Gold Raven (12 page)

Esteban looked from his father back to Hope. “It is nice to meet you tia Hope, if there should ever be
a service that I may fill…you have only to ask, and I will.”

“
Thank you, Esteban. I will remember that.” She smiled with a nodding gesture, and turned to the other children standing there waiting as Maria cut her husband with a narrowed look for the last time. Sighing deeply, he ran his fingers through his hair and excused himself by saying. “I will return in a bit. Then we can talk…you and I.” He indicated Hope with his eyes. As he walked off, Hope watched him, knowing it would take her some time getting used to him.

Papo and Lolita were next, both a reflection of Lena’s features. Her gold eyes and dark tawny colored hair. Lolita’s head held a riot of curls like her grandmother, while Papo’s was straight with barely a curl at its ends. Yet…they also had features of their own mother. Felix, Mike’s youngest son, had his father’s blonde hair, with big fat silky curls, and again…Lena’s gold eyes; and a mix of futures no one could quite discern. He obviously was the most accident prone from the variety of scars on his face. An old scar cut through his left brow, at the corner of his right eye, his front tooth was chipped, and sitting at the top of his forehead was a fresh lump from a recent accident. This, no doubt was the reason Maria held him in place by the back of his shirt, he also tended to lean towards the chunky side.

Last, Celina – whose features matched Hope’s, as if she should be her daughter, instead of her niece. Their looks were unmistakably the same…so much so; this was the cause of Maria staring at Hope as she did. It was like looking at her daughter and seeing her as a young adult.

Introductions over, the children were quick to scatter. With a warning called out from Maria, “Lolita, make sure to look out for your sister.” Her daughter turned back smiling, “Si mamah.” She answered, knowing where their boundaries were, with the exception of Esteban, who stayed by his father’s side no matter what.

“
Come, I must prepare breakfast. You can help me.” Maria invited, with Hope happy to comply. Maria showed her where everything was and what was available for them to prepare. When all was done, Mike returned as Esteban left to gather his younger brothers and sisters. In no time, the family sat within their dwelling, each in his own spot on the floor, on a bench or at the table as they took in their morning repast. Soon, after all had eaten, and the dishes had been cleared away, they went into the courtyard to sit at the large stone table to talk. That was where Mike began telling Hope what had led up to his being taken from Webster Fields.

Often he enlightened her with little memories of their mother, but he
would not dwell too long on her because of constantly fighting his emotions.

He spoke very little of Manny, bringing him up only when the topic deemed it necessary. Because she was as eager to hear of her father as she was her mother, Hope found his reluctance to discuss him plaguing. Wanting to keep things simple as possible, she followed her brother’s lead and told what she remembered. Her memory was of a night in the storming rain, being in a dark place with her mother, and then…waking up to find herself alone – Lena had for some reason not returned to her. Then she brightened remembering her papers. “Wait! I have something to show you!” She darted from the table and ran to her brother’s cubicle. Reaching up on the shelf under the pottery she grabbed her purse. When she turned, she was surprised – but smiled to see Esteban there with her.

“
I am here to escort you, tia.” He explained simply. “Yes…of course.” She murmured softly. Back at the table, she handed all that was in her purse to her brother. “Can you read them? I believe they are important.” She implored him.

Mike took the papers and one by one, read them over, surprising her that he could read – as he explained what they were. While each brought tearful joy to her face, he seemed completely unmoved by them. Yet there she was, happy to know that their father had claimed them, and had named her Golden Hope Webster. To hear as well that her mother had been freed by him, and what was more – had given them each a portion of the property, Webster Fields. Hearing these things gave her a warm feeling inside, making the desire within stronger to find her parents.

Her brother’s eyes rose from the last sheet he read to meet hers while folding it closed and dropping it to the table with the others, reaching down, he pushed them all back towards her. She watched for some expression from him as to what this meant for them, but none was forthcoming, he only seemed to withdraw even deeper within himself when it came to any praising she gave their father.

“
Have you nothing to say?” She asked incredulously.

Curling his lip, he gave a slight shake in the negative.

“
How can you shake your head? This means we have a home, a place to call our own - Webster Fields! Answers to so many of my questions could possibly be there and waiting.”

“
He has a wife…remember?”

“
Surely he would not let her do the things she did before? She cannot harm us now, we are free…our father will stand for us! Surely he will! We must go there.”

Listening intently, Esteban became excited hearing talk of a grandfather that he had never heard tale of before. Mike never spoke of him in front of his children. It had only been the
ir grandmother they heard endless tales about. That she was a Princess from a far off island a long time ago, many stories of her, of her ways, and how close they used to be…but nothing of his father.

“
Jefé, I did not know I had a grandfather?”

“
Of course you do son, or else I would not exist, therefore neither would you.” He answered with his sister peering at him and obviously waiting for a response as his son continued.

“
But Jefé, why is it you have never spoken of him?”

“
It is because, I chose not to.” He answered his son with growing impatience, preferring to leave Maynard Webster in his past. Hope immediately saw that. She just didn’t understand it, ‘
Why do you resent our father?’
She thought staring back at him.

“
But, why not Jefé?” Esteban pressed.

“
Because he is of my past, and I wish to keep him there.”

“
So is our grandmother, yet you speak of her?” He furthered. “Why not our grandfather as well, Jefé?”

“
Drop it Esteban.”

“
Why Jefé – I do not under-…”

“
Icállate
!! –(shut up)- ask me no further!” He hissed.

Esteban was shocked and hurt by his father’s abruptness with him. Maria gave her husband a disproving glare; Hope matched her disapproval of him.

“
Why do you resent our father so? What has made you bitter towards him?” She asked, feeling a little resentful that he could dare feel this way against the man she longed to know and love. Her memory of him was filled with nothing but love, hugs, and closeness.

“
Not only do I not desire a discussion concerning him with my son, I will not suddenly feel the desire to discuss him with you. As I said, he is a part of our past. Leave him there.”

“
He is the reason that you live!”

“
What would you have me do, thank him?”

“
He is our father. I want to know him. Just as I wish to know our mother, is she also forbidden?” She fired tartly. “Have you made no effort at all to go back to them?”

Mike stood with his nostrils flared. “Look. There is nothing at Webster Fields for us. Nothing but Mrs. Katherine Webster, if you think she will allow either of us to just waltz back into her life, you had better think again.”

“
The lady wants no part of Maynard Webster’s bastards! Whether you like it, or not, that is what we are…his illegitimate gets; even worse, bastards from his black …bed-wench!” He spat bitterly, as if the word left a nasty taste in his mouth.

Hope sat quiet again, staring and thinking. Never had she experienced anyone so cold and angry. She took a deep breath, deciding not to retaliate in such a manner… besides, although he was her very own flesh and blood brother, she still didn’t really know him. “Mike, if we are his bastards, then it is the way of things that cannot be changed. Even so, you read what he has done, he must care about us, he must have loved us, or else he would not have claimed us as he did. He would not have freed our mother as he did. Surely you can see that was his way of saying, she was more to him that just his slave…or…bed-wench – as you call her.”

“
I have no real idea why he did what he did, and I’m not about to delve into his reasons – assuming anything. Neither should you. It is over, I am no longer at Webster Fields, and I have no desire to return there.” He firmly stated.

“
Our mother, what of her? Is it over for her as well? Do you have no care to see her once again? To know of her welfare? You resent her as you resent him; after all, she willingly gave birth to his bastards!” She finished finally growing angry. At this point Maria wanted to intercede in defense of her husband, but she would not come between him and his sister. She knew how badly he wanted to find his mother, but with all the things he had to deal with in his life, he could not deal with the shame he would feel before her.

The shame it would cause her to know that her son, whom she was once so very proud of, had come to be a bandito, an outlaw. There was no way that he could face her with what he’d become. Mike looked at his sister, trying to gain control of what his response might have been.

His mother was a sensitive spot for him, there was no way he could discuss her without becoming moved by it in some way. Talk of her evoked emotions he had no desire to display. He could feel a lump swelling in his throat now. Saying nothing more, he turned from the table and walked away. Ceś alena Huebana…was his true weakness, he refused to give anyone access to it, that included his sister. Esteban instantly rose and followed his father, truly a shadow to him. When Mike walked away from his family, his men naturally gathered around him, waiting for word of their next adventure. Hope sat watching as Esteban came to his father’s side, noticing that Mike rubbed his son’s head affectionately, draping his hand over his shoulder. Esteban smiled up at him, his past curtness with him forgotten. She shook her head looking back at Maria.

“
I don’t understand him.” She muttered perplexed.

“
You must not judge your brother and his actions. Things are not so easy for him.” Maria defended softly, laying her hand on Hope’s.

“
I don’t mean to judge him. One would think he’d want to return home, so that he can end this life he now leads.”

“
To you, it may seem as easy as that, but not to him. Here, he is leader, he is in control, and he is free.”

“
He
is
free! Our father has seen to it that he is.” Hope waved one of the papers where that was written as proof. “I’m sorry Hope, but you are wrong. He is free because Ephraim Gomez kidnapped him from a farm house where he’d been bought as a playmate for a young boy. This all happened to him after he was claimed and freed by his father. Yet, despite it…he was taken from his mother, sold to a slave trader in the absence of his father. Hope…a sheet of paper stating your freedom does not necessarily make it so, not for a black man. My husband knows this more than anyone.” Maria explained.

Hope sank with her words.

“
If he was to return, what would he be returning to? In this world of his, here – he is leader of the people, bandits or not. To them, it does not matter if he is black, or white, or both. What would he be if at Webster Fields? My husband will never be any man’s slave again…not if he can help it. Never again to be sold as one would cattle. He has sworn as well, that neither will his children.

That fear in him is strong, especially where Esteban is concerned. His son was born free and Miguel will see to it that he remains free.”

Hope listened quietly, but such things as slavery were foreign to her. She’d never seen a plantation again once she came to be with Anna and Alfredo. Occasionally she was witness to the beginning of an auction but Alfredo had never stayed around to let them see what took place. So she was spared the degrading sight of seeing humans sold, being laid bare for all to inspect, that they might make a choice in purchasing them. How could she understand such things when she had never experienced the like in the life she remembered? The little flashes of memory that came to her of being on a plantation were filled with fun and love from those who cared for her.

“
He is so bitter. What has our father and mother done to him?”

“
You have it wrong, it is not towards your mother he harbors his resentments, he loves her with all of his heart. This is why he cannot stand the thought of facing her. She, to him Hope, is – is more like the angels in heaven. He feels there to be no woman alive that could be compared to his mother. He has placed her on a pedestal…it would be an ultimate crushing of his heart for her to know what he has become.”

“
Then he should leave and change his way of life.”

“
Leave and go where? Change and do what? There is only one way he will ever be accepted anywhere besides here, and that way is to become a white man, totally and completely. If he should make such a choice, do you think they will accept me and our children as his choice of family…especially Esteban? Will you have your brother deny his own son?”

Hope looked away, so confused. She didn’t understand this. Suddenly she felt insecure and unsure of her life and what it meant being what she was, a mulatto - living in the world that she was forced to live in.

“
What you must understand is this, his conscience will not allow him to become a white man, rejecting the other half of himself he loves so much. It would mean he’d have to deny his mother, what she is, and everything that exsists between them. He’s not going to do it. So this is it. There is no way out. He is forced to be what he is.”

“
Surely you agree and can see that hiding out here…is the same thing. She’s out there somewhere…and he’s not willing to find where that somewhere is. It’s the same thing.” Hope returned.

Maria shook her head, her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t care. I love my husband. I am proud of him. I am proud to be his wife.”

“
You do not understand and have not been through enough yet in your life to see why he is, what he is. He is not a cruel man, a little rough around the edges yes, but he can be no other way. He has been forced to do things that he has not wanted, but again – if one is to survive, then you must be willing to do things.”

“
If he came to this camp against his will, how is it he became leader here?”

“
He was taken from the farm house and not killed because Ephraim thought him funny. Comical…he called him, his little blue eyed mulat. He was found to be sleeping in the cellar with another slave, Loomis – Samuel found him. Loomis tried to protect Miguel, and he was killed for his efforts. Samuel was the one to begin making sport of him as the others tore the house apart while waiting on those whom went to town with Mr. Lawrence, the banker. He brought Miguel upstairs, showing him to Ephraim. They toyed with him, finding it funny that a slave would look as white as he did. So as one would a pet, Ephraim decided to keep him, and he was brought here.”

“
Who is this Samuel?”

“
Samuel is no longer with us. He left here months ago, he is brother to Tobias, and the one Jessie left with.”

Hope was confused; too many names coming at her. “Who is Jessie?”