Family Reunion (92 page)

After a moment of peace and quiet, Manny's exclamation shocked Lena, "Oh hell…you'll be with child again in no time we keep this up." Lena lifted her head with sleepy eyes looking at him curiously.

"Would that really be so bad?" She asked before a yawn.

"Nooo, not really. It's bound to happen as long as you can conceive. If it should, so be it." Lena smiled and laid back on his chest. "We'll be careful next time." She promised sleepily. Manny laughed, "Not likely… anyway, I thought you had something you wanted to ask me?" Lena looked at him with squinted eyes, searching her memory.

"Ah, yes." She smiled sleepily, her voice soft and warm.

"Ah yes." He mimicked in return with a grin.

"I almost forgot." She admitted.

''Maybe, not important?"

"Yes it is, but you distracted me." She complained weakly.

"Well I'm all ears now."

Lena rolled off to her side to lay in his arms with her head on his shoulder before she began, unable to figure a way to broach the subject; she decided to get right to the point.

"I want you to build a hidden school. I want to teach the children here on Webster Fields." Absolute silence followed that statement. Lena remained quiet, her fingers playing gently in the hair on his chest. Allowing him all the time he needed to respond to her request. After a moment, Manny seemed to sigh deeply as if expelling a held breath. Lena wondered what was going through his mind. After almost three minutes of the lingering silence, he finally spoke up.

"Do you know the danger that would involve?"

"We could build it within the west cabins and make it look as if it was one of them."

"It's not allowed Lena."

"I could teach during the earliest time of the day when there are no visitors coming. The lessons could be over before the workers are in from the fields."

"If someone found out-…"

"Please Manny, no one will."

"When it comes time to order the books for this school?"

She was quiet.

"
Well
, answer me, when it comes time to order books, then what?"

Lena sighed before she answered. "The books are already on the way, see - Thomas sent them before we went to Makia, Sandra knows where they are and told me when we separated that she would ask Finbar to go and pick them up. Might as well, since…well, they already have the freight wagon. Sooo, when they get here tomorrow, the books will be with them." Lena waited for a reaction. His hand rose to pinch the bridge of his nose, taking another deep breath.

"Sooo, you had this planned already without asking me -
first
!?"

"Yes…I did…guilty as charged."

Again he gave a long drawn out sigh. "Your father's right… I have absolutely no control over you… none whatsoever!"

"Please."

Manny rose above her to look down into her face.

"Don't they deserve a chance Manny, to read and write? To gain an education that will benefit them in the long run? To know a sense of value, to equip them for what's to come?"

"Lena it's not that! Darling, you know it's not! Where are they going to go Lena? Where? They are safe no where else … but here! Until things change, to be honest, I don't wish for anyone here to grow independent enough to chance a life off of this plantation, it could get them killed! Not to leave out my biggest fear, the danger it could bring to you."

"I promise I will always use caution. I promise I will keep the lessons down to just three hours a day, maybe even two, just as long as I can hold their interest-…"

"Did you hear anything I said?"

"I promise to do so in the earliest possible hours of the day when visitors are least likely to call. I promise to keep a watch out for visitors and upon their arrival I will immediately break off the lesson regardless of whether there is a threat of discovery or not. And should one become especially educated, I thought – well – we could send him, or her, north, to finish their education, where – they would learn to survive – learn to be free. Where Thomas, Josey, Joe and Hope would then assist them the rest of the way, please Manny, let me teach them. I need to teach, it's what I long to do ... please!! Slavery is wrong – no matter how right you’ve made it, here."

Manny lay away from her on his back, looking at the ceiling of the cabin. “This has been planned for some time, hasn’t it?”

Worrying her bottom lip, Lena leaned up to look into his face, “Yes, it has.”

"What Lena, will they do…with what they learn? Where – even up north, will people let them do with what they will learn?" He asked, turning to look at her.

"Not all will seek to leave, to venture out and take the chance. But for those that wish to, who would desire to, they need us to get them ready. First step, to teach them to read books; we will enlighten the children and help them to see other parts of the world they are not yet free to roam to, on their own. Books Manny, will open such an amazing window for them, we have a fantastic library…I thought we could let whomever is interested borrow books to read. I want them to know there's more to life than being a slave and looking to please you. I want them to know the pleasures and sense of satisfaction I feel when I learn something new; when I make a discovery; when I can solve a problem…I want them to feel those things too. Please."

Manny stared at her knowing already that he would give in to her, how could he deny her? No matter the dangers, if to teach is what she wanted, then teach she would. And by chance, if a few, or more than a few wished to head off and try their hand up north, then yes – he could see the value of giving them a good start, right there at Webster Fields. He suddenly saw his mother’s face; she was nodding, smiling at him. Just like that, he knew that this would be something she too would embrace. He simply had his work cut out to protect his wife and the children.

Perhaps it would not be as difficult as he was making it out to be. After all, how often did anyone truly wish to visit Webster Fields? He would make sure that they understood, for now… they were safer with him, their knowledge of reading or whatever Lena taught them was now, simply for their pleasure. If someone reached the point of wishing to leave, to go further, he would have to accept it and prepare them. "You know…if you taught them well, the ones who excelled, I’m sure you’re right, sending them up north to Thomas; he would carry them from there, yes – many of them could end up, teaching." He smiled and looked at her, nodding his head.

Lena threw her arms around his neck and sobbed. "Why are you crying?!" He asked, stunned. "I love you so much! No treasure, nor riches, nor fancy garb or jewel could ever mean more to me than this! This is what all we’ve gone through has been for, for
this!
I love you-…" She sobbed happily, unable to say any more. Manny held her, laughing. "Aaah honey, no more tears. You are right, we'll do it, you have my word."

Lena nodded, wiping at her
tears. "Now let's get some sleep, we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow." He ordered, pulling her down into his arms, wiping at her eyes, kissing her brow, he sighed with acceptance.

Manny's eyes opened looking around; he lifted his head gazing down at the top of Lena's. She was once again tucked securely beneath him. His arm and leg lay across her slight form as they slept. He shook his head in wonder that she'd never been smothered beneath him. A yawn escaped him as he went down to kiss the top of her head, with her hair scattered so wildly about, it took him a moment to lightly part it to find her face. As he did, he picked up a wavy tress of her hair, loving and caressing the untamed wildness of it as it framed her face, falling to her shoulders and back. He despaired over seeing her brush it down and force it into a chignon with its constricting pins. If it was left up to him, she would keep it as wild as it was the first time he’d laid eyes on her.

Dawn was trying to make its way to the sky, coloring everything outside of their window to a soft blue/gray; he could see it now growing brighter. So as not to awaken Lena, he pulled himself carefully from her, in her sleep she protested at the removal of his body heat. He made sure to cover her back up as he felt a little chill sneak up his naked limbs making him shiver.

Stifling a chuckle he turned to find his robe hanging on the peg behind his chair, he went and donned the garment, then slipped into his pants. Lowering himself to the floor, he looked beneath the bed trying to find his shoes, and to this surprise, there sat his old slippers so he grabbed them.

Trying to be quiet as a mouse he went to the fireplace, added a log to the low burning heat, then went to the small cupboard by the window and picked up the bucket and snuck outside. He looked around as he stood on the porch, such a feeling of joy welled up within him that he wanted to jump and shout to the vast heavens above. There was time for that later, right then he went to the back of the cabin, relieved himself behind a tree and from there went to the well, filled his bucket with water, ignoring the chill of the morning as a cool breeze blew his hair in his face. He turned and trotted back to the cabin, where he quietly poured cold water into the tea kettle to heat.

He wished there was coffee to make but that was another thing that could wait on until later. Mixing the finally hot water with some cold left over in the bucket, he quietly washed himself up and then dressed; donning his white shirt and black pants that he'd worn the previous night and putting on his stockings and boots. Lena would need to wash up, so he prepared water for her.

All done, he sat down at the table beside the door and waited as morning slowly came over the horizon.

"Jamie! Jamie boy, wake up! You hear me boy! I say wake up!" Mazie ordered with one hand on her hip and fire in her eyes, shaking her son and looking at the fancy gold watch she held in her hand.

Jamie rolled to his back rubbing eyes, heavy with sleep from looking at the watch all night long. Night-time seemed to last forever until he finally fell asleep. He stretched back on his bed trying to bring his mother into focus, standing before him as she was with her foot tapping impatiently.

"Boy you betta' wake yo' en’ up, I ain't askin' you again!"

"Hmmm – what mama…what I do now?"

"That's what I'm trying t'fin' out! Where this gold watch come from! Answer betta be good too, else I'mo be all over yo'butt!"

"Gold watch?" Jamie repeated and then suddenly leapt from his bed startling Mazie who jumped back with a screech of alarm. He grabbed the watch from her hand desperately trying to work the clasp open.

"Jamie is you crazy boy! Wha's wron' wit'you, jumping up scaring me like that! Naw where you get that watch from!?" She demanded.

"Mama open it fo' me, quick! I can't figga' out how!" He pleaded, urgently pressing the watch into her hand. Mazie took it wondering at his behavior as she opened it.

"There - tha's how that work, now I'm wantin'ta know – where it come from?!" She asked, handing it back to him. Jamie looked at the hands on the face, the small hand was on the seven and the long hand was between the eleven and the twelve.

"Woooo hooooo!!" He jumped for joy giving a shout loud enough to wake the dead. Then he came down hugging and kissing his mother, "Boy! Have you don' los' yo'mind! What don' got into you!?"

"Mazie what that boy hollerin' 'bout!" Jason asked, startled from his sleep.

"Mama, you know who’s this watch is?"

"Boy! Don' make me mad! I been tryin'ta ask you 'bout that watch fo' the last five mintues!"

"This here watch, belong t'Masta Manny! Now – it belong - to me!"

"What?!" Both mother and father shouted at the same time as their son sat down, shoving his feet into his shoes and quickly looking around for his shirt. Finding it, he rushed his arms into his sleeve and missed, then jumped up doing it again heading for the door. "Boy! Where you goin'!?" Both parents hollered at him.

"I got me – a big announcin' to make! Masta' Manny done come
home! An’ he brung a new missus for Webster Fields too! Yaaahoooo!!! I got to go…time for me to wake up some folks!"

"Lord…Manny home?" Jason muttered.

"An' don' obviously give up on Miss Lena…brung himself a new missus!" Mazie muttered, disappointed.

"Oh stop it! It was time, thangs like that just don't happen. I'm happy fo'him. Come on, let's get dress so we can meet'ha."

"Did you see yo'chile run outa here with no coat on? He gone catch his death!"

Jamie ran with the tails of his shirt flapping in the wind, nothing about the cold bothering him that day. His feet were flying as he dashed around, in and out between cabins, shouting at the top of his voice, "Masta' Manny home! Masta’ Manny home – hey everybody Masta’ Manny home! Jordan, Henry, Amos, wake up! Masta’ Manny home!! He home and married – he brung us a new missus! Wake up! Masta’ Manny – is -
Home
!!!"

"Charles? Did you hear that? Jamie out screaming his lungs raw that Manny is home!" Mildred shook her husband, who immediately sat up. "He's back! Yes! And Mildred…wait until they see her!"

"See who?"

"His new wife!"

"Charles Wilson, you came back knowing that and didn't tell me?" She accused with her hands on her hips, Charles was too busy looking for his clothes, grinning wide and happy as could be. He had learned about everything when he went north to fight the case for Lena's friend…the woman whom Ceś alena had been living with all the time that she could not be found. "Aaah Mil' – if I'd have told you, you'd have gone and told one of them women and it wouldn't be a surprise anymore."