain my love-it would spill over and flood the land, so vast is my love.’
“Why, those words were finer than the ones spoken by Scarlett! The old man’s heart swelled with pride and he waited eagerly for Candace to begin speaking. But for a long time, she was silent. The gentleman thought it was because she was preparing something marvelous to say. He waited, Candace’s sisters gave her dirty looks-they had no great love for her-and she finally began to speak.
“’Father,’ she said softly and knelt to take her father’s hand, ‘I love you more than meat loves salt.’”
“Papa, I don’t understand. Doesn’t she love her daddy?”
“Well, honey, the old man didn’t understand what she meant either. He thought she’d say somethin’ more, but nothin’ came. This man was lookin’ for such fine words and puffed up sentences that he didn’t really listen to what she was sayin’.
“Cause ya see, sweetpea, back then, and still now, salt was how you flavored all things. Food without salt, meat without salt tastes awful. You’re a picky eater, so maybe you don’t know what that means,” he teased, “but meat without salt’s like cake without sugar. Would you like to eat something like that?”
“No!”
“Exactly. So Candace was actually tellin’ her papa that she loved him very much, and she was tellin’ him that in the best and most honest way possible.
“But her daddy got real sad. He couldn’t believe that’s all she had ta say, after all those beautiful words her sisters said. Her sisters knew this, and they seized on it. ‘See!’ they said. ‘She only loves our father like common salt! She doesn’t love him at all!’
“And the old gentleman believed them. That very day, he gave all his land and wealth to Scarlett and Belle, and nothing to Candace. Her two sisters drove her out of the house and told her never to return. Candace fled, cryin’, into the woods, into those mysterious bayous of Louisiana.”
“No! Papa, you said this story had princes and princesses! I don’t like this story, it’s sad.”
“What are you talkin’ about, no prince and no princess? Silly, Candace is the princess. And there’ll be a prince, but ya just haven’t met him yet. I promise it’ll all end happily.”
“I want it to be happy all the time! Why’s things got ta be sad?”
“Well, it’s like meat and salt again, ya see? If ya never know sadness, ya never appreciate happiness. Candace’s daddy didn’t understand the importance of salt because he’d never tasted food without it. Life’s got happy parts and sad parts, sweetheart, it’s just the way things work. We wish things were happy all the time, but when ya think about it, what would happiness be if ya had never been sad?”
“I don’t like being sad. I don’t like this story papa, why don’t ya ever come home?”
“I need ta talk ta your momma about that. I might be able ta come in a few weeks.”
“I want you here right now,” Joanna hugged her stuffed bear. “How come you’re so far away, papa? I’ll be a good girl, I promise.”
“I know honey, you’re always a good girl. Listen ta this story, and I promise it’ll be a happy ending, all right? We’ll finish this story, and then ya gotta go ta bed.”
“Okay,” she said quietly.
“Now where was I? Candace just got chased outta her own home, and now she’s wanderin’ the swamps with their cypress trees. She wandered and wandered, not knowin’ where ta go, until she fell asleep. She was so tired from walking, she was so tired from cryin’ that she slept like she was dead.
“But in the middle of the night, she had a strange dream. A woman, a voodoo lady, appeared in her dream. Her skin was brown like the rich soil, her eyes were green like a cat’s. She was barefoot and wore gold earrings. This lady appeared in Candace’s dream and said ‘Gris-gris, gris-gris, grine. Who’ll wear my magic gown?’”
“A magic gown?”
“That’s right, a magic gown. It was made of moss-in the day, it looked like nothing, just raggedy patches of moss. But at night, it transformed in the most beautiful dress anyone’s ever laid eyes on.”
“Did Candace go to a ball and meet her prince?”
“Hold your horses there, sweetie. I gotta tell the story right if you want ta hear the happy ending.
“Candace woke up from that mysterious dream and found it wasn’t a dream at all! The woman was standing right in front of her, her green eyes glowing by the light of the moon. ‘Dry yo’ tears, chile, and take this magic gown a’ mine. Calm yo’ heart and put on this magic gown, it’s got the light of the Mornin’ Star shinin’ in its threads.’
“Candace looked at that golden dress with pure wonder in her eyes. But she looked back up, the lady was gone. Nothing was left of the cat-eyed except the gown Candace was holdin’. She was scared by all these mysterious comin’s and goin’s, scared of the noises that filled the swamp at night. But a gentle wind stirred and she heard the words ‘Moss Gown, if you evah need me, just say gris-gris, gris-gris, grine, and I’ll come to yah like the song of a whippoorwill.’
“So Candace put on that beautiful gown and walked out of the swamp. She didn’t even know where she was goin’, her feet just knew the where she was supposed ta go, by the magic of that dress. She walked miles and miles and followed the Morning Star. But as morning came, the star faded, and she noticed that her dress faded too. It was turnin’ ta rags and moss. And when the light of day finally broke the darkness of night, she found herself front of a great plantation house, a white mansion just like the one she left at home.
“Candace didn’t know right what ta do anymore. Her feet stopped walkin’ on their own, and she felt lost. But she gathered her courage and walked up to that great door and knocked. Most of the folks would still be asleep, but by chance it happened, that the Mistress of the house was awake and saw her comin’ a long ways off. Candace was so beautiful, but looked so sad, that the Mistress took pity on her and gave her work to do in the kitchen. Now, mind you, Candace had never worked a single minute in her entire life, but she didn’t mind. She was determined to try.
“It was hard work. Candace’s hands were scalded by the hot fire. She had ta clean all around and her soft white fingers turned callous with work. The slaves in the house didn’t like her none, and they never talked to her. They called her Moss Gown, for that ugly raggedy thing she always wore. Candace was very alone and she missed her home. She missed her daddy, and she missed her easy life from before.
“It was gettin’ near Christmas. The Master of the house decided he’d throw a grand old party, to celebrate, and it’d last a whole week, seven nights. They’d all have a time of it. The servants got ta preparin’ for everything bright and early, killin’ turkeys and roasting chickens, buying potatoes and boilin’ carrots. Candace never worked so hard in her life. As the cooks were seasonin’ the food, rollin’ out pie crusts and makin’ molasses cookies, Candace thought about the Christmases she spent with her father.
“She wanted so much to join them. The first night, all the guests came with their glittering dresses and sparkling jewels. Candace watched them in secret, dancing the same dances and looking at the new fashions. Their hands were so delicate, slender and white like she once had. She watched them again the second night, and the third. That night, she made up her mind. She’d go to that gatherin’ the next night and have herself a good time. She had almost forgotten about her magical dress, and she had almost forgotten the magic words, but she remembered
“On the fourth night, Candace spoke those magic words. ‘Gris-gris, gris-gris grine’ she whispered, and the lady appeared right in front of her. She was wearin’ smile as she touched the moss gown and transformed it to that beautiful golden dress. ‘Now remember chile, the dress fades as the Mornin’ Star dies.’ Candace nodded, too happy for words. ‘Off ya go, dear chile, to the ball.’
“Now it just so happened that the Master and Mistress of the house had a young son. He was lookin’ for love, thought he’d found it many times, but never had. He was dancin’ with one of the pretty Louisiana girls at the party when he saw Candace come into the room. No one knew she was, but she looked familiar to all of them. It didn’t matter-immediately the gentlemen of the room were askin’ her for a dance, and the ladies of the room were lookin’ at her dress with jealousy. The young man didn’t get ta dance with her until late at night, and when he looked into her eyes, he fell plumb in love.”
“Is he the prince, daddy?”
“Yup, sweetpea, he’s the prince.”
“Candace was immediately drawn to this young man, her prince. He was a real gentleman, thoughtful, well mannered, kind, generous. Ya see, he didn’t know Candace, but Candace knew him. She had watched him, how he treated the people under him and how he spoke to her. He was a good man, and already deep in her heart Candace loved him. Dancing with him washed away all the sorrow and pain she felt in the past months.
“They were so caught up with each other that neither of them realized that it was gettin’ light. The Morning Star was dying. Candace suddenly realized it when she looked down and her dress was fading away. She quickly excused herself, sayin’ she had ta go back home, and without another word fled the house.
“The young man was distraught. He didn’t even know her name or who her father was, or anything. He thought the world of her, but she was gone in a flash. He slept badly, tossing and turning, hoping that the next night he might see her again.”
“Joanna, honey, it’s bath time.”
“Just let me finish this story here, Jill. I’m almost done.”
“I know how this goes, you’re not fooling me, Leonard. Your stories turn into epics in the blink of an eye. If the tale when that there was a mean Arabian princess killing her husbands instead of a sultan killing his wives, you’d be the man who was Scheherazade.”
Leonard beamed.
“All right then,” Jill sighed, then smiled fondly. “Finish your story before her bedtime, that’s all I ask.”
Joanna looked up at her mother, annoyed that she had interrupted the story line right in the middle of the good princessey parts.
“Night came. And Candace, she spoke those magic words again. ‘Gris-gris, gris-gris grine’ she whispered, and the lady appeared again. She touched the dress again and made it beautiful, even more beautiful and golden than the night before. And she delivered the same warning. ‘Remember chile, the dress fades as the Mornin’ Star dies.’ Candace nodded, and off she went to the ball.
“Everyone in the room seemed to stand still when she entered, she was that beautiful. But in truth, it wasn’t the beauty of her dress that stunned them, but the dress was showin’ to them the beauty inside her soul. She seemed all the more beautiful because she loved, and loved generously. She suffered, but that love survived, and she had faced sorrow, but her love survived. That was the beauty that lit their souls as they gazed on her, all through the magic of the cat eyed woman.
“The young man came to her side and loved her even more. They danced the night away, totally lost again in their marvelous world. And again, Candace forgot that sun was rising. She didn’t want to leave him, but she was afraid he would spurn her when he saw her golden dress turn to rags. In truth, the young man couldn’t have cared less about that, but Candace still disappeared into the dawn.
“And the third night, it happened again. They sat together at the great dinner table and ate little, just talked to each other like lovers do, falling deeper and deeper under that spell. And morning came, and Candace ran away again. The fourth night-oh, it was so hard for her to leave him, but she was still scared. She thought maybe it was better that it should stay a dream, a wonderful dream. Candace didn’t think she could bear to have him turn her away, like her father turned her away. So she left him on the fourth night, shedding tears from her heart as she ran.
“The young man was determined to marry her. She was the love and light of his life. He travelled through the whole South, called on every household in Louisiana to find her. But she was never there. His heart grew weak with sadness, and he believed he’d never see her again. When he returned from his travels, he was very sick man, almost near death.
“Candace watched and tended to him as his health slipped farther away. But she couldn’t bear to watch him die, so she decided, no matter what his answer, she would reveal herself. He might forget his illness and perhaps he loved her. What a sweet thing that would be! But he might forget his illness and forget her. Candace decided, though, she would rather have him not love her and live, than die of heartbreak.
“She was preparing a meal to take up to the young man when the cat-eyed woman appeared to her. She touched the moss dress and it turned into a gentle white gown of the finest cloth. It glowed with the light of the Morning Star. ‘This will fade, but don’t fear, chile. Don’t run away from him. Take courage in yo’ heart, and follow where it leads ya.”
“Candace went up to the young man’s room, but he wasn’t there. She searched all over the house, and there he was, on the porch. He was lost in his own sadness.
“’I’ve brought you supper,’ she said.
“’Please, leave me alone,’ the young man replied. ‘I have no appetite for food.’
“’Please, eat something. You’ll wither away and die if you don’t and I will follow you in heartbreak.’
“The young man looked up, and there was his love. His heart leapt for joy! Was it a dream? If it was a dream, it was the sweetest dream he ever had. He didn’t want to wake from it, oh, let him sleep forever and stay in this dream. He asked in disbelief, ‘is this a dream?’
“’No, my love. I am real,’ Candace replied. As she said those words, the dress began to fade and turn to rags and moss.
“’You are real?’ He reached up to touch her. Her fingers were coarse from work-these were not the hands he held when they danced. But no, they were. They were the same shape, the same strength. Was this her skin, so smooth and alabaster white at the dances, but here scorched by the fire and covered in the soot of the kitchen? Was this her hair, lying limp and dirty on her face? That sweet face, now lined with worry and the signs of toil, was this truly his love?
“But he looked deep into her eyes and saw the light of the Morning Star burning there, and knew he had found her love. Nothing could take away from the beauty he had found inside. And so, he gathered her into his arms and kissed her sweetly.
“’I have searched for you so long. Did you think that rags could change my love for you?’
“Candace’s heart soared. She was so happy, full of love and hope and laughter. They embraced, finally united after a long separation. The young man eagerly ate his supper and quickly got better, just about as fit as a fiddle. She told him the truth of her entire story, and it caused him to love her even more. He asked her to marry him, and of course she said yes. Candace bathed, washed away the dirt and slime of the kitchen. She brushed her hair until it was soft. She couldn’t do anything about her hands, but the young man didn’t mind. He loved her for them. They got married, with all his friends and family gathered around, in a joyful celebration. And really, what more is there to tell?”
“The end! That was a great story, papa.”
“But there is more ta tell, darlin’.”
“There is? But she got married and they lived happily ever after, didn’t they?”
“They did live happily ever after. But there’s one more thing I need ta tell ya before you can go off ta bed.
“Because the wedding second day of the weddin’ feasts, an old man appeared. He looked lost, completely alone. His clothes were all torn up, and he was ailing. They immediately made room for him and took care of him, but Candace couldn’t believe her eyes-it was her father.
“He didn’t speak of the wrongs he had suffered, but Candace understood that her sisters had driven their father out of his own home, just like they had done to her. She wept bitter tears at the thought. Her husband noticed immediately, and she told him who it was. He was shocked and comforted her, but Candace already had a plan.
“She went down to the kitchen herself and prepared a special meal, without any salt. She had it served to her father. When the old man tasted the food, he didn’t want any more. It didn’t taste any good.
“But Candace came to her father and knelt before the old gentleman. He didn’t recognize her-that’s how lost and lonely he was. She gave him the salt and said very quietly, ‘I love you more than meat loves salt.’
“A memory started in the old gentlemen’s mind. And he looked again. His vision cleared, and he saw his dearest daughter before him, smiling that gentle smile of hers.
“And in the distance, a cat eyed woman watch the scene, and smiled, sayin’ to herself, ‘gris-gris, gris-gris, grine, who’ll wear my magic gown?”
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A/N- A retelling of one my favorite childhood stories, Moss Gown by William H. Hooks and Donald Carrick.