She was in the courtyard shucking oysters for the stuffing, when the old woman came shuffling out the kitchen door; her empty basket hooked over her arm, heading straight for the garden to dig turnips and pick fresh greens. It was the first time she’d accepted Trey and Nan’s invitation to join them for Thanksgiving; and while the thought of spending the holiday alone, in that cozy mountain cabin by the fire was something she’d actually been looking forward to; from the moment she woke in that beautiful Victorian guestroom, the sound of a horse drawn carriage on the cobblestone streets outside her window, she was glad she’d come.

She was up before the rest of the house and made her way across four squares to River Street to walk along the water; the city blanketed in eerie silence; the only stirrings were of ghostly apparitions having wandered the night, returning to the cold tombs of her imagination.

Ah, Savannah…the place her soul knows as home.

The old woman filled her basket then made her way over to observe the shucking. She sat down on the bench with her basket in her lap; “We certainly are blessed to be here on this fine day, wouldn’t you say?” The young woman looked up and smiled, “Any day in Savannah is a beautiful day, no?” The old woman chuckled, “I suppose you’re right. I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure…I’m Trey’s grandma, folks call me Mae-Mae,” she said as she removed her gardening glove and held out a delicately small, wrinkled hand. “Very nice to meet you, Miss Mae-Mae; I’m Shelby.”

They shook hands and Shelby continued shucking, as the woman intently watched. “Don’t get me wrong honey, I’m grateful Trey and Nan invited you and we have the opportunity to share this day, but I can’t help but wonder why you’re not with your own family.” Shelby looked up, met the old woman’s eyes that despite their age, still sparkled like gems and forced a smile, wondering exactly what Nan and Trey had told her.

She was contemplating an answer when Mae-Mae looked off over the courtyard, raised her face to the sun and said, “Seems to me, married folk these days give up way too easy. I was married for sixty-seven years before my Rupert passed on. Oh, we had a time of it, ups-and-downs like a rollercoaster it seemed at times, but at the end of the day, when the sun went down, no matter what we’d endured, we knew we could make it through, because we had each other.”

She sat silent for a moment then continued, “Oh, sure, I hear them talk; how different it is these days, how the world isn’t the same place it used to be, but honey, I can tell you in all certainty, that while times may have changed, people haven’t.”Shelby said nothing; her mind a mass of swirling images, of all the rights and wrongs having happened over the past six months that had led her to where she was now.

Mae-Mae stood slowly and offered one final bit of wisdom. “All of us wonder, at one time or another, just how green the grass really is on the other side. Some stand at the fence and wonder their whole lives, never satisfied, simply because they never knew; while others of us need to jump the fence; for in doing so, it’s the only way to move forward, the only way we can truly begin to grow.

“What lies on the other side, no one can be sure of, not until they’ve actually been; and the sad truth is, most are disappointed once they get there, destroying what they once had, never getting the chance to go back; but for a few truly blessed and truly loved, who find barren fields and a sunless sky, the gate remains open, never having been closed.”

Shelby wiped the tears from her eyes and watched as Mae-Mae slowly made her way back inside, touched by the wisdom of the aged. It wasn’t the first time she’d come across an elder offering such clear direction, and she was certain it wouldn’t be the last. She knew in her heart it was time to go home; run through the gate and mend her fences.

Later that evening, as they gathered for their Thanksgiving feast, Shelby noticed that not only were there no turnips or greens, but that Mae-Mae was missing as well. When she questioned Trey, assuming she was resting in her room and asked if she might take her a plate, his face grew pale and tears filled his eyes. Shelby was taken aback by his reaction, wondering suddenly if she’d said something wrong.

Nan reached over to comfort her husband, looked at Shelby and said simply, “Mae-Mae is no longer with us; she passed away Thanksgiving day…..four years ago.”