A woman from the audience said, “I know exactly what you're going to say, you better leave it alone.” She left.
A middle age man said, “we know about the plantation, you're a newcomer to this town, the plantation exists but nobody lives there.” He left and several others with him.
The secretary added, “eleven years ago a man name Phil started up the same old mess about slaves on some plantation,” she cleared her throat and then said, “Phil is dead.”
An elderly man said, “ah-um that’s right, that's right, if you got children and a wife, they will kill them too, there was a family that was new in this town, they arrived about three years ago.” He looked around the room and ask, “y’all remember them?”
From across the room someone yelled out, “they were the Stacey family, the whole family was killed six months after they came.”
Haze said, “we're the NAACP, we help people.” Haze was trying to look as though he was doing fine but his back was killing him, he had two new bruises on his face, to cover them over his secretary applied foundation.
One of the women got up to leave, she walked to the door turned around and said, “I have children that I want to see become adults, and a husband that I want to grow old with.” She left.
Donovan said to the people as they were leaving, “we can't let people own other people as if they are objects.”
An elderly stately gentleman walked up to Donovan and said, “if there are slaves out there keep quiet, somebody is killing folk, a family was killed just last month.” He looked at Donovan and said, “I saw you at the families funeral.”
Haze asked the gentleman, “will you help us?”
“No, I'm too old, besides you hang out together, no one will be the wiser.”
Donovan ask the elderly gentlemen, “is this a warning?”
The man said, “we all know about it but don’t want to believe it, we know of the family in MacCall. That statue in the middle of downtown,” he looked around to see if anyone was listening. Only Timpkin and the Janitor was left. The man said, “is Harry V. Brown. I heard he built that plantation.” He left.
As the man was leaving Timpkin joined Donovan and Haze, “What’d that old man have to say about your claim.”
“He said everybody knows about the slaves,” Donovan said.
Haze said, “so why don’t you?”
Sheepishly Timpkin said, “we know there's a plantation, no people are there.”
Donovan looked around, only the janitor was left, he looked at Timpkin and said, “prove me wrong and go with us.”
Haze said, “yeah, do that.”
Timpkin looked at Donovan and ask, “how do you know it was slaves that left you the note? Maybe it's a trap.”
Donovan answered, “the spelling of the words, the language, a feeling within me. I know they exist,” he nodded towards Haze and said, “we're going to meet them, come with.”
Haze said, “I read the note, they wrote, “meetin' ta' take place “Easta' Sunday, by outer gate.” He took in a deep breath and said, “made me feel funny all over.”
Donovan watched Haze, with every move he wrenched in pain, he asked, “are you okay Haze.”
“Yeah, I pulled a muscle.”
Timpkin said still talking about the slaves, “you don't understand, whenever I or my brother or sister acted out, mama would tell us she was going to take us to a plantation that had slave ghost and leave us. Most parents would scare their children with that tale. Too many still do.”
Donovan asked Timpkin, “do you tell your children that?”
Timpkin answered, “no, it scared me, so I decided that I didn't want my children to go through what I went through.”
Haze said, “sounds like a form of abuse.”
“Donovan asked, “were you abused as a child, Haze?”
“Naw man, my old man just used the strap on us boys a few times a day, he wanted the best from us, we were a hard head and bad. We deserved it.”
Donovan ask him, “do you have any sisters?”
“One, she is nine years older than me, she ran away when she was fifteen, why all the questions?”
Timpkin ask, “why did she run away?”
“Was your father in her bedroom on occasions?” Donovan asked.
“Man, I was only six years old, I guess sometimes I'd see him coming out of her room, but then he'd leave me and my brother’s room after beating us senseless. Why you ask?”
“Just asking,” Donovan said, “although, I wonder if child abuse is more prevalent than we think.” Donovan got a little too philosophical for Haze.
The conversation irritated Haze, he said, “be more specific, what are you talking about Don-man.”
The janitor came over to the three men, he said, “Mr. Bright may I interrupt?”
Donovan knew the janitor; he said, “Ron, meet Timpkin and Haze, guys Ron.”
Ron said, “please to meet you, gentlemen. About that plantation, it does exist, I’ve never seen it but,” he apologetically looked at the men and then asked, “may I tell you my story?”
Donovan and Timpkin said at the same time, “sure.”
Haze said, “go for it.”
The Janitor said, “back in 2000, my wife and I had a baby, when he turned four, someone came to the door and asked to purchase our son. We said no, we may be poor, but my son was mine, and not for sale. My wife was a teacher’s aide in the elementary school, I work here, we took our son to daycare. After work, he was gone. We never saw him again.”
Timpkin said, “I remember that several children went missing from that daycare.”
“Yes,” the janitor replied, “the daycare didn’t call any of us about our missing babies.”
Donovan asked, “what year did you say?”
“Back in 2004, is when my boy went missing.”
“I read that’s the year kids were taken from daycares across the country,” Donovan looked at the man and asked, “you don’t think it was the family that owns the slaves, do you?”
“Don’t know, he could be there, could be anywhere, could be dead.” The janitor answered.
Timpkin said, “Naw, no way. There are no slaves in 2017.”
“We’ll never know.” The janitor replied as he began to walk away, he turned and said, “it’s closing time gentlemen.”
The rain had stopped, the air was warm and muggy. In the parking lot, Haze said, “Don and Tim, both of you insinuated that I was abused as a child. Well, I was.”
“I'm no expert on the subject, so I might be wrong,” Donovan said.
Timpkin looked at Haze then at Donovan, and said, “you might be right, yep, yep you might-be-right.”
Haze asked roughly “What are you talking about Tim-man?”
Donovan said, “Yeah.” He looked at Timpkin.
“The plantation, what're you two talking about?”
Haze said, “Me. Trying to figure out if I was abused or not.”
“Where's your brother?” Donovan asked.
“You’re still on that Don-man?” Haze asked before he said, “In jail with my dad. Why?”
“Your mom?” Donovan asked without answering Haze’s question.
“Mom died years ago.”
Timpkin ask, “how did she die?”
“Dad said she fell down some steps.”
Haze asked, “what about your home life Don-man?”
Donovan said, “we need to leave, Theenda will be worried,” he turned to leave.
Haze grabbed Donovan's arm, and said, “answer the question Don-man.”
Donovan said, “I'm embarrassed to say.”
Timpkin asked, “why?”
“Well, my mom is a lawyer, my father, a history professor at a University in New York City, my brother, Paul Bright, is a medical doctor, and my brother John, I’m thinking he should be an architect, but he is a history professor. And then there’s me, I'm the baby, my parents’ failure, the black sheep.”
“What are you talking abo
ut?” Haze asked.
“The abuse that went on in my home,” Donovan continued, “is educational abuse. My parent pushed us to be superior, think superior, act superior, walk superior, only choose superior friends, buy big houses. We were forced to get our Ph.D., John didn't want to, but he did, his passion is building things, he graduated from Harvard. Paul graduated from Yale, he always wanted to be a doctor. I graduated from Morehouse and got a master’s degree from a university in Brooklyn. I got sick and tired of school, study, school, study, no life - no life. While I'm on a date, I'm thinking I should be studying, while I'm studying, I'm thinking about being on a date. After getting my masters, I didn't go back to school. My mom called me the black sheep, so on graduation day I wrote, in white letters on my black graduation cap in big bold letters, “black sheep.” Donovan laughed saying, “Paul told my parents, “you spoiled him, what did you expect.” Donovan chuckled saying, “mom and dad didn't speak to me for a month.”
Timpkin said, “but you took after your father, both of you teach history.”
“But I don’t teach at the university level or attended Harvard, Yale or an Ivy League college, that's the failure.”
“I would trade families with you any day,” Haze looked at Donovan and continued, “is being the baby of the family the reason everything has to go your way?”
Timpkin was deep in thought, he ignored Haze and said, “I would think that your dad is proud of you Donovan, you’re a Morehouse man, they also teach men how to be, gentleman.”
Donovan said, “gentlemen? Yeah-right, all we thought about was the girls at Spellman.”
Haze watching the two men felt left out because he knew nothing about college, he had never heard of Morehouse and did not know the difference between a University and College, to get back in the conversation he asked, “Timpkin what about you?”
“Well Haze, I attended the college in Titleburk, my parents threaten to put me on a plantation with slave ghost that frightens me, but my abuse is my marriage.”
Donovan asked, “don’t you make more than her?”
“Yes. She’s even slapped me a couple of times.”
“Wow,” Haze said, he looked at Timpkin and said, “I walk in your shoes.”
“Don’t you ever hit your wife, Tess is a shy sweet woman and my wife friend. Thee will kick you from one end of town to the other.” Donovan said.
“Okay, so what do we have here,” Haze said, “we're a couple of abused misfits attempting to help somebody when we can't help ourselves. [RL81]Donovan, your family is in New York, can't depend on them, mine is in jail, don't know where my sister is, Timpkin are your parents living?”
Timpkin answered, “yes, they are a healthy ninety-year-old couple.”
“Okay, not much help there,” Haze said, “I guess you two are right I'm physically abused, my dad raped my sister and killed my mother. Donovan, you're an overly educated young fool, Timpkin your parents frighten you stupid and is old, you're a fifty-year-old man, and Don-man you think you know Tess, you believe what you think you see.” He grimaced in pain before saying, “so what good are we to anybody?”
Donovan said “Haze you miss the point, we are successful men despite our childhood traumas. We don't need nobody else, we have our wives and the three of us, that's six people, what we need is a plan.”
Timpkin said, “I’ll go with you, to prove you’re wrong.”
XXVII
Hidden Gates
March 5, 2017
Donovan and Theenda had a backyard cookout for their friends, only Haze and Tess attended, the Linwood’s were visiting their son.
Theenda had barbecued a feast for the outing, there was barbecue chicken, and beef ribs, she wrapped the corn-on-the-cob still in its husk in aluminum foil then let it sit in sugar water for one minute before placing on the grill. she grilled sliced Idaho potatoes that were steeped in Italian dressing, salt, and pepper, and grilled stuffed black bass. [RL82]In aluminum foil, she put together broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, cabbage, frozen succotash, chopped chives, green, yellow, and red bell peppers, lightly sprayed with olive oil, seasoned, and then placed on the grill. Humm good eating.[RL83] For dessert, Theenda fixed dirt pie, and Donovan’s favorite strawberry cake made with fresh strawberries and strawberry soda. She also prepared Tess favorite punch bowl cake, what a feast.
When Haze and Tess entered the gate to the Bright's backyard, Haze said, “just look at you Thee, I would never believe that little itty bitty you cooked. Don-man why ain't you bigger?”
Tess timidly said, “girlfriend you're smelling up the neighborhood.”
For the first time since Donovan met the Days, he noticed Tess. He had never seen her face, it was all ways covered with her long straggly hair. Donovan thought that she would look better if she would stop playing peek-a-boo from behind her long black locks. Tess walked over to Theenda. “She limps,” Donovan mumbled to himself. He watched Haze sit down, he looked like he was in serious agony. He asked himself, “what’s with those two?”
Theenda said, “take a seat, food is almost ready.”
Haze said, “I need to use the bathroom.” He stood slowly like an old man with arthritis. Theenda and Donovan watched him, Donovan asked, “need help old man?”
Theenda said, “Sweetie that’s not funny,” she looked at Haze and asked, “what happened to you?”
He looked at Tess who yelled in a strong-voiced, “he’s faking, all Haze want is attention and me to move back in.”
Haze left. Tess asked in a child's voice, “Linwood’s coming?”
“No, they are visiting their son,” Theenda replied.
Tess said, “Good, I don't want her to see me looking like this.”
Haze returned, slowly eased down in a chair, he asked, “are the Linwood's coming?”
“Not today,” Donovan laughed.
Tess looked at Donovan and Theenda, it appeared that their attention was being lavished on Haze. Tess pulled her hair back and said, “I’m glad they’re not coming, otherwise I would have to show them what you did to me.”
Donovan, Theenda, and Haze looked surprised.
Theenda grabbed Donovan by the shirt, and said, “come in the kitchen with me.”
Donovan was in a comfortable position and getting ready to eat, “But I...”
Theenda walked away saying, “that wasn't a choice sweetie.”
Haze asked, “you let her talk to you like that Don-man?”
Theenda turned around and ran past Donovan, leaped over to Haze, POW! Like Bat Man fighting the Riddler slammed her fist dead center Hazes’ face, he stood to dodge her blows. Theenda knew judo, she kicked Haze around like he was tissue paper. Staying away from Theenda's feet Donovan ran behind his wife, picked her up and ran carrying her into the kitchen.
Haze was having a hard time getting off the ground. Tess wasn't the only one with a sore body.
When they entered the house, Theenda said, “we gotta’ get back out there or he'll finish Tess off.”
“That's what’s wrong with her, Haze is beating her?”
“Yes.” She cried.
While Theenda and Donovan were in the kitchen, Haze asked Tess, “what happened to you?”
Laughing Tess said, “they believe you did this.”
Tess was facing the house, Haze back was towards the house, he could not see what she saw, which was the Bright’s coming towards them. Tess jumped up, she startled Haze, he slowly stood. Tess sat down crying. “Haze,” Donovan yelled.
Haze eased into the chair.
Theenda walked up to the table and said to Haze, “you may want to call the police I have a black belt in Judo, be glad you still have-a-face.”
Donovan said, “let me handle this Baby Girl.”
When everyone was seated at the table Haze ask, “what did I do to you Thee?”
Donovan said, “we'll talk in private later, Haze,” looking at Tess, Donovan said, “Thee and Tess have an idea or plan for the slaves’ escape.”
Theenda said, “Haze get serious, get your head off my table. You clown around too much.”
Haze sat up.
Tess said, “the only time he’s serious is when he’s beating on me, I had to defend myself.”
Donovan and Theenda looked disapproving at Haze. Tess said with a smile in her tone of voice, “I know of a way to permanently destroy the plantation.”
Donovan said, “I'm listening.”
“Salt the whole plantation which will destroy the land, use potassium powder to set the buildings and grass on fire.”
Haze asked, “won’t everybody hear the explosives,”
Theenda snapped, “potassium makes no sound.”
Tess watched Theenda stand up to Haze even though she was sitting down, she marveled when she beat Haze down. Tess wanted to cheer Theenda on, she thought Theenda was gaining strength. “That's right,” Tess said enthusiastically, “it ignites quickly, burns purple which will blend in with the night sky.”
“How long does it stay purple?” Haze asked.
“Not long, but long enough,” Tess replied.
Haze made a sarcastic comment, “Tess who asked you to think?”
Still ignoring Haze, Donovan asked, “there are several locked gates on the complex that the slaves can't get through.”
Tess said, “put the salt in burlap sacks, punch holes in the bottom then quickly walk all over the section they can.”
“The locked gates?” Donovan asked.
“Someway, somehow, we need to get our hands onto a key,” Theenda suggested.
Tess sat up straight and pulled her hair away from her face, revealing a swollen eye and busted lip. Donovan saw for the second time the marks on Tess face, he asked, “are you okay Tess?”
Tess full of energy and excitement answered, “Give the slaves clay, they would have to steal a key from the overseer to make a copy.”
Theenda said, “Tess tell him about the plastic bags and the two groups,” she looked away, she wanted Tess to hide her face again.
Tess, having a reason for living, was popping with ideas, she was going to be a modern-day abolitionist. The slaves had taken the place of her fake aborted baby. Tess was not pregnant, she lied to Theenda because she wanted sympathy, she craved attention, thus the reason she started fights.
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