MAMMY'S PRAYER

A/N - I do not own GWTW or any of its characters. This story is based on the movie and not the novel (therefore no Ella, Wade, etc.) Please review and let me know if I should keep going with this story. (Christian Content)

Mammy stepped out onto the portico of the Butler mansion to drink in the dawning of a picturesque, wintry morning in Atlanta. Overnight, the clouds had knitted themselves into a thick, silvery blanket and the sky beneath its cover was tinged with a haunting shade of pewter. Mammy could tell, from the fragrance she breathed in, that snow would surely be falling today. Ever since Mammy was a little girl, she'd eagerly looked forward to the first snowfall of the year and in her opinion it had should have come much sooner. She pulled her sapphire blue cashmere cape around her shoulders tightly and gushed at the luxurious texture and warmth of its fabric in the chilly morning breeze. She remembered when Captain Butler had brought it back to her when he'd taken Bonnie to London. He had given it to her while Scarlett was recuperating from her terrible accident. Though it was a very troubling time, Mammy graciously accepted the present and told Rhett that she thought the cape must have been made by the very angels in heaven to be so soft. He'd given a slight chuckle to her remark before lapsing into tears and quickly dismissing her from his presence.

Yes her expensive cape from Europe was a treasured gift, but also a bitter reminder of a time that could have healed Scarlett's marriage, if had the baby lived; especially, if that child had been a boy. Instead, the train of tragedy kept chugging down the tracks, racing towards a destination that would lead to the inevitable separation of Rhett and Scarlett. Sometimes it made Mammy so angry that Scarlett was so blind to the best thing that ever happened to her because she'd rather live in a fantasy world with her silly dreams of Ashley Wilkes simply because she couldn't have him. Mammy had know all along that Ashley was incapable of loving anyone but Melanie and she knew once Scarlett had banned Rhett from her boudoir, that it was only a matter or time before their previously fairy tale marriage would blow up into an unresolvable nightmare. Surely enough, the only weapon Scarlett had to hold onto Rhett was Bonnie and once she was gone, so was Rhett.

And yet, Mammie knew in her heart of hearts, Rhett Butler was the only man Scarlett had truly ever been in love with, even though it taken many years of wallowing in stupidity before Scarlett had realized this fact herself. She also thought Scarlett was the only woman Rhett had ever allowed himself to love and it seemed he grown a thick shell around his heart to try and protect himself from Scarlett's constant rejections over the years. And with two dead children between them, Mammy knew the only thing that could ever reunite them would be the good Lord himself. She found herself in constant prayer that God would allow her to see this happen before she left this earth and went home to be with Him in Heaven.

Mammy pivoted as she heard a noise stir behind her and saw the huge front door begin to slowly open as Mable Rose strolled out weakly onto the portico to join her. "Rose Bud! I done tol' you and tol' you – you'se to stay in bed until I says yore well enuff to get out of bed! Now get back in the house and go rest up! Dr. Meade's gonna be along shortly and he ain't gonna like you wanderin' around out in this here cold!"

Mable Rose didn't say a word in response and hung her down low as she obediently disappeared back inside the mansion. Mammy felt bad for scolding Mable Rose, but she wanted her to get better. Mammy had met Mable Rose when Scarlett was married to Frank Kennedy and Mable Rose was working for their neighbor two doors down. Before Scarlett had left for Tara, she had assumed Mammy would faithfully follow along with her. However, Mammy explained to Scarlett that since she was getting along in years, she didn't feel well enough to make the trip and asked her if she could stay in Atlanta and take Prissy with her instead. While this was partially the reason Mammy declined to go to Tara, the other reason she was hesitant to go to Tara was the drama that she knew she was waiting there with the other O'Hara sisters. She'd experienced too much as the go between Scarlett and Suellen when they were growing up and constantly fighting and that, coupled with the last dozen or so years of her life, including the war, the deaths of the elder O'Haras, Melanie, and Bonnie, she wisely decided to avoid adding more to her pile of grief by going back to Tara. Scarlett was sad and disappointed that Mammy wasn't coming with her because she was the only true confidant she had left in this world, but she didn't want to be guilty of jeopardizing her health either, so she acquiesced on the condition that Mable Rose come and live with her so she could have a companion. This arrangement not only benefitted Mammy, but it also benefitted Mable Rose because Scarlett offered her a salary that exceeded what her employer had given her and for far less work. In Scarlett's mind, Mabel Rose's only real responsibility was to be there for her beloved Mammy.

To the outside observer, it was a strange arrangement. While Mammy was boisterous and outspoken, Mabel Rose was shy and passive. Looks wise, they didn't compare either. Mabel Rose was younger, less than 5 feet tall, and had a tiny figure that matched her diminutive height. It was because she was so little, that Mammy insisted on calling her Rose Bud instead of Mable Rose because she said she wasn't even big enough to be called a rose. Despite their differences, there were things they had in common that had caused them to bond when they'd met during Scarlett and Franks marriage. It was their mutual, deep abiding faith in Jesus that had caused them to connect initially. Also, Mammy has been excited to learn Mabel Rose used to be a house slave at Magnolia Lakes, a plantation in a county neighboring Tara. The Masters of the plantation were Victoria and Peter Breckenridge; a couple Mammy had been acquainted with throughout her years at Tara through their friendship with Ellen and Gerald. Mammy had always respected the Breckinridges for their gracious treatment of her during their visits to Tara. Mabel Rose also had a Scarlett in her life that she'd raised from an infant. His name was Chandler Shelton Breckinridge. Like Scarlett, he'd been a handful to raise, but even more so for her than Mammy with Scarlett, since she didn't possess enough confidence to convincingly discipline any human being on earth – adult or child. Nevertheless, out of all the Breckinridge children she'd raised, Chandler was the one who'd become as dear to her heart as if she'd given birth to him herself. After the war, Chandler decided to wash his hands of plantation life, even though his family's estate had miraculously survived any damage and was still fairly prosperous. When Chandler announced he was heading to Atlanta, Mabel Rose offered to work for him and he was happy to accept the offer. He was disappointed when she moved to the Butler mansion, but he was glad she would still be living close by and made it a habit to come and visit with her and Mammy several times a month.