Carried Forward By Hope (37 page)

Rose smiled. She had been down to the old quarters several days earlier and seen the tiny cabin her mother had lived in torn apart. She was quite sure Sarah was smiling with delight to see another relic of slavery demolished and used to build something better.

“Your mama and Sadie seem happy,” Rose said.

Moses smiled again. “They are,” he agreed. “Living in our old cabin is like living in a palace for them. Mama sings while she’s in the kitchen, and my sister Sadie has become good friends with Eddie’s daughter Sadie. Those two have become inseparable. I never thought I would see my little sister smile like that again,” he said softly.

“Sadie Lou is teaching Sadie how to read.”

“Sadie Lou?”

Rose smiled. “They decided having the same name was too confusing so they added on to Eddie’s daughter’s name.”

Moses nodded. “Sadie didn’t tell me she’s learning how to read.”

“She wants to surprise you,” Rose admitted. “So do me a favor and act surprised.”

Moses chuckled. “I promise. Right now I just want some of that food Mama was talking about.”

******

Carrie waited until dinner had been served before she cleared her throat. “I’d like to talk to all of you about something,” she said hesitantly. “Actually…” she swung her eyes to Moses. “I need to talk with just Moses at first.”

The table fell silent. Everyone seemed to sense that whatever Carrie had to talk about was important.

Moses swung his gaze to Carrie. “What is it?”

“I wanted to ask you about the family that saved Robert after the battle at Antietam.”

“What do you want to know?”

Carrie felt a little foolish but desperation drove her. “Who were they?”

“Hasn’t Robert told you about them?”

“Yes,” Carrie admitted, “but I never learned where they live.”

Moses took a deep breath and gazed into her eyes. “Why are you asking, Carrie? Just tell me straight out.”

Carrie managed a small smile. “You could always see straight through me.” She sighed and squared her shoulders. “I want to go find them.”

“Gabe and Polly? Why?” Moses’s eyes were wide with surprise.

“Because they brought Robert back to life once before,” Carrie blurted, all her fears shining in her eyes. “Actually, I know it was little Amber that brought him back to life,” she corrected. She twisted the napkin in her hands, and looked around the table at everyone. “Robert is dying. I know the signs. Nothing I do reaches him. The darkness in his heart is swallowing him. I don’t want him to die,” she cried.

No one spoke for a long moment. Annie and Opal, bringing in a platter of cookies, remained frozen by the door to the kitchen.

“And you think Amber can help bring him back to life?” Aunt Abby asked gently.

“I don’t know,” Carrie whispered, tears welling in her eyes. She brushed them away impatiently. “But I don’t know anything else to try.” She gave a tiny moan. “I watched my mama die this way. If I have a chance to save Robert, I have to try.”

“I understand,” Aunt Abby replied.

“Do you? Do you really?” Carrie whispered. “You don’t think I’m crazy?”

“I think you’re a woman very much in love with her husband,” Aunt Abby replied firmly. “I believe Robert is a lucky man.”

“As do I,” her father agreed. “What do we have to do?”

Carrie made no attempt to stop the tears from rolling down her face. “Thank you,” she murmured. “I know it might not work…”

“But you’ll have done everything you could to save him,” Moses finished for her. “When do we leave?”

Carrie gasped and reached out to grab his hand. “You’ll come with me?”

“You’ll have a real hard time finding them without me,” Moses said with a chuckle. Then he sobered. “You’ll have a real hard time finding them
with
me,” he admitted. “I hardly remember that night, Carrie, but I’ll do anything in the world for you. You should know that by now. When do we leave?” he repeated.

Carrie turned to her father. “Is it really all right if I take Moses? With the crops all in…” her voice trailed off.

Thomas nodded. “With the crops all in, this is the perfect time. The men are working together well, and Simon can handle things if I can’t be here for some reason. Moses is not needed to get the cabins finished, and the gardens are almost in. I’d say this is the perfect time,” he said gently. “You go find them and see if you can get them to come back here.” He paused. “If they agree, they can live in Ike Adams’s old house.”

When Rose stiffened, Thomas put a hand on her arm and patted it gently. “I can’t think of anything more fitting than putting black conductors for the Underground Railroad into Ike Adams’s house. Can you?”

Rose chuckled reluctantly.

“I thought about just burning it to the ground,” Thomas admitted, “but then I thought it would be much better to use it for redemption. Ike Adams was a sick man, but he’s gone now. He can’t ever hurt anyone again.”

“
Use it for redemption,”
Rose whispered. This time when she smiled it was genuine. “I like it.”

“And you don’t mind if I take your husband away?” Carrie asked.

“I’ll miss him every minute he’s gone,” Rose admitted easily, “but if him going will give you Robert back, I will do nothing but rejoice.”

Carrie gazed around the table. “Thank you all,” she said softly.

“Do you want me to go along?” Jeremy asked. “I’d be more than happy to.”

Carrie shook her head. “Thank you for offering, but no. I overheard you and Aunt Abby talking. I know you’ve made plans to go and check on the progress of the factory. I want you to do that. Moses and I will be just fine.”

“He makes a good houseboy,” Jeremy said, his eyes laughing.

“Why yessum, Miss Carrie, I be right willin’ to keeps you safe whiles you be travelin’,” Moses drawled. “I done know hows to make sure we don’t get in no trouble while we travel through the big, bad South.”

The table erupted with laughter.

“You know,” Rose said when the laughter died away, “it’s going to take a long time before we can act like we’re free, isn’t it?” Her serious question hung in the air.

Aunt Abby was the one to answer. “Yes,” she replied honestly. “At least now you have the freedom to fight for it. Just remember you’re not the only one fighting. Women all over this country are fighting for equal rights. They want to vote. They want to have their voices heard. In any society, there are people who will have to fight for their rights. It’s only when people give up that right that society truly fails.”

“I just wish no one had to fight,” Rose murmured.

“I, too, wish for Utopia, but accepting that it is nothing but a figment of my imagination makes it easier to deal with the fact that I don’t live there,” Aunt Abby replied gently.

“Utopia?” Annie asked, her eyes puzzled. “What dat be?”

Aunt Abby laughed. “There was a man named Sir Thomas More who wrote a book in 1516 called
Utopia
. It was about a fictional community that was nearly perfect.”

“Hmph!” Annie snorted. “Ain’t no such thing. Nots as long as they be people livin’ in it,” she declared. “Ain’t no human perfect, so theys can’t be nothin’ like no perfect place.”

“And that is the truth,” Aunt Abby agreed. “We can all strive to make our world better, but as long as it’s full of people dealing with human nature, it will never be perfect.”

“And on that cheerful note,” Opal muttered, “here is a platter of cookies. My arm is about to fall off holding them.”

Carrie reached for a cookie and took a big bite. “Sugar makes everything better,” she agreed, her eyes shining. She looked at Moses. “It’s Monday. Can we leave in two days?”

“I’ll be ready, Carrie,” Moses promised. “I’ll do my best to help you find Gabe and Polly, and their kids.”

******

Eddie was waiting for Opal in the kitchen when she came back in from delivering the cookies, his lanky form leaning against the butcher block cutting table. “Hi, Opal.”

Opal smiled shyly and ducked her head, annoyed with herself for feeling uncomfortable. She had lived with Eddie and Fannie for more than a year in Richmond. Never once had she felt nervous around her cousin’s husband. She forced herself to lift her head and smile naturally. “Hello, Eddie. You need something?”

“Just to see if you’re done for the night.” Eddie hesitated when he looked around and saw the unwashed pots still in the tub. “Or maybe if you could just take a little break.”

“Something wrong with one of the kids?” Opal asked sharply, reaching behind her to untie her apron.

Eddie shook his head, suddenly looking uncomfortable himself. “I ain’t doing this right,” he muttered. He stood straight and looked her in the eye. “I’d like to take you for a walk, Opal.”

Opal stared at him, something fluttering in her stomach. “A walk?” she echoed faintly, jumping when Annie shoved the door to the kitchen open.

Eddie turned to Annie. “It be alright if I take Opal out for just a little while?”

“Before the kitchen be clean?” Annie asked. “What you thinkin’?”

“I’m thinkin’ I’d like to take Opal to see the sunset over the river.”

Opal’s eyes grew wide, but she remained silent, suddenly not able to think of even one word to say.

Annie eyed Eddie closely. “Sure be a right nice night,” she finally said. “I reckon I can finish up in here.” She waved a hand at Opal. “Get on with you den,” she ordered. “Just plan on me not bein’ the first in the kitchen in the mornin’,” she growled, her eyes dancing.

Opal managed to nod and then followed Eddie down the stairs into the backyard. She remained silent as he led the way through the woods, holding back limbs so they wouldn’t hit her in the face. When they broke out onto the trail, he moved back to walk beside her, but he seemed content to not talk. Opal was too busy trying to analyze what was happening in her heart to care if they were saying anything or not.

“Sure is a nice night,” Eddie finally said.

“Sure ‘nuff is,” Opal agreed, relaxing enough to feel the warm breeze and smell the wisteria perfuming the air. She gazed up at the cascading purple blooms hanging from the vines climbing the trees toward the sky. She smiled as she took a deep breath, letting the rich fragrance wash over it. “Sure ‘nuff is,” she repeated softly as she caught the look in Eddie’s eyes.

Nothing more was said until they broke out onto the banks of the river. Opal sucked her breath in sharply as she gazed out at the thick cumulus clouds piled on the horizon. She watched silently as they shifted from glistening white, to a glowing pink, to a brilliant orange, and then gasped when they were shot through with glorious purple as the rays of the sun sent shimmering shafts through the canvas. A stiff breeze kicked up white caps on the river, each one reflecting the riotous colors of the sunset as they danced their way out of sight.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen something so beautiful,” Opal murmured. As she thought about it, she realized that was true. During her years on Cromwell as a slave, no one had thought of going to watch sunsets. They were too busy working. Her time in Richmond kept her confined to the black quarter or the factory. In the two years she’d been back on the plantation, it never crossed her mind to watch a sunset. “Thank you,” she murmured softly.

“If I get my wish, it may not be somethin’ you can see that much,” Eddie responded.

Opal watched until the dying sun carried the colors below the horizon before she turned to Eddie. “What you be talking about?” she demanded.

“I ain’t planning on staying down South,” Eddie began hesitantly.

Opal waited, knowing from the pounding in her heart that something important was about to happen.

“I know there prob’ly be hard things in the North, but I don’t reckon they’s gonna be as hard as they gonna be down here. I’s planning on leaving the South, Opal.”

Opal stiffened but nodded. She had fallen in love with Eddie’s kids just like they were her own, but she’d always known they were not really hers. She knew the day might come when they would leave. “I understand,” she replied, determined not to shed a single tear as she held his gaze. “What you planning on doing?”

“That depends,” Eddie replied, a strange look on his face.

“Depends on what?” Opal demanded. She’d always known Eddie wasn’t one for a lot of talking, but the idea of losing the children made her want to rip the words from his throat — not patiently pry them out.

“On whether you gonna come with us,” Eddie replied.

Opal stared at him, suddenly unable to find any words. “You want me to come so I can help take care of the kids?”

Eddie shook his head. “I want you to come as my wife,” he said firmly.