LOCATION: North Georgia hills
PERIOD: 1892-1900
DRAMATIS PERSONAE: Belinda Barnes (1880-1902); Wyatt Raney (1874-1934); Billy Joe Holmes (1866-1932); Ransom Raney (1847-1929); August Raney (1875-1898).
Belinda Barnes (1880-1902) grew up in the north Georgia hills and loved the outdoors. She was something of a tomboy, and was considered a little strange by her community. Because she felt ostracized she ended up spending most of the days alone, walking the hills, doing a little hunting and fishing, and generally living as most boys her age did.
An unfortunate event occurred in which she was molested by her uncle (her mother’s younger brother), Billy Joe Holmes (1866-1932), which only served to cause her to retreat further inward. But since by now her sexuality had been awakened, albeit in a negative fashion, she still began seeking out experiences with other men
This continued for a few years until she met a young man from a neighboring family, Wyatt Raney (1874-1934).
After being orphaned, Wyatt was taken in by his uncle, Ransom Raney (1847-1929), and spent most of his time with his cousin, August Raney (1875-1898). They hunted in the Fannin County, Georgia hills, until they were old enough at which time they both enlisted and fought in the 1898 Mexican-American War. At the Battle of San Juan Hill both cousins were wounded, Wyatt losing a leg, but August dying from his wound.
Wyatt went home to Georgia and married his sweetheart, Belinda and they had two children, Charles and Charlotte. After losingBelinda during the birth of his daughter, Wyatt retreated from the world, until his death in 1934.
WINTER TURNS INTO SPRING
(F. D. Leone, Jr.)
Belinda Barnes wasn’t like other girls;
Folks called her a tomboy,
Said she looked like a farm boy.
Wore a hunting cap, boots and overalls;
Could get the best of any boy her size.
There was a sadness behind her eyes.
She kept hidden a soft tender side,
She yearned to be touched;
Just not in her uncle’s truck.
Winter turns to spring
Barren trees will be green
Midnight will see the dawn
We press on
A cold hard look kept most folks at bay;
But she would lay with any man, anywhere;
People talked; but Belinda didn’t seem to care.
Then she met a boy who could really see her,
He saw her demons and tamed ’em quiet.
Belinda let her guard down with Wyatt.
The Raneys were rough mountain bootleg people;
Wyatt worried about Belinda.
Would they accept her; befriend her.
Winter turns to spring
Barren trees will be green
Midnight will see the dawn
We press on
When he was one, Wyatt was orphaned;
They hung his father for killin’ his mother.
Raised by his uncle, his cousin Augie, like a brother.
Then, 1898 and San Juan Hill,
Wyatt and August chose to enlist;
The Raneys said, “fightin’ for Yankees was foolish.”
A cannonball took Wyatt’s leg;
Augie came back home to be buried.
Belinda and Wyatt married.
Winter turns to spring
Barren trees will be green
Midnight will see the dawn
We press on
They had two kids, Charles and Charlotte
But Belinda? Wyatt lost her,
Giving birth to his daughter.
1918 Charles went to war;
Wyatt did his best to dissuade him,
But Charlie would not obey him.
Wyatt closed his eyes, went home and raised his daughter.
Instead of honor, Charlie found death;
Wyatt cursed God with his last breath.
Winter turns to spring
Barren trees will be green
Midnight will see the dawn
We press on
© 2024 Frank David Leone, Jr./Highway 80 Music (ASCAP). The songs and stories on the Highway 80 Stories website are works of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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