by Al Lacy
“But, Benjamin, you’re free, you—”
“I am free to make my own decisions, sir. And I have decided that I want to serve you and your family as your willing slave for the rest of my life.”
Zack reached down, took Benjamin’s hand, and raised him to his feet.
“Benjamin, maybe you should think on this for a few days, then see how you feel about it.”
“I have already thought about it all that is needed, Master Johnson. You bought me. I am your willing slave. I owe you everything.”
“But, Benjamin, I bought you so you could be free.”
“Yes. You bought me so that man, Finn Colvin, would not have me, and you gave me freedom. By that same freedom, I choose to be owned by you.”
Zack looked at Dan, whose face was wet with tears, and said, “What am I going to do with this guy?”
“Take him up on his offer, Father.”
Zack looked down at Benjamin. “You’re absolutely sure about this?”
“Absolutely, Master Johnson.”
“All right. I gladly accept your offer, Benjamin. But I want to amend it.”
“In what way, sir?”
A slow smile worked its way over Zack’s face. “Instead of being my slave, you will be my servant, and I will pay you well.”
“Your servant?”
“Yes. You will live in the servant’s quarters, which are attached to our house.”
“And you will pay me, you say?”
“Of course. You will find the wage quite fair.”
“I have no doubt of that, Master Johnson.” Benjamin’s heart was fluttering in his chest.
“One other thing.”
“Yes, sir?”
“My slaves call me Master Johnson, but since you are not a slave, you will call me Mr. Johnson.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Johnson!”
Benjamin looked toward the carriage and said to Catherine, “I still cannot believe I am not dreaming, Mrs. Johnson. But if I am, please do not wake me up. I am most happy to be a servant to you, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Dan, Miss Angeline, and Mr. Alexander.”
Zack laid a hand on Benjamin’s shoulder. “When we work you hard, you might wish you were a slave on another plantation!”
“Never, sir. Never.”
“Well, climb in back there with those two young ones, Benjamin.”
When Benjamin started to climb in, Angeline scooted across the seat, leaving space between herself and Alexander, and said, “Sit between us, Benjamin.”
Zack rounded the carriage and climbed up beside Catherine. He looked past her at Dan, who had the reins in hand and said, “Okay, Daniel Johnson, let’s go home!” As the Moore carriage rolled along the road toward the plantation, the new slave couple, Bartholomew and Hattie, were seated beside Priscilla in the seat that rode backwards. Facing them were Dorena and Evelyn. Lewis drove the carriage with Charles beside him.
“Master Charles and I will take you to your cabin when we get home,” Evelyn said to the couple. “We will explain our policies with you at that time and give you opportunity to ask any questions.”
Bartholomew smiled. “Mrs. Moore, you people are so kind to us. Our owners in South Africa did not treat us this way. And I can only imagine how we would have been treated by Mr. Colvin, who tried so hard to buy the young man, Benjamin.”
Turning in the driver’s seat to look back, Charles said, “You can be very thankful Finn Colvin didn’t bid for you today, Bartholomew. Except for his defeat in getting his hands on Benjamin, he has never been outbid when he really wanted a particular slave.”
Bartholomew set his gaze on Dorena. “Hattie and I were still in the arena when you expressed your appreciation to Mr. Johnson for not allowing Mr. Colvin to get Benjamin. That was a very nice thing to do, Dorena.”
“Thank you. My heart went out to Benjamin when I saw him so frightened as he stood on the block. It meant a lot to me that Mr. Johnson would pay such a price for Benjamin to keep that man from getting him.”
Priscilla smiled at Dorena. “Of course, Benjamin being so handsome and well built wouldn’t have anything to do with your taking such a liking to him, would it?”
“Well … ah … I will have to say, Miss Priscilla, that I have never seen such a handsome man in all of my life.”
Priscilla giggled. “Maybe, since the Johnsons own him, and are such good friends with us, you will get to meet Benjamin sometime. Would you like that?”
Dorena closed her eyes, then looked at her mistress with a shy smile. “Yes. I would like that.”
When Dan Johnson guided the carriage onto the winding lane to the mansion, Benjamin was in awe at the beauty of the place. His eyes took in the lovely trees, the well-kept bushes, and the attractive white fence that stretched toward the mansion on both sides of the lane.
By the time Dan pulled rein and halted the carriage at the rear of the house, Benjamin was at a loss for words.
A few slaves were looking on from a distance as the Johnsons led Benjamin toward the mansion. Zack pointed out the section of the magnificent structure that made up the servants’ quarters.
“Oh, my!” Benjamin said. “That is really nice.”
“Wait till you see the inside of it, Benjamin,” Catherine said.
“I am already in the process of anticipation, Mrs. Johnson.”
They were almost to the mansion’s back porch when Zack said, “Dan, I want you and me to take Benjamin before the slaves at the close of the work day so they can all meet him.”
“Sure, Pa.”
“And after you’ve shown him his quarters, bring him to the library. Your mother and I will sit down with him and explain his duties.”
Benjamin was overwhelmed when he saw his quarters. Lace curtains adorned the bright windows. The walls were painted a bone white, and the room was comfortably furnished. The small cabin he had grown up in on the South African cattle ranch was nothing like this.
He ran his gaze over the large room that made up most of the apartment and said, “Mr. Dan, I must be dreaming. Such a place as this cannot be real!”
“You are going to be happy here, Benjamin. Your offer to become Pa’s slave after he had set you free really touched him. It touched all of us. And as one of the Johnsons, let me say that I am very happy to have you as our servant.”
Benjamin shook his head in wonderment. “If only my parents could see me now. They would be so glad to know that I am no longer a slave.”
“I’m sure they would,” said Dan. “Well, my friend, I guess I’d better take you to the library so my parents can have their little talk with you.”
Late that afternoon, when the slaves were coming in from the fields, they found Zack and Dan waiting for them at the usual place where Zack gathered them when he wanted to have a meeting. It was an open area between the two rows of cabins. The mothers and children who did not work in the fields were already there.
When everyone was within the large half-circle, Zack lifted his voice and said, “I want you all to meet the new servant I hired today while at the auction in town. His name is Benjamin. He is from South Africa, and he is nineteen years old. I haven’t hired a servant since Reuben died because I just hadn’t found the right man. Well, today I found him. Benjamin, say hello to everybody.”
“Hello, everybody!” he called out.
Some responded with hellos, while others just looked at him.
“Hey, you can do better than that!” said Zack. “Come on, now. Everybody say hello to Benjamin!”
Zebulun took a step forward and said, “I will help them, Master Johnson.”
The old preacher turned to face the crowd of slaves. “All right. Jis’ like we was in church a-singin’. All together!”
Following Zebulun’s lead, the entire crowd of slaves gave Benjamin a warm “hello” in unison.
“That’s better!” said Zack. “Thank you, Zebulun.”
The old man nodded and returned to his place.
“Now, what I would like for all o
f you to do,” said Zack, “is come by and speak to Benjamin. Welcome him to the Johnson plantation.”
Again, Zebulun took the lead, and as he approached Benjamin to give him a personal welcome, the slaves lined up behind him.
While the welcoming was going on, Zack and Dan stood close by. When about half of the crowd had met him, Benjamin turned and looked at father and son. “Mr. Johnson, Mr. Dan—I am the happiest man in the whole world!”
It was midmorning the next day when Dan returned from town in his own buggy and saw Benjamin working in the huge yard, trimming bushes.
Dan stopped the buggy close by and vaulted the fence.
“Hello, Mr. Dan.”
“Hello, Benjamin. So how’s it going?”
“Just fine, sir. I like this servant business.”
“Good. I have to go to one of the back fields for a while, but I wanted to ask you something before I go.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Do you like to fish?”
Benjamin’s brow wrinkled. “Do you mean to catch fish?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“I have never done that, Mr. Dan. In South Africa, only those who make their living selling fish catch them.”
“Oh. Well, in this country we catch fish first of all for the fun of it. Secondly, because we like to eat them.”
“Oh. I see.”
“I made arrangements with my father for you to have this coming Saturday off so you could go fishing with me. How about it? I’d sure like to have some time with you.”
Benjamin felt a warm sensation wash over his heart. “You want this black servant to spend time with you, Mr. Dan?”
“Yes. If you think this white man can teach you how to fish, that is.”
Benjamin laughed. “I would love to learn.”
“Good! Then we’ll go fishing together on Saturday. I have a favorite spot on the Cooper River about ten miles north of town.”
A serious look captured Benjamin’s eyes. “Mr. Dan, you honor me, sir. I do not understand why you want to spend time with me, but I am very glad.”
“I want us to be friends. You are this family’s servant, and I’m glad for that. But I want to be more than the son of your employer. I want to be your friend.”
“Then we are friends, Mr. Dan.”
Dan surprised Benjamin by giving him a manly embrace. When he released him and stepped back, he said, “Friends, Benjamin.”
A smile spread over Benjamin’s handsome features. “Friends, sir.”
On Saturday, Dan and Benjamin sat on the west bank of the Cooper River, their lines dangling in the stream. Benjamin had caught on quickly to the mechanics of baiting a hook and already had three bass lying beside him on the ground.
Dan grinned at his friend. “You’ve got a natural knack for this, I can see. One of these days you’ll catch more than I do.”
“Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Dan, but I doubt that I’ll ever be able to outdo you.”
A soft breeze was blowing across the river. Dan was quiet for a few minutes, then said, “Benjamin, has anyone in our family told you that I might be leaving the plantation soon?”
Benjamin’s eyes widened. “No. Why? When?”
“Let me explain. I figured that since we’re friends I should let you know what’s going on in my life. You see, I’ve had this dream of going out West and becoming a cattle rancher.”
“Out West? I do not know about out West. What is that?”
Dan explained the way the country was divided up, then told him of how people were migrating West and that cattle ranching was becoming a big business out there.
Disappointment cast a shadow over Benjamin’s heart, but he disguised it as he said, “I know about cattle ranching, Mr. Dan.”
“Yes, I know. You were raised on a cattle ranch.”
“Right. And I have a deep love for cattle and horses. I miss being around them.”
“From what I’ve read, they sort of get in your blood.”
Benjamin looked at him questioningly. “In your blood?”
Dan chuckled. “Sorry. That’s American talk. I mean, when a man has worked with cattle and horses for a while, he gets to where he has a special love for them, for the ranch life, and can’t be happy unless he’s ranching.”
“Oh. Now I understand. When are you going out West?”
“I’m not exactly sure. But it will probably be within a couple of months.”
Benjamin nodded, feeling the pricking of disappointment again. “Where in the West are you going?”
“Texas.”
“How far is that from here?”
“Well, it depends on where in Texas. It’s a huge state. I’ll be going near the city of Austin. So from here, it’s about thirteen hundred miles or so.”
“That is a long way.”
“Yes.”
“So this is definite?”
“Well, almost. I’ve been praying about it for some time, but the Lord hasn’t given me the ‘go’ sign, yet.”
A blank look captured Benjamin’s face.
They discussed ranching in general for a while, during which they each caught another fish.
“Benjamin,” Dan said, as he was stringing his latest catch on the line, “you really know a lot about cattle and horses. I envy you.”
“You will learn it quickly when you begin ranching in Texas, Mr. Dan. I only know what I do because ranching is all I have known as far back as I can remember.”
Dan was quiet as he baited his hook again and tossed it in the water. Suddenly, he said, “Benjamin, how much do you know about the Bible?”
“The Bible? I have heard some of the Britishers talk about it, sir. It is a book from white man’s God, right?”
“No. It is the book from the God who created this universe, Benjamin. He is not just white man’s God. He created people with black skin, brown skin, yellow skin, and red skin, too.”
“Mmm. I have not heard this.”
“Do you know who Jesus Christ is?”
Benjamin thought on it a moment, then said, “I was about to say that He was the Son of white man’s God. But apparently I should say He was the Son of everybody’s God.”
“Not was,” Dan said. “He is the Son of God.”
“I do not understand. He died a long time ago, Mr. Dan. My parents only died a few weeks ago, but I have to speak of them in the past now.”
“You mean you haven’t heard that God’s Son died on the cross of Calvary, but He rose from the dead three days later?”
Benjamin frowned thoughtfully. “It … it seems that I have heard that, now that you mention it. So if this is true, Jesus Christ is alive today?”
“It is true, Benjamin. And Jesus Christ is alive today.”
Benjamin snapped his fingers. “Oh, yes! I do remember hearing some of the British people talk about Him. He is not on earth but is somewhere above the sky, they said.”
“Right. In a beautiful and wonderful place called heaven.”
“Heaven. This is in the sky, but they said He can see us and hear us here on earth.”
“That’s right.”
“So when you said the Lord hadn’t given you the ‘go’ sign about your move to Texas, you meant Jesus Christ?”
“Right.”
“He has some way of talking to you from above the sky?”
Dan smiled. “Yes, Benjamin. He does.”
“He shouts down at you?”
“No. He has a way of speaking to you in your heart.”
“I do not understand.”
“Well, I would like for you to understand. We get our understanding of Him from His Book, the Bible. Since it is all so strange to you, it is best to take it a little at a time. For now, just think about this: The God who made this world loves you, Benjamin. And He wants you to come to know Him through His Son. Will you think about that?”
“Of course.”
“Good. Now, let me tell you about a friend of mine who is a cattle rancher in Texas.”
Benjamin pulled his hook from the water to make sure it still had bait. Satisfied that the worm was still intact, he cast it back in and said, “I can see, Mr. Dan, that you are really intent on going to Texas. I know it will be a wonderful life for you. But when you go, I am going to miss you very much.”
“I’ll miss you, too, Benjamin. But I’ll come back now and then to see my family, of which you have become a part. When I come to see family, I’ll see you along with the rest of them.”
Dan’s words had a powerful effect on the young black man. “Mr. Dan, in my entire life, no friend has ever said anything to me that meant as much as what you just said. You good people look at me as part of your family. What a happy man I am!”
While they were driving home, Dan turned to Benjamin and said, “Has anyone told you about the church services our plantation preacher, Zebulun, holds for the slaves on Sundays?”
“Yes, sir. Preacher Zebulun and some others have asked me to come this Sunday. They were so nice about it. I told them I will come.”
“Good. I’d really like to take you to our church in town, but it’s nearly all white people. You might feel uncomfortable. A few Negroes attend, but very few. They are free Negroes, of course. Well, except for the personal slave of our neighbors’ daughter.”
“I understand, Mr. Dan. I know how white people here in the South feel about mixing with black people, even those who are not slaves.”
“I’m sorry, Benjamin. I hope someday it will change.”
“Don’t be sorry. I am a very happy man. It doesn’t bother me what other white folks think, as long as the Johnson family wants me as their servant.”
Dan chuckled. “And as part of the family, don’t forget.”
“Oh yes, sir! I won’t forget that!”
“Let me tell you, Benjamin, my parents and brother and sister are appreciating you more every day. Especially Mom, I might add. She is thrilled with the way you have made things run smoother than ever in the house. Of course, I agree with the rest of the family.”
