Glaidous kicked her foot. She rolled her eyes at him.
Harry continued to preach, “I am your inspired word from God above, don't ever question my authority again. Let us pray. When I pray, bow your heads and close your eyes.” As he prayed, he held his arms outstretched and eyes opened to watch the slaves, they all had their eyes closed and head bowed.
Harry prayed a prayer that angered the slaves, Harry's prayer, “Lord let these slaves obey their Massa, let them be glad that we are good to them, help them to give their evil savage hearts to my dad and me, we are their god. Help them to believe in their Massa words, follow their Massa instructions. Let these infidels obey my dad and my instructions, then they will be happy content slaves for their Massa, and not be like wild animals running free. Lord help dad and I train these wild beasts like the caretaker’s train apes in a zoo. Lord plant in their satanic hearts the knowledge that you're my God, and I am theirs. Help these stumbling ungrateful sinners to truly love dad and me.
Lord God of Heaven, bless my family with richness, make us powerful, bless my family with good health, bless my family with joy, happiness, peace, and love. Guide my father to be a good god to these pagans, a good father to me, and husband to his wife. Thank you, Lord, for the financial and health blessings that you have bestowed upon my family. Amen.”
Charles stood next to his son, and said, “hum-um-hum, that was a powerful sincere prayer son, didn't know you had it in you.” He looked at the slaves and commented, “wasn't that the best sermon you ever heard?” He clapped his hands in praise, “glory to God, son, that was the best prayer I ever heard.”
Bo yelled out, “yes Sir Massa, best sermon, and prayer I's' eva' heard.”
Sophie agreed, “yes Sir. Massa.”
The other slaves were full of anger and hate, sat quietly and waited to be dismissed. Charles and Harry stood in the doorway of the church, Charles said, “you may leave now.” He and Harry waited outside the church, to watch the slaves response to the service. It was always Bo and Rita that walked up to them and claim, “dat be good service Massa.”
Charles wanted the other slaves to compliment his sermons, but none never did. That Sunday he smiled and thought, yea, I’ll burn them all, their nothing but ungrateful things. He looked at Harry and said, “let’s go.”
Outside Glaidous found Lillie, Rita, and Lee talking, he walked up to them, and said, “God cain't answer dat’ prayer.”
Lee laughing said, unk, you sinner, Massa prayed to God ta’ bless hes famly, and curse us wild heathens.”
Glaidous put his hand on Lees' shoulders, and through laughter said, “Shut-up you stumblin' ungrateful sinner.”
Harry and his father walked passed Lillie, Harry looked at her with contempt. The two men untied their horses that were tied to the stores' porch banister. Glaidous said to Lillie, “Massa gonna git' you iffen you don't be quiet.”
Watching father and son galloped home side by side, Glaidous continued, “well, der’ go’s our gods.”
Lillie said, “so dey’ say.”
On their way to the plantation house, Harry was quiet. But Charles happy, he declared, “son you did a good job preaching.”
Harry sat in silence, his inside was seething, his blood boiled above the normal 98.6 degrees, if it were possible, his father would see steam erupting from his ears, nose, and mouth.
Later that day, Harry’s parents were in the castle sitting room. He entered, they were snuggled together, Harry saw them and got mad, “something needs to be done about Lillie,” fell out Harry's tight lips.
Charles candidly said, “she was just mouthing off, I'll talk to her, go away.”
But Harry wasn't accepting a wave of the hand dismissal. He wanted to beat her until the rage within him had subsided. Harry lashed out at his father, “paw one day I will be the Massa of this plantation, I will handle Lillie my way. She struts around like she's a queen.”
Charles stood, his wife blocked the door, Charles said, “Lillie wanted you to show her where it says the Lord is our God and we are theirs.” He turned and began to leave then turned back and said, “we can’t show them because it’s not in the Bible. The fact that they want to read the verse, is quite funny when I think about it.”
Harry said loudly, “So where does it say white folk rule over all the earth,” if it were possible Harry's shouts would cause the walls to expand, he screamed, “the bible says no such thing! You've been on this stinking plantation so long dad; you believe that you're God's chosen one. Here's a news flash pop, you ain't!”
Barbara looked at her husband, he looked rattled, she glared at Harry, who had seen that look before. It frightened him. Even so, Harry turned towards his mother and boldly had the audacity to say, “this doesn't concern you, maw, the men in this family effectively run this place without the assistance of women.”[RL85]
Charles grabbed his son by the shoulders and slammed him against the wall, Harry said, “get your hand off me old man.”
Charles grip tightens as he said, “You disgrace this family, sleeping with that savage beast Bo, a slave. If you weren't my son, I'd put you out there in the field with those slaves or make you a servant like your poor pathetic aunt Becky Lou. Using your words, news flash, I’ve never said we’re their god, those were your words, not mine.”
Harry shouted, “You, old fool, you can't see we're no better than those slaves, this family was disgraced in 1865, when my great granddad Harry V. Brown set this mess up, tomorrow Lillie will learn to respect me.”
Charles let Harry go and gave a quick glance at his wife.
When Harry walked towards his mother, she slapped him hard, then pushed him down on the couch. She said, “Since you come home, this plantation is rolling downhill faster than a rock heaved down the side of a mountain.”
Charles took a breath before calmly saying, “it's time for you to leave while you’re still breathing.”
Harry stood and said, “don't worry ‘bout it old man, I never wanted the job anyway.” He slammed the door shut as he left. Outside he got in his car and drove like a crazed person away from the castle.
Barbara asked, “what're we to do?”
Charles answered, “I wish I knew that history teacher in Ogville.”
“He'd be a good choice; I saw the man he knocked around.” Barbara smiled after remembering Haze face.
Charles said, “he's going to Harriett's.”
“Well, he's in for a rude awakening.”
“Yes, he is,” Charles said. He turned to his wife and said, “keep an eye on him.”
Barbara said, “done.” She left out of the room.
Charles called his older brother Sam, who was a poverty-stricken accountant. Sam's wife was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was pregnant with their son Ranch. His wife cancer went in and out of remission six times, when Ranch turned thirteen, he was diagnosed with cancer of the colon. Sam's wife died when their son turned twenty and Ranch lived to his thirtieth birthday. Medical bills had eaten up Sam's money. He was living alone in a dilapidated house. Charles normally had nothing to do with him, he had forgotten that his brother existed.
When Charles called, Sam jumped at the chance to leave. He packed his bags, put the house up for sale, and moved in the plantation house. Charles paid Sam’s medical and all other bills, he bought his brother a 2017 Honda.
When Sam learned of the plantation and took over, Charles and the slaves notice things had gotten better and their lives improved. Their work schedule changed. Monday through Friday they worked from six in the morning to four in the evening with a half hour break, Saturday, from six in the morning to noon with no breaks, and Sunday from one o'clock to five in the evening with no breaks. Though they worked seven days per week, they were working fifteen hours less. With more rest the slaves’ production was greater in every job they performed, from the quilts the women made, the detailed design on the furniture was astounding, and the tobacco grew bigger and in a greater abundance.
&nb
sp; Charles notated hiring his brother was his greatest decision, not only did his company charge more for the cigars, but the furniture, and quilts as well. Charles foresaw, that by the end of 2017, he would close H. B. Metropolis and travel.
*******
Harry II
Harry discovered that his sister and her boyfriend’s family was shot to death, he knew his parents were responsible. Over the years, Harry II, had killed several people associated with the plantation, and now he believed his mother was after him, he was running scared.
Harry knew when his dad got angry, his mom handled it, when he needed someone eliminated, she knew who to call to get the job done. So, when Harry yelled at her husband, she slapped him good and hard. After Harry left slamming the door, he heard his mom ask his dad, “want me to take care of him.”
Harry did not stop to gather his personal items; he ran fast as he could from his parents.
Barbara was a loyal wife, Charles saved her from poverty, sent her to a city college where she got her GED and an Associate Degree in accounting. On graduation day, she marched proud and happy. When it came to protecting Charles, no one was safe, not even her children.
Harry drove north, during his travels he noticed the further he got away from the plantation his anger was beginning to leave. At home, he'd traveled to Titleburk and back to MacCall, one time he visited Ogville. The further away he got, he noticed that people dressed different, looked different, talked differently, they appeared to be happy. Sitting in a hotel room, he realized he had been using his card and if his mother wanted to follow him, she could and would. “Oh, my goodness,” Harry said out loud, “they can block my bank account.”
The very next morning Harry went to the store and purchased an attaché case and legal-size manila envelopes, he went to the bank and closed out his account, he was a millionaire, so he had no worries financially. He changed his name to Jeff Brown. His ID had Harry Vincent Brown, so he slipped the teller two one-hundred-dollar bills, to allow him to close his bank account. Harry stayed at the hotel for two weeks, under the name Jeff. Out of the million, Jeff kept fifty thousand for living expense until he settled down, the rest he kept locked in the attaché case.
Harry's anger tapered off, he learned to break away from his family and the belief that he was a god. He thought about his first and last sermon, he fell on his knees and prayed, “Lord I am sorry for everything I did and said, Father I am no god and don't want to be, please forgive me. Amen.”
Charles had gotten himself, wife, and kid’s passports just in case they would have to leave the country in a hurry. Jeff kept his passport in the car glove compartment, he had two more years before it needed to be renewed. He drove to Windsor, Canada, purchased a computer and became friends with a young woman his age. Within a month he moved in with her, he was the dutiful boyfriend that bought her things, he took her out to dinner, paid her bills, and made her happy.
Jeff had a plan. He got a safety security box at a local bank and opened a bank account under the name Jeff. One day when his girlfriend left for work, he aimlessly went through her things not really knowing what he was looking for, but he would know when he found it. Their third week together he found her birth certificate, that was it. Jeff took a picture of it with his phone, and before leaving he went to her landlord and paid three months’ rent, she didn't have a computer, Jeff bought her a new laptop, and then drove to Toronto, Canada. The day he arrived, he went to a library and created a birth certificate like the image on his phone, except Harry, had himself born as Jeffery Brown in Windsor Canada.
He stayed in a five-star hotel, he purchased a printer and paper like the birth certificate his girlfriend had. Jeff went back to the hotel got on his computer, he hacked into a hospital website and created his existence as a Canadian. Online he registered to vote on the Elections Canada Office website.
It looked as though twenty-five-year-old Jeffery Brown was born a Canadian Citizen. He moved to Nova Scotia where he landed a job working as an IT technician. He bought a luxury condo, furnishings, a new sports car, and clothes. Jeff had his father's business savvy; he invested and saved his money. Jeff deduced that he could pay himself sixty thousand per year for twenty-six years, along with his salary he could live a very prosperous life. But twenty-six years was not that long, he tried to figure out what to do, he even attempted different money-making ventures. Then one-day Jeff met a man that told him how he became rich with a mop and broom. Harry started a janitorial service, he trained his workers the art of cleaning, he held seminars on good work ethics, he paid for his employees to take behavioral attitude classes.
Harry, on the plantation, had been a mean dogmatic unruly human being. He walked stooped over, he rarely combed his hair, he drank heavier-than-necessary and purchased his drugs from the people that worked on the other tobacco field.
The new and improved Harry did not drink or took drugs. Jeff remembered that Harriet had asked him about the rape, he was so strung out on drugs he did not remember the day. As a matter of fact, he said to himself, “I don’t remember too much about what I did on the plantation.” Harry was always drunk or drugged. His family believed he preferred men since he never dated a female, he had never dated anyone due to lack of confidence, the stagnation of his life, and always high or intoxicated.
Jeffery (Jeff) Brown, on the other hand, was smart, energetic, and charismatic, he simply imitated his father’s distinctive personality and good qualities. He copied the way Charles carried himself, his smooth velvety voice without the southern accent, and Charles classic dress. One morning before leaving for work, Jeff caught a glance of himself in the mirror. He appeared to be taller than he remembered and had his father’s handsome looks, except he had changed, he loved his life, he was at peace, and for the first time happy, it all glowed on his face.
Jeff stood back and looked at his full self, “hum,” he thought out loud, his clothes were loose because he was thin. Jeff joined a gym to change his physical structure to match the new him.[RL86]
*******
Months of Planning, weeks of meetings, sleepless nights, it was the night before Easter. In less than twenty-four hours, three men were going to meet, one hundred and fifty-two years since slavery ended, slaves.
Donovan held their last meeting in his home. Timpkin said, “Donovan, I don’t know about you, but I am nervous.”
Donovan ignored Timpkin and said to Haze, “you told Breeze, why?”
“I was mad, you and Thee beat the crap out of me, even though I was in obvious pain.”
“Wait, hold up,” KayKay began, “when did this happen?” she asked.
Timpkin ignored his wife, and asked Haze, “that’s the reason you’ve missed meetings? You told Breeze?”
Theenda said, “Sweetie, I thought we were supposed to keep this quiet.”
“Exactly,” Donovan said looking angry at Haze.
Haze said, “okay, I was being defiant, I got beat up, blamed for Tess' face, I thought, hum, Breeze and I would free the slaves.”
KayKay asked, “what happened to Tess face?”
Tess said, “he beat me.”
“I did not.” Haze said.
In his defense, one of Haze employees was at the club the night Tess got in a fight with a woman. When he learned what happened to Haze, he took him to the club, where Haze spoke with the woman, before leaving he gave the woman money to cover her medical bill.
Haze looked at Donovan and told him about Tess fight.
Tess denied it vehemently. Theenda said, “I’ll call the bar.”
Haze said, “yes please, they will confirm I speak the truth.”
Donovan said, “Baby Girl make the call.” To Timpkin and Haze, he asked, “are your bookbags packed and ready to go? We’re leaving out early in the morning.”
KayKay answered, “yes, I packed Timpkin’s bag.”
“I’ll buy one and pack tonight,” Haze said sheepishly.
The look on Theenda’s face when she got off the
phone, alerted Donovan that Haze may have told the truth.
Theenda hung up the phone and said to Haze, “we have extra bookbags, I’ll pack you one.”
Tess said, “well Haze, be happy someone care because I don’t.”
The room went quiet, Donovan said looking at Theenda, “Baby Girl.”
Theenda confirmed, “he’s telling the truth.”
Tess went berserk, she pushed Theenda, swung at Haze but missed and hit Timpkin. Donovan and Timpkin put her out, Tess was screaming, swearing and kicking, Tess got in her car, and drove to Haze’s home. She was going to break in, but an officer was in the vicinity of the neighborhood Haze lived in. She saw Haze house and the police, Tess turned around and went to the hotel she called home.
When Donovan and Timpkin literally tossed Tess out the house, KayKay captured the whole thing on her phone. She texted six church ladies, who were her close friends, the pictures. The seven agreed to have Easter dinner together after Sunday service. KayKay was not stupid, unlike Haze she knew to keep her mouth shut about slaves, but everything else was good gossiping news.
XXXI
Easter Sunday
April 16, 2017
It was a dark gray early Sunday morning, puffy gray clouds hovered over Ogville. Donovan said as he opened the bedroom curtains, “I was hoping the sun would shine today.
“It still may,” Theenda said as she combed her hair. She continued, “we need to get out to the car everyone will be arriving soon.” As they were going down the steps Theenda said, “I wish I was going.”
“You would not like it,” Donovan said as they entered the kitchen, he continued saying, “you don’t like walking through woods or the creepy things that live there.”
Tess was the first to arrive, wearing the same clothes as the night before. Theenda opened the door, Tess walked in and said, “they threw me in jail last night. I just got out, came straight here.”
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