The older boy said nothing, he balled his fist, his body grew tense, seeing that her son was in a position to hit his father. Paula gently put her hand on his shoulder to calm him.
Moses looked at the other boy, he asked, “what is our name little boy?”
“Berhanu, daddy,” his youngest son said proudly.
“What does it mean?”
“Light, daddy.”
Moses said, “Good job son.” He looked at his oldest boy and punched him hard, and said, “our name is who we are, a proud family from Africa.”
He said nothing to Paula nor looked her way, he leaped up the porch steps and entered the kitchen.
Moses was expecting Harry to give him good recommendations, and money so he could start his business. Moses entered the library with a proud swag, he said, “good morning Mr. Brown, how’s your day?”
Harry said, “sit down Moses.”
Paula, her sons, and Mama Faye stood nervously on the side of the house. Vance pulled up and told them to get in and lay down, he placed a cover over them. When they were a few paces down the road away from Harry’s mansion, Vance stopped and jumped off the wagon.
Vance said to Paula, “I understand your reason for leaving, and then asked, “do you have enough money.”
“I believe so, Sir,” Paula replied, “I took Moses money and the remainder of mine.”
Mama Faye said, “I’s save all my money, dat's what's I's go gits.'“
They pulled off, with Paula driving the horse and buggy. Paula looked at the old lady and said, “I am going to Saint Louis to find a friend of mine, where would you like to go.”
“May I’s go wid’ you. I’s got no family’ ‘cept you and da’ boys. My chil'ren be sold some twenty years ago.” She paused before saying, “my huz’ban ran away.”
“Will it be okay to call you mama?” Paula asked.
“I’s like dat.” She smiled; the worried look melted from Mama Faye’s face.
Paula said, “boys, meet your grandma.”
The youngest boy said, “hi grandma.”
The old woman cried and laughed at the same time; tears of happiness flowed down her cheeks.
Paula said, “I was sold to the Brown’s when I was a baby, never knew my mama or daddy. Miss. Bella said that I was a tiny baby, brought from another plantation.”
“Who be Miz. Bella?”
“Mr. Brown's favorite cook, she raised me.”
“She teach you ta' talk.”
Paula chuckled, “no ma’am, too many years with my husband, Moses.”
XII
Happy Harry
April 10, 1876,
The eleventh year of employing the hired hands, Harry’s H.B. Metropolis was ready for visitors to come and admire the museum. Over the span of the years, many more people joined the hired hands. Three days before Harry’s shindig, he had several of the men put digging tools, and enough food to feed six hundred people on the back of a wagon. The hired hands drove the wagon with Harry following on horseback, to the slave area. When they arrived, Harry said, standing next to the western side of the slave gate, “dig a hole large enough to bury six elephants?”
Well, the men had only heard of elephants and had never seen one, they stood beholding Harry with blank faces. Harry had only seen a picture of an elephant, he said, “dig a hole large enough to bury eight one-room slave shacks.”
One of the white men asked, “why we do dis' boss?”
Harry lied, he looked at the men that expected him to give a rational reason, instead, he said, “the burial will symbolize the end of slavery in America. After you finish digging, on April 13, I am going to have a down-home foot-stomping farewell shindig by the hole.”
Moses asked, “What do you want me to do?”
“Dig,” Harry said in a demanding tone.
One of the hired hands ask, “tonight Sir?”
“No, go home get some rest, tomorrow began digging. A hole that size will take a few days. While you're digging another group of men will tear down the slave shacks that I left standing.”
The men were tired, they began to leave, Harry said, “wait, on the day of the shindig I want all of you to be there, I am giving everyone two shiny new silver dollars, and your last pay.” Over the years Harry increased his hired hands pay to a dollar and twenty-five cents.
One of the men said, “dat’ be pert’near two-dollar…”
“Naw dat’ be ova’ two dollar.” Another man corrected, the continued, “dat be three-dollar we’s gits.”
One of the men asked, “it be alright iffen' we's' make a barrel of rum?”
“That's a great idea,” Harry said thoughtfully with excitement. “A great idea, indeed,” he repeated to himself, as he galloped home.
They exploded with joy.
Moses, on the other hand, was not as joyous. His dream had come true, he had become Harry’s right-hand man, and on several occasions met with Harry in his home. He had explained the architect of the buildings to be built and the layout of Harry’s Metropolis. On his wedding day, he stood on the porch with the family and looked down at the slaves with Paula by his side. A dream he’d had on the day he was hired.
Paula had taken his boys, Moses had no idea where she had gone, he was so angry had Paula returned he would have killed her. He was miserable without his sons by his side and insulted that Harry had suggested he dig. He felt that he was above digging, and terrified, he would never see his boys again. Moses went to his cabin, up to his bedroom, pulled up a loose floorboard where he kept a gun, the papers with his family history, and his college graduation certificate.
He laid the gun on his bed, then went downstairs, the documents were old, soiled, and barely legible, Moses cried as he read what he had written so many years ago. The sting of his parent’s death revisited him. He pulled himself together, got several pieces of paper and wrote his story on clean paper. He also included his birthday, his parents’ birthdays, and the date of their passing. He wrote a message reading, dad, mom, you have two grandboys, they are seven and ten. You would love them as much as I do. Dad, I have so much anger, I cannot control it. That is not how you raised me. It’s like, I’m back on the plantation in Massa house. I don’t remember being there but what you told me about my stay, I was a very angry baby in their house and calm with you. I need you mom-dad, I need you.[RL38]
He put the pen down, went upstairs, laid across his bed and cried hard. He eventually sat up and lit a candle. He looked at the bedspread and saw a splatter of Paula’s blood. He ran down the stairs crying. He wrote, my wife was a beautiful soft speaking young woman, I was mean to her, sorry dad, sorry mom, sorry Paula. I will do better.
Moses' heart was heavy with grief, he had to keep wiping his face, tears would not stop rolling out his eyes. In a sad state of mind, Moses made one small box out of a piece of tin that was left from the cabins roofs, and a little larger box with wood. He put his family history, certificate, and the message he had written in the tin. He placed the tin in the slightly larger wood box.
Moses ran to the church; in the back room he dug a hole in the dirt floor and buried the box. On his way home, he asked himself, “why did I do that?” He started to turn back and dig the box up. A plan emerged in his brain; his lack of conscience agreed with the thought. After the shindig, Moses was going to take the hired hands money, if they protested, shoot them. He decided to ask Paula to take him back and for his sons’ sake, he wanted to be, a better man. Moses entered his shack and locked the door, he got his gun and all the bullets he could find, then stuffed everything in his pockets.
While Moses was spiraling out of control like a runaway locomotive, happy Harry was in a hurry to get home. He had a way to commit his homicidal quest.[RL39]
XIII
Hoodwinked
Charles was in his office at The Brown Steel Mill, Billy entered with an emergency message from Harry. Charles thought the letter was a late response from Harry, about his mother’s death. When Charles re
turned to Boston, he wrote a letter about the filth the MacCall’s were raised in. He wrote that his grandma was from the slums in New York and his grandpa was raised in a rat-infested alley, he said which is where Baerbel died. And then, on the lighter side, he told them about his wife clean, educated, successful family. As Billy was walking out of the office, Charles said, “they did not attend my wedding or responded to the picture of my first child.”
Billy said, “Boston is a long way, away.”
Charles said, “Europe is further, and mom been dead for years. Dad is just now writing. I never heard from my brother.”
He opened the urgent mail. Harry was requesting Charles attendance at the shindig; he balled the letter up and threw it in the trash.
*******
The money was so good, that Vance and Deb stayed until H. B. Metropolis was completely built. Deb looked at Vance and said, “let’s stay to get the last pay then leave.”
Vance said, “we have enough money, I want to leave, now.”
Deb said, “Harry’s giving us two silver dollars, I will frame one to be our first picture on the wall, in our new big house.”
Vance said as he packed, “we have thousands of dollars, I am leaving.”
Deb pleaded, “just a few more days, please wait with me.”
Moses was still angry, he stayed because he planned to follow through with his plan to steal the hired hands money. He was determined to find his sons, and sweet talk Paula to be his wife again. During his travels from one city to the next, Moses had read signs with the family last name and son, Hertz and Son, or Stance and Sons. Moses could see a big white sign with big black letters reading, “Berhanu and Sons.” He smiled.
*******
Charles arrived in MacCall, the day before the shindig. He entered the front door and went straight to his bedroom. It was the same, it had been seven years since he was last in his room. He decided not to unpack, Charles was ready to go home, he missed his wife and son. Matilda got pregnant with their first child while on their honeymoon. They named the baby Drew after Charles brother.
Charles went out on the back porch. Harry, Vance, and Moses were talking when he stepped out the door. Charles looked, quite dapper and extremely prosperous. He was rested and not haggard. The clothes he wore were expensive and fashionable, he looked like he had stepped out a fashion magazine. Harry said surprised to see Charles, “look at you.” He stood and asked, “when did you get here.”
Vance and Harry rallied around Charles, but Drew, sat on the other side of the porch mad. Moses left; he never forgave Charles for the thrashing he received. With Charles back in town, Moses moved out the slave quarters and rented a hotel room in town. Harry gave Moses a horse for his commute. Moses ego had grown excessively, instead of wearing work clothes on the plantation, he bought three suits, dress shirts, ties, and shoes. One-day Harry said to Drew, “Moses is an arrogant worthless thing.”
Charles left Vance and Harry; he went to where Drew was sitting. Drew furiously said, “you got married, had a baby, and did not tell me, your brother.”
“That is a lie.”
That was the wrong thing to say, Drew blew up like a match being dropped in a gas can. Boom! Harry and Vance went quiet. Drew grabbed Charles by the collar and slammed him against the house. Before Drew could speak Charles grabbed Drews' arms and twisted them outward, he squeezed so tight Drew wanted to cry. Charles spun him around and slammed Drew against the house wall so hard, it almost knocked Drew out. Charles said, “wait here,” he began to walk away, turned facing Drew and said, “don’t you ever attack me again.” Charles entered the house.
Harry said as he watched Charles go inside, “my boy is back.” He laughed before asking Drew, “everything alright son?”
Drew pulled his shirt sleeve up, on his forearm bruises had begun to set. Harry went to Drew to see, he said, “wow, he really roughed you up. What are you going to do about it?”
Drew yanked his arm from his dad. “I’m fine,” Drew replied. He was shocked at how strong Charles was.
Harry went back to his seat smiling.
Charles ran out of the house, grabbed Drew's arm and said, “come with me, got something to show you.”
They walked over to the barn far enough away, so Harry could not hear them, but close enough so Charles could keep an eye on him. Drew said pulling up his sleeve, “you hurt me.”
Charles ignored his brother, he told Drew he had sent an invitation to the wedding and the baby blessing. He handed him Liza’s book. While Drew flipped through the pages, he argued, “no you didn’t,” and handed the book back to Charles.
“Yeah, I did. Now, look at this.” Charles said.
He opened to the chapter with Harry’s picture. Drew asked, “who is Moe?”
Charles answered, “Dad.”
“Dad?” Drew repeated, he read the caption under the picture, Eleven-year-old Moe, once a slave on Jeb’s plantation. Now free in Boston. Drew asked, “you sent the invitations?”
“Yeah, and a letter about mom.”
“Mom is in England and she won’t write?” Drew said.
Charles stood in shock, all this time, years, his brother did not know their mom was dead. He asked in disbelief, “did dad show you a letter I wrote about mom’s death?”
“Mom’s dead?” Drew asked confused. Drew fell on his knees crying, Charles was lost for words, a few tears rolled down his cheeks, not for his mother, but for his brother who did not know that the person who gave him life, was no longer alive.
Drew stood and said, “I am going to his room and find what you sent. Keep Moe out here.”
Charles said, “Bring everything tomorrow, I'll bring the book, we’ll confront Moe at the shindig.”
“I like your idea, big brother.” He left sniffing and wiping his eyes.[RL40]
Before the crack of dawn on April 13, 1876, the hired hands joyfully prepared for their exodus shindig and their new life. Harry had all the hired hands to leave their children three years and younger, all ninety-three of them, in the children’s area. The kids four and older stayed with their parents.
Over the eleven-year span, Harry had over five hundred hired hands, they were proud of their work. Harry strutted around his Metropolis like a colorful peacock, he was king of his city. He planned to become the tobacco monarch; nobody could stop him. Harry's tobacco on the fake field was thriving and doing so well that it was going to keep any suspicion away from H.B.
The Brown Steel Mill was prosperous, Charles was sending Harry a very healthy check every month. “I'm invincible,” he said to himself as he proudly strolled around with his hands clasped behind his back.
Early in the morning, on the day of the shindig, Harry’s hired hands prepared for the big celebration, while the silver moon shimmered in the darkness of the navy-blue sky. [RL41]
Charles and Drew had left out at three o’clock that morning. On their way to the slave area, “Charles said, “I wrote several letters about mom, my wedding, little Drew.”
“Who is little Drew?” Drew asked.
Charles laughed, “your nephew.”
Drew said, “I saw the picture of the little tyke, he’s my namesake.” Drew road the remaining way to the slave quarters with a smile plastered on his face. When they arrived in the slave compound, Drew said, “I’m going back to Boston with you, to introduce him to his uncle.” They got off their horse, Drew said, “grandma and grandpa were poor. Mom thought they were rich.” He leaned his head on the horse and said, “mom’s dead.” Drew cried.
Charles could not think of anything to say to comfort his brother, he stood in silence until Drew moved. He could not imagine how a person could be so evil, empty of caring, void of feelings, barren of love. Charles could only see the top of Drews' head that was leaning on the horse. The horse stood motionless like a mannequin, as though it understood its owner was grieving and needed a moment of silence, of stillness.
When Harry arrived in the slave area with Vance and Deb, h
e walked around smelling the food. He made sure the five hundred tin cups he had purchased were on the table and sitting next to the ditch the men had dug. He had purchased one hundred bottles of liquor, only forty was on the table. “Perfect” Harry snickered, “they're already drunk,” he claimed.
Harry had three forty-ounce bottles of poison in a pouch that was on his horse. He took two bottles out and stood by the rum, he slightly lifted the lid and pour the first bottle in. A noise spooked him, he stopped, turned facing so no one would see him put the bottles down his shirt. Zeek said standing behind Harry, “dis’ ain’t cool nough ta’ drank boss.”
Harry turned around and said, “I know, it smelled so good, I had to take a sniff.”
Zeek laughed hard, while Harry lightly chuckled. One of the hired hands yelled for Zeek’s help, Harry watched him leave. When no one was watching he took the second bottle out his shirt and poured the poison in. He went to his horse and put the two empty bottles in the pouch and took the third bottle out. He looked around at his hired hands, they were busy fixing plates, talking, eating, drinking, and having fun. Zeek back was toward Harry, he and his friends burst out with a burst of loud laughter. Harry quickly poured the third bottle in the rum, he walked ran to his horse and put the bottle in the pouch. He tied the pouch tight and in knots, he made it difficult for anyone to open it.
Vance saw everything his good friend was doing. He looked at Deb and said, “don’t drink the rum.”
Drew was dancing with a pretty hired hand, Charles went to him and said, “need to ask you something.”
Drew said, “in a minute.”
Charles walked away. He was irritated with his family, all he thought about was getting home to his wife and son. Before he left, Charles had a strong desire to slap Harry. Drew caught up with him and said, “what do you want.”
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