Authors: Cheryl Spence
Joshua.” Julian took a small sip of the wine and said, appreciatively, “Fine wine. How old is it?” “Well, it came from the vineyards in France. I have it almost twenty years now. Speaking of Joshua let me give you that cheque. It is kind of getting late.” Julian rubbed his hands together and smiled at Blake’s kindness. “You, know Blake, I thank you so much for your kindness. You know that we will repay you, one day. You know that don’t you?” “Oh, I know you will
try
to pay me back.” Then he mischievously said, “I may or I may not accept your repayment. Who knows?” Julian, felt waves of happiness through his veins, at Blake‘s kindness. He felt a sudden, freedom in his soul, as free as clouds floating in the heavens. “Thank you, so much Blake, we will never forget this. Why did you seal the envelope?” “Don’t you worry about it. Please open it when you and Christine are together.” “But---”. “Julian, don’t worry, please do as I ask, can you?” Julian, arrived home, at around 5:30 PM and found, Christine, with head bent, busy working on her Business Plan for her appointment with Mr. Jude Taylor, at First Royal Bank. “Julian, sweetie you are a little late aren’t you? Where’s Joshua?” Julian whispered, “Hey sweetheart, he is asleep. He has eaten and was given a bath while I was speaking with Blake. How are you?” “Gosh, he must have played his little heart out! It’s just minutes to six. I’ll check on him later. What is that envelop for?” He smiled and said, mischievously, “Oh, it’s nothing just a little letter some lady gave to me.” “You know, sometimes I can never tell if you are joking or being serious.” “Oh, all right, you have to stop working there for a minute, it’s actually good news in this envelop.” “Hmm, good news. Wonder what it could be, joking again aren’t you Jules?” He hugged and kissed her gently, and felt his insides warm a few degrees. “No, this is no joke. Blake was very upset with me. You know with us barely scraping by. He insisted on giving us a few thousand dollars, as a gift he said.” “Jules, few thousand dollars, oh gosh you know how much that would help? We could probably purchase some real healthy food, and buy one of those coal burning stoves, instead of me slaving over firewood to cook our dinner. Come hurry open the envelop; guess we will have to open a joint bank account.” “Yes, just in case anything, God forbid happens to either of us, there will be no problem accessing the money. Hey there is a note here, with the cheque.” “Hey, he didn’t write that check for more than the few thousand dollars, did he?” “No, no. Let me read what the note says.”
“
Dear Julian and Christine,
I am giving you this money, for yours to keep. Please do not ask me when, I want to be repaid, because I will be offended and will not accept any repayment you have to offer. As you both know, I love you as my own children and will do anything to ensure your happiness. I have never seen a couple more completely in love than you both. Your love reminded me on the love I shared with my dearly departed first wife, May. I love that woman to this day. I have never loved a woman in that manner since. Please continue to love and cherish each other. I hope this money, plus Christine’s loan to establish her design house, will have you both, healthy and wealthy in the near future. And Jules, I know you will pass the New York bar and will become a lawyer soon. I am so proud of you both. Please take this money to assist in starting a new life. Please remember if you both need anything, no matter what it is, please sweethearts just ask me and it will be yours.
Sincerely,
Blake.”
There was silence after the letter was read; Christine was the first to speak. “Oh my God Julian, Blake really and truly loves us both. I never knew, he loved us so much. From this day forward, I will never doubt my abilities. I will work thrice as hard to succeed. I am touched by his words.” “I am just in awe of the genuineness, of his feelings towards us. His words are so philosophical, I could cry. His feelings for us are like the ones we feel for Joshua. I like your vow to succeed. I have that one course, “Criminal Justice in the 19thC” to pass and then I will become a, lawyer.” They both hugged and kissed, in celebration of their lives, love and even heartaches. “How far have you reached with your proposal?” “Oh, I have a far way to go. I need to advice the bank on where my design house will be. I am figuring it will be in downtown Manhattan, after all it is a growing Metropolis. There is hardly any competition in that location; need to estimate my gross annual sales; how to attract customers; I think I may use posters; use some of the money we, recently received, to hire a decent looking person; to visit all the rich aristocrats from here to Connecticut, Boston, all over the Northern states, to showcase all my designs. I have a massive portfolio of designs that have not been created as yet. I’ll use those.” “That will be a lot of work; I am guessing that Charlotte will be deprived of your presence for the next few days. How will you convince her to give you a few days off?” “I guess, you will have to call and tell her, I am too ill and can’t make it to work.” “Think, she’ll believe me?” “Hmmm, you are a lawyer, time to put all that studying into practice. Lie your head off and convince her.” “I’ll try, but that woman is like a mind
reader, she will know, you aren‘t ill.” “Well, that will be her problem, won’t it? Damn witch, if she had treated me half decent, I would not be planning on leaving her employ.”
Julian called, Charlotte the next day, and spoke in a most worried tone, “Mrs. Christopher, this is Julian, Christine’s husband. I am calling to let you know, she will not be at work, today as she has become rather ill. Looks like, it is influenza. She may need a couple days.” “What? Do you know this is the height of the design season. Spring is coming up. There will be balls, charity events and picnic that my clients will attend, they need clothes. She has to come in! I can’t have her being sick. Let me speak with her now!” Julian simply could not believe the callousness of the woman. Although Chris is not ill, but he took great offence; that Charlotte did not care if Chris lived or died. He felt sick inside and would have lashed out at her, but he wanted off the phone, like yesterday. There were sewing machines, humming in the back ground, and she sounded as if she was sewing as well. “First of all, how dare you, treat my wife as if she were the machines, humming in the background. Where in Christine is ill, did you not understand? She is even too sick to make the damn call. All you need to know is my wife is ill, and cannot be at work for the next few days. Do we understand each other Charlotte?” “Look, she was late yesterday and now she is sick. If she were not such a good designer, I would fire her.” “So you admit that she is a good designer. Why not give her the salary and treatment she deserves?” There was a long pause, Julian thought she hung up, and then she spoke. “You, think you can earn enough salary being a lawyer? How many white people with money; will trust a mulatto boy with their life? Christine, will remain with me and take what I damn well offer. How would your little family survive without what I am paying her? Huh, tell me lawyer person.” Julian, with his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Look, as I said earlier, all you need to know is Christine is ill and will be unavailable to you for the next few days. Goodbye!” Christine, softly spoke, “I know for sure, I am fired. That woman is so cruel, only thinks about herself and her business, her soul is like a chasm, no feeling no love.” Julian, comforted her, by kissing her forehead, and gave her an Eskimo kiss. “Christine, I will help you with your business plan. You will get that loan, and I will be starting my apprenticeship, with Faulkner and Associates soon. We will survive, please do not worry ok.” For the next two, days she and Julian worked tirelessly on her business plan. Blake, accompanied her to First Royal Bank, met with the manager. He was more than impressed with Christine‘s marketing strategy, sales objectives and just about everything her business plan contained. Within minutes, her business plan along with Blake’s recommendation secured her the loan. “Oh, Blake. Thank you so much for all you have done for Julian, Joshua and I. I promise I will make you so proud of me and our little family. How can I repay your great kindness?” “I only require a few things from you; do well in your respective careers, continue to love and cherish each other and most importantly, do not ever change. You both one day, will become very successful and very rich. Please do not forget your humble beginnings, promise me that.” “I will never, ever forget Julian’s and I struggle. He will be so happy to hear that I have obtained the loan to start my new venture!” With that she hugged and rocked Blake, until he was begging for air.
Julian and Christine decided to host a business warming party, in celebration of success the week following the day, her first design, under the banner, “ChrisJules House” was been sold. They planned to invite Blake, his wife Helen, Peter and Molly, who incidentally, became fast friends with Christine and Julian, after their first dinner date. Molly and Christine became fast best friends, but Julian and Peter, did not fare too well. Julian could not stand him and thought he was a pretentious idiot. Julian, disliked pretentiousness and preferred, Molly’s company. She was down to earth, funny and even though, she was lucky enough not to be born a slave, genuinely empathized with the plight of slaves in the southern states. He accepted Christine’s plans to include Peter in their celebration, as he did not want to provide a negative atmosphere to Christine celebrating her success.
Chapter 9
During the next few weeks, Christine found a suitable building on 6th and Lexington in
downtown Manhattan. The rent was reasonable, and the building only needed a touch of paint here and there. She employed two of the best seamstresses, whom Charlotte recently fired, plus she was able to secure the services of three additional seamstresses.
They were fresh from college and wanted to taste the taste of success life has to offer now comes the sad task, she has been dreading, telling Charlotte that she will be resigning from “Charlotte’s House of Style” in three weeks. The day after she signed the lease on her building, she sat Charlotte down in her office and spoke in a soft even tone. “Charlotte, I have something to tell you. This is very difficult but it has to be said.” Charlotte suddenly wore a worried expression and said, “Did any one of the girls or I offend you in any way my child?” Christine, smiled and patted Charlotte’s arm and suddenly felt nervous, and suddenly felt a twinge down her spine. Suddenly, the room felt as if it were spinning out of control. She wanted to refrain from advising Charlotte she is leaving, but decided, for the sake of her sanity, her family’s well being, she had to be brave and let Charlotte, know of her plans. “Charlotte, I have decided that I need to resign from my position here at “Charlotte’s House” for an opportunity to start my own clothing design house, “ChrisJules House of Style“. I will be leaving in three weeks.” Charlotte was scared by Christine’s decision, as it meant she will be out of business soon. She masked her true feelings and spoke coldly. “When did you decide this little venture of yours? I mean you are putting me out here.” She then asked incredulously, “You think you can just walk out on me, Miss Missus from down south? Well think again!” Christine’s voice rose a bit, when she spoke. “Look, you have three weeks, to find another designer. I am not walking out on you.” Charlotte, laughed, but you could tell she did not find the situation amusing. She just laughed out of contempt at Christine’s attempt of holding her own. “You, think you can do well alone, little Mrs. Livingston, well think again little girl.” Christine, had about enough of Charlotte’s rancid attitude, and held nothing back when she spoke, which was slightly above a whisper, but filled with anger, nonetheless. “How, dare you speak to me in this manner? I have worked hard for five years for you. I have asked for raises, you give nothing. I have asked you to take me on as a partner. That request was met with deafening silence. I have ambition, Charlotte; I made you stifle it for five years. Well not anymore!” “Who put a fire under your little, tail? I bet it was that Julian. Never did like that nigger.” “I hope you did not say what you just said; my husband is Julian Livingston, not a nigger!” “Whatever, I really wish when you fail, and fail you will. You won’t come running back to this.” She made a sweeping gesture with her hand after that little tirade. “You know what Charlotte? I never knew you could be so spiteful and envious. You really expected me to continue working for the meager amount that you have been paying me? Where would you be if you hadn’t opened your own design house? Give me a chance to fail or succeed, please wish me well.” “All, I have to say is that for the next three weeks, everything you design, is mine. Don’t let me see them coming from your design house, ok?” Christine, saw it was no use, getting a graceful response from Charlotte and retorted. “No problem, there is a lot more where the rest came from.” She turned and left Christine’s office is a huff, leaving Christine shaking her head in disgust at Charlotte’s attitude. During the rest of her time at Charlotte’s she treated Christine with so much hostility it was unbearable. Christine voiced her concerns to Molly. Christine called Molly, who answered on the second ring. Christine, spoke in a melancholy voice “Hey, Mol, how are you? I really need a friend right now.” Molly’s voice had a soft sing-song tone, whenever she spoke. “Christine, you sound so upset. Is everything ok between you and Julian?” “Yes, we are fine. It’s just that since I told, the Queen of Mean, Charlotte, that I am leaving, she is treating me like a dog. I could pack up and walk out, but we need the extra money.” “You forgot that Blake has loan both you and Jules, quite a bit of money recently?” “No, I haven’t but we decided that, that money would be used only for emergency purposes. Julian has just finished, law school and will be apprenticing for next to nothing soon.” “Christine, then don’t worry ignore the witch you will be outta there soon enough. You have talent. I have seen your designs, they are like no other. Things may be slow in the first few months on your own. But by word of mouth, and good advertising you will be a success. Just keep one thing in mind; you are a fabulous designer, fresh ideas come to you, like the drop of a hat. No other designers, not even the ones in gay Paree have anything on ya!” “I wish I could an optimist as you Mol, you know she wished failure on me.” “Oh no, you know what I do when envious people cross my path?” “No, what?” “Just imagine that they are beneath your feet, and then stomp on them. That’ll remove any jinx or negative energy they have sent your way.” Christine, laughed and said, “I may have to do that, as I really want to succeed with my design house, don’t want to fail at all.” “Don’t let her get to you Chris, she is a has been designer, she is scared as she knows you were the best thing that ever happened to her business.” “Yes, she is a has been designer, no fresh ideas for years. I have been with her since the day I arrived in New York, with Jules and the baby. I carried her sinking ship afloat. My designs kept her business alive.” “See, now that is the spirit, sweetheart just bear the last week with her, in grace and dignity. Hey have you told Jules, about how she is behaving?” Christine gasped, “No, I can’t. I love him dearly, the one fault I find with him, is he is too straightforward for his own good. I can see it now, Jules calling her and telling her like it is!” “I know, Peter was a victim to Julian’s candidness remember?” Christine sighed as she remembered, “Yep that sweet man-o-mine, is too mouthy, but I love him so much.” “I’ll pray that you won’t give up and quit, before its time for you to leave.” “I’ll be praying too. Oh dear, look at the time. I have to go now Charlotte’s almost off her dinner hour. Tell that handsome Peter hi for me. His momma too.” “Tell, your chocolate darling hi for me too. I ain’t going nowhere near Peter’s crazy momma.” With that she hung up. In a way Christine was glad, Clara introduced her to Peter, if not she would not have met Molly. Molly, that caramel skinned girl, with a free spirit.