Princess Ces'alena (33 page)

Scared to death, he told Manny everything he needed to know. After getting over his fear of him, realizing that he was in good hands, he begged Manny to return him to his father. Riding behind Manny on his horse, his friend Charles riding beside them, they did just that. However, they arrived in time for Leon to see his father swinging from a tree, he’d been there for days.

His crime had been, to return from the fields to find that his son had been sold; he’d killed his master with his bare hands, then ran off to try and find Leon. Dragging the swamp lands, they’d found him…brought him back, and hung him. Leaving him there as a message to the others.

It had taken Manny some time to quiet the boys screaming. When the owner’s son tried to get him back from him, he’d paid five times the amount for him that he’d been originally sold for. Manny kept him with him throughout his business and then brought him home to Webster Fields. He remembered the crush he had on Lena when he first laid eyes on her. He would do anything for her, anything for Manny.

Many nights she stayed up soothing him over the nightmares of his hanging father. She took him on as if he were her own. His loyalty to them went to the extent of his own life. Manny’s word, was his command…and Mike…was his little brother. They were his family, and always would be. So now he felt something was not right, not at all right. He decided he better go let Lena know what was going on, and Jordan as well.

“What is it you want me to do for you Ms Katherine?” Mike asked hesitantly, looking up at her as they came into the clearing of the mansion. She was taller than his mother, but still shorter than his father. There was a part of him, that was uncomfortable with her, but another part would do anything to make peace between his mother and her.

“It is very simple; I am going to give you some very important papers; also, some money that you will give to Mr. Sands concerning those new slaves. Did you see them, the condition they were in? I know your father would not like to see them suffer. Imagine how pleased he will be to know that you helped them.”

“They looked really hungry…and dirty.”

“I know, and as soon as you take this to him, they will belong to your father, to Webster Fields, where they will be fed and bathed. They will be as happy as everyone else here.”

“Why can’t you take it back to him?”

“Because, I’m still not feeling well; that walk took a lot out of me. And, I think it is time we all made amends…if you can do this for me, we can move on to a new day.” She smiled down at him, stroking the top of his head gently.

“Okay, let me go tell my mama.” He blurted now at his father’s study door inside the house. “There is no time honey. There were other slaves out there, he needs to get going. Besides, it is time your mother and I made amends…I’ll tell her.”

“I don’t know.” He murmured still in doubt.

Katherine was getting nervous, time was of the essence…any moment now, someone could come along and blow it all. “Here honey, come inside.” She ushered him into the office and closed the door. “It’ll only take a moment, you take this to him, and I’ll let your mom know. It really is time she and I made this work.” She continued convincingly. “Sit down, I won’t be long at all.” She went behind the desk and began going through the drawers looking for stationary and coin.

She knew that he kept cash in this desk, and in the bottom drawer, a box. Picking it up, she flipped up the top…sure enough, in separate leather pouches, with fifty dollars to each one, adding up to more than what she was looking for. Next, she needed to find proper stationary for slave sales transactions; upon finding that, she quickly wrote out the false sales on him; signing it with a flourish. Mike sat across the desk from her, fidgeting as young boys often do from impatience, swinging his legs back and forth under the large chair. Sitting proudly, he observed his father’s room of business, absently smiling at fond memories of their studies and play together there. Completely unaware of what was happening, that his life was being signed away. He smiled daydreaming of how proud they would be that he’d obediently done what Katherine told him. “Mikey…Mikey…I’m finished now. Here, I’d like you to hold onto these papers, and take this money straight to Mr. Sands, so that he gets it. Are they too heavy for you to carry?”

The bags of money had been condensed to just two of them, and they were heavy, but Mike wouldn’t admit that. “No ma’am, I can handle it.”

“Sure you can, you’re so big and strong…just like your father. Alright then, take it now so he can be on his way.”

“I’ll go right away!” Mike leapt up with his parcels and rushed from the room. “Remember Mikey…right away, I need you to run them straight to him.”

“I will Ms Katherine…I will.” And off he went.

After Mikey left with Katherine, not far behind them, Leon returned as well. He noted that they’d entered the mansion and so, he set off to locate Lena as he at first intended. He went to the back of the house where he last saw her, she was no longer there. The area had been cleaned up, with only Cora heading across the yard from the house.

He sprinted off in that direction. His wish was that he could find Jordan or someone, but no one was around…so he continued on to find Lena. The pond was a bit of a distance, and by the time he got there, she wasn’t there either. He stopped to splash himself, then leaned back on his haunches taking a breather. He couldn’t help but wonder if he were overreacting. Maybe he was doing all this running around for nothing. Maybe Ms Katherine had changed and come out of her depression. Pushing back to stand, he turned and almost collided with Lena. “Ms Lena, I was looking for you.”

“Why, what’s wrong?”

“Well, nothing really wrong ma’am. It’s just that, well…Ms Katherine come out of her room. She been up by the pond where we was. An’ she let this man come water his slaves from there. She bought some slaves from him too.”

“Go find Mikey, you tell him I said get back here right now! Whatever he’s doing, he’s to drop it and get home this minute – no matter what!”

“Yes ma’am…but he was in the house with Ms Katherine the last I seen him.”

Lena turned and started heading back towards the mansion. It was hard for her to move now that she was in her ninth month. Her lower back was nagging her and the weight of the child was causing heavy pressure to her lower abdomen, she felt so heavy, every step she took was a waddling effort, and the humidity with the heat only made it worse. Leon started walking with her, but she ordered, “No! Don’t wait for me! Go find Mikey – now!”

“Yes ma’am.” He ran off doing as she ordered him.

“Where that man go? That Mr. Sands?” Mike asked now that he was back at the pond. Darrin and the others were still there, as well the new slaves, who didn’t have the strength to even try to escape. Plus, the cool breeze from being wet down from the pond, made them want to stay put. The boys had been talking to them, telling them that their life would be better now that they were at Webster Fields.

“He say he can’t leave his Negroes by theyself that long. He say you was gone have to bring it to him there.” Darrin supplied.

“I be right back.” Mike took off towards the road.

“Want me to come wit’you?” Sammy asked. Mike ran off too fast to answer him, he hoped he wasn’t too late to bring the man his important papers.

Lena felt herself slowly being overcome by nausea, her nerves, anxiety was shaking her up so, that she felt as if she might throw up. Her fear was building steady with every step she took towards the mansion. She hated being unable to move faster than she did and tried to increase her speed; weaving in and around the trees making her way towards the clearing. Now she wished she had stayed close to the mansion.

Kayleen sent her from the kitchen telling her to take a walk somewhere cool and get off of her feet. Her plan had been to sit by the pond and soak them in the refreshing water. But she’d gotten side tracked with visiting Mazie and her new son. Then she’d headed off to the pond and ran into Leon. Seeming to take her forever, Lena finally made it back to the mansion, she was looking for signs of Leon or Mikey as she came up on the west side of the mansion looking towards the crop of trees where the boys had been swimming, wondering if he’d gone back there.

“Looking for someone…Lena?”

Lena’s head jerked left to Katherine’s voice, startled by her presence.

Katherine smiled…a smile that gripped Lena tighter. She knew there was something wrong, and her heart began a desperate pounding. She tried to take deep breaths to bring it under control, but panic was setting in. “Where’s - where’s Mikey? I sent Leon to find him?”

“Mikey? You mean your son…Mikey? My husband’s bastard… Mikey? Leon asked me the same thing not too long ago." She shook her head, “Tsk tsk tsk. You should take better care with your child – your son." With her hand going to her breast, she asked, "How can I, possibly keep up with your child, when I couldn’t even - keep my own? I don’t know -
Mizzz
- Lena…where - is - Mikey? Hmmm?” She drawled with simmering satisfaction.

“Katherine … please…where is he?” Lena felt tears welling in her eyes; walking slowly towards Katherine in supplication; when Leon came running top speed, hysterical, screaming wildly. At first Lena couldn’t understand him, but as he drew near, with tears streaming down his face, red and panting, forcing air - the horror of his words penetrated.

“She sol’him!!! She done sol’Mikey!! He-e-e-e-elp somebode-e-e-e!! He got Mikey! That man got Mikey!!!” Before he stopped his forward dash to them, forgetting her condition Lena took off in the direction he came from screaming back, “Get help hurrieeee – get help!”

“He pass the pon’, they on the road!!” Leon shouted behind her and took off for help. Lena set off in a death run for the trees in that direction ignoring Katherine’s presence.

Leon made it to the back screaming the same over and over heading for the horse stables and barns. Halfway across the field flying in the heat he came upon Henry, Jordan and Amos after delivering a smoked hind quarter to Kayleen.

“Slow down boy, slow down!” Henry urged an overwrought Leon so they could understand what was happening. “Calm down and breath boy…my God, what done got you all worked up?”

“He…he…took…took him…he took Mikey!”

“Who took Mikey?!” Jordan demanded snatching Leon around.

“She…she sol’him…Ms Katherine, she sol’him…I seen’im, he was fighting. Fightin’ so he can’t take him, Ms Lena…she gone after him.” He explained between gasp of air. They’d been rushing back towards the mansion as he explained. Kayleen stood in the kitchen door having heard all the screaming and yelling. “What’s going on yah’ll?!”

“Ms Katherine come out her room and sol’Mikey to a slave trader!” Leon cried as he moved along behind the men he found. One hand flew to Kayleen’s mouth as panic gripped her, tears welled in her eyes.

Right then she felt as though someone had punched her, she couldn’t believe it, no one had ever been sold from Webster Fields the entire time it stood. It just didn’t happen there…not to them…until now. Of all those that were there, it was happening to her baby. Her moan was pitiful as she turned into the house, crying and praying as she muttered in torment. “No Lord…please, don’t let this happen…please, don’t let this happen.” She went in search of Morris, passing Ferrus on the way.

As for Jordan, Henry and Amos…there was nothing to think or pray about, they knew what they had to do. Consequences be damned, all they were certain of is that while Manny was away, his wife had come out of her depression long enough to take revenge and sell his son.

Chapter Eight