The Real Story Of McGee~~~Toph’s Version

Jenny McGee sighed.

She didn’t get it.  Why didn’t he understand?  The “he” she was thinking of was no other than Andrew Jones.  She was so in love with him, but she couldn’t get him to move!  Literally.  They were supposed to get married.  It didn’t happen though.  Andrew’s father had forbade it.  He had said some things that had made Jenny blush.

Like that there was no way in hell his son was going to marry that Irish…, well you can fill in the blanks.  She really loved Andrew, but he was so stubborn, just like his father.

Maybe she would get him to reason soon.

After the winter had passed, Jenny finally had gotten to Andrew.  He had married her even if when his father said no.  She reckoned that it was because he had said no, that had made Andrew finally marry her.  He also would make the trip inland from the shore of Carolina.  The rumors had said that there would be war soon.  The king was bearing down on the Royal Colony Of North Carolina.  Jenny didn’t care much for that.  She just knew that Andrew and some of his family was going to move inland.  She already had family in Orange County.  Her Uncle John lived there, but he had just passed a year or so before.  She was hoping to be able to settle on a small part of the family land. 

Andrew wasn’t the brightest, be she loved him.  She hoped he would be able to pick up farming.  Fishing didn’t work out so well with him.  Neither did shrimping.  He didn’t seem to have much going for him.  His daddy wasn’t happy either, but that did not make Jenny look any better for it.  As far as he was concerned, Jenny was guilty by association.  Jenny hoped to prove him wrong.

They set out that spring.  She hated leaving Onslow county, but they had to get away from the coast and from Mr. Jones.  She hoped Andrew would not be so stubbron once they got on the way.  They were traveling with 3 other families.  All either Jones or McGee’s in their own right.  Such was the way in those times.  Everyone knew each other or were related.  And the threat of war with England and the King was growing more real every month.  Time to go. 

The trip took months.  Traveling by wagon was faster than it used to be, but not by much.  They had to reast the mules every day and Anrew soon grew impatient.  Why was this taking so long?  What was he going to do when he got there?  To say that Jenny’s and Andrew’s relationship became strained during the trip was an understatement. 

It wasn’t just them though.  All of the couples were on terse terms.  That happens when you do not ask for directions!

After months of travel and a few turnarounds, the wagon train came upon the Haw River.  It wasn’t named that yet, but it was the same body of water just the same.   The men of the couple wanted to cross right away.

“No,” cried Jenny!  “We will all drown, it runs to deep here!” 

“Nonsense woman”  replied Andrew and all of the other males of the party were soon grunting their agreement. 

Let’s cross here!” the men said.

Jenny was tired of it all.  The time it took Andrew to finally marry her.  The stubbornness of the men.  The fact that they had roamed the state of North Carolina, without a map, for months when it should have only been weeks.  The fact that Andrew was just like his dad…

“Fine!  Go ahead and cross.  Show us the way, oh, great man and husband of mine!” 

Andrew looked very smug as he stepped into the soon to be named Haw River.  He looked surprised when the water soon was up to his knees.  He was for damned sure in a panic when he was up to his neck and was swiftly carried off in the current to his death.  The same could be said for the rest of the men in the small, relocating party.

But the ladies.  They knew better.  They were saddened by the fate of their men.  But they also turned the wagons west for just a few miles.  They then ran into an old woman, sitting on her porch, rocking, pipe in her mouth.

“How do we get across the river?” Jenny asked. 

“Just a few yards down and its shallow.  Who are you and why you asking?”  muttered the old woman. 

Jenny related her tale of what the little caravan had experienced and all the old women could mutter was “HAW”

“Same thing happened to my dumbass man when we came here!  What is your name?”

“Jenny McGee.”  She proudly announced! 

“Well this here crossing well from now on be named McGee”s Crossing.  I wish you the best!”

And Jenny crossed over and never looked back.