by Ginny Dye
Rose took a deep breath. Something told her they weren’t taking the wisest course of action, but she honestly didn’t know that she could come up with something better. Maybe being shunned by their wives in public would make the men rethink their actions. “And you believe this will work?”
Morah sighed. “I don’t reckon I believe anything will work, but things can’t get worse than they are,” she said bitterly.
Rose’s heart sank at the look of futility clouding the eyes of the beautiful young woman. She looked at the rest of them. “All of you are being beaten?”
The other three shook their heads. Della, a stout woman in her forties, had evidently been chosen as the spokeswoman. “Our men ain’t beating us,” she said. “At least not like Abraham is doing to Morah. They hit on us a little, but mostly they just do a lot of yelling. I think Moses must have said something to get through to them.” She shook her head with disgust. “What I learned from being in school is that I’m just as smart as any man. I didn’t live all them years in slavery just to have my man hit on me and yell at me and my children. I want my girls to know they can do anything they want now that they be free. I see the light in their eyes die a little more every day.” She scowled. “I ain’t gonna let it happen.”
The other two women murmured their agreement.
Rose was mystified as to what to do or say. She desperately wished her mama was there to give her advice, though she wasn’t even sure Sarah would have the answer. Everyone had been equal in the days of slavery. They feared being beaten, but not by each other. Slavery had been abolished, but new problems were raising their heads. She prayed quietly for wisdom. “No man has the right to hit you or demean you,” she said. She looked at Della. “What are you planning on doing?”
The defiance on Della’s face melted into confused fear. “I don’t got no idea,” she admitted. She glanced over at the men. “My man, Dexter, looks real angry,” she murmured. She glanced at Morah, who seemed to be pulling into herself as Abraham glared at her. The woman’s fear was palpable. “What you think we ought to do, Rose? I’m real sorry I ain’t talking right, but I just can’t seem to think clear.”
Rose knew now was not the time to worry about correct grammar. There were far more important things at stake. She stared at the women, knowing that whatever she said would impact their children – her students. The responsibility she felt was like a heavy stone around her heart. “You’re going to do nothing,” she said.
“Huh?” Della stammered.
“You’re going to do nothing. You’re staying right here at the end of the dance. We’ll put all of you up in one of the rooms in the house.” Rose was suddenly very certain the women should not return to the cabins where their husbands would probably be waiting. Nothing good would come from it.
Della was already shaking her head. “I can’t be leaving my children with Dexter,” she protested. “If I ain’t there to take his anger out on, he will take it out on the children. I won’t let that happen.”
“Della is right,” Julia, a young-looking woman in her thirties, said. “Not dancing with our men seemed like a good idea when we had it.” She glanced toward the knot of men and then jerked her gaze back. “We may have done nothing but made it worse.” She bit her lip. “I hope not,” she muttered. “Stan can get real mad.”
“I ain’t leaving my Daisy and Chester there with Leon,” Mary said, speaking up for the first time. Her twenty-year-old eyes were far too old, and the lines on her face spoke of years of suffering in slavery.
Rose knew Mary had escaped from a plantation deep in Mississippi just before the end of the war. She and her husband, Leon, drawn by rumors of a plantation where they would be treated fairly, had walked all the way. Moses hadn’t had the heart to turn them away and had made room for one more man. Rose continued to beg silently for wisdom. “Moses and I will walk back with you,” she said. She was confident the men would not do anything if the women weren’t alone. Perhaps Moses could talk some sense into them. She had thought about having the children stay in the house as well, but she suspected taking their children would enrage the men even more. She desperately wished she knew the right thing to do, but she felt like she was casting around in the dark.
“That won’t work,” Morah whispered.
“How do you know?” Rose demanded, suddenly exasperated. “You’re saying all my ideas are bad, but you don’t have any of your own. Surely it won’t make things better for you to infuriate your husbands by not dancing with them, and then merely walk home with them hoping there won’t be consequences. I wish I could say they would all change and start treating you right, but you and I both know that isn’t true.” She took a deep breath, not questioning where the words were coming from. “Your husbands rule by fear. They do what they want because you are afraid of them. You are afraid to stay away from your home because of what they will do to your children. You are afraid to return home because of what they will do to you. They feel powerful, but they are really nothing but cowards,” she said angrily.
The four women stared at her, shocked into silence. They had never seen their teacher angry before.
“It’s time they learned they are not all powerful. Moses is their boss. They may have just finished the harvest, but they are still counting on Moses to give them a recommendation letter so they can find more work further south, and they are not being paid until tomorrow. It’s time they realize there are consequences for their actions,” Rose added. Her eyes swung toward Morah. “Moses and I have already talked about you. I believe that no matter what the other women choose to do, you should stay here tonight with your children. In fact, I believe you should leave Abraham and stay here permanently. Once he is gone from the plantation, you and your children can have your own cabin.”
Morah was already shaking her head, her eyes wide with panic. “Leave him? Stay here?” she whispered. “He’ll kill me if I do that, Rose. That idea is just plumb crazy.”
“What’s crazy is thinking you can go back there and have him treat you any differently. The other women have already said their husbands don’t treat them as badly as Abraham treats you. He beats you, Morah. He’s going to beat you if you go home tonight. You know he is!” Rose wanted to take the woman and shake her, but she knew that wouldn’t do any good. The abuse she had suffered had stolen every shred of self-confidence. She could only pray her words were getting through.
Della groaned and buried her face in her hands. “I thought the end of slavery was going to mean a better life. In some ways it be worse than when we was on the plantation.”
Rose took a deep breath. “Everything has changed, Della. For everyone. That means everyone is trying to figure out how to live their life. Men are trying to figure out how to live as free men. Women are trying to figure out how to live as free women. All the hatred and prejudice is making that harder. Just trying to figure out how to be free would be challenging enough. Now we have to add in that plantation owners aren’t willing to accept us as free, and they are making it very difficult to find work and fair pay. The men are angry and frustrated.” She shook her head. “That doesn’t mean they have any right to do what they are doing, but it does mean things aren’t going to change for them very fast. It’s not realistic to think they are going to just change into nice people. That means each of you are the ones who have to make the right decision for yourself and your children.”
Rose thought quickly. “Each of you can stay here on the plantation with your children where you will be safe. We’ll figure things out as we go.” She gritted her teeth as they all stared at her, shaking their heads in refusal. She knew she was speaking the truth, but she also knew their fear was too great for them to believe there was an answer. She stood reluctantly as she realized she was not getting through to them. “Let me know if there is a way I can help. Until then, I will be praying.” She bit back a scream of frustration when she walked away. There seemed to be no way she could help these women. It went against everything i
nside her to walk away, but she couldn’t help someone not willing to be helped.
Moses was waiting for her on the far side of the clearing, a questioning look on his face. Rose filled him in quickly. “What did the men say?”
“Not much,” he admitted, his eyes filled with angry worry. “I don’t know that I have much control over them anymore.”
“But they haven’t gotten their letter of recommendation yet,” Rose protested. “Surely that is worth something.”
“I’m hoping so,” Moses said. “The other men may consider that, but Abraham is infuriated by the humiliation of Morah refusing to dance with him. I don’t know that he can control the rage brewing in him right now, even if he wanted to.”
Rose said nothing, very much afraid he was right, and knowing that neither of them could do anything if Morah refused to let them help her. She stared across the clearing where the four women were still huddled together, her mind racing to find a solution.
Moses was relieved when the night finally wound down. The Harvest Celebration had been a huge success, but he was exhausted and he was also worried about Rose. He had seen the look in her eyes when she was watching the four women. His beautiful wife had something planned, and his instincts told him it was going to mean trouble. He chatted easily with everyone as they left, most of them carrying their sleeping children as they walked away, but he also kept an eye on Morah and the others. He knew the instant they stood up, and he was not surprised when he saw Rose step up to join them. He couldn’t hear anything they were saying, but he knew they were arguing with her. She merely shook her head and fell into step with them when they started to walk away, their children in tow.
Moses smiled and nodded at a few more people, and then he slipped into the woods, grabbed what he had sequestered there, and quietly followed the women on a trail that ran almost parallel to the road down to the quarters. He had already decided his presence might be more intimidating than helpful, but he was not willing to let Rose go by herself. He was quite sure she had decided to walk the women back to their cabins with the hope that her presence would offer them protection. His eyes cast around for their husbands, but they were nowhere in sight. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but he was positive it was nothing good.
The women walked quietly, their children stumbling along almost half-asleep. Morah clutched her baby close to her breast and gripped her son tightly by the hand. Her frightened look said she was expecting Abraham to come for her at any moment.
Moses was surprised when they were left alone to walk home, but then he realized the men would hardly accost them when there were so many people around. His skin prickled as he searched his mind to figure out what they were likely to do. He knew Rose had tried to convince the women to stay behind at the house. All of them had refused. His only job now was to protect his wife.
He watched as Rose stood at the door of each cabin with the women. The cabins were all dark, but it was impossible to know if they were empty. She hugged them all briefly and then turned to walk back home when the last woman was in her cabin. She waved to others drifting into the quarters, but she didn’t tarry to talk. Moses could tell by the stiffness of her posture that she was nervous, but she held her head high as she started back home.
Rose was grateful for the half-moon that illuminated the road. She was already berating herself for not telling Moses where she was going, but it was too late to change her actions now. She straightened her shoulders and walked briskly, fighting the urge to break into a run. She also scolded herself for her fear. These men were Moses’ workers. Surely they would do nothing to harm his wife. Besides the fact that he partially controlled their future, surely they knew his wrath would fall on them if they dared to harm her. Her fear faded a little as the certainty restored her courage.
She was halfway home when she looked up and saw three men blocking the road.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Rose faltered, and then continued to walk forward, acutely aware all the families had made their way home. She was alone with three of the husbands who had been publicly humiliated by their wives—the same women she had walked home with. A quick glance told her Abraham was not with them. The instant of relief was followed by the terrible realization he was probably with Morah. She tightened with anger, reminding herself these men were nothing but cowards who abused their wives. She lifted her head high and cast them a withering look, and then reached slowly for her pocket, glad for the pistol Moses had insisted she carry. She prayed she wouldn’t have to use it, but she was certain she would if she had to.
The men remained silent as she got closer, but she could feel the anger coming off them in waves. Rose considered walking around them, but she was quite sure they wouldn’t allow that, and it would also indicate she was afraid. These men operated off fear. Her best strategy was to not show them any. She stopped in the middle of the road about five feet from them, grateful for the light from the moon, and regarded the men steadily. “Hello, gentlemen. What can I do for you?”
Dexter had evidently been designated the spokesman for the group. He edged forward, his eyes glinting angrily. “You can leave our wives alone, Mrs. Samuels. We don’t appreciate you turning them against us.”
Rose stared at him. “You three men turned your wives against you all by yourselves. I had nothing to do with it.”
Dexter shook his head. “Our wives were just fine until they started going to your school,” he growled.
“The same school where I taught you how to read?” Rose asked him, striving to remember Dexter’s eager excitement when he had finally learned to make sense of the letters. Beneath the anger suffusing his face, there was a good man. At least there was once a good man. She remembered Moses telling her that sometimes men couldn’t come back from the anger and bitterness.
“That ain’t got nothing to do with our wives,” Dexter shot back, taking a step closer.
Rose tensed, but she remained where she was. She was determined not to show her fear because she knew men like this thrived off of it. She was glad they couldn’t hear her pounding heart. She fought to keep her voice steady. “Why are you doing it?”
Dexter eyed her. “Doing it?”
“Why are you hitting Della? Why are you yelling at her and your children?”
“They are my wife and children. I can do whatever I want,” Dexter replied in a flat voice.
The other men nodded their agreement, though they continued to let Dexter do the talking.
Rose saw her chance. “So you have the right to treat your family any way you want to?”
“That’s what I said,” Dexter replied, his expression saying he was glad to finally be getting through.
“So it’s all right for you to treat your family just the way the slave owners treated you for all your years of slavery?” Rose didn’t wait for an answer. “Have you decided it was all right for you to be beaten during your years as a slave? Maybe you would rather go back to slavery.”
Dexter looked confused for a moment and then shook his head. “Ain’t nobody got the right to beat a man.”
“But it’s okay to beat a woman?” Rose asked, trying to keep her voice calm.
“Women are our property,” Dexter sputtered.
“Like you were the slave owners’ property? If that’s true, then the slave owners were right in doing whatever they wanted to.” She paused, sensing she had the advantage. She didn’t know if her words would have any long-term impact, but since she had the opportunity to talk to them, she wasn’t going to pass it up. “Who told you that your wives are your property?”
“That paper from the Freedmen’s Bureau,” Dexter said quickly, looking relieved to have an answer. “They said we done be the head of the household. That means we’re in charge of the women.”
“So you believe that means you can hit your wives and terrify your family? Is that what being the head of the household means to you?” Rose paused, but pressed on as she realized Dexter was listening. She prayed
she was getting through to the other two as well. “Don’t you know that most of the men aren’t abusing their families? Isn’t it possible that you’ve got so much anger inside of you that you don’t know what to do with it other than to take it out on your family?”
Dexter stared at her, obviously at a loss for words. Emboldened, Rose took a step forward, grateful when each of the men edged back. “Don’t you know most of the other men think less of you because of what you’re doing?” Rose wondered if she had gone too far when Dexter’s eyes tightened with anger again.
“I don’t reckon any man going to tell me what to do with my own wife and children,” Dexter shot back. “Why should I care what they think?”
Leon chuckled, his face a mask of rage. “I reckon Abraham done be teaching Morah what happens when she do something foolish. The rest of us gonna do the same thing when we get home. Our women are going to know they got off easy ‘til now.” He glanced around to make sure they were still alone and then stepped close to Rose. “I know you be Moses’ wife,” he said in a low, deadly voice, “but that don’t mean nothing to me. Me and my family gonna be out of here tomorrow. I ain’t sure Moses’ letter gonna do nothing to help me get a job. Since he ain’t man enough to teach you your place, I reckon I’m gonna be the one to do it.”
Rose stiffened, her mind racing to figure out a way of escape, but she was certain she couldn’t outrun these men in her long dress. Unbidden, a flashback from six years ago shot through her mind. She had been standing in almost the same spot when Ike Adams pulled her into the bushes and tried to rape her. Back then she had been terrified. She was wise enough to be afraid now, but she was also boiling with anger. “I don’t think so,” she snapped, yet she knew she couldn’t fend off three men. Her pistol might take down one of them, but she couldn’t shoot all three of them before they could reach her. She fought to control her trembling as she stared Leon in the eyes. She pulled out the pistol and leveled it at him. “If you do something stupid, I’m afraid you will regret it,” she snapped.
