Storm Clouds Rolling In (68 page)

Moses waved him in.
“What is it?”

Charles was clearly nervous, shifting from one foot to the other.
“Marse Cromwell had me take somethin’ over to the Ruffin place. I was in the shadows on the porch waitin’ when their overseer rode by with one o’ his friends. They was talking ‘bout Adams.”

“Ike Adams?” Moses asked sharply.

Charles nodded. “They said he knew Marse Cromwell was here. That he be comin’ over to demand his job back. He done found out that Marse Cromwell don’t know he ain’t here no more.”

Moses frowned.
“Do you know when he’s supposed to come?”

Charles nodded again.
“He was going to wait ‘til dark so’s to make sure Marse Cromwell be here.”

Moses frowned, deep in thought.
“Rose, go collect some of the crackers from the children,” he said. He turned to Charles. “Get some rope from the barn. We’re going to have a little surprise for Ike Adams.” He smiled as he envisioned it.

Rose hurried out to do as he asked.
When she returned, Charles was just running up with the rope. Moses turned to her and lifted her face gently. “It may be real late when I get back. I’m going to take five of the field hands. I don’t reckon any of us will be back for the dance. Don’t worry about me. If all goes as planned, Adams won’t even know what happened.”

Rose opened her mouth to ask questions, but shut it firmly.
There was too little time. “Be careful,” was all she said.

Moses nodded, grabbed the things he had requested, and disappeared into the darkness.
Rose sank to her knees, praying.

Carrie and the men gathered in front of the Christmas tree as soon as supper was finished.
During the afternoon, the house servants had helped her place tiny candles all over the tree. They had also allowed the fire to go out, and Moses had carried in the huge Yule log Carrie had selected.

Thomas smiled when he saw it.
“You remembered everything, didn’t you?”

Carrie wrapped her arm around his waist.
“I want to help you build new memories, Father.” Her voice was soft as she gazed into his eyes.

Quick tears sprang into Thomas’
s eyes, but the haunted look was gone. “Thank you, dear.” He took the long wooden match she held out to him, moved forward, struck it on the stone, and knelt to light the massive log. The tinder sputtered and caught, and soon an eager flame was eating at the wood.

The rest of the room stood quietly as the roar of the fire soon permeated the room with its welcome warmth.
Only then did Carrie turn toward the Christmas tree. “Will you and Matthew help me, Robert?” She made no attempt to hide the excitement in her voice. The lighting of the Christmas tree was always her favorite time. She held out lit matches to the two men. They were soon bringing life to the multitude of candles adorning the tree.

Matthew was the first to speak as the four gazed at the beautiful tree sending its glow into the room.
“My family never had a Christmas tree. I never even heard of one until I was twelve years old. Now I know what I was missing.”

Carrie nodded.
“It has become my favorite part of Christmas. We owe a lot to Charles Minnegerode.”

“Who?”

Carrie laughed. “Have you never heard the story?” She continued on when Matthew shook his head. “He was a German immigrant who introduced the first Christmas tree to a Virginian family in 1842. I’ll never forget the first one I saw. We had gone to spend Christmas with some friends in Williamsburg when I was six years old. I thought it was the prettiest thing I had ever seen. We’ve had one ever since. Why, even the Yankees have trees now,” she said teasingly. “President Pierce put one in the White House three years ago and now the tradition is spreading in the North, as well.”

Matthew smiled.
“I understand why you love it so much.”

Carrie watched the tree quietly for a few more minutes, and then moved over to the piano. Soon, melodious strains of Christmas carols rang through the house as their four voices joined in song.
Carrie sang joyously as she played, thrilled to see the deep lines on her father’s face smooth a little.

Rose finally got off her knees, threw another log on the fire, and quickly finished the sweet potato pies.
It would do no good to sit in the cabin and worry all night. She had put it in God’s hands. Her mama had always told her it didn’t do any good to put things in God’s hands if you were going to stand in front of him and keep snatching them back. She laid the pies on the table, threw on her cloak, and hurried to Sarah’s cabin. She hadn’t missed a storytelling session in her whole life. She didn’t want to start now.

Rose swung the door open quietly and smiled when she saw the horde of children sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the blazing fire.
Sarah, dressed in white, rocked gently in her chair beside the flames. Many of the women and older children lined the walls, sitting on chairs they had carried in with them It was a good thing all the men were gone on the possum hunt or with Moses because the tiny cabin was already bulging at the seams. Rose slipped in and sank down with the children.

Sarah was just starting another story.
“Who here know ‘bout the baby Moses?”

Jubilee clapped her hands in delight.
“This be my most favorite story, Miss Sarah!”

Sarah smiled at the excited little girl and leaned forward to fix her intense eyes on all the children.
Not a sound could be heard as they held their breath in anticipation. “The baby Moses was a little Jew baby. There was a great king at the time who didn’t like Jew babies.”

“Like some people don’t like nigger babies?” a little voice piped in.

Sarah nodded. “I reckon it shore nuff was like that.” She put her finger to her lips for silence and continued. “The great king decided he was going to kill off all the Jew baby boys, but Moses’s mama didn’t want that to happen to
her
baby. So’s she fixed a big basket out of reeds down by the river and put her fine baby boy in that basket. When nobody weren’t lookin’ she hid her fine baby in the bulrushes down by the river. Then she watched to see what would happen...” Her words trailed off as the children leaned closer. They all knew the story by heart but that didn’t affect the magic of hearing it again. The fire sputtered and crackled.

“What happened, Miss Sarah?” Jubilee asked breathlessly.

Sarah paused for a long moment. “The daughter of that great king done found that baby Moses! She knew he was a Jew baby, but she didn’t want no harm to come to him. So you knows what she done?” She hesitated, but didn’t wait for an answer. “She took the baby Moses and raised him in the palace, just like he was one of them fine Egyptians.”

The children’s eyes grew wide as they imagined what that would be like.
Why, it would be like living in the big house with Miss Carrie!

Sarah smiled.
“Baby Moses never forgot who he be, though. He never forgot he was a Jew baby. And God never forgot. He had a mighty big plan for that little boy. When Moses got bigger, God told him what it was.” She leaned closer. “Moses was going to be the one to set all his people free.”

“Cause all his people were slaves,” a voice said.

“That’s right!” Sarah agreed. “All his people were slaves. They done been cryin’ out to God for a long time to set them free. They done thought he just hadn’t heard them. Or maybe that he didn’t care none. But all that time, he was getting Moses big enough to do his job. It weren’t no easy job,” she said intensely. “The man who were the master—they called him the Pharaoh—didn’t want to let all them people go. He liked havin’ them as his slaves. They did all his work for him and made him rich.”

“Like we do!”
The women in the room all nodded their heads as a mutter broke from one of the dark corners. All of them were as enthralled by the story as the children. Every year the hearing of it renewed the hope in their hearts.

Sarah just smiled gently.
“Moses didn’t want to do what God told him ‘cause he was right scared of what would happen. And he didn’t think God could use someone like him. God done believed in him a bunch more than he believed in himself. He had to set a whole bush burnin’ before Moses said he would do what God told him to.” She paused. “God done put that Pharaoh through a lot of hard times. It took a right lot to convince him to let those slaves go. The Bible done call them plagues. Why, their water turned to blood one time!” The children gasped and stared at her with wide eyes. Then Sarah smiled. “God won, though. That Pharaoh finally got tired of being so stubborn and he let all them slaves go.” She allowed the room to grow silent and still, then closing her eyes, she began to sing softly.

                            Go down Moses

             
              Way down in Egyptland

             
              Tell Ol’ Pharaoh

             
              To let my people go

Verse after verse rolled out in her rich, velvety voice. The children, shyly at first, and then enthusiastically, joined in on the chorus. Their hopeful voices exploded from the tiny cabin and mingled with the stars. Some of the women joined in, but most leaned back in their chairs, taking comfort in the knowledge that all God’s love hadn’t been spent on Israel. Surely a deliverer would be coming soon.

Moses and Jupiter took their position on the side of the road, well hidden by the bushes.
The other three field hands were crouched just opposite them on the other side. They were ready. Moses had laid out his carefully thought through plan, the rest had smiled into the darkness, and then they had all taken their positions. If it didn’t work... None of them would allow the consequences to form in their mind. It
had
to work.

Moses had no idea how long he had hunkered there in the cold darkness before he finally heard the thud of approaching hoofbeats.
His heart pounded as he peered down the dark road. Nervously, he fingered the crackers Rose had gathered from the children. They had asked no questions as to why she was taking the carefully dried pig bladders they had been saving ever since slaughtering time. The look in her eyes had been enough for them to know it was important. Moses leaned as far forward as he could without risking detection.