Carried Forward By Hope (11 page)

Carrie stifled a sigh, picked up the bowl of soup, tucked the blankets around him securely, and kissed him on the forehead. She stood over him for long minutes, wondering if she would ever have her husband back, or if he was just going to waste away for months and then die like her mother had. Blinking back tears, she banished the thoughts from her head.
Robert will get well!

Before she left the room, she moved to the window and stared southeast over the fresh green just emerging on the trees; over the housetops; over the spires of the churches below her; over the blackened remains of buildings; over the vibrant white of the dogwood trees exploding into bloom. None of it held her anymore. After three years of being locked in the crowded, turbulent capital city of the defeated Confederacy, she wanted nothing more than to return to the open, lush fields of Cromwell Plantation. She wanted clean air to breathe. She wanted open spaces in which to roam. She wanted to see new growth in the tobacco fields of her childhood.

Tears filled her eyes as she thought of Sam and Opal. She frowned briefly as she thought about Eddie. Imprisoned in the infamous Castle Thunder prison for almost two years for suspected Union spy activity, he had escaped just days before the fall of Richmond. He was staying with friends in the city until he could return to the plantation with her and see his children. He had been heartbroken when he discovered his wife, Fannie, had been killed in an explosion at Tredegar Iron Works, but the hope of being with his children again kept him going. Would all of them still be on the plantation? Captain Jones had sent word the plantation was still there, but what condition would they find it in? What would life be like now?

Carrie pressed her hands to her head. She had little more than questions with no answers. She took a deep breath to steady herself. She had learned to survive years of war by refusing to look beyond just the day ahead. The end of the war had produced as many questions as the war itself, but all she had to focus on was the day in front of her. And the day ahead of her had Aunt Abby arriving at the train station in little more than an hour.

A rumble of wheels on the road outside made her take her eyes off the horizon. A smile flitted across her lips as she identified Spencer sitting erect on the seat of his carriage.

Carrie looked at Robert one more time to assure herself he was sleeping peacefully before she moved from the room and ran down the stairs.

Aunt Abby was coming today!

When Carrie reached the bottom of the stairs, Rose was just entering the house. Spencer had taken her into town to do some shopping for food their garden couldn’t provide. “Good morning, Carrie.” She moved forward and wrapped Carrie in a warm hug and gave her a big kiss on the cheek.

Carrie smiled. “What did I do to deserve that?”

“Nothing. Other than living,” Rose added. “I’m simply making up for lost time. I spent so many hours in the contraband camp staring toward Richmond, wondering how you were…if you were still alive…if I would ever see you again…” Her voice caught before she forced a laugh. “I have no idea why I’m thinking of all this today. I’m here. We’re together. That’s all that counts!”

Carrie understood completely. She stepped closer to give Rose another huge hug, adding her own kiss on her friend’s cheek. “I’m all for making up for lost time. Every time I see you, my heart just wants to sing. I missed you so very much during all those years! As much as we have talked in the last couple weeks, I still feel like we haven’t even scratched the surface of telling each other all that has happened.”

“That will take a very long time,” Rose murmured.

“Good! At least we won’t get bored,” Carrie said teasingly, her earlier heaviness evaporating.

“You have a point,” Rose said, laughter dancing in her eyes.

Spencer poked his head in from the kitchen, his hand wrapped around a big piece of cornbread. “You ‘bout ready to go, Miss Carrie?”

“Yes, Spencer. Is it warm enough to go without my coat today?”

“Oh, yessum, you won’t be needin’ no coat. Spring done really sprung. I’s gonna finish up this here cornbread May fixed for me. I be meetin’ you out front in just a few minutes.”

His head disappeared but the door flung open to reveal May’s shining face with a wide streak of flour down her cheek. “I be fixin’ Miss Abby a right special meal,” she announced. She looked at Rose. “You done brung me that chicken, Miss Rose?”

“Have you brought me that chicken?” Rose corrected.

May gave her an exasperated look. “How could I have brung you a chicken? You’re the one who went to town.”

Rose laughed but shook her finger at their housekeeper. “This is a new world you’re living in, May. Learning how to speak correctly is important.”

May scowled. “You know what dey say ‘bout teachin’ old dogs new tricks.”

Rose scowled right back at her. “You’re not an old dog. You’re an intelligent middle-aged woman who is free for the first time in her life. You’ve learned how to read this past year. Paying attention to how you speak is the next step,” she said firmly.

“Don’t you neber get tired of bein’ a teacher?” May demanded.

“No,” Rose replied, a warm smile on her face. “Now, what were you asking me about?”

May stared at her for a few moments, laughter lurking in her eyes, before it finally broke out into a smile. “I would like to know if you brought me a chicken from your shopping in town,” she said very properly.

Rose clapped. “Very good! And, yes, I have your chicken. It’s in the boxes Spencer brought in.”

“Good!” Still speaking slowly as she thought about the words before they came out of her mouth, May turned to Carrie. “We are going to have a very special meal to celebrate Miss Abby’s coming home. I’ll have it ready when you return.”

Carrie smiled broadly. “I will tell her, May. Thank you so much. We’re so lucky to have you!”

“You got dat right,” May said flatly, delivering a wink before the door swung shut again.

Carrie and Rose were laughing when they moved out onto the porch. The fine spring weather had lured most Richmonders outside. Mothers called to children playing in their dirt front yards. The wind flapped sheets and clothing on the lines. Garden patches were all coming alive with green plants. The war years had taught everyone to have as big a garden as possible. The war might be over, but still no one had money. It would take a long time for things to get back to normal.

Carrie stepped down from the porch when Spencer pulled the carriage to a stop in front of their gate. “I’ll be back soon with our favorite woman,” she told Rose. Then she stopped. “Where is Moses?”

“He went into town to meet with Captain Jones. He is getting more and more restless. When he was in town this morning, he saw more and more freed slaves coming into the city. They are all excited but seem equally bewildered and lost. He wants to find a way to help.” She raised her hand to stop the question rising to Carrie’s lips. “He’s taking it easy, but he feels he has to do this.”

Carrie closed her lips on her comment and nodded. “I know. I’m probably being far too cautious,” she admitted. Her eyes darkened. “We just came so close to losing him. I don’t want to take any risks.”

“None of us do,” Rose agreed, “but I also understand how he feels. We have worked for this time for so very long. Now that freedom has come, he doesn’t want to be on the sidelines. I don’t believe he’ll be foolish, but he can’t keep just laying around the house.”

Carrie smiled. “I understand. I’ll just check the wound in his chest every night to make sure there is no infection.” She shrugged. “It will make me feel better.”

Rose laughed. “You and me both.” She waved her hand. “Go get Aunt Abby. I’ve missed her terribly.”

*****

Carrie had not been out of the house in several days. Already so much had been done to restore the city. She saw hundreds of men, both black and white, clearing debris from the burned buildings. Wagon after wagon was being filled with charred wood, while bricks were being cleaned for reuse when it was time to build again.

The Union military was everywhere. The primarily black troops that had marched into Richmond after the surrender were now mixed with white troops that had been sent to bolster their numbers. They were patrolling the streets, making sure no Confederate veterans lingered on street corners or gathered in groups to talk, still suspicious that more Southerners had been involved with the plot to assassinate Lincoln.

Just as Rose had said, she saw many more black people on the roads. Spencer had stopped at an intersection when a group of black people disembarked from a wagon. Carrie smiled as they raised their hands in praise to God as they stared up at the white Capitol Building that had been untouched by the fire.

“Looky dat!” one man exclaimed. “We be here in Richmond at last. And we be here as free people! We ain’t slaves no more!”

A young woman, her eyes shining with delight, clapped her hands together tightly and began to sing.
“Slavery chain done broke at last; slavery chain done broke at last — I’s going to praise God ‘til I die.”
She swayed her hips, raised her arms high, and did a joyful little dance step.

The rest of the group joined in with her. It only took moments for the song to spread through the crowd of meandering black people.

Carrie’s smile changed to a frown when she saw the scowls from white people on the streets. She felt something tighten in her chest when the scowls turned to glares of hatred and resentment. She was quite sure it was only the heavy presence of Union soldiers that kept order in the midst of such intense feelings.

Her thoughts flew to Clifford’s growing hatred, and fear for Janie sprang afresh into her mind. She took a deep breath and forced it back out again. She had decided to live just this day. She wasn’t going to borrow trouble she had no control over. She was relieved when Spencer directed the carriage through the intersection and left the crowds behind.

She heard the train station before she saw it. The fact that the station survived gave at least a small sense of normalcy. There were still people coming and going into the city. Supplies for the few remaining businesses were making it through. Everything looked horrible now, but time would change that. They would rebuild — that she was certain of. The people of Richmond would not remain defeated. They would grieve all they had lost, and then they would rebuild. The biggest question that remained in Carrie’s mind was what kind of city they would build. Would it be a city based on hatred and revenge, or a city based on equality?

*****

Carrie spotted Aunt Abby as soon as she stepped from the train. She stood up in the carriage and waved her arm, directing Spencer to claim her baggage. “Aunt Abby!” she cried, rushing to give the older woman a warm hug as soon as she drew close. “I’m so happy you’re back!”

Aunt Abby grabbed her close. “Oh, I am too, Carrie. It’s so very good to see you again!”

Carrie stepped back and peered into her face. “It was bad,” she said softly, saddened by the grief lurking in her eyes.

Aunt Abby sighed and nodded her head. “It was bad,” she agreed. “But I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else,” she said firmly, stepping into the carriage and settling her soft gray dress around her. “We have so much to talk about.”

Rumbling carriages, the shriek of train whistles, and the shout of porters and baggage boys made it difficult to hear anything. “We’ll be out of this in a minute,” Carrie said loudly, glad when Spencer strapped down the last bag and climbed back into the carriage seat.

Ten minutes later they were far enough away from the train station to have a conversation.

“Will you tell me about it?” Carrie asked.

“Certainly, but I prefer to wait until we’re all together over dinner,” Aunt Abby replied. “I would much rather tell you about what I decided while I was in Washington.”

“I’m listening,” Carrie leaned back against the seat.

“I’m going to open a factory here in Richmond,” Aunt Abby began.

“Here?” Carrie asked. “Richmond? What about your factories in Pennsylvania?”

“They will continue to run with the managers I have in place. I can make trips there when needed to oversee everything.”

“But…” Carrie stammered, stunned by the sudden announcement. Then a wide smile broke out on her face. “Then you’re staying? You’re not leaving?”

Aunt Abby squeezed her hand and smiled. “That’s correct. Now let me tell you why.” She took a deep breath. “Without going into any details of the funeral procession, I will just say I had a life-changing moment of epiphany when the funeral wagon passed beneath the balcony I was standing on.” Her eyes glistened with tears as she remembered.

Carrie waited quietly, her own heart aching as she watched the waves of sorrow sweep over Aunt Abby’s face.

Aunt Abby shook her head. “With President Lincoln gone now, there is some doubt that President Johnson has Lincoln’s same feeling about equality for the newly freed slaves.” She held up her hand before Carrie could interrupt. “I’ll tell you about that later. Just know that I have discovered enough to be gravely concerned about his intentions and course of action in the future. When Lincoln’s wagon was rolling by, I had moments when I wondered if the last four years — if all the years we have fought for freedom for the slaves — had all been in vain.”