Princess Ces'alena (58 page)

“Mother! How much longer before we’re to go home?” He asked stopping before her, glancing at Lena with a smile, then at Hope who was sitting up staring after being roused from her sleep.

“It will be a while yet? Why?” She asked noticing a small group of children standing in the doorway, Hope began climbing down from the sofa.

“Lena…she will be fine with them. They won’t let anything happen to her.” Thomas spoke from the other side of the room. “She can come with me…I will watch her for you.” Lil’Bear spoke up looking down at her. “Go ou’si mommy…go ou’si’!” Hope pleaded more. Red Dawn made a sympathetic face, knowing the poor child must be bored to tears with them.

“You have no need to worry. My son will see to her… he is really good about that.”

“Oh - and I will help him! No harm will come to her - really!” Sasha, the little orphan girl spoke up stepping into the door. Lena felt pressured, looking at those that stared at her waiting. “I cannot…she is all I have. I cannot…”

Red Dawn wondered at her obvious fear, standing to re-assure her further. “Would it make you feel better if the children stayed near, where you could check on her?”

Lena struggled, she was afraid she might start crying right there in front of everyone. She didn’t want her daughter out of her sight, “Something could happen to her. I can’t…”

“Mommy…go — ou’ — si-i-i-i’!”

Thomas walked up to her, carefully he turned her face to his, looking her in the eyes and said softly.

“They will be right outside. You can look as often as you need. She needs to go, and
you
…need to let her.”

“What do you care? She is not your child! No one is taking my daughter from me! No one! I want to go home! Now! I want to leave!”

“Calm down Lena.”

“No! I don’t know these people! I don’t know these children! She is just a baby!” Lena was trembling as tears came to her eyes. Red Dawn stood staring, stunned by her outburst. “It’s all right. No one here would ever hurt you. Or your baby…no one…please…it’s all right. We’re sorry.”

Lena picked Hope up holding her tightly, but Hope struggled wanting to get down. “Nooo, mommy… nooo-…”

The wife of Menomonee stood in the doorway watching after hearing the commotion from the kitchen. “Lena…you’re smothering her. You have to give her just a bit of freedom to play, as the others play. I understand, you don’t wish her to go far, but at least let her play as a normal child, with other children.” Thomas reasoned softly.

“At Webster Fields I do!”

“Lena…she’s in a whole lot more danger, at Webster Fields, than she would ever be here. Here…is the one place, where she is safest of all.”

Lena stared at him as another rush of tears came from his words.

Red Dawn was incredulous to his words. “Why would you say such a thing? I know the Webster’s. Have known them all of my life. They would never harm their slaves, and certainly no child.” Red Dawn defended in disbelief; looking to Thomas for an answer, then back at Lena.

Hope was crying and Lil’Bear walked over to her, holding his hands up to her, while looking into Lena’s eyes. “I will watch over her. I am to be a great chief like my father one day! A strong warrior…she will be safe with me.” He boasted puffing up his chest.

Lena stared down at him, feeling the eyes of everyone on her; then forced herself to pass her daughter to him; Hope was eager to go. “Please … don’t let her out of your sight. Please.” He smiled and nodded, and was gone with the other children cheering, having no clue as to the struggle Lena suffered in handing her over. She followed them to the door and stood there watching where they would go and how far.

The chief’s wife returned to the kitchen.

Red Dawn looked from the desperate mother, back to Thomas. “What is going on? What has happened to her?” She almost demanded. He hesitated, feeling that it wasn’t his place to tell her, but he knew that she should know.

“Maynard Webster’s wife, Katherine…sold Lena’s son. He was ten years old.” He then turned and rejoined the men, as Red Dawn stood shaking her head. “Oh my God…Oh my God…Oh - my — God.” She gasped turning back to stare at Lena who maintained her vigil at the door.

She felt so stupid. Thinking of all those questions she asked her, she wanted to kick herself. She thought of Manny, and the picture just didn’t fit. She’d known him for too long, she couldn’t imagine him ever allowing such a thing. She simply could not rest until she knew the answers to this mystery that plagued her. Lena stood watching her daughter laugh with the other children. They were very patient with her, teaching her the stick game they played. Lil’Bear true to his word was her shadow. Lena smiled as her mind superimposed Mike in his place doing the same, patiently teaching his little sister; laughing at her funny faces, picking her up and running with her.

“I am so sorry. Please forgive me for my foolishness.” Red Dawn came up behind her, softly pleading.

“There is nothing to forgive. How could you have known? I am the one who should probably apologize…for the things I said.”

“No. There is no need.” Red Dawn corrected, taking the spot next to her in the doorway. Lena leaned to the right, Red Dawn to the left as they both looked out at the children.

“Please tell me…why Lena…why would Manny do such a thing.”

The question was soft, yet pleading because she really needed to know. Lena stood a moment, and made up her mind to reply, “He would not sell my son. He loved my son. Because he was — our — son.” Red Dawn gasped and looked at her.

“You mean…Manny…and you…” Her question trailed off. Lena nodded, then continued, “That same day you saw me…I became his…in everyway. He could not get enough of me. And soon, I was with child…Michael. After him, I had two more, but lost them. This did not sit well with Morris, because Manny flaunted our son, and grieved over our other two sons. He loved them, as any father would. He became so set with the way things were, Morris feared he would never marry. So he gave him an ultimatum…at the time, Manny felt forced to comply, thus - he married.”

“Ach! No wonder! I couldn’t imagine why Manny would be forced to marry anyone he didn’t know! Morris threatened him, with you? Your son?”

Lena stopped - thinking about it, reflecting back, then nodded, “Yes, and anyway, while he was married, despite his effort not to…he returned to me, and I — took him back. In the midst of it all, Katherine came to be with child as well, and because of an argument with me…she lost the baby.” Lena’s eyes went to Red Dawn’s, she gave a sad smile, and with a slight shaking of her head, she finished with, “Manny went out of town, and — she — sold my son.”

“Out of revenge because she’d lost her own.” Red Dawn added.

“Yes.” Lena confirmed.

“Is Hope — his?” She asked gently. Lena stared back at her daughter, who was growing dustier by the moment. The cream on her face was picking out of the air every particle of dust and dirt it came in contact with. Lena laughed out loud, unable to help herself. She was quite dirty and gritty looking, and loved every minute of it.

“Is she?” Red Dawn asked again.

Taking her time to answer, Lena was reluctant to come right out and confirm it. “If they found out — they would take her from me.” Lena looked back at her. “Katherine must never find out about her. And — neither can Manny.”

“I’m sorry, but despite that concoction on her face…it is clear that the child is mulatto. How could he think she is someone else’s?”

“He has never seen her, not ever. What he saw, was another child, a child whose father is Negro. I know up close you can see her true likeness, but from a distance, she looks dark. And if I am careful, it is only from a distance that anyone who might harm her will see her.”

Red Dawn asked no more questions. She understood now.

Thomas and Long Bow came up behind them, “Are you ready to leave?” Long Bow asked from behind his wife, his hands resting lovingly on her shoulders. She looked back with a smile nodding that she was. Thomas leaned forward trying to see Lena’s face. “Hey…you alright?”

Long Bow gathered the small group as they collected their son, and Hope - Lena reminding Thomas to grab her sack and they headed for the school house. There, Lena sat next to Red Dawn and Long Bow as the lesson began. Thomas gave a lengthy lecture first by refreshing those present on what was discussed the week before. Then added to it, more background on why the influx of European’s from England, why many fled that country to start a new beginning here; and what led this nation into a fight for their independence. His technique was to give a little history in the beginning, leaving off from there to be continued next time. The lesson then went to explaining laws and how they worked.

This particular night, Red Dawn noticed that he was a little funnier. A little more attentive to detail, he gestured grandly and postured excessively, flaunting a particular style of teaching to gain attention, and Red Dawn knew who his primary audience was. He wanted so much to impress Lena, to make her proud and see him in a new light, with new eyes. He felt on top of the world with her there watching him. Every now and then he would pause to catch her in his peripheral to be certain he had her full attention, feigning a pause for change of thought; her smile encouraging him on.

Unfortunately, had he really known Lena, he would have known that although his extensive knowledge did indeed impress her, she found him a tad flamboyant and over the top in his methods of teaching. She would have been more impressed if he had just been himself. As for the subject, he drew Lena in as she sat learning things she’d never known until then. However, Hope could not sit that long…she was itching and scratching and complaining of wanting to leave.

To Thomas’s disappointment, the two women rose and together they departed halfway through the lesson walking back to the dwelling that belonged to Red Dawn and Long Bow.

Crickets chirping, whippoorwill sounding around them, the two women walked companionably on in the starry skied night as Lena held Hope and Red Dawn carried her clothing sack. As they strolled, comfortable with each other, Red Dawn explained that Patrick and Liddy Johnson, gave bible lessons, and married those who sought them out for a Christian marriage. While Thomas, taught laws and legislation. She taught reading, writing and sums. They became totally absorbed in their discussion, so much so, that it carried on while Red Dawn gathered the wash tub for Lena to bathe Hope in the kitchen; while she prepared a late meal for all.

Lena confided that she’d always desired to teach as well…which led to the education she was given on her island home from the missionaries there. Red Dawn asked her questions about her home, and Lena told her most, again leaving out her place of status. Soon, they were laughing like old friends, both occupied with what they were doing. Finally Red Dawn was finished preparing trenchers to snack from, when she walked over to the corner where Lena kneeled bathing Hope.

Red Dawn kneeled beside her, staring at the soaked down baby, as Lena rinsed her hair after washing it. Red Dawn shook her head as she stared at her, her skin was a natural olive, her eyes were huge, and very much her mother’s. For one so young, her hair, was already quite thick and long, reaching past her shoulders in the purest color of gold she’d ever seen.

“Lena…do you ever look at this wonderful being, and die a thousand deaths at the thought of him not knowing of her?”

Lena lifted Hope from the wash tub and onto her feet to dry her off, wrapping a drying cloth around her as she did so. Gently rubbed it against her skin, she confessed more concerning Manny. “You know…the moment I felt his son move within me, I knew that I loved him. Each child I carried, I loved him all the more. I look at this baby… and I see all the ways in which she would bring him ultimate joy.”

“Yet…you withhold her.”

“As long as there is a Katherine Webster, I will continue to hide her.”

“My heart aches for you both. You have not said that he loved you, but I know that he did…because I know him. In this day, I have come to know you…with all my heart, I hope that you two can find a way around all that keeps you apart.”

“Thank you, but - there is no way - around - the world. There is no place for us.” Lena said pulling Hope’s gown over her head, then sitting her down on her lap to brush her hair.

Just then they heard the men coming in. Lil’Bear had stayed with his father, and was with him and Thomas when they entered the house, heading for the kitchen. All three came into the warm room at the same time to see what the women were up to, and if there was anything laid out to eat; all three had growling stomachs. Hope hearing them enter, leapt up from her mother’s lap in time for Lil’Bear to clear the kitchen door. His eyes were looking for food when they fell on the little girl staring back at him. His sudden stop caused his father to collide with him, pushing him further into the room.

“Son…are you trying to cause a pile…don’t block the door. Never stand between a man and his food.” Long Bow joked, as Thomas laughed walking around the motionless boy.