Part 3 (1/2)
”But-”
”Go on! Get!” It was the only time in my life that Eli had ever spoken harshly to me. He turned his back and moved away, raking in the opposite direction as if his life depended on it.
Chapter Three.
July 1854.
By the time I grew accustomed to going to the Richmond Female Inst.i.tute every day, the school year ended for the summer. I'd celebrated my thirteenth birthday by then, and I was sometimes allowed to eat dinner in the formal dining room with Daddy and his guests-and with Mother when she was well enough to join us. The three of us were seated at the dinner table one warm July evening when we heard an urgent pounding on our front door. Gilbert stopped serving and sailed out to answer it, returning a few minutes later to speak to my father.
”Excuse me, sir. Young gentleman at the door say he your nephew, Jonathan Fletcher. He don't have a calling card.”
”Jonathan?” Daddy's face registered surprise. ”Show him in, Gilbert.”
He wasn't a ”young gentleman” at all but a boy not much older than me, looking hot and tired and dusty, as if he'd traveled a long distance. But even in his disheveled state, the resemblance between him and my father was uncanny. They had the same handsome square face and aristocratic nose, the same wavy brown hair and dark eyes. A pale shadow on Jonathan's upper lip foretold a mustache just like Daddy's in a year or so.
”Good evening, Uncle George . . . Aunt Mary.” He bowed politely in greeting.
Daddy didn't rise from his chair. ”Jonathan. What brings you to Richmond at this hour?”
The words rushed from Jonathan's mouth as if he'd been holding them back for a long time. ”Father says you'd better come to Hilltop right away, sir. Grandfather is ill.”
Daddy resumed eating, cutting his meat without looking up. ”Is he dying?”
I watched Jonathan's face twist with emotion. He gazed up at the ceiling, as if to keep the tears that had sprung to his eyes from overflowing. ”I . . . um . . . I believe so, sir.” He cleared his throat but his voice still sounded hoa.r.s.e. ”He had a dizzy spell, and now he . . . he can't move . . . or speak.”
Daddy's eyes met my mother's. She shook her head slightly, then looked away. ”You know how I hate it out in the country, George. The smell, the flies, all those Negroes . . .” She seemed oblivious to the fact that three Negroes, Tessie, Gilbert, and Ruby, were in the room serving us dinner.
”Would you like something to eat, Jonathan?” Daddy asked.
”Yes, thank you, sir. But I'd like to wash up first, if I may.”
Daddy returned to his meal while Gilbert showed Jonathan where to freshen up. Ruby hurried to set a place for him at the table. When Jonathan returned I saw that he had won the battle with his emotions.
”Sit down, son,” Daddy said, motioning to the empty chair across the table from me. Then, almost as an afterthought, he said, ”Caroline Ruth, this is your cousin Jonathan.”
”How do you do,” I said. Jonathan looked up at me in surprise.
”Very well, thank you.” His words sounded stiff and formal. I wondered if he was making fun of me. But then he flashed a friendly grin, and I saw a glint of humor and mischief in his eye. He reminded me so much of Grady it astonished me. I usually wasn't comfortable around strangers, but I liked Jonathan from that very first night. He bowed his head in prayer for a moment, then began to eat, displaying the finest of table manners.
”We'll leave for Hilltop first thing in the morning,” Daddy said after a moment. ”I have a few things to take care of downtown first.”
Jonathan appeared surprised. ”But . . . Father said you should . . . I mean, he thought that you might want to come right away . . . tonight.”
”You may return home tonight if you wish,” Daddy said, ”although I would recommend you spend the night and rest yourself and your horses. Either way, I'll follow you in my own carriage tomorrow. That way I won't be dependent on anyone to drive me back to Richmond . . . afterward.”
Mother rested her hand on Daddy's arm. ”George, I'd prefer it if you left Gilbert here with me. His manners are more refined than that other Negro stable hand of yours. That large, coa.r.s.e fellow makes me uncomfortable.”
I was stunned to realize that she meant Eli. How could anyone not love gentle Eli? I longed to rise to his defense but I knew better than to contradict my elders, especially at the dinner table.
”If you wish, my dear,” Daddy replied. ”Eli can drive me tomorrow instead of Gilbert.”
When the meal ended, Daddy and Jonathan retired to the library. I was about to follow my mother into the drawing room when Tessie suddenly stopped stacking the dirty dishes and pulled me aside.
”Missy Caroline!” Her eyes danced with excitement, as if something wonderful was about to happen. ”Why don't you go along with your daddy tomorrow?”
”Go with him? Why?” The thought had never occurred to me.
”Nothing doing round here . . . besides, do you good to get out of this hot old city, meet your relations. . . .”
The more I pondered the idea, the more I liked it. I lived a lonely life, and I longed for a friend. Maybe my cousin with the impish grin could be a friend to me, like Grady had been.
”Would you come to Hilltop with me, too?” I asked Tessie.
”Oh, I would like that more than anything, anything, Missy.” Her smile made the chandelier seem dim. I glimpsed a longing in her eyes, and it aroused my curiosity. Missy.” Her smile made the chandelier seem dim. I glimpsed a longing in her eyes, and it aroused my curiosity.
”Have you ever been to my grandparents' plantation before?” I asked.
To my astonishment, her eyes seemed to grow even brighter as they filled with tears. ”I born there, Missy. My mammy and pappy living there. I sure like to see them again. All my sisters and brothers there, too . . . if they ain't been sold off by now.”
I didn't know what to say. Tessie had taken care of me since the day I was born. My entire lifetime had pa.s.sed-and nearly half of her own-since she'd seen her family.
”Tessie, you should have told me. . . .”
She swiped at her tears. ”Never had the chance before, I guess.”
”I'll go ask Daddy right now.”
The aroma of cigar smoke filled the library when I entered. Daddy and Jonathan were deep in conversation, discussing all the troubles out west in Kansas. ”Are you sure?” Daddy asked when I told him I wanted to go with him. ”It's a very long carriage ride out to the plantation, especially in this heat.”
”It's hot here in Richmond, too.” I didn't mention Tessie.
Surprisingly, Daddy turned to Jonathan. ”What do you think?”
”I think it's a fine idea, sir,” my cousin said. He winked at me as if we were conspirators.
When Daddy finally agreed, I could hardly contain my excitement. I ran outside to the kitchen to tell Tessie, then stopped short when I saw a strange Negro man filling our kitchen doorway. He stood as tall as Eli, and he had his arms all wrapped around Esther. She was sobbing and wailing as they rocked back and forth.
”What's wrong?” I asked her in alarm.
Esther unwrapped herself, and I saw a broad grin stretched across her face. ”Nothing wrong, child. I happy to see my boy, that's all. This here's my son, Josiah.”
He was not at all what I expected. Josiah was a grown man in his late twenties. He looked for all the world like a younger version of Eli-the same ma.s.sive shoulders and broad chest, the same height and weight. But Josiah's handsome face had none of the gentleness and warmth of his father's. It was as if he'd been carved from cold black stone instead of rich brown clay.
”Pleased to meet you,” I mumbled, then hurried inside to tell Tessie to start packing our things.