On to Richmond (43 page)

             
Moses snorted.  “Most everyone is sound asleep.  But I can guarantee you Sam is watching us right now.  He never misses a thing around here.”

             
Carrie laughed.  “You’re right.”

             
“We can wave at him on our way out,” Rose said lightly.

             
All three horses were saddled quickly and led out into the beautiful night.  By unspoken agreement, once they were on their horses and headed out, not another word was spoken.  The glory of the night spoke for itself. 

             
Carrie gazed around her and felt her throat thicken.  It had been years since she had ridden at night.  Even her father didn’t think she should go out alone at night, and he had been too preoccupied with other things to join her.  Now she realized what she had missed. 

             
A soft breeze was blowing, caressing her skin with a cool breeze that made her thankful for the wraps they had put on before coming out.  The moon was past full but still cast a luminous glow over the earth.  The silvery landscape, with its lightly tossing branches, seemed to send laughter back up to the moon.  Trees and brush seemed larger than life as they cast dancing shadows onto the ground.  Crickets, frogs, katydids and owls all joined in to perform a final concert for the departing summer.  An occasional firefly blazed in accompaniment. 

             
Carrie led the way down the road in an easy trot.  She was in no hurry.  After about thirty minutes, the trio emerged on the shore of the James River.   Carrie pulled her breath in with delight.  The gently riffling waters acted as a living mirror, reflecting back the silvery light of the moon. 

             
“It looks like diamonds out there,” Rose said with quiet awe.

             
Carrie nodded silently.   The river was prettier than any picture she had ever seen.  The dark shapes of the trees formed a perfect border for the exuberance reflected before her.  As she watched, a low flying heron, long and graceful, broke through the border of the picture, and glided across the water in front of them.  A fish split the surface and then was quickly followed by more.”

             
“They look like they’re playing,” Moses observed with laughter in his voice. 

             
The deep sudden bass of a nearby frog startled them all out of their thoughtful reverie.  Carrie had had enough of contemplative thought.  She knew it would soon carry her back into depressing waters.  She wheeled Granite around, urged him into a canter, and then yelled back over her shoulder.  “The first one back to the house gets the rest of the chocolate cake Annie made today.”

             
She could hear answering whoops behind her.  Then she lost herself in the feel of her horse beneath her.  The moon was bright enough for the road to be easily seen.  Leaning forward, she buried her face in Granite’s mane and let him run.  Only she knew she was hoping the wind would blow all the sorrow and tears from her heart.  The idea of Rose and Moses being gone was almost more than she could bear.  Yet she knew she was doing the right thing. 

             
She just wished she could feel better about it.

Two days later, Rose finally caught Sam alone.  “Sam, can I talk to you?”

              Sam eyed her closely and sat down next to the woodpile, laying down his heavy burden first.  “You gonna tell me the secret you been carryin’ round?”

             
Rose smiled.  She wouldn’t even ask how he knew.  Sam had always been able to see inside her heart.  “Yes,” she said simply.

             
Sam leaned back against the tree.  “I’ll save you the trouble.  You’re leavin’ here, aren’t you, Rose girl?”

             
Rose gasped with alarm.  “How did you know?  Does anyone else know?  It’s supposed to be a secret,” she cried, looking around to make sure no one was listening to her outburst.

             
Sam laughed.  “Oh, it’s a secret.  You don’t got to worry ‘bout nobody else knowin’.  It’s only me that can see inside your heart.”

             
“I know,” Rose agreed softly, tears springing to her eyes.  “You’ve always been like a father to me.  That’s why I couldn’t leave without telling you - without saying good-bye.”

             
“When you and Moses be leavin’?”

             
“In five days.”  Rose paused.  “I can’t tell you anything.  I promised.  But I’ll find some way of letting you know I’m all right.” 

             
Sam nodded.  “It’s best that way.  A body can’t tell what he don’t know.”  Then he smiled.  “I guess I’ll be headin’ on soon myself.”

             
“You’re going to leave here?”  Rose couldn’t imagine Sam anywhere but on Cromwell Plantation.

             
“With you gone, my job will be done.”

             
Now Rose was confused.  “Your job?  What are you talking about?”

             
Sam smiled at her.  “Let me tell you a little story, Rose girl.”

             
Rose leaned back against the tree and waited.  She had never seen such a tender and serious look on Sam’s face. 

             
“I know ‘bout that twin brother of yours.”

             
Rose gasped.  “How, Sam?  I thought mama never told anyone.  How did you know she told me?”

             
Sam shrugged.  “I know your mama.  I knew she wouldn’t go home to be with John until her baby girl knew the truth.  All these years, your mama didn’t know I knew ‘bout her baby boy.”

             
“Why not?”

             
“Cause I promised your daddy.  When he found out they was gonna sell him so that nobody would ever find out the secret ‘bout Miss Carrie’s granddaddy, he come to me late at night.  He was scared to leave you here alone.  Said it wadn’t right dat you wadn’t gonna have a daddy.  He made me promise dat night to take care of you for him.  I reckon I did all I could.”

             
Rose smiled, remembering all the times he had waited up for her when she had been teaching her little secret school in the woods.  She remembered his teaching her how to act right in the big house when she was just a little girl so that she wouldn’t get in trouble.  How he used to save her an extra biscuit when she had been working hard.  “I reckon you did a wonderful job,” she said softly. She had to speak around the lump in her throat and blink back the tears brimming in her eyes.

             
Sam reached out his big, weathered hand.  “I gonna miss you, Rose girl, but I’m glad you’re gonna get your chance to be free.  You done got a lot to give, girl.  Don’t you let nobody keep you from givin’.  You run into hard things - you just find a way to go over them.  If you can’t go over them, then go around them.  Just you remember there always be a way to get where you’re supposed to be.  You just got to find it.”  His voice was thick with emotion.

             
Rose listened closely.  “I’m gonna miss you, too, Sam.  Thank you for all you’ve done.” She reached out and clasped his big, rough hand.

             
Sam nodded.  “I reckon we’ll be seein’ each other again.  This here be a mighty big world, but God has a way of connecting folks’ hearts.  We’re connected in our hearts, sure ‘nuff.  I reckon God will find a way to let us see each other again.”  He looked off as if he could see something she couldn’t.  “Yep, I reckon we’ll be seein’ each other again.”

             
Rose leaned forward and gazed into his eyes.  “When do you figure you’ll be heading on?”

             
“Why you askin’?”

             
Rose hesitated.  She wanted to say she was just curious.  She knew he wouldn’t believe her.   But she didn’t want him to feel obligated either.  If it was time for him to be free, she didn’t want to do anything to stop it. 

             
Sam answered her dilemma.  “The truth usually be the easiest to say, Rose girl.”

             
Rose nodded.  “You’re right as usual.”  Then her voice grew intense.  “I’m worried about Carrie.”

             
Sam looked at her closely.  “She know who you really are?”

             
Rose nodded.  “She knows...”   Her voice broke at the thought of leaving her best friend.

             
Sam was quiet for a moment and then squeezed her hand tightly.  “I reckon I still got me a job to do.  I look out for Carrie for you, Rose girl.  I do my best to make sure no harm comes to her.”

             
Rose frowned.  “But what about your going free?”

             
Sam shrugged.  “As long as I got a job to do here, I aim to do it.  I wadn’t so sure I was supposed to be movin’ on right now, no hows.  This just lets me know for sure.”

             
Rose jumped up and slung her arms around his neck, tears pouring down her face.  “I love you, Sam,” she whispered fiercely in his ear, clinging to him for several long minutes.

             
“I love you too, Rose girl,” he managed between his own quiet sobs. 

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

             
Swing low

             
Sweet chariot

             
Coming for to carry me home

             
Swing low

             
Sweet chariot

             
Coming for to carry me home.

             
I looked over Jordan

             
And what did I see

             
Coming for to carry me home

             
A band of angels coming after me

             
Coming for to carry me home.

             
Moses’ voice drifted into the still evening air, carrying with it the prayers of millions of slaves still in bondage.  And with those prayers went the hope that was the light enabling them to endure the darkness. 

             
Rose looked up from where she was kneeling by her mama’s grave.  “Is it true, Moses?  Are we really leaving tomorrow?”   She was still trying to make herself believe it was actually going to happen. 

             
Moses walked over and knelt beside her.  “It’s true,” he said softly.  He was silent for a long time.  “I’ve dreamed so long about being free,” he finally said.  Then his face hardened.  “We got a lot to go through before we’re free, though.”

             
“Do you really think we can make it?”  Rose shook her head at her thoughts and chuckled.  “I’m laughing at myself.  So don’t you bother.”  She looked at the grave and added, “And don’t
you
laugh, Mama.  We’re going to make it through everything just fine.  We’re going to go through every hard time and over every obstacle.”  Saying the words out loud helped. 

             
Rose had come to say goodbye.  She knew her mama was in heaven with her daddy, but this was the only earthly contact she still had.  Suddenly her eyes filled with tears.  “I know she’s not here, but when I need to talk to her so badly my heart hurts, I can come out here and pretend.  Soon I won’t even have that.”

             
“You’ve got something much better than this grave,” Moses said firmly.  “You’ve got your mama locked in your heart.  No one can ever take that away from you.”

             
Rose looked at him with sudden understanding.  “That’s how you can stand being away from your mama, isn’t it?”

             
Moses nodded, his face softening.  “Someday I’m going to find out where she is - her and my sisters, too.  They split us up on the auction block, but they’re not going to keep us apart forever.   I’ve got all of them locked in my heart.  I’ll be back south.  When I come back, I’m going to find my family.  And then I’m going to give them their freedom as well.”