Flight of Fancy: Cora's Daughters (58 page)

Without word to anyone, he left the sawmill. He suddenly wanted to see his wife to remind himself why – he should be the happiest man on earth. He suddenly realized that he should be more like his wife, happy to have the simple things in life. Happy to be loved and have someone to love him in return. The more he thought about it, the faster he walked. He hated himself right then, because he realized, that he had wanted too much – he had wanted it ALL – like them.

Suddenly he woke up! He realized, he could not have it all, not all. Yet, look at all that he did have, and because he could not have the approval of one evil, worthless man – he allowed that to turn all of his valuable goods to grey.

He rushed home because now that the cloud had lifted, he’d neglected his most precious gift – his absolute soulmate, his friend, his companion, his good luck charm, his wife, his Asiza. Days had gone by that he hadn’t smiled at her, kissed her, sang to her, joked with her, danced around while teasing her.

He started running because he realized right then, that he did in fact have it all – all that is, that meant anything. All that was worth having,
he
had! He started laughing. He would run in, grab his wife, big girl that she was now, so full with his babe - the picture of her, the image made him laugh out in joy. He would scoop her right up and swing her around and tell her, shout it to the world, what a happy man he was – to truly have it all.

Then, together, they would begin to plan where he would section out an area to start bringing in the horses he would begin to breed.

Arriving home, he rushed up the steps, “Asiza Wolf m’darlin’! Where are you? I’ve come home t’tickle me fancy!” He grinned.

He didn’t see or hear her.

He rushed into his big kitchen where Fidel stood teaching Asa to speak Spanish.

“Where’s m’lass?” He asked, with a big fat grin on his face.

Asa and Fidel looked up at him, with his heavy Latin accent Fidel answered, “In the woods, you know her.”

The smile melted from Broc’s face, his heart began racing, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end - he turned from them dashing into his den.

Noticing how distracted Broc had been over the last few days, not his usual behavior had Boaz keeping an eye on him, just in case. Therefore, when Broc took off out of there without a word, he noticed.  For a moment, he turned back to working, but then – he realized what good friends they were and that he’d ignored him long enough. With that thought in mind, he too stood and headed out, calling back to others working, that he’d be back – then set out tailing his friend, it was time they talked – to find out what was going on with him.

Conclusion…

The woods would always be her favorite place. Asiza walked along with rabbits dangling from the leather strip she used to carry back her catch.  Her next stop was the stream to check her snares beside the path there. This was her home, where she could breath, think and feel truly alive and free. She felt for a certainty, as sure as she’d been born in the woods, there too, she would die one day.

Striding along wearing doeskin and rabbit hides, her belly growing day by day, round and full - stretched out before her, healthy and strong, Asiza was most comfortable that way. Her hair had taken off growing so that it was down past her shoulders. She kept it braided and pinned at the top of her head. She was earthy, natural and lovely beyond words in the world she was born to flourish in – and flourish she did. Her skin was breathtaking with such a rich and smooth walnut hue. Her hair shone like velvet with its curls and waves. Her father’s green eyes with a touch of hazel gold were bright and clear. Despite what was happening between her and Broc, when she walked about her woods, all was right in her world. Surrounding her, were trees, hills, peaks, streams and valleys – that was all that she needed.

While yes, indeed it was true that her husband had bought these woods with gold, at one time – it had been her people’s natural home.

Long before anyone walked this portion of the earth, her Negro ancestors had walked it first. By visits from various Asian and European nations, there came to be the various Indian tribes that grew and spread across the American landscape. If the land hadn’t been snatched from them, where they now must slave in their own home, there would have been no need for her husband to buy it with gold.

It had at one time, already been theirs. Now, they needed to purchase and gain what once came naturally to them from God.

In her home, in her closet, she had all the best gowns of current fashion that money could buy, to fit into this new world. Yet – when at home, in her woods, on her land, she wore tanned animal hides. She had learned to be more than what one saw – she was at home in the woods, or she could dress and expound upon any topic or discussion thanks to the education she’d received along with lessons on proper etiquette. All of it, necessary now in this new world, to be and remain free.

At the stream, she stopped to see that she’d successful trapped a nice number of crawdads - they would taste wonderful in a fish stew. She went to kneel down in order to bring them out of the stream when suddenly the birds in the trees suddenly took flight, as if startled by something, or… someone.

She looked around her and then stood, turning she froze. Shocked, caught off guard, her eyes fixed on a lone man, with a bow and arrow in hand, pointed right at her.

Carrig had been waiting for the right time.

He’d camped out in their woods, found her snares and watched and waited for her to appear. Waited for her to come near to where he’d stationed himself. Finally, his chance had come. He couldn’t right out attack her, she might scream and he wouldn’t use a pistol for fear of alerting anyone. The kill had to be swift and silent.

Holding his breath, he lifted his bow, slowly pulled back his arrow, aimed at her chest just as she stood and turned to him. About to release it with steady hands, he heard… a
click
.

Throwing him off, his head turned slightly to his left as if in slow motion, his target, Asiza, faded into a blur for his eyes to refocus on the man he knew as his son.

He felt the searing burn to his temple before he heard the loud report. The last thing his eyes observed, was the smoke from his son’s pistol as he released the arrow while he fell.

Asiza had already started lunging into the stream in hopes of dodging the arrow that came her way. His distraction sent it off target far up into the air and to the right – missing her entirely – never even coming  close.

Her world went spinning as her hands dug into the bottom of the stream, into wet and cold pebbles and sand. Stunned, she watched the water rushing by her change from crystal clear to scarlet red – blood.

Head buzzing, the sounds around her were distorted. She thought she might have heard her name being shouted, she couldn’t be sure. Asiza pushed back onto her haunches, lifting her hands from the stream. Cold water rushed around her as she turned to look towards the man who would shoot her - he now lay face down in the water, the current moving him along to bring him towards her. Large outcrops of logs and rocks snagged him, to be washed over by the rushing stream.

As if in a dream, she heard shouting men and looked up to see her husband splashing her way, running full out. Upon reaching her, his eyes were filled with tears. He grabbed her so quickly, so mightily that not even her pregnant weight or the weight of the water her garments had soaked up stopped him from snatching her up and into his arms. He held her high against his chest, sobbing her name over and over, “Not m’Seeza, no no not m’Seeza!” He wailed.

She wasn’t hurt, just stunned.

He stepped back out of the stream, holding her so tightly no one could have taken her from him.

Asiza squirmed a bit in his arms, concerned about him, he was breathing heavily, shaken, “Shhh, I’m not hurt, Broc…I’m not hurt.” She tried to soothe him he was so upset. With her arms around him, stroking his hair back from his face, she kissed his brow, wiped the tears from his eyes, “I’m not hurt… I’m fine.”

He shook as he gulped down air, holding her to him as he slowly made his way back through the forest.

There were others standing by the stream, speechless, watching him. Boaz was one of them. They looked toward his father’s dead body and then back to Broc, “I’ll pull’em out, we’ah bury him in the cemetery.” Boaz offered.

Broc turned with wet, red blazing eyes, “Not in my cemetery you don’t. Toss the bastard on the rubbish heap and burn him with the trash.” He bit out cold - turning back, he carried his wife all the way home.

He held her there, in bed for hours – refusing to come out, as if afraid to leave her side. Asiza held onto him, stroking him, comforting him while they lay wrapped around each other, realizing that nothing they had… meant more to them than having each other.

Days later, one night, he lay awake after loving her. His mind went back to that time in the steamboat when they were first coming north and he asked her what her dream was. He remembered her answer, thus – the dream had certainly come true, but now, he wondered what dream she desired and asked again.

Stroking her back, he waited to hear the answer.

“I – want to see my mama and suga… I really would like that.” She confessed after some thought.

“I’ll arrange it. Manny, his wife, they’ll help us to that, right after the baby is born, I promise.”

Funny thing was, back around the time of the Christmas dance, Manny and Lena had already gone behind their backs and contacted Suga, or rather, Lady Sarah Abigail Caine. So it was quite a surprise that four days later, early one morning – no sooner had Asiza finished dressing and was waddling thru her home, that they all heard a great commotion out front. Following her husband and Asa onto their porch, they watched a large ornate carriage pull up alongside their home. The door to it opened for a handsome man to step out and turn to hand down first a young and elegantly attired woman.

The moment both feet were on solid ground, she looked up at their home and then down into Asiza’s eyes.

Asiza screamed her sister’s name, “SUGA!!!! SUGAAA!” She rushed down the stairs and into her baby sister’s welcoming arms. Holding on tight, both of them sobbing, Asiza looked up into her mother’s dark eyes. She had just passed a small child, a little girl to the man standing by, her sister’s husband. Suga turned letting her sister go, so that she could go to their mother. Cora grabbed Asiza to her, holding on tight, to hear her daughter humbly declare, “I made it mama, I made it after all.” Cora squeezed her tight proud for it to be true, because she’d trained her daughters well and they cried once more.

The news had spread and before long, Millie, Nettie, Tori, Ruth and Ivy were there as well, in tears to see Ms. Cora again, and to see Suga. In the house, the women were all tearful, laughing, talking and making plans – excited because soon the baby would be coming.

Outside, on the porch Broc eyed his brother-in-law up and down, reminding himself that not all of England’s elite were rotten to the core. As one man eyed the other, both knew there would be some adjustments required on both their parts.

Three weeks later, Asiza Whalen, gave birth to a hefty baby boy, who was named after his great-grandfather, he was now, Eamon Whelan II – the second.

The end…

For now… until the next Fancy tale… *wink*

* Please check footnote references provided on the last page…*

Amber Swann Publishing Inc.

The Clover Grove Fancies

Flight of Fancy

What’s next?

à>Bomaw - Volume 13<<-

Saoirse

Fancy Free

Rest of Books in Series to come

The Fancy – Bk One - Published

Flight of Fancy – Bk Two – Published

Fancy Free – Bk Three – to come

Fancy That – Bk Four – to come

Taken a Fancy – Bk Five – to come

Fancies for Sale – Bk Six – to come

Holidays are coming up… wish to purchase more reasonably priced copies in paperback for loved ones? No problem.

Go to
Lulu.com

They have our Webster Fields Trilogy in paperback,

Cheaper than the price at Amazon…

Search for…

Princess Ces’alena

Gold Raven

Family Reunion

Aphrodisiac

The Fancy

All paperbacks priced within your range. What better gifts

For mom… grandma… a favorite aunt – or friend.

Unfortunately, due to site hacking, we will no longer be able to offer our Bomaw drama series online as a free read. Due to the hack, it was all lost and would require time we don’t have to put all 102 episodes of it back.