Sacred Ground

by Adrienne Ellis Reeves

  “We just touched the highlights, Gabe, so I’m giving you these to study at your leisure. When you’ve decided what you want to do about your forest, give me a call.”

  “It’ll take a while,” he said.

  “There’s no hurry. I’ll be ready whenever you are.”

  “There’s one thing I’m not clear on,” Calvin said as they sat around the dinner table later. “Who built the praise house? If it dates back to the early 1800s, it couldn’t have been your great-grandfather, who must have been born in 1906.”

  “I remember when Mr. Moultrie came to see us at home, he talked about Great-Grandfather’s father. His name was Elijah, wasn’t it, Gabe?” Drew asked. “Maybe he was the one.”

  “No, Great-Grandfather’s father was the first Ezekiel Bell and he was born free. But his father, Elijah, was a slave, and Elijah’s father, Moses, was a slave. I think it was probably Moses and the other slaves who lived on this land who built the praise house.”

  Calvin’s face was thoughtful as he digested Gabe’s genealogy. “I still don’t understand how your great-grandfather knew about this property, because the praise house had been built so many years ago.”

  “Some of the details of the story Drew referred to that Moultrie told us makes more sense now.” Gabe recalled what he could and relayed it to Drew and Calvin. “Apparently legends had come down from elderly Africans about a place they called ‘De Land.’ They said it was watched over by spirits because it held a treasure that was linked to the place in Africa where they’d come from. That same legend said men from the Bell line were its protectors.”

  Calvin raised his eyebrows. “That’s the treasure you’re to find?”

  “I don’t know yet until I get the key and we see what’s inside, but somehow I don’t think it’s going to be that simple. Nothing my great-grandfather laid out for me has been simple or straightforward.”

  “We could’ve explored those trees, I mean, forest—the first week we arrived.” Drew was thinking out loud. “If we had, maybe it’d all be over now.” He picked up his knife and began drawing shapes on the table as he pondered that idea.

  “But we’d still have had to find the two scrolls and the key, plus whatever else is hidden. At least now we have those clues,” Gabe mused.

  “Do you think the second key is in the praise house, Gabe?” This from Calvin.

  “Even if it is, what do they unlock? Is it in the praise house also? I just don’t know.” He glanced at his watch. “Time to call Moultrie and see what he can tell us. He should be available by now according to his secretary.”

  The attorney answered on the first ring. “Sorry I missed you earlier, Gabe. I hope you and Drew are well and that you have news for me.”

  “We’re well and hope you are also. Yes, there’s great news. Today we found the praise house in the forest.” Gabe couldn’t help the echo of triumph in his voice. He needn’t have worried. Moultrie had it, too.

  “You finally found it? That’s great, Gabe. Congratulations! How does it look?”

  “I’m not sure how it’s supposed to look because I’ve never seen one before but for something built in the early 1800s it seems remarkably sturdy.”

  “No vandalism?”

  “None that I could see.”

  “That’s what Mr. Bell worried about all of the time. I’d suggest that you and Drew say nothing about it for now.” His voice took on a serious tone.

  “I feel the same way. My best friend, a man I’ve known all my life, is visiting us, but he’s totally trustworthy.” Calvin raised a brow inquiringly. Drew looked at him and shrugged as if to say he didn’t have a notion either of what his brother was talking about.

  “I’ll put the door key in express mail tomorrow. Be careful with it. You’re making progress, Gabe, and I’m sure Mr. Bell would be very pleased with you, as I am. He always said intellect alone would not provide all the answers and he hoped his great-grandson would come to understand that.” A shiver went over Gabe as he recalled how knowledge of the key had come to him while he’d been meditating on the bench. Perhaps the spirits were still watching over De Land and its Bell inhabitants.

  When Moultrie hung up, Gabe recounted the conversation.

  “Will you wait till I’m home to open the door?” Drew asked.

  “Of course.” He turned to Calvin. “What’s generally in a praise house?”

  “Usually benches for the congregation. Probably not a pulpit, not back then. I think that’s all. Perhaps a hook or two to hang a light on.”

  “When he said you needed more than intellect, Gabe, I bet he was talking about those times when you were acting kinda weird.” Gabe rolled his eyes but Drew addressed himself to Calvin. “You should’ve seen him. So many evenings he’d go out there and just sit.”

  “I guess he felt near your great-grandfather there,” Calvin explained.

  “That’s what I told him,” Gabe said.

  “Yeah, I know, but it made me—” he searched for the right word “—worried.” He was defensive as he glanced at the adults opposite him.

  Gabe knuckled his brother’s head affectionately. “I understand. After all, you didn’t want a crazy dude for a brother.”

  As they got up from the table Calvin winked at Drew. “You keep on looking after him, he needs to be kept in line.”

  The board meeting had been unexpectedly brief, Makima thought, to end in such a momentous decision. The attorney and the other six members had said they’d gone over and over the contract offered by Dakers and Sons. They’d taken it apart and discussed it all. So there was nothing more to do but sign the paper and enclose the five-thousand-dollar bank draft, put it in the envelope and be finally through with this phase. Someone had brought a bottle of sparkling grape juice to pour into the champagne flutes and with much laughter and congratulations the deed was done. Makima took the envelope to the post office on the way home. She prayed fervently that they had done God’s will and that the clinic would profit from tonight’s work.

  Chapter 24

  The smooth buzz of sewing machines interrupted the speculation about the praise house that had been with Gabe all the way to work. The calendar on the bulletin board in the center reminded him that a beginner’s sewing class was starting today and would meet every Tuesday until noon. Gabe counted nine ladies testing their machines and chattering amongst themselves as the instructor assembled her supplies. The center was steadily attracting more such activities. Dr. Cook said it was getting to be the first place people in Grayson thought of when they needed a place outside of their homes or church. For a nominal fee they could fit their needs into the posted schedule. The center was clean, lighted, had a stage and a kitchen, as well as a reputation for being safe and well run.

  Gabe felt fortunate to be involved with the community in this way and soon would be ready to show Dr. Cook how the center could be more financially secure. He’d been working on the plan as well as the upcoming fund-raiser, when there was a light knock and Makima opened the door. Gabe jumped to his feet and came around the desk.

  “Hey,” he said softly, smiling into her eyes and holding her hands. He closed the door and held a chair for her. She shook her head, her eyes locked with his.

  “Hey, yourself,” she murmured. “I won’t sit because if I do, I’ll stay too long.”

  “You can’t stay too long, Makima?” Gabe didn’t know what he was saying but he knew he was asking her a question and her eyes were saying yes. The air crackled as he pulled her to him. He was still looking at her when his lips brushed hers once and again. She made a tiny sound and he dropped her hands and enfolded her in his arms as he kissed her again. He felt her arms come around him and he forgot where he was. He took her face in his hands and moved his mouth on hers with long deep kisses. His phone rang and they both jumped. Eyes dazed, Gabe held Makima with one hand and picked up the phone with the other.

  “This is Gabe,” he said huskily. He listened for a moment. “I’ll bring the figures o
ver in about ten minutes, Eugenia.” He turned back to Makima. “Now, where were we?”

  She stepped back and dropped her arms. “We were about to say goodbye and get back to work. I only stopped by to say hello.” She was flushed as she patted her hair in place. He watched her gravely.

  “Your hair’s all right. I’ve been wanting to kiss you almost from the moment we met, Makima. Now I want to even more.”

  Without touching her, he leaned his face toward her just enough for his mouth to caress hers. “So sweet,” he breathed. “This will have to hold me until next time.”

  Makima didn’t remember walking from Gabe’s office to hers. She remembered being thankful that Dr. Cook was in Columbia today and aside from a few phone calls, the rest of the day was hers. She’d meant to tell Gabe good-morning and what the board had done. The board’s action had dovetailed nicely with his decision to explain how Mr. Zeke’s land was tied up in his will. Even so, she’d thought he’d be relieved to know the matter of clinic land had now been resolved. But as soon as she’d seen Gabe all her senses had started to hum. Nothing could have stopped her from moving toward him and responding to his kiss. Each one had been better than the one before and had awakened in her a hunger she couldn’t describe. It was a blessing the phone had rung and yet she was sorry it had.

  She daydreamed through the rest of the day and often found herself smiling into space, the work she was supposed to be doing untouched. She told herself she was being as silly as a schoolgirl but she didn’t care. This kind of euphoria was what she’d read about but had never experienced. It was liberating, exhilarating and joyous and she was going to bask in it as long as she could. She knew enough about life to understand this level of emotion couldn’t be sustained indefinitely, but if this was a part of the divine plan for her, it would become a deep foundation for something permanent. That future was in God’s hands. Meanwhile she was happy in the present as she relived once more those golden moments in Gabe’s arms when his eyes cherished her and his mouth caressed her.

  Drew arrived home almost on a run from the corner where the school bus dropped him off each day. “Did the key come?” he asked, excitement in his voice and eyes.

  Gabe pulled a key from his pocket to show Drew. “Calvin and I were just waiting for you.”

  The three of them made the trip through the forest much faster than when they’d walked with Ms. Frye. “You sure you know the way?” Drew asked twice. “The trees look all the same to me.”

  “I made notes so we wouldn’t get lost,” Gabe assured him. “You might want to come by yourself, Drew, so pay attention to all that’s around the trees and you’ll begin to see different things.” Calvin walked beside Drew and began to point out the varieties of vegetation. Gabe was thankful he didn’t have to pay attention to them. Between Makima and the praise house he had more than enough on his mind. Both filled him with profound sensations, both had an intense impact upon him and would, he knew, change some part of his life forever. Makima drew him in a way no other woman had. He’d spent much more time with Olivia Eagles, had almost married her, yet she hadn’t called to his inmost being as Makima did. Their first embrace this morning had confirmed what his intuition had told him, that she was the woman for him. She had met him more than halfway with a sweetness that instantly ignited his senses to a flare-up point. It was strange, what Drew would call weird, to think of Makima and the praise house together. He couldn’t explain it, but each one would bring something special into his life. His eager footsteps brought him to the place where Ms. Frye had announced the surprise.

  “We’re almost there,” he told Drew.

  They pushed through the dense undergrowth and into the clearing. Taking the key from his pocket, he inserted it into the heavy lock, wondering what he’d do if it didn’t work. But the tumblers moved smoothly and the door opened. Light came in from the windows and the open door to reveal a plain room constructed with unadorned wood. Gabe counted eight long benches, four on each side, leaving a narrow middle aisle. Rough planks made up the floor. The air was musty and there were a few cobwebs hanging from the ceiling, but otherwise the place was clean.

  “There’s something carved on the front wall,” he said.

  “I was just noticing that.” Calvin followed Gabe, with Drew behind him.

  “It’s a man. I wonder who he is.” Drew peered at the image carved into the wood. The carver’s talent was remarkable in his depiction of a tall, noble, African man walking with a cane. Around his neck, wrists and waist he wore leather strips from which hung an assortment of small leather pouches.

  “He certainly was someone special,” Calvin remarked. “Just looking at the carving you can feel his power and spirituality.” Gabe was stunned. This was a lifelike carving of the very man he’d seen the day he’d meditated and afterward knew where to find the key.

  “Look at this one, Gabe. It’s a cross.” Drew had moved along and was pointing to another carving about four feet from the man. The cross had the same dimensions as the man and everything about it was perfect.

  “The carver was a true artist,” Gabe said reverently.

  “I agree. He’s managed to make you feel from those two simple pieces of crossed wood the same spiritual power the African man displays.”

  “But why are they both up there?” asked Drew.

  “Let’s take the easy one first,” Calvin answered, sensing that Gabe wasn’t in a communicative mood. “The cross symbolizes Christianity, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Slaves brought from Africa often weren’t permitted to practice the religion they brought with them. They were taught Christianity and became Christians. They built praise houses like this to practice that religion. I think that’s why you see the cross.”

  “The man that’s there, maybe he had something to do with the religion they had in Africa.”

  “Could be, or he was an important person in the history of their tribe. What do you think, Gabe?”

  “All I know is he had a special meaning, otherwise he wouldn’t be on this wall, in the middle of this forest in an obscure place like Grayson,” Gabe said. They searched the other walls but they were bare. They looked under every bench but found nothing. Outside they could see how the ground had been kept free of tall grasses and broken branches. The vines which normally would have totally enveloped the praise house if left to nature hadn’t been allowed to flourish.

  “As one of the Bell line, your great-grandfather certainly kept this place protected,” Calvin told Gabe. Now it was up to him, Gabriel Riley Bell, to be the protector.

  At work the next day, Dr. Cook said at the staff meeting that he’d seen the flyers about the fund-raiser in several places and he congratulated Makima. Eugenia and Gabe reported the sale of tickets thus far to organizations and church groups. After the meeting Gabe stopped in Eugenia’s office to invite her and her husband to the party for Calvin.

  “Sounds like fun. I’ll talk with Tony and let you know tomorrow,” she said.

  He’d also invited Carolyn and Mark. Mrs. Gray had called to say she and her husband would have to decline. They’d forgotten a meeting her husband had to attend in Columbia and she was going with him so they could see a show later. From Eugenia’s office Gabe strolled over to Makima’s. He promised himself he’d leave the door ajar so he wouldn’t succumb to the temptation to kiss her.

  “Gabe! Come in.” Makima’s smile lit up her face. “Good meeting, wasn’t it?”

  “Very good, and I think the attendance at the fund-raiser is going to be outstanding.”

  “I hope so.” She searched his face. “I’m glad you’re here because I wanted to say something to you as soon as I saw you but not in front of the others.”

  “What is it?” Was it about the kiss? Maybe she was going to warn him away. He wasn’t going to go no matter what she said.

  “Something’s happened to you since I saw you last.” She hesitated. “I can sense it in you and I know it’s good.” She paused
a moment. “You may not want to talk about it, but I needed you to know I’m happy for you.”

  Gabe had to touch this woman who was so attuned to him that she could subconsciously perceive his emotions. He reached out for her hand and held it against his cheek. He pressed a kiss into her palm before releasing her. “How do you know me so well?” he murmured.

  She blushed. “I don’t know.”

  “I can’t tell you what happened yet, but one day soon I’ll show you.” It wouldn’t be fair to let her see the praise house when the three of them had agreed not to speak of it to anyone. He changed the conversation to restrain himself from telling her of his discovery.

  “Your mother called to say she and your dad have to go to Columbia Saturday.”

  “Will that upset your seating arrangement?” she said teasingly.

  “It’s not that formal. Eugenia, Tony, Carolyn and Mark are coming. How about Alana?”

  “We haven’t talked about it but I can’t see her staying away. All her crowd will be there. I don’t know what was going on with her Sunday but she’ll show up out of curiosity if nothing else.”

  “Good. Jeff and Drew plus Penny and Angela makes fourteen in all.”

  “That’s a good number. Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Yes. Just be there. For me. Come early and stay late.” They gazed at each other in silence, a swirl of enchantment holding them until Gabe cleared his throat.

  “See you later,” he said and closed her door soundlessly behind him.

  Chapter 25

  Gabe sat at the head of Great-Grandfather’s table Saturday night. Now it was his table with his guests and he was filled with celebration. This was his first time as a true host. Great-Grandmother Sarah had been his guide. He’d had the house cleaned then filled it with fresh flowers. With great care he’d made a selection from the table linen, the silverware, the crystal and the dishes. He’d ordered a centerpiece of spring blossoms that wouldn’t interfere with people seeing each other, and a number of small candles, which now illumined the table with a festive flair. He’d even found dainty holders for place cards. The long table had been extended to seat all fourteen people and it was with a gleam of amusement that he had assigned places.