Family Reunion (93 page)

"Charles I resent that! When haven't I been able to keep a secret?"

Before he could answer, one of his twins burst into the room, "Daddy daddy!! Did you hear! Uncle Maynard is home! Jamie's got the whole plantation in a whirl!" Sophia bubbled in admiration, which concerned her father. There had been many a day they sought to find Sophia only to discover her in the company of Jamie, her blue eyes wide and shining on him like a love struck puppy. For the time being, he wasn't going to worry about that, Manny was finally home. Charles laughed as Mildred had gone behind the screen to quickly dress. "Yes daddy! You must hurry! After all, Jamie has called and all must run to his summons!" Allegra teased her twin sister as they both went to their father heedless of his meager dress, no shirt on, just his pants, no stocking or shoes.

They didn't care, they always bu
rst in on him as was the habit being daddy's girls, they hardly listened to a thing he said because of his humor in everything they did. Mildred usually was the one with the firm hand.

"Allegra stop teasing your sister!" Mildred called from behind the screen as the girls kissed their father and hugged him. Looking very much like him, with his carefree personality, joy and zest for life. They were beautiful at fifteen, almost sixteen, with the world at their feet.

"She's just jealous, isn't she daddy-…" Sophia hugged her partially naked father to her with her arms around his waist, him grinning as usual at their pecking. "…-because she's not as pretty as I am and the young men all come after me!" She grinned as Allegra licked out her tongue, laughing because they were identical.

"I wouldn't care if they all wanted you! Who would want a nasty old boy anyway!!" Allegra threw back hugging her father around the waist. "I've got my daddy, and he's the only man I want!"

"It's a good thing too, because he's the only one who'll have you!"

They bickered in play at each other, with their laughing father in between. They loved each other dearly and never really fought with each other, just teased.

"Charles! Why aren't you dressed yet?! Girls! Turn your father loose so he can finish dressing! Out of here…scoot!" Both girls tipped high on their toes and kissed their father's cheek, then ran giggling from the room, with a grinning Charles standing watching them leave.

"Charles I swear! The way you spoil those girls! One would think they were sons." She fussed lightly; actually elated that he loved his daughters so and showed not a moments regret that she hadn't given him sons instead.

Something had happened to her from giving birth to them, which had almost cost her
life; she was never able to get pregnant again. Charles stood grinning, stalking his wife. Mildred started laughing, "Now Charles!
Manny
, remember!"

"Daddy!! Leave mother alone and hurry!!" The twins yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

Cabin doors flew open as many rushed out anxious over Manny's return with the new missus of his. Because of Katherine, they couldn't help being anxious, everyone wondering who could she be? Knowing she had to be something quite special to make him give up on Lena. Most all assumed that he hadn't found Lena and so gave up. Jamie was exploding with excitement, holding onto the secret as he ran to the front of the mansion hitting the stairs, but before he landed on the porch, the front door flew open with the twins standing with smiles on their faces.

"We heard Jamie, daddy and mother are coming down now!" Allegra spoke as Sophia looked out past Jamie towards the road. "Where's he at Jamie? I don't see anyone coming." Sophia noticed.

"Tha's cause they already here! Come on, everybody's already in the yard." Jamie said excitedly and took off down the porch steps. "I'm right behind you Jamie!" Sophia called, hitching up her skirts and trotting off behind him. "Sophia! Wait! Your wrap! Sophia that's not very lady like, oooh if Grandmother Helen saw you now she'd birth a mule!" Allegra muttered to herself running down the steps with her wrap and her sister's to catch up as Ferrus came out the door rubbing his eyes.

"Lil' Legra, what you running off to chile!" He called. Allegra stopped and turned to Ferrus then back again towards her disappearing sister.

"Why, didn't you hear!? Uncle Maynard is home, daddy's friend! Your master Manny, he's home and brought a wife with him!"

"Say what chile?! What was that!?" Ferrus questioned in shock, but she was gone around the side of the house behind her sister.

"Why Ferrus, I know you aren't going deaf with age old man! Not with that Jamie's loud call ringing near and far. Manny's home man, he's come home!" Charles said, rapping Ferrus on the back as he walked past him out the door, with Mildred at his side. She ran ahead of him to catch her girls, thinking.
'Oh if mama knew how they behave!'

Ferrus stepped down off the porch using his cane that he truly didn't need unless he felt the need to look as if he did, which Charles teased him about every chance he got, after having bought it for him as a gift. "Need help old man Ferrus?" Charles offered with a grin.

"Gone boy, see I got my cane!" Ferrus waved him off gruffly to hide his own grin.

"Well boy, where they at!'? I don't see no carriage or buggy.” Jordan asked grumpily, having been awakened from a good sleep only to see an empty driveway as the others mumbled the same, gathering in numbers around him.

Lena had sat up with a jolt, hearing the noise of Jamie's voice calling out; she couldn't quite make out the words, having been suddenly startled from her deep sleep. Manny, with a sheepish grin, came peeping over the shelf partition. She looked up at him knowing he'd been up to something as he leaned there smiling down at her. "Maynard Ramsey Webster … what have you been up to this early in the morning!?" Lena teased accusingly, snatching the covers away and standing from the bed. "You just make quick work at cleaning yourself up; I have hot water here for you.”

“
Put on your clothes… and get ready to join me on the porch in a minute. Hurry up, they’re waiting."

"Oh Manny, what have you done?" She groaned with her heart pounding.

* * *

"Well boy, where they at?" Jordan questioned a second time.

"He comin', he comin'." Jamie informed Jordan with a grin.

Charles was there looking toward the road as well, smiling and rocking back and forth from his heals to his toes. "Hmmm, are you sure you saw them?" He questioned.

"Daddy you must be patient, if Jamie says he's coming, then he's coming." Sophia mildly rebuked her father. Just then all spun at the deep voice from behind them across the way.

"I gather, you've all come looking for me?" Manny bellowed, with his arms crossed over his chest, leaning in a devil may care way against the post of Lena's cabin. Everyone stared, slowly moving back towards the cabin porch, realising that he must have been there all night. One thing that threw everyone into silence was that he stood at Lena's cabin and was smiling.

Jordan stood trying to figure things out; Jamie hollered that he'd returned with a new wife? So then why was he at Miss Lena's cabin? It didn't make sense to him. Either Jamie had yelled a bunch of nonsense, or his missus was not there yet. That didn't make sense to him either, all he knew was that no one touched Lena's cabin for anything but to clean it. He was one of the persons who made sure of that. Yet there Manny stood, Jordan was worried, unsure of what to make of it all. He knew too, that he wouldn’t have long to wait to find out.

Charles stood at the back of the crowd as he and his old friend exchanged knowing glances. Manny winked, Charles nodded and chuckled. He couldn't wait to see her either, even though he knew about them. Mildred saw the exchange and a brow lifted. "You know something? Give over?"

"Why…in a moment you will see for yourself."

"I did it Manny sa', just like you told me to." Jamie stated proudly, as he stepped before all the others.

"Thank you Jamie…that timepiece is now yours!"

Jamie gave another whoop and stood back feeling like a dignitary.

"Manny, this boy say you come back with a new missus, a wife…that true?" Jordan asked, feeling it couldn't be possible, he would have sworn Manny would never give up on Lena.

Manny nodded, "Jamie was correct in his telling. I have married
again and now only wait for my wife to get dressed and come forward that you all may see her. All I ask of you is that my return and our marriage be kept quiet, remaining here at Webster Fields until further instruction is given… is that possible?" They all looked at him blankly not understanding that request but what was present in mind was,
'How could he dare take his wife, another woman, into Lena's cabin!?'

Saying nothing more, enjoying their confusion, he turned going to the door so they might fully understand the meaning behind the request. Manny walked into the cabin where Lena stood beside the partition looking at him worriedly.

"Manny..." His name came with a slight shiver of trepidation.

"Ah ah ah...come along Mrs. Webster your people await you."

Lena swallowed as her stomach did flips. Manny wiggled his finger for her to come to him and slowly she did, giving him her hand.

All stood silently waiting, having mixed feelings about this new missus. Mazie, Cora and Ruth, as well as some of the other women were the first to cry out, a few screamed as Jordan's mouth fell open to see Manny pulling onto the porch, of all the people in the world…Lena.

"Oh - my - Lord." Was all Jordan could think to say as immediate tears sprang to his eyes. It was a miracle, all felt that it was. The white overseers and their wives finally made it to the area, as Mildred's mouth dropped open so stunned she stood momentarily paralyzed. Charles reached over and lifted his wife's chin to close her mouth.

"Oh my!" Sophia gasped amazed by the woman she had heard so much about from Jamie. She agreed with how everyone had described her beauty, even her father had said so when her curiosity of her had been pricked to the full by stories of her, making her almost legendary and unreal.

There she stood staring as real as real could be, as elegant as all had said. For Sophia, this would be the beginning of her first taste of hero worship and the beginning of what would be a very strong relationship between herself and Miss Lena.

"See, didn't Jordan and I tell ya' she was somethin' to look at!?" Jamie bragged in Sophia's ear as he stood beside her. "Oh my goodness Sophia, daddy's friend married a Negro. Just think, we were the first to see it." Allegra gasped in starry eyed amazement.

With Lena's hand in his, Manny walked to the edge of the porch and said to all who were giving full attention, now understanding his request.

"Good morning everyone! I know it's
an early Sunday morning, I apologize for having Jamie wake you all…but…look'ah-here!" Manny lifted Lena's hand and everyone cheered, teary eyed and murmuring.

"I just want you to know, it really feels good to be home again. And-…" Manny laughed because everyone was making so much joyful noise he could hardly speak. He looked at Jordan, who was wiping away more and more tears. "My missus, well, she says it's time for me to stop wanderin' all over the place and I agree!"

That brought another round of cheer. Lena felt herself trembling, shaking so anxious to see all the familiar faces, full of tears, staring at her about to burst as Manny stood speaking to them.

"Okay…I need to say something, please listen…" He kept seeing his son, Mike in the office telling him about the people there and the things they’d said about Lena, he had to correct that, he just had to. It took a moment for them to quiet, but finally they did. "I need you all to know, this woman whose hand I hold…is – my – wife! Before God and man, I swore to love, honor and protect her…and I will. I'm asking you all, all of you, to help me, do the same-…" They all cheered as Mildred, held in her husbands arms, wiped at her tears and declared silently, "Yes we will, you can believe we will." Charles leaned down and kissed her brow. "Thank you." He whispered to her.

"Yah'll ain't jump no broom – did yah?!" Someone shouted.

"Did you jump a broom wit'ah Masta' Manny?"

Manny and Lena laughed, "Nooo, come to think of it, we haven't done that yet. Maybe later, we can have a little ceremony and do it here!"

A cheer went up with so much excitement it was a while before Manny could speak again. "One more thing…every time I've returned, you all…made me feel like this was home, where I belong…now make my wife feel the same!" He turned to Lena, "This one is for you Miss Lena, now go on down there and greet your family."

Shaking badly and crying hard Lena stepped down carefully but was unable to see, it didn't matter, she was grabbed, held, hugged and welcomed home. She was kissed more than any time in her life. Mazie was the first to welcome her home and tearfully hug her. Lena hardly saw faces after that, but felt many arms and heard soft spoken words of welcome back as she was passed around. "Miss Lena, Miss Lena. I thought I'd never lay eyes on you again, but here you are and fine a woman as ever." Lena broke into a fresh fall of tears as she gripped Jordan to her tightly. "Oh Jordan, I'm back Jordan, he did it. He found me and brought me back, just as he always said he would."

"That's 'cause he a man of his word Miss
Lena and a man who love you like no man I know…I always know that." He said huskily, hugging her tightly, his eyes looking over her head at Manny, Jordan nodded to him with a smile,
that,
brought tears to Manny's eyes, for some reason, proud approval from Jordan meant more to him than approval from the world. "Well you did it…I'm happy for you Manny, I really am. Know this, Mil's and I, the girls…will do all we can to protect your missus, never fear that." Charles said, watching his wife hesitantly approach Lena. The two women faced each other and Mildred introduced herself with her daughters standing eagerly by her side waiting their turn to talk to Lena.