by Ginny Dye
Just then the door cracked open. “You got five more minutes,” the guard said.
Carrie pulled herself back to the present situation. “I’m going to try to get someone to bring you some things - fresh food, clean clothes.” She quickly explained Opal’s presence in Richmond. “I’m going to find her today and ask her to visit you. General Winder was kind enough to add her name to the letter. I have to get back to the plantation,” she explained. “I wish I could stay longer, but timing is rather critical.” Briefly she told him about her plan to supply Richmond with food.
Matthew eyed her for a moment. “Are you as torn by this conflict as I am?” he asked.
Carrie nodded eagerly. “Yes, I am. I find my heart torn on almost a daily basis. The South is fighting a war I don’t believe in - largely over an institution I don’t believe in. Yet my father has thrown his whole heart into it, and people I care about deeply are fighting - risking their lives for what they call the cause. It is so confusing.”
Matthew nodded. “Thank you for being honest. I imagine your position is not extremely popular around here right now.”
Carrie grimaced. “I find I hold a lot of opinions that are not very popular.”
Matthew laughed. “That’s why you and Aunt Abby hit it off. You’re too honest to let public opinion determine your own beliefs.”
Carrie brightened at the idea of being like Aunt Abby. It helped to remember she wasn’t alone. “I remember something Aunt Abby told me once. She said the world was too full of people willing to put out their thinking the way they do their washing - to be done by others.”
Matthew nodded. “Aunt Abby is one in a million. I agree with her. I think all individuals should feel they alone are responsible for their own thoughts and actions.”
“Time’s up!” the guard’s voice intoned.
Micah was waiting for Carrie when she left the prison. He waved as soon as she caught sight of him.
Carrie hurried over to him. “We have one more stop before I go back to my father’s, Micah.”
“Yes, ma’am. Where you want to go?”
She gave him the address.
“You sure that’s where you be wantin’ to go, Miss Carrie?” He was looking at her with a strange expression on his face.
“That’s the place, Micah,” she said firmly.
He shook his head but picked up the reins and urged the horses forward.
Carrie settled back against her seat. She understood the strange look. She was quite sure he didn’t take too many white people to this part of Richmond. They didn’t have far to go. Opal lived only a few blocks from the prison.
She gazed around her as they entered the neighborhood where Opal lived with her cousins. It was certainly barren and drab looking, but she had to admit the two story frame houses were an improvement over the quarters at home. When they turned onto Opal’s street, she could hear the sounds of children playing in the street, and men and women calling to each other. As they rolled down the street, though, quiet seemed to spread in a wave before them. Children who looked up and saw her immediately quit playing and ran to their porches where they perched and watched her silently, their small faces set like stone. Voices quit calling out to one another as men and women turned away and acted as if they were busy with some chore.
Finally the carriage pulled up in front of the number on the address. She could see little faces peering out at her, but no one came out to meet her. She was not expecting them to. Carrie gathered her dress, stepped down onto the dusty road, walked quickly to the door, and knocked. It was several minutes before a face appeared at the open door.
“Yes, ma’am?”
Carrie smiled at the girl in front of her, trying to dispel the fear she saw in the teen’s eyes. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to come looking for Opal. She didn’t want to cause trouble for the people here. But she was already here, so..... “I am looking for Opal. I understand she lives here.” She kept her voice gentle.
The girl became even more guarded though she kept her voice even. “Yes, ma’am, she lives here. But she ain’t here right now.”
Carrie looked at the girl in admiration. She guessed her to be about sixteen though her manner made her seem much older. Her voice was musical, her diction clear. It was the intelligence in her eyes that drew Carrie the most, however. She reminded her of Rose.
“Do you know when I might find her here? It is really quite important that I see her.” She watched as the shutters closed further over her eyes. Then she realized what she was doing wrong. This girl had no idea who she was. “I’m sorry,” she said suddenly. “I haven’t even introduced myself. My name is Carrie Cromwell.”
“You be Miss Cromwell?” the girl exclaimed. “Why didn’t you say so? Come on in this house.”
Carrie smiled with relief at the rapid change. “Thank you,” she said as she stepped in the door. Suddenly she was surrounded by three more children.
The girl who had met her spoke as soon as she was inside. “My name is Susie. This here is Amber, Sadie and Carl.” Then she looked back up at Carrie. “We’ve done heard lots about you, Miss Cromwell. Opal thinks the world of you.”
“And I think the world of Opal. Is she doing well?”
“Oh yes, ma’am. Opal be doing just fine. She should be back any minute now. She just went to run some kind of errand. She works most every day, but she had today off. She’s going to be right happy to see you.”
Any minute turned into an hour, but it seemed to fly by. Carrie had fallen completely in love with the children by the time she heard footsteps on the porch.
“Miss Carrie, what are you doing here?” Opal asked with delight as soon as she saw her. Then her face clouded with anxiety. “There be something wrong back on the plantation? Are you coming to tell me I got to go back?”
Carrie hastened to reassure her. “No, nothing like that, Opal. I came to ask you a favor. Your cousins here have been taking very good care of me.” Then she looked Opal over carefully. “You look as if you’re doing well,” she said warmly.
“Oh, yes, ma’am. I’m doing real good. How’s everyone on the plantation?”
“I assume they’re doing well. I’ve been here in the city for the last three weeks.”
“Here in Richmond?” Opal asked in surprise.
Carrie nodded and explained that her father had asked her to come. “I deliberately stayed away because I didn’t want my father asking too many questions. That has changed now, though. My father knows you are here.”
Fear sprang into Opal’s eyes. “Oh, Lord...” was all she could say.
Carrie spoke quickly. “It’s all right, Opal. Once I knew I needed you, I also knew I had to take the chance. My father was fine with your being here. I didn’t know it, but all the plantation owners are being asked to send some of their slaves to Richmond to help with the war. They are working in the factories, building the defenses, things like that. I am going to have to send more when I get home.” Her last statement had caused her to get very little sleep the night before, but she had decided not to worry about it till she was back on the plantation.
Opal still looked anxious even though the fear was gone from her eyes. “What kind of help you be needing from me, Miss Carrie? I’ll do whatever I can.”
Carrie nodded. “I know you will, Opal. I didn’t know anyone else I could trust.” She smiled as the pride shone forth in Opal’s eyes. Then she quickly explained about Matthew. “He’s a very dear friend, Opal. I can’t stand the thought of just leaving him in that prison. I have some money for you. I want you to buy him fresh food and some more clothes. He’s also going to need paper so he can continue writing. I would appreciate it if you could visit him every few days.”
Opal laughed. “They’re not going to let me get near that prison, Miss Carrie. I’ve heard the stories. They’re not letting anyone in to see those men.”
Carrie pulled out the piece of paper she had carefully folded in her pocket. “This letter will get y
ou in, Opal. General Winder, the one in charge of all the prisons, wrote it just this morning. It grants entrance to me and,” she continued with a smile, “you.”
Opal gasped, her eyes growing wide. “That letter says I can go into the Officers’ Prison? Anytime I want?” Her voice was disbelieving. She reached for the letter. “Can I read that thing?”
Carrie handed it to her with a smile. Once again she thought of Rose and felt a pang of loneliness. If it weren’t for Rose, Opal wouldn’t know how to read and write. Suddenly, all she wanted was to be with her best friend again. She had taken an extra day to make sure Matthew was provided for. Now she was anxious to get home. Spencer would arrive early the next morning to take her. “Will you do it, Opal?”
“Course I’ll do it, Miss Carrie! I’m just glad there’s something I can do for you. You’ve done so much for me.”
Carrie watched the pleasure shining in her eyes and thought how much Opal had changed. There was strength in her eyes, and a confidence she’d never seen before. “You’re different, Opal.”
Opal looked up from the letter she had been reading again and smiled shyly. “Yes, ma’am, I reckon I am.”
“Why?”
Opal shrugged, but her voice was suddenly intense. “It changes a person to be able to decide things for themselves. I still ain’t really free, but I get to decide things for myself now. There ain’t so much to care about when you’re a slave. It doesn’t do you any good to think for yourself because you can’t do nothing with them thoughts. You’re always told what to do and when to do it.” She paused and then looked Carrie straight in the eye. “I got dreams and hopes just like any white person, Miss Carrie. I’m going to work hard to make them dreams come true.”
“What is your dream, Opal?”
Opal looked at Carrie hard as if trying to figure out if she really cared. Then she answered. “I want to have my own eatin’ place, Miss Carrie. I always thought I would love to cook, but I was always on the other end of a hoe or a tobacco worm. There wasn’t much time left for cooking. I’ve been cooking some since I been here. I like it a lot. And the people who are eating my cooking say it’s pretty good.”
Carl spoke from where he was standing to the side. “Opal be as good a cook as my mama!” he said proudly.
Everyone laughed as Carl rubbed his stomach and smacked his lips together.
“I’ve been going to church here, too, Miss Carrie.”
Carrie nodded. “You went to church on the plantation, Opal.”
“Yes, ma’am. But it be different when the preacher isn’t saying just the things the plantation owner says he can say. This preacher is different. He talks about God like he’s really real. And he’s white, to boot!”
Carrie laughed at her expression but was not surprised Opal’s preacher was white. It was against the law for a black congregation to have a black preacher. They could meet together, but the preacher had to be white. It was another way for the white people not to lose control. “I’m glad you’re going to church, Opal. And I’m glad you’re finding out God is real.”
“Yes, ma’am. Pastor Anthony, he’s a fine preacher. And he’s a good man,” she declared.
“Pastor Anthony?” Carrie thought for a moment. Why was that name familiar? Suddenly her mind flew back to the morning she had rushed to see Robert off on the train. “Is it Pastor Marcus Anthony?”
It was Opal’s turn to stare. “You know Pastor Anthony, Miss Carrie?”
“We’ve met,” she said, then explained. “I liked him right away, Opal. I’m glad he’s your pastor.”
Carrie stayed for just a little while longer and then left. She was having one last dinner with her father at the Spotswood before she left for the plantation in the morning. She had to go back to the house and change.
Opal turned and stared at Susie as soon as Carrie rolled off in the carriage. “If that don’t beat all!” she exclaimed.
Susie turned to the other three children. “Why don’t y’all go back out and play now? Me and Opal need to talk.”
Once the children were out in the yard, Susie joined Opal on the sofa next to the window. “A letter to get into the Officer’s Prison! I can’t believe it,” Opal whispered, almost as if saying it out loud would make it untrue. Opal clutched the letter in her hand and stared at it. Just yesterday, Susie’s employer, Mrs. Hamilton, had talked to her about how much she wanted to get into the Officers’ Prison.
“Come on, girl. We’re going to Mrs. Hamilton’s,” Susie said suddenly, springing up from the sofa.
“Right now?”
“Right now!”
Opal smiled at the look of awe and delight on Mrs. Hamilton’s face as she gazed at the letter in her hand.
“It’s a miracle,” she said in a whisper. She stared at it for a minute more and then turned her eyes to Opal. “Are you willing to help me?” she asked.
Opal nodded. “Just tell me what to do.”
“Wait right here,” Mrs. Hamilton said and disappeared from the room. She returned moments later with a large serving platter. “I want you to use this to take food to Mr. Justin.”
Opal stared at it. What was so special about that dish?
Mrs. Hamilton smiled then with a quick movement of her hand slid back the false bottom of the plate.
Opal and Susie gasped at the same time.
“We’re going to take the officers things no one will know about. I hope we’ll get little gifts in return,” Mrs. Hamilton said coyly.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Carrie stared out over the fields, satisfied with the progress being made. She had been home only two weeks, but already fifty of her father’s acres had been plowed under and reseeded with food crops. She would have done more, but that was all the hands could handle. It had been a tremendous amount of work to pull up the maturing tobacco plants and haul them into the woods where they were now rotting in the August heat. They wouldn’t go to waste, however. Next year, the compost would be worked back into the soil to nourish the next generation of plants, whether it be a cash crop of tobacco or more food. The folks at Cromwell Plantation had done all they could do. Now they could only hope for a long, warm fall. Food production would end with the first frost.
Carrie rode out into the fields every morning to check on the growth of her plants. She knew it was silly. It was too soon to expect anything more than barren dirt. Still, this had become her new passion, and she was pouring her heart into it. And she loved being out in the fields on Granite. The early morning rides rejuvenated her and gave her time to think. Every other minute of the day was filled with work.
This morning, however, she didn’t even want to think. A cool wind had blown in the night before. She simply wanted to enjoy the soft breeze on her body and take deep breaths of the recently turned earth. She couldn’t really explain her feeling of peace right now. She had been so torn about leaving Richmond. So much of her had felt she should stay there - that she was needed in the city. All it had taken was having the carriage wheels roll onto Cromwell Plantation. Once more she had been at peace - confident she was where she was supposed to be for now. There was something more, though. Something she didn’t quite know how to express. A feeling that she should make all she could of this time. At first she tried to analyze it, but had given up after a few days.
“Carrie!”
Carrie looked up, startled, and saw Rose riding toward her. She urged Granite into a canter and rushed to meet her. “Rose! Is something wrong?”
“No,” Rose said smiling. “I’m just coming out to deliver a message from my mama. She wants you to come for lunch.”
“She sent you all the way out here to invite me for lunch?”
Rose shrugged. “Yes. She insisted I come so that you wouldn’t make other plans. I didn’t mind.”
Carrie thought it odd that Sarah had sent Rose all the way out to the fields, but she didn’t say anything else. It was just good to have Rose with her. “Ride with me for a while,” she said suddenly. She
knew there was work to be done, but suddenly it was important to just be with Rose. It was another of those feelings she was learning not to analyze. She interpreted the hesitant look on Rose’s face. “We won’t be out that much longer. The work isn’t going anywhere, and we’ve had hardly any time together since I got back.”
“Where to?” Rose asked, smiling.
Carrie surprised even herself with what she did next. “Follow me,” she called, swinging Granite around and breaking into a gentle canter. They weren’t that far away.
Carrie pulled Granite to a stop on the bank of the river and turned to Rose, who had a strange look on her face.
“This is your special place, isn’t it?” she asked softly.
Carrie nodded. A long, comfortable silence stretched between them as they gazed out over the water. The breeze rustled the leaves overhead, creating its own background music. “Do you like it?” she asked suddenly.
Rose nodded silently.
Carrie looked at her more closely. She was startled to see tears shimmering in Rose’s eyes. “Why are you crying?”
Rose smiled through her tears and answered the question with one of her own. “Why have you brought me here?”
Carrie thought before she spoke. At first she thought it had been pure impulse. Now she knew it wasn’t. “When I was younger, it was important to me to have my secret special place. I didn’t want to share it with anyone. It was my place to come and be whoever I wanted to be. I felt safe here. Now I don’t need a secret place to be whoever I want to be. I’m strong enough to be me wherever I am. My secret place has now become just my special place.” She paused, picking her words carefully as the thoughts formed in her mind. “I think when you get older that special places become more special when you can share them with the most special people in your life. It adds to the memories.” She reached out and touched Rose’s arm. “You are one of the most special people in my life. You are my best friend. You are like a sister to me.” Suddenly tears sprang to Carrie’s own eyes. “I don’t know how much longer we will be together. We both have dreams. Our dreams are going to take us in different directions. I don’t really know,” she said a little helplessly. “I just knew I wanted to bring you here.”
