by Ginny Dye
Moses waited quietly. He hadn’t said anything about taking his sister, but he knew he didn’t have to. Why else would he be sneaking onto the plantation?
Bart continued. “You wait till it’s good and dark. That overseer of ours likes a drink or two at the end of a long day. Keeps him quiet most of the night, if you know what I mean.”
Moses nodded.
“Come around to the right of the house. You’ll find a narrow trail through the woods. It’ll bring you right back to the quarters.” He hesitated a long moment. “I hope your little sister is still around. Not too many of the young ones left,” he mused.
“What do you mean?” Moses asked anxiously.
“Them Union men made it real easy for folks to leave when they came through a few months back. Lots of Marse Saunders’ people headed for them contraband camps.”
Moses fought to control his panic. Had he come all this way for nothing?
“Me? I reckoned I would stay on. I don’t reckon I’ll be livin’ too much longer. This be all the home I’ve ever known.”
Moses nodded understandingly. Old Sarah had been the same way. He didn’t blame them. Suddenly his trust for the old man hardened and became solid. “I’m looking for my sister June. She should be almost nineteen now. Saunders bought her a few years ago.”
Bart’s face split with a wide grin. “You be June’s big brother? Why, she’s told me all about her family. You in luck, boy. June still be on the plantation.”
When he paused for a long moment, Moses stepped closer. “Is something wrong with my sister?”
“No, no! Least I wouldn’t say it be something wrong. Could be something might make your plans a little harder.”
Moses struggled to figure out what the man meant. Suddenly, understanding dawned on his face. “My sister is pregnant,” he stated quietly.
“Going on six months,” Bart agreed with a nod. “Her husband a fine man, but he was sent to Richmond to work on the fortifications. Been gone about five months now. Don’t even know he gonna be a daddy. Nobody got no idea when he be back.”
“That’s why June didn’t go before?”
“Yep. Wanted to be here when her man got back.”
Moses stood silently, taking in all the information. He stepped back from the wagon. “Please don’t tell her I’m coming. I’d like to surprise her.”
“Oh, you’ll surprise her all right,” Bart laughed, his gap-toothed mouth opening wide. “She be in the cabin right next to the maple tree.” Bart gathered up the reins. “Good luck, Moses.”
Moses raised his hand. “Thank you, Bart.” He watched until the wagon rolled from sight then merged back into the woods. His sister was less than three miles away. He would see her. She would choose what she wanted to do. She was a grown woman now. Moses chuckled at the idea of June being a wife and mama. His little sister had grown up. His heart sped up at the idea of seeing her again. The day loomed before him - interminably long. He could hardly wait till dark.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Moses awoke refreshed from his long sleep. A deep draught from his canteen cleared his mind and roused his still sleeping stomach. A deep growl reminded him it had been morning since his last meal. Stretching to loosen the tight muscles in his back, Moses peered out from the clearing he had selected for his hiding place. The sun was still high in the sky, but clouds scudding in from the west and a brisk breeze carried the scent of rain. Moses welcomed the coming storm. It would settle the dust as well as provide cover for him as he approached the plantation. Satisfied no one was in the vicinity, he stepped out from his covering. It was time to hunt more fruit.
Dark clouds had deepened the approaching nightfall, and a stiff wind tossed trees wildly as Moses searched for the trail Bart had told him about. He had missed it once already, realizing his mistake as soon as he spotted the brick manor house in the distance. He had retreated quickly, retracing his steps. His frustration mounted as the sky darkened. If he didn’t find the trail before dark, he didn’t dare move forward. It would be too easy to stumble into an area watched by the overseer.
Suddenly, the wind calmed for a moment, and he caught a glimpse of the opening. As soon as he stepped onto the small trail, the skies opened in a deluge of water. Moses laughed as water danced off the leaves and washed the dust and dirt from his body. He welcomed the crash of thunder and lightning to cover his movements. He was confident no one would be roaming around on a night like tonight.
It took only a few minutes to break through into the slave quarters. Moses stopped, waiting and watching. Now that he was so close to seeing his sister again, his heart was racing so hard and fast he could hear it pounding in his head over the storm. “I’m keeping my promise, Daddy,” he called softly, staring up at the raging sky. “I’m keeping my promise!”
Ducking his head, he raced through the raindrops to the door of the tiny cabin next to the maple tree. He paused once again then knocked firmly.
“Come on in,” a musical voice called. “Ain’t no reason to stand out there getting soaked.”
Moses opened the door and stepped inside. June, calmly shelling peas, was seated by the window in a straight back chair, a bowl of cornbread on the table beside her. Her mouth fell open when she saw him, her eyes filling her face. “Hello, little sister,” Moses said softly.
“Moses,” June whispered. “Moses!” The air was rent with her cry of joy as she tossed aside the bowl of pea pods, scattering them everywhere. “Moses! It’s really you!” Laughter and sobs shook her body as she ran to him and threw her arms around him. “It’s you. It’s really you,” she kept repeating.
Moses held her tightly, his own tears mingling with his laughter.
Only once did June pull away. With a look of disbelief, she reached up to touch his face then threw herself back into his arms. “Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!” she cried over and over. Finally she pulled back and stared up into his face. “How did you...? Where did you...?”
Moses laughed and led her back to the chair. “Sit down. I’ll tell you all about it,” he said, laughing while he brushed his own tears away. “Mamas-to-be shouldn’t get too excited, you know.”
June laughed. “I think my baby as happy as me. It sho ‘nuff bouncin’ around in there.” She patted the chair next to her. “I still can’t believe it’s you. I didn’t know if I would ever see my family again.” She paused. “Mama... Sadie...?”
Moses shook his head. “I haven’t seen them. I came after you first.” The storm raged, offering them its protection as he told his story. “Enough about me,” he said, finally. “What about you? How is it here?”
June shrugged, leaning forward to pull the bowl of cornbread over. “You eat while I talk,” she said with a smile. “My big brother always been hungry.”
“Your big brother hasn’t changed much,” Moses said with a grin.
“Now, that ain’t true,” June said slowly. “I recognize the body, but the talk is sho ‘nuff different. Why everythin’ about you is different. You got learnin’ and you been livin’ free up North. Why, you turned into a grown man.”
Moses read the concern in her eyes. He leaned forward and took her hands. “I’m still the same Moses, June. I never forgot about you or Mama or Sadie. As soon as I had the chance, I came to get you. Just like I promised.”
June nodded slowly. “I was so scared that day Marse Saunders bought me. I ain’t never been scared like that. Not even the time the men came after us with whips right after they killed Daddy. At least we be together then. But that day,” she stopped and shook her head. “I wanted to die that day.”
Moses nodded grimly. How well he remembered. He, too, had wanted to die, and he had wanted to kill someone. He had not been able to tell which emotion was stronger. “I know, little sister.”
June took a deep breath. “I survived. Just like most others before me. When I got here, peoples was real nice. They knowed what I’d been through. It ain’t so bad, Moses. Marse Saunders be a good man. He d
on’t ever beat anyone, and up till the time the Union come through, we had plenty of food. Even the overseer ain’t bad - long as we do our jobs. The most he ever do be to yell real loud. I ain’t never see him hurt nobody.”
“It’s not like being free, June.”
“No, I reckon it ain’t,” she murmured. “I try not to think ‘bout being free. I give up my chance when the Yanks come through. I married, you know. Simon be a real fine man. Marse Saunders sent him to Richmond to work on buildin’ them walls of dirt around the city. I heard through the grapevine, though, that slaves ain’t comin’ back. There too much to be done and the government is payin’ the owners.” She stopped, tears welling in her eyes. “I didn’t want to leave. Simon wouldn’t know where to find me.”
“And what about now, June? Do you still want to be free?” He leaned forward and grabbed her hands. “That’s what I’m here for, June,” he said fiercely. “To help you get free.”
June pulled back, startled. “How?” she asked in a bewildered tone.
“I’m going to take you to the contraband camps at Fort Monroe. You’ll be safe there. We’ll tell people here where you’re going. They can tell Simon when he comes back. I can try to get word to him,” he added. “It will be hard, but it might be possible.”
June sat silently, seeming to struggle with her feelings. Finally she spoke. “I been afraid to leave. Afraid to be without family again. But now I got me more of a family to think about. I got me a baby growin’ inside.” She paused. “I want my baby to be free. I want my baby to have a chance to be different.” She peered into Moses’ eyes. “You really think Simon be able to find me?”
“We’ll make sure he does,” Moses promised. He ached to take away the fear lurking in his sister’s eyes, but he knew it was a battle she would have to fight on her own. She could not take such a huge step on his courage. It would have to be her own courage and will that would take her through the struggles ahead. Her being pregnant would only add to the hardships they would face as they made their way to Fort Monroe. She had to want freedom enough to endure what came.
Silence filled the room for a long while as June stared out the window, slowly patting her stomach. Finally, she turned to him, her face beautiful with a glowing smile. “When do we leave?”
Moses grinned, his heart instantly light and alive. “We leave in the morning,” he said firmly. “We don’t have a lot of time, and we’ll have to travel slowly.”
June nodded slowly. “All right,” she murmured.
Moses took her hands again and tried to prepare her for what lay ahead of them. They talked long into the night, the storm continuing to offer its covering.
Rose hummed softly as she walked down the dusty road toward the school. Was it possible she had been here less than a month? Sometimes she felt as if she had been in the camps for years. At other times it was as if she had arrived just yesterday.
“Good morning, Miss Rose!” a little girl called, waving enthusiastically.
“Howdy, Miss Rose,” an elderly woman called, waving her apron while she paused in the middle of her sweeping.
“Have a nice day,” a young mother called, adroitly balancing her baby on one hip while hanging clothes to dry.
Rose smiled and waved to everyone. However long she had been here, she had fallen in love with the people trying to forge new lives for themselves. Their stories were all similar to hers. Having spent all their lives in slavery, they were now determined to make things different for themselves and their children.
“I been reading that book you gave me,” one boy called out as he skipped down the dusty road.
“I have been reading that book you gave me,” Rose called after him, chuckling.
She had loved her teaching in the little secret school in the woods of the plantation, but those feelings were no comparison to the love she had for her little white school and its eager-eyed students.
Rose had never seen such a thirst for learning. It seemed that everyone, young and old, had one thing in mind - each wanted to read and write. Scores of children crowded into the building during the day, all ages and all levels mixed together. Teaching them all was a challenge beyond any she had imagined, but they were learning. She loved watching the little eyes light up with sudden understanding when they first made sense of the jumbled letters swimming across the page or finally comprehended some concept she was teaching.
The adults came at night - exhausted from their long days of work - but determined to learn to read and write like the youngsters. Rose was amazed at how fast they were catching on. They seemed to soak knowledge up like dry ground during a heavy spring downpour. Rose pondered her own thoughts. For too long these people had been held captive in a dry land of ignorance and bondage. Now they were free and absorbing all they could.
“Miss Rose!”
Rose turned toward the stooped old man waving at her from his porch. “Good morning, Ezekiel!” she called.
“Come here, please,” he called in his quivery voice.
Rose complied willingly. Ezekiel had become one of her favorite students. Seventy-five years old, he was the oldest student in the school. While many older slaves were opting to live out their remaining days on their plantations, Ezekiel had been determined to be free for once in his life.
“You got another book for me, Miss Rose?”
“You’ve already finished the last one I gave you?” Rose asked, astonished.
“Ain’t got nothing much to do besides read,” Ezekiel replied. “Besides - I got me a lot of making up to do.” His voice turned deadly serious. “I been thinking, Miss Rose. I can forgive the white man for making me a slave all my life. I don’t reckon I’ll ever forgive them for stealing education from me.” His voice softened. “You run on. Looks like your students are going to beat you to school this morning.”
Rose looked up then hurried on. “I’ll bring you another book this evening,” she called over her shoulder. It was like this every morning. The people in the camps, thrilled to have someone of their own race as a teacher, had embraced her whole-heartedly. She, in return, was giving them everything she could.
“Miss Rose, you still coming to our house for supper tonight?” one little girl asked shyly as soon as Rose appeared on the porch.
Rose knelt down and smiled at her. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything, Annie. Is your mama sure I can’t bring something?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Annie replied anxiously, her long black braids bobbing as she nodded her head. Her thin face, made thinner by giant black eyes, revealed her excitement. “My mama said you was just to come. I reckon she’ll be cooking all day - in between doing wash for the army, that is.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Rose promised. Then, “Did you read your book last night?”
“Yessum! I read everything you told me. Did you know the world ain’t flat, Miss Rose? I been looking at that ocean for a few weeks now and figured sure enough those boats must just drop off the end if they go too far. According to this book you gave me, though, the world ain’t flat. You really think that’s true? That the world is round?”
“Yes, Annie. I think that’s true. The world is round. Just like the book says.”
“Well, what keeps things from dropping off when they get to the bottom side?” Her voice was deadly serious. “I watched a bug crawl around a plum the other day. He dropped off when he got to the bottom. I reckon people must live on the top part of the earth.” She seemed relieved to have solved her problem.
Rose smiled. “People live all over the earth, Annie. A thing called gravity keeps them from falling off.”
“Gravity? What be that?”
The long day passed in a flash.
Rose was tired but happy as she moved down the lane toward Annie’s house. There were not many nights she did not share a meal with one of her students. There was a great competition to see whose invitation she would accept next. The white teachers ate with their students, too, but not as often.
Annie’s family had a small plank structure on the outskirts of the camp. The superintendent had managed to find ten acres of land for Annie’s father to farm. Rose knew the association was fighting for more refugees to be given land to farm. As she neared the simple home, Annie ran from the door and raced down the road toward her.
“Miss Rose! Miss Rose!” Soon her whole family had gathered on the porch.
Rose looked around appreciatively as she gathered Annie in her arms and then took her hand as they walked the rest of the way together. The rich dark soil had been well-worked, and a variety of vegetables grew toward the sky. Rose’s mouth began to water.
“Hello, Amos. Hello, Harriet.” Rose smiled and then examined the faces of her hosts. They were smiling, but their faces and eyes were clouded with tension. “Is something wrong?” she asked quietly, her heart suddenly heavy with foreboding.
Amos was the first to speak. “Them soldier fellows are at it again,” he stated bitterly.
“Now, ain’t all the soldiers bad,” Harriet protested.
“Didn’t say they was,” Amos snapped. “But they be enough of the bad ones to cause a passel of trouble.”
“What happened?” Rose asked then glanced at the children.
Amos noticed. “The children know what’s going on. Ain’t good to hide trouble from kids. They won’t be on their guard when it comes close to them.”
Rose recognized one of the truths of slavery. Everyone, even children, had to be prepared for hurt and pain. She waited for Amos to tell her what had happened.
“A friend of mine - fella who ran off from the same plantation as me been farming not too far from here. Him and some other fellas used they own money to work and plant ‘bout sixty acres. This afternoon, some Union general - I think his name be Burnside - came through with his troops. Them soldiers done destroyed nearly all their crops!”
“But why?” Rose exclaimed, knowing the answer before Amos gave it.
