The Long Road Home Romance Collection

by Judi Ann Ehresman

  Many nights, as Deidre lay in Jeremiah’s arms, he promised her that if they ever got separated, he would do all he could to earn or buy his freedom and that he would come take her away from the Wickners. Deidre had prayed fervently they would never have to be separated.

  It was the other slaves who told her as she returned to their cabin late one evening that Jeremiah had been taken to the auction that day and sold. Deidre cried so hard that her sobs turned into labor pains. Just as the sun pushed its cold light into what was left of the night, Dodie, who attended all the slave children’s births, laid the wee child in her arms. Then Dodie left for a couple of hours of sleep before beginning her day.

  Deidre had gazed at her son with wonder the moment she saw him and whispered the name she and Jeremiah had decided on, if the baby were a boy: “Jedediah.” The baby had never cried that morning but had taken a gasp of air and just looked at her in awe. He was a beautiful child, and as she held him close he seemed to be memorizing every bit of her. As she stroked his chubby, round cheek, she promised him she would tell him all about his daddy and that one day they would meet. Her heart nearly broke with the longing to lay this tiny treasure in his father’s arms. But she would always believe there would be a day the two would meet.

  Deidre had closed her eyes just as Dodie had come back into the cabin. “Don’ ope’ yer eyes, gal. Y’ still haf a coupla hour befo’ y’ haf t’ make th’ missus’ breakfas’. Jes rest if ’n y’ can a’tall. Ah’ll be back t’ show y’ how t’ tie th’ young-un onto yer ches’ fer th’ day. Jes’ res’ now.”

  And so Deidre cooked and baked with Jedediah strapped to her chest for the first weeks until he grew enough that she could lay him on a mat in the corner of the kitchen.

  Jeddy, as others called him, learned early that he must stay in the kitchen at all times when his mother was there. The child knew no other life than in that kitchen…until the day they decided to run away from the Wickner Plantation.

  Not long before Jeddy was two years old, life suddenly changed for them. Deidre had to make a fast decision when she heard the news from Susannah, one of the slaves who cleaned the house for the Wickners. Susannah had been cleaning outside the library door when she’d overheard Mrs. Wickner complaining about “the kitchen brat” taking up too much of Deidre’s time. She was using the whining tone that always caused Mr. Wickner to solve the problem at hand so she would stop whining.

  Mrs. Wickner had several voices. It didn’t matter so much what she actually said; it was the tone of voice she used. When she barked, she intended to be obeyed immediately. Only the slaves were barked at by Mrs. Wickner. Her helpless voice was used on her children (who were nearly grown). It worked when the children were young, and they jumped to do whatever she bid them. But as they got older, they learned to ignore her completely when she spoke to them unless they wanted something from her, which was seldom. Her subdued voice was saved for Mr. Wickner. Mr. Wickner adored that voice and doted on his wife, whenever she used it. But when she had a problem she needed him to solve, she whined. And when she whined, Mr. Wickner always pacified her.

  The slaves all learned to beware of Mrs. Wickner when she whined. Action always followed. The fact she was whining about Jeddy was not good. He wasn’t even two years old, and the lady had only laid eyes on him very few times. But that day she had entered the kitchen and saw him as he played on the floor.

  “Whose child is this?” she had asked sharply. “And what is he doing in this kitchen?”

  Jeddy looked up at her with wide eyes. Deidre tried to ignore Jeddy and went quickly to the missus, explaining that Jeddy was her child but that he didn’t bother anyone and played quietly there all day while she worked.

  “Who feeds and clothes this child?”

  “I share my portions with him, Mrs. Wickner. Now, what was it you wanted from me today? Were those biscuits warm enough this mornin’?”

  “They were too hot to bite into. They should be cooled slightly before serving.” Then she went on to give the instructions she had intended for Deidre. As she left, she studied the child and Deidre feared what she might be thinking.

  It was that afternoon when Susannah had overheard the conversation.

  As Mrs. Wickner whined, Mr. Wickner became thoughtful. “Wasn’t that strapping young buck named Jeremiah supposed to be the father of the child?”

  “Yes, I think so. What does it matter? He’s long gone now. The important thing is that I need the girl to give her undivided attention to the work she is here to do, and she is wasting time caring for that brat of hers. The quality of the food is deteriorating, and we have that picnic coming up that we want to have done well….” Even her sigh seemed to be part of the whining as her voice grated on his nerves.

  “Well, if we keep him, he’ll probably grow to be a good worker. But I can sell him if you’d prefer. After all, I promised you the money from his sale before he was born. He will probably bring a good price for a child if he has the same thick arms and legs as Jeremiah. As I remember, his daddy was a good worker and had a strong back. I will look at the child soon and we can decide then.”

  “You are so good to me,” Mrs. Wickner purred. “What would I do without you to solve all my problems?”

  There was silence for a short time and then she continued, “Oh, let’s just sell him and be done with it. Then Deidre’s attention will not be on caring for him, and she can do better work again. Will you sell him, please?”

  There had been a heavy sigh, the squeak of a chair, and then indifferently Mr. Wickner had replied, “Oh, all right. I will see to it in a few days.”

  It was the main topic of conversation in the camp that evening. Deidre knew it would happen. It had happened too many times before. Gerdine, one of Deidre’s friends, had come over and put her arms around Deidre. “Honey, I knows y’ think if ’n y’ leave ya’ll nevah see yo’ husban’ agin, but if ’n y’ stays y’all nevah see neitha’ of yo’ menfolks. They gonna be ripped away. Ya’ll bes’ run now an’ tak th’ chil’ with youse befo’ it’s too late.”

  Joseph, one of the elders among the slaves, had heard that there was a slave shelter not too many miles from the plantation. He promised to get the details and the directions the very next day. And so the plans were laid.

  Chapter 2

  The next day Deidre prayed all day as she worked. She wanted to take some extra food but dared not take any, even though the leftover food thrown to the hogs on the plantation would have fed her and Jedediah for several days. Still, she would not steal. The God of heaven and earth would provide for her. She struggled inside with the fact that running away was still actually stealing from her owners, but her life felt so hopeless that it seemed to be the only way.

  At dusk, when she returned to her cabin, most of the other slaves were waiting there. Joseph had indeed discovered that there was a host family who lived only twelve miles north of the plantation. He gave her careful directions to the house and explained that it would have a quilt hanging on the front porch rails. If the quilt had red patches, she should stay away, because red was a sign that it was not safe at that time. If there were green or blue patches, she should go to the cellar door when no one was around, lift the door, and go inside and wait on the stairs until a family member found her. They would instruct her from there on.

  Joseph and Asha told her to sleep for two hours and then start out at midnight. They would keep watch as she slept and wake her in plenty of time. Joseph warned her that she must make it all the way to the safe house before too late in the morning, and if the folks there allowed it, she should stay there until the search parties had lost interest.

  The next morning, when Deidre and Jedediah arrived at the designated house, there was indeed a quilt with blue and green patches hanging over the porch rail. They ran across the clearing as quickly as possible and found the cellar doors. They didn’t have to crouch on the stairs for too long before the kind folks found them. They gave them porridge and some soft blan
kets but advised them to stay in the cellar to sleep. They were awakened late in the day with bowls of a savory stew and thick slices of bread with cheese. Both Deidre and Jedediah were hungry and ate heartily.

  At dusk they were taken to the barn, laid on straw in a large wagon, and nearly covered with more straw. They would be leaving immediately for another safe house a good distance north of this one where they would be safe to stay for a while.

  They stayed at that second house for a couple of months until all search parties were hopefully wearied of the search. But still Deidre was advised to travel as far north as she could and to travel only at night. She was given food to take along, but also the gentleman showed her what nuts and berries and fruit she might find in the various wooded areas to live on until finding a place to settle.

  It was a frightening thing when they left the safe house. Deidre and Jedediah walked at night and slept for as much of the day as they could. And most of the time they walked, Deidre carried her son. Once they had discovered a small cave, and Deidre considered staying there and making it their home. However, it was a short-lived idea since there was no good way to provide food there year-round. They did rest there for a few days, but it was too early in the year for berries or apples or fruit of any kind, so Deidre knew they must keep moving north.

  In time, Deidre found her way into Indiana Territory and was thankful for the dry, early spring until the day of the May blizzard. She had discovered the nights were quite chilly as she moved north. She and Jedediah had only the clothes on their backs and had run out of any food two days earlier.

  Deidre knew she was on someone’s property, because there was a lovely log house with smoke coming from the chimney, as well as several outbuildings and a nice-sized log barn. She knew Jeddy was very hungry, and she could hear the animals in the warm barn. So she asked for God’s forgiveness for stealing before she even opened the door.

  When she opened the door, the wind caught it and tore it from her hand, slamming it against the side of the barn. It made so much noise that Deidre ran to hide behind the barn as she watched the house to see if someone would come out. Instead of coming from the house, a young woman came from the barn itself, carrying a bucket still steaming with warm milk. Deidre had stayed hidden for some time, watching the woman go to the cabin and take the bucket of milk inside. In a little while she saw her come back out to get wood from a woodpile on the back veranda and take it inside. Deidre imagined how warm that snug cottage was as she and Jeddy shivered in the cold.

  Finally, when she was quite sure the woman was not coming back to the barn, she carried Jeddy to the door and tried once again to open it quietly. But again the wind tore the door from her weakened hands. This time, when it banged against the side of the barn, she rushed inside and hid behind the stalls at the back of the barn. Deidre crouched low, praying all the while that she would be able to get milk for them from the cows that stomped and snorted in the hay-filled stalls and that they could rest for a while in the warm shelter before moving on.

  That was one prayer she was later thankful that God did not answer. Instead, He’d given her much more. While Deidre huddled in the back of the barn holding Jeddy tightly against her and praying fervently, she listened carefully when she heard the lady return to the barn to check on the cattle and sheep. Deidre was relieved when she was sure the woman had turned to go. However, instead of hearing the barn door close, she heard a sweet voice say softly close to her, “Hello, my name is Mandy.”

  Deidre had been so frightened to be discovered that she could do nothing but sit and rock Jeddy back and forth while she stared at the young woman. When the kind lady had stooped down beside Deidre, all Deidre could do was cry. She begged to be allowed to rest there and have something to eat. Mandy had wrapped Deidre in her own coat and hurried them to the warm cottage. Mandy gave them food to eat and even made a soft bed for them by her fire for the night.

  Deidre had slept hard that night. Jedediah had snuggled beside her on the warm hearth as they slept on a soft pallet of blankets and were covered by more blankets. They had never been so comfortable. She was too tired to even realize that this was the answer to many of her prayers.

  She had awakened early with the sun streaming in the window and the coals still glowing in the hearth. While Jeddy still slept in her arms, Deidre had tried to decide what to do. She prayed for wisdom and then planned to make breakfast for the lady and see if the kind lady would help her find a place to live. Again God answered far more than she could have imagined.

  Mandy had asked Deidre and Jedediah to sit at the table and have breakfast with her. Apparently, Mandy had no idea how slaves were treated. She truly wanted to be Deidre’s friend and asked Deidre to stay and help her on the farm, not as a slave but as an equal.

  The two women had become very close friends. They lived as sisters, sharing the cottage and the work. Mandy never asked anything of Deidre but shared everything she owned. It was easy to love Mandy. And it was easy to love her infant, Daniel, who swiftly became a brother to Jeddy.

  The next spring, when Mandy’s husband, Ethan, came home from working on the railroad, they had both still welcomed Deidre and Jedediah to stay with them.

  But still Deidre worried about what she and Jeddy would do next.

  Chapter 3

  Ethan had been home for a little more than a year, and he and Mandy would be having another baby any day now. Last summer they had discussed from time to time the building of a cottage for Deidre so she could have her own place. Deidre understood that they wanted her to feel a kind of ownership, but the reality was that Deidre was not certain she would be allowed to own a cabin. There was always the fear that federal agents would come along and cast her out as a runaway slave and take away any property she owned. Therefore, whenever the subject came up, she would steer them away from the topic.

  In the autumn, Mandy had asked her outright if she wanted to have her own cabin. Deidre finally admitted her fears to Mandy. They agreed to pray about it, and Mandy told Ethan about it also. That was when he suggested building a wing onto the far end of their own cabin for Deidre. Then they could use the bedroom that was beside their own for Daniel, especially with the new baby coming, and Deidre and Jeddy would have more space of their own. All had happily agreed that this was a good plan, but because of Ethan needing to cut wood and butcher meat for the winter, they agreed to wait until the next summer to build it.

  Now spring was past and summer was here with its warm sunshine, white fluffy clouds, and long days to store up for the coming winter. Deidre had never really experienced winter before coming to Indiana and had quickly grown to love the distinctness of the four seasons. In the South, one season blended so slowly into the next that there was never a real rush to do anything. Here in Indiana the seasons kept one moving, and they had to plan and prepare to stay one step ahead of the upcoming season. There was much to do, but there was always a distinct sense of accomplishment as well.

  Now that the gardens were growing well, Ethan had decided it was a good time to take on the project of building the new wing on the house. Their nearest neighbors, the Brownings, would be coming tomorrow to help him, but he had wanted to get a start on felling logs today. Ethan was a good builder and had made several sketches of what he planned to build for them. Deidre knew that whatever Ethan built would be very nice.

  Suddenly Deidre realized that all was quiet. She had been leaning on the old maple tree for longer than she intended. She gathered up the pail she’d been carrying and hurried on up to the house. As she neared the house, Ethan hurried her direction.

  “What is it?” she called. “Are the boys all right? Mandy?”

  “The boys are napping now, but Mandy said I should get you. Her pains are hard and close now.”

  “Oh, my! Here. Take this.” Deidre shoved the bucket at him as she ran past and up the sloping yard to the cabin.

  As Deidre entered the quiet cabin, she shook her head. Mandy was unlike any white woman
Deidre had ever known. Not only did she work hard, but she never complained. She had a kettle of water already boiling with the basins standing by and a stack of clean cloths. The door to the Evanstons’ bedroom was standing open, and Deidre thought she heard a low groan.

  She ran over to the doorway and looked inside. Mandy was curled on the bed, her face red from straining, and her dress still only half unbuttoned. Deidre eased her past the contraction, then helped her get undressed and readied the bed. The two women needed no words. The love and understanding were so great between them that they worked together as one.

  As soon as Deidre had Mandy comfortable, she began massaging her lower back and humming softly. She could feel Mandy relax, but it wasn’t long before the pushing started again. Deidre knew the time would be short. She had heard Ethan enter the cabin and could hear him pacing back and forth just outside the door. When Mandy was relaxed again, Deidre stepped to the doorway and told him to awaken the little boys from their naps and take them for a walk in the woods.

  “Should I go for help?” Ethan was wringing his hands and trying to see past Deidre.

  “The only help we need is for you to take those boys outside in case she cries out with one of the hard pains. She’s healthy and strong, and we’ll be fine. Just take those children and make sure they have a good time. In fact, this would be a great time to take them fishing like you’ve been promising them. I’ll hang a sheet over the porch rail when it’s safe to come back.”

  Mandy was breathing hard, and Deidre turned to go back to her side. In a few minutes they heard the voices of the boys and Ethan as they headed out the back door.