As the three men disappeared back in the forest, Lillie cried and said as she chewed on a piece of candy, “I’s wanna go wid’ dem.”
Rita put her arm around Lillie and said, “dey’ gonna git us out. I’s gotta’ meet Mr. Bright wife.” She reached in the bag and pulled out a piece of candy.
Lee said, “slavery be ova.'“
“Dat' da' reason foe’ dat trees and gates, we be agin' da' law.” Ben figured it out. He rubbed his hands together and said, “we be agin’ da’ law.”
“Mr. Bright ' be helpin' us,” Rita said.
“Dat’s right, don't be worryin' bout' it,” Glaidous said.
They went back to the slave area, Lee said, “come on mama, it be okay,” he looked around at Ben, Rita, and Glaidous, and said, “y’all come on in my cabin, we's got a lot ta' discuss. We’s gotta hide whad’ Mr. Bright gib’ us.”
When they entered Lillie said, “I’s hide dis’ medsin,” she looked at Glaidous and asked, “how yo’ hand and knees doin?”
Glaidous stood up, walked around, shook his hands and said, “pain be gone.”
Lillie said, “mine too.”
Ben said, “let me have some moe’ dat’ sweet stuff.”
Glaidous pulled up his pant leg to look at his knees, the swelling was going down. He said in complete surprise, “sis, dat’ medsin, made my knee go down.” He looked at her and continued, “afta Massa beat one us slaves, put one dem medsin’ in da tea, all da pain go quick, like my knee and hand.” He held his hands out, his knuckles had gone down.”
Ben nervously rubbed his hands, paced, and said, “I’s gotta be fee.” He looked at Lee and said, “how.”
Glaidous said, “dat’s whad I’s thankin bout.”
In Fanny's shack, dirty dishes, pots, and rags cluttered the table and floor. Upstairs two of the bottles of alcohol Lee had given Fanny was on the floor empty. Bo and Fanny were in bed snoring loud and hard. Lee was going to give Fanny and Cush four pieces of the candy. To Fanny as a sweet way to say thank you, and Cush because he loved his son and he filled his cabin with laughter.
*******
As Donovan, Timpkin, and Haze uncovered the car and drove off. Timpkin looked behind as they were leaving the area and said, “I just saw, real live slaves.”
Haze said, “no joke.”
When Donovan reached the service road, snoring was heard coming from the back seat. Timpkin turned around and saw that Haze was fast asleep, he looked at Donovan and ask, “what do you want to talk about.”
“Anything.”
Timpkin said, “hum.” Donovan pulled onto the freeway, Timpkin continued, “see all those trees on those hills?”
“Yeah, what about them.”
“There could be plantations, prison camps, anything hidden in the walls of those mountain trees, but we speed up and down the freeway dodging the highway patrol officers, admiring the beautiful scenery. When secretly entwined in the forest could be slaves, or people being tortured, exploited, or murdered.
“What a morbid thought, Timpkin.”
Timpkin said, “we are coming from a plantation, with slaves, and a whipping tree.”
“True.” Donovan agreed.
Haze let out a loud snort.
Laughing Donovan said, “Haze agrees with you.”
“I wonder why they don't just climb out.”
“it's covered with grease, I got it on my hands when I touched the gate.”
“Hum, I was wondering why the trees don't grow closer, did you notice that Donovan.”
“I did. Did you notice the tree roots grow towards the street and not the gate? The place is over one hundred years old, vines, weeds, and trees should be all over the place.”
“Something is in the ground to block the roots.”
“Timpkin,” Donovan whispered,” this is a well-thought-out decriminalized plan.”
“You’re right,” Timpkin stared out the window before saying, “they called us, walk-about.”
XXXII
The Day After
April 17, 2017
That evening, Theenda heard Donovan's keys rattle in the door, she ran to him hoping he would tell her what he had seen, what they did, any news. Instead, she got a missed kiss on the cheek and Donovan mumbling, I'll be back down.
Macaroni and Cheese was Donovan's favorite dish, Theenda had prepared a meal that he loved and made his mouth water, she hoped they would talk. Instead, half asleep Donovan took a shower, got out soaking wet, put his pajama bottoms on without drying off, and laid across the bed.
Theenda was a little disappointed as she put the food away, she had to wait until tomorrow to find out if he had seen slaves and tell him that Tess was spending the night. She went upstairs prepared for bed and was going to lie down, but the bed was damp. She thought about going to one of the guest bedrooms but decided to sleep on the chaise lounge in their room. She had no idea what he had seen if anything, she stayed just in case Donovan woke up having a nightmare. She got a blanket and laid it over him and kissed his forehead.[RL92]
She sat on the chaise lounge staring at Donovan for a few seconds, she looked at her phone, there were no calls from KayKay. She wondered if there were slaves or just sharecroppers. When Donovan let out a loud snore, she jumped to see if he was ready to talk. He was not, Theenda sat watching Donovan, she didn’t want to sleep. Theenda whispered, “the moment he stirs I will ask him, what did you see.” She tried to stay awake but eventually dozed off.
The next morning, Donovan woke up stretching and yawning, he looked over where Theenda usually slept but her side was empty. On the chaise lounge, Theenda was curled in a ball, wrapped in a cover and lightly snoring. Donovan woke her up, he wanted to talk.
The school was closed for spring break, so they took their time getting dressed. Donovan stood next to the chaise and asked, “did we have an argument last night?”
Theenda sat up and said as she yawned, “you took a shower and didn't bother to dry off.”
Donovan disagreed and said, “I did not.”
Theenda folded her arms and perched her lips, Donovan had seen that stance before, in his defense he said, “oh yeah, I remember, Baby Girl I was tired when I came in.”
She asked, “did you see slaves?”
“Sure did, it was the strangest thing, they know nothing about freedom, they called us, walk-about.”
“A what?” Theenda ask.
“Walk-about, they never heard the word freedom, we had to explain it to them. They had never had medicine, they didn't even know what eyeglasses were, their eyes were different, they were there but not really, they had a dull glazed stare that made me uncomfortable and sad all at the same time.”
“You mean they have never been off the plantation?”
“Never.”
As they talked, Theenda showered, as she was getting dressed asked, “what’re you going to do?”
“You expect me to come up with a solution right now, I've never been an abolitionist before, I've only read about them, I'm suddenly a new millennium abolitionist quick fast and in a hurry, how am I supposed to know what to do.”
“Well,” she began and continued, “that was a mouth full, why don't you use your wives?”
“What?”
“Tess is full of ideas, me, I have one. She stayed in the guest bedroom last night.”
Donovan looked at Theenda and asked, “why is Tess here?”
“While you were at the plantation, I picked her up from work, she didn't feel like dealing with Haze.”
“That still doesn't answer my question.”
“Haze went to her hotel suite when you dropped him off last night.”
“Why?”
“He wanted her back.”
“Haze?” Donovan asked shocked.
“Yes, Haze?”
“Did he hit her again? I thought she was staying at the hotel.”
“Don't think he hit her, she’s still at the hotel, I have to go, Tess and I will share our idea with you later today.�
�
“Thought we were going to I hop.”
“Love yah’ Sweetie.” She left.
Donovan stood in the middle of the bedroom, he said with a smile, “back at ja' Baby Girl.”
*******
Tess was standing on the bottom step listening to the happy couple talk. She said softly, “one day I’ll get a man like him, or I’ll get him.” She smiled and continued, “even better.”
When Theenda came down the stairs, she asked, “what’s even better?”
Tess said, “Oh, I was thinking out loud.”
Theenda said, “oh, ready to go?”
Tess said, “I want a husband like Don.”
“He has his moments.” Was Theenda’s reply.
From work Tess called Theenda to ask if she could bunk at their house for the night, she didn't want to see Haze. It was a good thing when Donovan dropped Haze off after their visit at the plantation, Haze blew her phone up by calling repeatedly. When it went straight to voicemail, he would hang up and call again, he did this over twenty times. Frustrated, he went to the hotel, but they were instructed by Tess to never let him up to her room if he insisted, they were to call the police. So, they did. Haze found himself locked behind bars just like the slaves he had seen. He spent the night in jail to calm down, unfortunately, it didn't work because he woke up livid.
In his car were the divorce papers, he wanted her to sign them and get out his life. He was tired of fighting, Haze wanted someone he could sit down and have a conversation with, share their day, their dreams, and grow old together.
Tess had to work Easter Sunday, Hospitals cannot close, ever. Tess conjured up a lie, she told her coworkers, “Haze will come to the hotel to talk about getting back together.”
One of the nurses said, “his last visit here as a patient, Haze said, he wanted a divorce.”
Tess said angrily, “he lied, that’s a cover-up.”
Tess called Theenda crying on the phone claiming Haze wanted to get back together.”
As Tess talked about Haze, in the back of Theenda’s mind was the nagging memory of Haze before Tess. Theenda said, “that’s hard to believe.”
Tess insisted that she was afraid of Haze, Theenda met Tess at the hotel, they went shopping, ate lunch together. The ladies spent the day together.
*******
Donovan was dressed when he went downstairs, he looked out the front room window and saw Theenda and Tess sitting in the car. He went out to see if everything was okay.
Before Theenda pulled off, Tess phone rung, it was Haze. Before answering the phone, Tess said, “I'm going to put it on speaker, so you can hear.”
Theenda opened her window then cut the car off.
Haze said, “hey baby. I needed someone to talk to last night. But you didn't answer your phone, and the people at that hotel called the police.”
“No more hitting, remember. Want do you want to talk about? Maybe what you saw yesterday at the plantation?”
“No, I have something for you to sign.”
“I won't sign anything.”
“When you see it, you will agree.”
Tess sat quietly before saying, “meet me at the hotel.”
This took Haze and Theenda off guard, Haze said, “oh, okay what time.”
“Thirty minutes.” She hung up.
“What does he want you to sign?”
“Tess said, “He's making stuff up, he wants us to live as husband and wife. Well, I won’t do that.” She put the phone back in her purse and continued, “I’m taking boxing lessons, and I’m good.”
“You're lifting weights also, right.”
“Yes, my instructor trained me to hold fifteen-pound weights while I'm hitting the heavy bag.”
From the look on Theenda's face, Tess realized she was not familiar with boxing terms. Theenda asked, “a what?”
“That thing boxers hit when they are training, you learn where to punch and how.”
Donovan ran out to the car and asked, “everything okay, Thee.”
“Yes, Sweetie.”
Tess received a call; I was waiting for her to hang up.”
“So, the car work?”
“Yes.”
He poked his head in the car and gave Theenda a quick kiss, “just checking.”
“I'll drop Tess off, when I return, we'll go to I hop.”
When they got to the hotel, Theenda asked, “want me to go in with you.”
“I got this.”
Theenda grabbed Tess arm before she got out, and said, “you mean to tell me that you could have beat the living daylight out Haze at the cookout.”
“After watching you guys, I trained harder, today I am going to beat him all over that room, then out the door.”
“Maybe, talk, ask what he wants you to sign.”
Tess violently got out the car and slammed the door hard. “you don’t tell me what to do when I leave Haze, maybe I’ll get your man.”
She left leaving Theenda confused.
In the Linwood's' house, Timpkin and KayKay were having their morning coffee, Timpkin was so chatty that KayKay called in sick to hear what he was talking about.
“Timpkin slow down, please,” KayKay said, and then continued, “now you say they didn't know about glasses, do any of them have bad eyesight.”
“I would imagine so, Kay, they've never had medicine before, never seen a doctor.”
“What do they do when sick.”
“Don’t know, figure it out, or die.”
“How did Theenda know to buy them medicine?”
“Hum, I don't know.” Timpkin wondered that himself.
“Could she be psychic?” KayKay asked.
“No, Theenda cares a lot about people and have a great awareness of folk needs.”
KayKay was a little jealous of Theenda, it showed when she said, “you sound like you like her, you admire her a lot, I see you watching her every move.”
“Do you want to hear what I saw or pick a fight?”
KayKay got up and began taking the dishes off the table. “I think I heard enough.”
“Donovan invited us over tonight, to discuss...”
“Don't care what you discuss, I'm not going,” KayKay said in anger.
“Alright by me, I'll drive over alone,” Timpkin claimed.
“You'll go without me?”
“You're a fifty-something grown woman, what do you think?”
Exasperated she said, “Finish telling me about the slaves, maybe one day I’ll go out there to meet them. It'd be interesting to see.”
“What?! You talk like their animals in a zoo.” Timpkin exclaimed in discussed tone.
“They're behind bars, aren't they?”
“One, if we're caught out there, we would get killed. Two, Donovan and I want to help them escape. Not exploit them.”
“Like abolitionist? Tim, you can't do that. Not this day and time. Leave those people where they are.”
“You're the one who told me to go with Donovan and Haze.”
“I also told Tess and Theenda that I will leave town with those people, that was before I knew there really are slaves.”
“So, you didn't mean a word of it?”
“If they can't help themselves, what can we do?” KayKay said.
Everyday Timpkin learned more about his wife in a new light, today after twenty-eight years of marriage he saw a brown skin hateful evil witch of a woman. He put her in the same order as the Ku Klux Klan, someone to be avoided. Timpkin walked out of the house without looking back nor did he say goodbye or see you later. He got in his car and drove off.
KayKay stood alone in the kitchen, “what did I do?” She asked herself. She made a phone call, “hi mom, I'm leaving Timpkin, he doesn’t understand me, and he's an idiot.” She listened, then said, “yes ma'am, okay I will.” She hung up the phone and said, “fat lot of good she was.”
That evening at the Bright’s home, KayKay and Haze had not arrived. Donovan and Timpkin told Theenda an
d Tess about their findings. They told them about the trees not growing to the gate, the grease on the gates, they didn't have on shoes, their clothes were just like pictures in books. “It was tough seeing them,” Donovan said sadly but thoughtfully. “Did you feel that way Timpkin.”
“Almost overwhelming. It was like time stood still.” They sat quiet, then Timpkin continued, “we want to help them escape. How do you ladies feel?” Timpkin wondered if they felt like Kay, the slaves were humans in a zoo.
“Theenda said, Tess and I were talking, if they are freed, we'll have to go with them. There's no way they could stay in this town. Nor us.”
“But how to free them,” Tess asked.
Timpkin was satisfied, these two women were kind and caring, unlike Kay.
A knock on the door startled them. Donovan answered the door, he let Haze in. He stared at Haze's face only for a second. As they walked down the hallway Donovan said, “we're meeting in the living room tonight.”
Haze walked in front of Donovan when they got in the room, Donovan stood behind Haze and mouth to Tess, “what happened to him?”
When Haze entered the room, he stood so not to show his face to Theenda or Timpkin. Tess sat away from him. it wasn't until Haze went over to Tess and said, “I'm sorry I-I-I wasn't thinking.”
When he turned around Haze had a big knot on his forehead and a black swollen eye. Tess lost it, through tear dripping laughter she said, “told you I’d get him.”
Theenda asked Haze, “are you okay.”
Donovan asked, “need ice?”
Theenda stood to leave, she said, “I’ll get some.”
Tess still laughing said, “he didn’t try to defend himself. He knew that he needed an old fashion butt whipping, like what his daddy used to give him.”
Donovan and Timpkin sat confused as they listened to Tess. Haze said, “she beat me really good, all because I asked her to sign the divorce papers.”
Theenda entered the room carrying a sandwich bag filled with ice and a washcloth to wrap around the bag.
Seeing Haze bruises, Donovan said, “I don't get it.”
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