Gone With The Wind: Part Deux or Get Over it Already!!

Beware! This post may offend. It's all in good fun, but if you are offended, well, you were warned!

I have often pondered what happened to Scarlett, Rhett and the gang on Peachtree Street and the outlying areas. I am aware that there was a faux sequel, but I found it to be rather unsatisfactory.

Could the story have continued like this? Let's catch up with our favorite characters.

Rhett Butler

Rhett returns to Charleston. However, he soon becomes bored with the stuffy way of life there. He takes to booze and loose women to fill his time. Still, there’s no one like Scarlett. He thinks about divorcing her, but can’t quite bring himself to do it. He wants her, but prefers she would come to him (macho pride and all that). Meanwhile, he drinks, gambles, whores around and generally enjoys his rakish reputation among the puritans. In fact, he has become quite wealthy, as he has invested wisely in railroads, saloons and whorehouses. His business interests would give him an excuse to go back to Atlanta….

Scarlett O'Hara

Scarlett limps back to Tara, and recovers from Rhett walking out on her. Tara, however, proves to be just as boring to her as Charleston is to Rhett. She longs for Rhett, but would rather die than go crawling back to him. And, for some reason, she still hasn't gotten that wooden-headed Ashley completely out of her blood. Whenever she thinks of some past horror committed by Rhett, Ashely always looms in her imagination as her protector – the perfect gentleman. So, after making sure everyone is doing their job at Tara, Scarlett decides to return to Atlanta and pursue Ashley once again……

Scarlett and Ashley Wilkes

When Scarlett returns to Atlanta (accompanied by Mammy & Prissy & Pork – who now work for wages) she immediately looks up Ashley (who is still playing with Melanie’s glove and talking to himself). Scarlett, in her usual can-do manner, gets him on his feet and back to work at the lumber mill. They spend every day together and Scarlett thinks she has the 2 things she loves most – money and Ashley. She and Ashley even become an “item” – much to the shock of Mrs. Mead and Mrs. Merriweather (Aunt Pittypat has settled in London - remember that). Scarlett is a bit dismayed, though, by Ashley’s lack of passion. His pale kisses on the cheek can't compare to Rhett bounding up a flight of stairs with her in his arms and lust on his mind. But she soldiers on with Ashley. After all, admitting that she doesn't love him would be admitting that she might really love Rhett after all. But, Ashley is such a bore (as that devil, Rhett, had predicted he would be). What to do? What to do?

Her dilemma disappears when she comes to the mill unexpectedly and finds Ashley in flagrante with Big Sam. Ashley, pulling up his drawers, was quick to explain that they were playing a version of that new game that was sweeping the nation – baseball. Big Sam was the “pitcher.” Ashley was the “catcher.” “We were just taking a break, my dear,” he said. “Fiddle-dee-dee,” cried Scarlett, who never allowed any worker to take a break. Suddenly it was all clear, including Rhett’s sneering laughter whenever she defended Ashley. Rhett, that varmint, had known all along.

After stumbling through the fog yet again, she arrived home to find a big pink box from Paris, France, waiting for her in her parlor. Mammy, still fighting the rheumatism, said it had been delivered while she was out. Scarlett, whose spirits were always lifted by presents, forgot all about Ashley, ripped the yards of ribbon off of the box and discovered inside a blue velvet hat that sat so cunningly on her head that it made her look 16 years old again. It was perfect! And no one in occupied Atlanta had anything like it. But who could have sent it? The only person she knew who could afford to do such a thing was Rhett. But would he?

India

Poor India. Disfigured when the Yankees burned Twelve Oaks, she went to Savannah to live off of the charity of relatives. Once well enough to travel, she left suddenly and was never heard from again. Funny, but nobody seemed to care very much. The truth is, India went to England, acquired a British accent and became a housekeeper. She had one goal in mind: Destroy Scarlett. She thought that Rhett’s abandonment would have done that, but she had to admit that Scarlett was a resilient one.

India now is unrecognizable from her former self. Her skin is leathery, her eyes yellow and watery and her hair totally gray. Her hatred for Scarlett burned at a low ember, but news of Ashley’s disgrace had come to her from Aunt Pittypat (who only knew her as Mrs. Gray). Ashley – living in ShantyTown with Big Sam, wearing Melanie’s old clothes and associating with the darkies! Thank God for Melanie’s relatives, who have taken care of little Beau.

That Scarlett – it was all her fault! Her loose ways and contempt for decent society had corrupted her brother. Mammy must be getting very old. Surely, now that Scarlett was back in Atlanta she would be in need of a good housekeeper…….

Will India's plan to ruin Scarlett progress or will she forget what story she is in? Will Scarlett and Rhett get back together? Will Big Sam and Ashley elope to Paris with Scarlett's new hat? Will the meds kick in soon?