Billy inquired of the reason she was asking, she handed him the letter from Baerbel. Billy froze before asking, “why did his wife send you this letter.”
Stella said, “Then, his wife is alive.”
“Yes, they have two sons.” Billy handed Stella the letter and asked, “why are you asking about Harry’s family.”
Stella said in sorrow, “it doesn’t matter.”
She left. Billy was in a state of confusion but had enough clarity to recognize that Stella was extremely distraught. As she walked out of the building, her shoulders were slumped, upper torso bent at the waist, her head lowered, when she got to the exit she cried. Billy wrote a note to Stella’s children, he had one of the workers to deliver them the message. Her children attended a local college where they lived in the dorms. Stella’s daughter, Matilda, received the note from Billy, she showed it to her brother, Morris, from the urgency of the note they left school immediately.
Three hours later when they arrived home, Stella had committed suicide. She was lying on her bed face up, holding the letter from Baerbel. Stella’s son, Morris sent a servant to get Billy. They tried to read the letter their mother was holding but was afraid to touch the dead body. When Billy arrived, he was taken to Stella’s bedroom. Billy entered the room, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a wedding dress and what looked like a tux hanging on the closet door. He asked, “was your mother getting married?”
Matilda answered, “yes, to a man from the south.”
Billy looked at the name on the tux, it read, Harry V. Brown. That’s when he knew the reason Baerbel had written the short note. Billy gently eased the letter out of Stella’s hand, at the bottom of Baerbel’s message, he wrote, “She killed herself because of your lies. Our friendship died with her.”
Billy said, “I will have my wife help you with the arrangements. He looked at Stella’s sad face children and asked, “are you okay? You’re welcome to stay with us if you like.”
Billy went home and let Liza read the letter, he told her about Stella’s suicide. Liza said, “we both said, that Harry was acting differently when he was here.”
Billy said sadly, “And now we know what it was. He told Stella that his wife and children were dead.”
“We opened our home and hearts to that man,” Liza said before going to Stella’s home to prep the body.
Billy mailed the letter to Harry with no return address, he went to the Brown Still Mill and resigned as the manager. A worker asked, “when are we shipping these plates and rods?”
Billy answered, “a few years. Harry requested over forty thousand rods and the same number of plates.”
The worker asked, “are you staying that long?”
Billy thought long and hard before replying, “I always finish a job, yes I’m staying.”
When Billy returned home, Liza was in the sitting room crying, she asked, “how could Harry do such a thing? Those kids are only nineteen and eighteen.”
Billy looked at his wife and said, “he killed Stella with lies and his parents with hate.”
“What did you say about Mr. and Mrs. Brown?”
Billy ignored Liza’s question and said, “I quit the job, we’re leaving after the rods are mailed to Harry. I always complete what I start.”
“A few years gives you time to fix this Billy, you always do, we don’t have to leave.”
“No, my dear, I want nothing to do with a lying murderer, we’ll move to our home in Vermont when the rods are made.”
Liza asked, “did you ever find out what they are for?”
Their conversation was cut short when someone knocked on the door. Liza went to the door and opened it, it was Morris and Matilda, with suitcases.
*******
Harry was still munching on grapes, his sons, and Vance had joined him. Harry said, “I’ll get Bella to prepare us something to eat.”
Charles said, “this is good pops,” he grabbed a sandwich and took a big bite.
Meanwhile, Bella was in Baerbel’s bedroom turning the covers back for her to slide between. Baerbel whispered to Bella as she got in bed, “Keep yo Massa away from me ta’night. When he’s mad likes dis,’ he be too rough foe’ tiny me. Offer him yo’ Susie, she be ten and of age. Being a slave make her tough nough’ to handle yo’ Massa. I’s delicate.”
Bella stopped tucking her mistress in and stood straight and tall. Harsh memories rushed through her mind. She remembered being slapped only an hour ago in the kitchen. When her grand-daughter, Susie, was a two-month-old baby, Massa used her naked body as a foot warmer. Her husband was beaten to death, her twelve-year-old daughter died from Massa and four of his friends raped her. Clara, her only living child was crippled from Drew pushing her down hardwood stairs. At the time Clara was twenty-seven and Drew fifteen. Mistress and Massa thought it was funny, Baerbel said, “she need ta’ watch where she goin.”
Bella went over to help Clara off the floor, Mr. Brown told Bella to mind her business and that Clara was strong enough to care for herself. Bella could still see her daughter crawling down the hall, into the kitchen. Bella went over to the door to open it, Drew pushed her out the way and said, “she can do it herself. It’s entertaining to watch her slide on the floor.” He laughed.
Clara slowly crawled off the porch into the yard where she passed out. The Brown’s kept Bella working for three hours longer that night, and Drew locked her son-in-law, Joe, in the barn so he could not help his wife. Before leaving her duties on that evening, Bella fixed the Brown's lemonade with water, spit, sugar, and her urine, and then she went home to nurse her daughter back to good health. If only Charles had been home that evening, he would have stopped the ordeal. Charles had no qualm defending the ill-treated.
Bella’s memories ended, she looked at her mistress. [RL26]“I-will-not-allow yo’ evil huz’ban to touch any of us ever again,” Bella said through clenched teeth. “This ends ta’day.”
Baerbel said hatefully, “whad’ you say ta’ me? Evil woman.”
Without saying a word, she left Baerbel’s bedroom, went down the stairs, quickly walked down the long hall, through the kitchen, and out the back door where she saw her son-in-law, and said, “follow me.”
The whole time Baerbel screamed over and over, “whad’ you say ta’ me?!”
From upstairs, a muffled sound of Baerbel’s voice seeped down the steps through the double doors into the drawing-room. “I’ll be right back,” Harry said calmly. A few minutes later Harry had Baerbel by the arm dragging her down the steps, through the hallway, into the kitchen, out the back door straight to the slave shacks.
While Clara was washing clothes, Bella was telling her and Joe about leaving, when Mr. Brown rushed past them dragging his protesting wife. Joe left, but Bella and Clara watched the calamity. Harry pushed Baerbel into a shack, closed the door and fastened it so Baerbel was trapped inside.
The mother and daughter duo froze as Harry walked towards them. He said to Bella, “get some of her things and put them in front of the shack’s door. I will check on her in the morning.”
Bella smiled as she said, “Yaw Sir.” She and Clara watched him leap on the porch and enter the house.
Bella said laughing, “he said he’d put her in a slave shack iffen’ she didn’t Shut-up.”
Clara remarked, “and so’s he did.”
Both women laughed until they cried.
Bella began to leave; she looked back and said, “Follow me.” She and Clara found Joe by the barn getting a wagon ready for a trip to town. Bella said to Joe, “hitch up the good horse and wagon, we’s leavin’ today.” To Clara, she said, “Go fetch da kids, dey’ help us pack.”
“But mama where’s we’s gonna’ go? me and you cain’t walk far.”
“Slavery be ova’ child. Why’s we’s still here? Everybody else be gone. Iffen yah’ don’t come, me and my grand chil’ren leave wid’ out ja.”
Joe asked, “I’s agree we need to leave, but how we gone go, mama?”
; “Ain’t you going to town fo’ Massa di’reckly.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Go ax Massa iffen he be ready foe’ you ta’ go. Massa don’t likes runnin’ up a bill wid’ da’ shops, so he gib’ you money.”
“So’s we’s got a chance ta’ run mama?” Clara asked.
“Sho’s looks like it.”
“Massa gonna here us going in and out da house,” Joe said in a matter of fact tone.
Clara told Joe, “he gib’ mama a reason to go up and down da’ stairs.”
“Yes, he did, we’s goin’ ta Saint Louie, I’s like’s da name. Sounds like’s good church folk lib’ der.” Bella said daydreaming. She continued, “now Joe, put da horse and buggy on side da’ house.” She looked at Clara, “go git da chil’ren’, we be leavin’ soon. I’s got a couple of thangs’ ta’ git out da’ house.”
Joe asked, “whad’’ iffen’ Massa hear us.”
“He ain’t, Massa and dem’ in da middle room, we’s by da’ kitchen and da’ liberry.”
When Bella left, Clara said to Joe, “hitch up two horses, we’s got’s a long way ta’ go.”
Before entering the house, Bella removed her shoes, and had her grandsons to do the same, they left them on the porch. Since Baerbel was in a slave shack, Bella went to Baerbel’s room and helped herself to bed sheets, spreads, quilts, blankets, plus clothes and coats for the female, she also found fifty dollars. She took the things from Baerbel’s room to the bottom of the steps, handed them to her grandsons who took the items to the wagon. Joe, Susie, and Paula packed them on the wagon, while the boys went back to the bottom of the steps, where Bella had laid more things. She went to Harry’s bedroom and found seven hundred dollars in his drawer, and ten dollars lying on top of the dresser. She also took several of Harry’s shirts, pants, shoes, coats, and his bedding. In Drew’s room, she took several of his pants, shirts, and shoes for her grandsons, all he had was five dollars, she took it. She went to Charles room and found two hundred and fifty dollars, she only took his money and put it in her apron pockets with the other money. Charles wore expensive fancy clothes and shoes specifically designed for him; he did not ware ready-made clothes. Bella and her family worked together in an assembly line until Bella had what they needed.
While Bella was upstairs, her daughter was in the kitchen, preparing food for their trip, she also took pots, pans, and silverware. When the boys finished assisting Bella, they helped their dad fill two big barrels with water from the well.
It took Bella, her family, and Paula, six trips carrying the things from the back porch to the wagon. Harry gave Joe seventy-five cents to buy the items he needed. “Paula, you should come wid’ us,” Bella suggested.
“Massa say he git’ me help, so’s I’s stayin’ foe’ dat,” Paula replied, “y’all family, maybe I’s meet me a huz’ban, git’s married, have chil’ren’ of my own, be a family.” She smiled, “den’ I’s leave.”
“You be da’ only slave here. God be wid’ you young lass. When you leave, come ta’ Saint Louie.” Bella said to Paula as she and the kids laid down in the back of the wagon. Paula helped Joe cover everything over except the two barrels.
Paula stood on the side of the house, so Harry would not see her waving bye. Joe nervously road down the long driveway. When Joe was around the bend in the road and could no longer be seen by Harry or his sons, Joe exhaled, and said, “we made it.”
Paula stood watching until Bella’s family was safely out of sight, sadness sweltered through her. Her heart felt like it was going to stop, she pushed through and returned to the back of the house where she had chores to do. Bella had already prepared dinner for that evening’s meal, all Paula had to do was warm everything up. She could barely see as she set the dining room dinner table, tears flowed from her eyes like a waterfall. For the first time in her seventeen years on earth, Paula was all alone, it was suffocating
In the drawing-room, the snacks were gone, and the meeting had resumed. Harry was so deep into his explanation of the H. B. Metropolis layout, that neither he nor the three men heard Bella’s family escape. Unbeknown to nervous Joe, from where the men and Harry was sitting, they could not see out the big picture window. Bella’s plan worked, she and her family escaped Harry Vincent Brown in style.
With slavery being over, Joe, Clara, Susie, Bella, and her two grandsons, drove through town without a fuss. When they got outside of town Bella looked back and said, “look yonder,' Massa ain't knows we be gone.” She looked up at the sky, “everythang' be bigga' in freedom. Looking back at people going in and out the shops, she asked, “Massa own all dat?'“
“Yes ma'am, since he killed mistress folk,” Joe said as though it was an everyday occurrence.
Everyone on the wagon was quiet, only the sound of the horses trotting and the wheels crunching on the dirt road was heard.
Joe said, “mama, Massa won’t’s you ta’ fix breakfast in da' mornin, he won’t’s grits, bacon, ham, biscuits, gravy, and eggs. He won’t’s a big breakfast.”
They all laugh except Bella, she asked, “Joe, whad’ you say bout’ da’ MacCall?”
They sat in silence for a while, Joe said, “Massa killed da' MacCall's and dey' slave girl.”
“What?” Bella asked.
“Dey slave girl had a strange look on her face when she looked out da' window, now I's' knows it be da’ look of deaf'“
Bella asked, “Lawdy Joe, you seed deaf in da' face?”
Again, they road awhile in silence.
Bella broke the quiet when she said, “I took over one thousand dollars from Massa house.” Bella hushed for a moment, and then said, “I’s be feelin' guilty but since Massa be a killin' folk, I's ain't no moe.'“
Joe said, “I’s glad you got dat' money, cause’ Massa gib me, change.”
“I’s thanks da' Massa foe’ learnin’ us to read, write, and cipher, we’s rich. “Bella said with great Joy.
Her daughter said, “Saint Louie here we’s come.”
Susie asked, “Where’s we’s stayin’ grandma?”
“Baby girl, in a nice house, wid’ da money I’s buy us a place we can call home.” Bella began humming, she stopped and said, I's neva seed past da' pantation.’ Slave go from dey' shack to da' field, back to da' shack.”
“We's gots' da' church and school grandma.”
“Still on da' pantation’ child.”
Bella began singing, “Swang' low, sweet cherry-out.”
Joe, Clara, and their children responded, “Comin’ foe’ ta' carry me home.”
Bella said, “Our chariot be comin’ and we’s goin' ta freedom land. Mistress goes ta' town she come back happy, Massa goes ta' a Bostin’ he comes back happy, we's' goin' ta' Saint Louie,' we's' ain’t comin' back, we's stay der,' be happy.”
Clara said, “We’s be free body, mind, and soul.”
“Amen.” Joe and Bella said together.
One of Bella’s grandsons said, “thank you grandma foe’ savin’ us.
“You welcome my child. It be God dat’ save us.” Bella replied.
Bella and her family followed the sun going west; oftentimes they received help, food, and direction on their journey. A couple of times they assisted the Underground Railroad Conductors by giving runaways a ride to the next station. For her kindness, God blessed Bella and her family as they traveled westward.
VI
The Hired Hands
The night after the meeting, Drew was in his room snoring. Charles was with a girl in his room, Vance was wide awake worrying about his wife. Baerbel was frightened in the slave shack, and Bella was on her way to St. Louis. While Harry was awake in his room, frightening questions and nightmares were keeping him up, the same two queries fluttered in his mind. Will, I get caught? If so, what will the government do to me? He looked at the clock, it was three o’clock, Harry settled the matter by claiming, “it’s the Yankees fault.”
Harry’s conscience was ripping him apart, he could not sleep. He pushed the cove
rs back, leaped out of bed, and claimed as if there was truth behind his decree, “I am building a museum.” Satisfied, Harry returned to bed and had one bad dream after the other. The nightmare that woke him up, were teary eyes, in the sky, dripping like raindrops, he ran so he would not get wet. One big eye was catching up with him with a thousand smaller ones trailing behind. The big eye grew the closer it got to Harry, it was dripping blood and tears, the faster he ran the slower he moved. Harry looked up at the enormous eye, it was his. The eye hovered over Harry and his plantation, he became stationary in a frozen posture, the eye blinked and darkness overpowered the stars and moon. When the eye opened, an oversized drop of blood was oozing down towards him and his property. Harry yelled as he woke up, he was covered in sweat. He leaped out of bed, looked at the clock it was three-thirty, Harry had a small bar in his room, he poured himself a glass of alcohol and studied his chart. [RL27]
To keep track of H. B Metropolis, Harry developed a phase chart that he kept in his room. Phase One, hire freedmen and women. Two, build slave shacks and barn. Three, plant the forest.
Four, install the gates. When the construction on H.B. is complete, five, keep the hired hands kids ages newborn to three-year-old in the children's area with the nurse and teacher. Six, poison their parents and Baerbel. Seven, develop a blueprint of the castle. Eight, hire Europeans to build the castle.
His biggest problem was how to poison a large group of people, the MacCall’s were easy, it was only three of them. Harry laid down and went to sleep.
A few hours later he woke up tired but excited, he put a check mark next to hire freedmen and women. He exited his room and locked the door. He gaily strolled down the upstairs hallway, knocked on both of his sons’ bedroom doors as he went past. And the door of the bedroom where Vance got little sleep due to worrying about his wife. Harry whistled merrily as he lightly bounced down the stairs and cheerfully strolled along the long hallway to the kitchen. He pushed the kitchen door wide, closed his eyes, and took in a big gulp of air to smell the deliciousness of a big breakfast cooking. His mouth watered as he thought of putting crunchy bacon between Bella’s homemade biscuits dripping with butter. “Hum-hum good eating,” Harry mumbled to himself, he loved Bella’s cooking. He opened his eyes, what a disappointment, the kitchen was clean, tidy, and void of Bella and food cooking. What he smelt was a memory etched in his imagination.
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