Slave Girl (12 page)

Once he put voice to those words Hince didn’t seem worried. All I pray for is for him to be right. So does Aunt Tee and most especially Spicy. Hince can’t lose.

Thursday, December 22, 1859

We all gathered on the porch to see the Christmas tree lights. The tree didn’t look as pretty to me as it used to. Maybe Waith being here has spoiled the Big Times for us
all.

As hard as everybody done worked to get the place ready for the holidays, Briley Waith went to Mas’ Henley and tried to get our off-days cut short. I heard him say with all the runaways
happening, he thinks we should be kept bent over working so we can’t take time to study up on freedom.

Thank goodness, Mas’ Henley had sense enough to realize that he’d have a r’bellion on his hands if he didn’t give us the days off between Christmas and New
Year’s.

“Tell you what, though,” he told Waith. “I won’t give out any travel passes this year. That ought to cut back on any runaway attempts. Thank you for thinking ahead,
Waith. You’re a good man.”

I just wrote M-E-A-N in the ashes. Mean. The picture of Waith is clear in my head. This is going to be a sad, sad Christmas for folks who were hoping for passes to visit their loved ones on
nearby plantations.

Saturday, December 24, 1859 – Christmas Eve

Been so busy, I aine had a chance to write in a few days. Everything is ready for the Big Times – in the Big House and down here in the Quarters. Even the weather is on
our side. If it stays warm like it is today, we’ll get to eat our dinner outside.

Everybody is home for the holidays. Mr Harms stayed here, rather than go to his home. Clarissa and her husband are here from Richmond. The tree is up, the stockings are hung, and we’ve got
the cream ready for Mas’ Henley’s famous eggnog.

The Missus led the family in singing carols. As soon as I could slip away, I joined Aunt Tee and Spicy in the stables. That’s where the folks from the Quarters were having their Christmas
Eve dance. All under the watchful eyes of Waith, the overseer.

Aunt Tee served him a glass of danderlion wine. Waith drank it and ate a big plate of pickled pig feet, a roasted sweet potato and ashcake. Aunt Tee winked at Spicy and me, because she had put a
potion in his drink.

’Fore long, we looked for Waith. He was curled up like a fat snake, sound asleep. Slept through the whole party. He never guessed what had made him so sleepy. Thank goodness for Aunt
Tee’s potions – and the Afric woman that gave her the recipe.

Sunday, December 25, 1859 – Christmas Day

It is Christmas – all day. “Christmas gif ’,” we all shouted outside Mas’ Henley’s window first thing this morning. After the families from
the Quarters came to the Big House to greet the family and get their gifts, they hurried back to the Quarters to begin their Week of Sundays. Us who work in the kitchen had to work all day –
fetching and toting, wiping and cleaning.

Missy saw another side of Miz Lilly today. Missy was moving slow-like and whining about having to work on Christmas. All at once Miz Lilly popped Missy right upside the head. It hurt
Missy’s heart that I saw her get slapped.

I had Aunt Tee and Spicy bent over laughing, when I told her how Missy looked – eyes all bucked, mouth poked out – what a sight. She had it coming after what she did to Hince.

Later

Everybody in the Big House is happy because William stood up on his own today. I felt good seeing him standing up all by hisself, too. So that’s why he’s been all
happy. He knew about this. Mr Harms got lots of praise. Even Miz Lilly had to ’fess that Mr Harms had helped her son stand. He’ll be taking a few steps any day now.

I feel happy for William. I’d helped William come this far, too. I’d rubbed his legs and toes and sat with him when he was lonely. Nobody knew what I’d done – but I knew
and that made me feel well within myself.

Monday, December 26, 1859

Today begins the first day of the Big Times. No work for the field hands. For us in the kitchen double work –more toting, fetching. Yesterday after we had served the big
meal for the Henleys and cleaned up, we went down to the barn where there was a gathering going on.

Aunt Tee had made a cake from stuff I’d been sneaking out of the kitchen for weeks. All the elder folk stood to one side as judges. Somebody started patting the juba, clapping the tune.
Then came the couples, strutting the cakewalk. Hince and Spicy come out first – high-stepping and kicking their heels. They were wearing matching shirts that Aunt Tee had made from the cloth
Miz Lilly handed out. Everybody had to say they were a fine-looking couple. But they could also dance.

I had on my dress that Mama had made and the ribbon that Hince had brought me. Missy had on one of Clarissa’s dresses, too. But mine was better – because Mama had made mine.

Aunt Tee ’llowed that I could dance the cakewalk this year with a boy other than Hince. Me and Buddy Barnes, Miz Clarissa’s carriage driver, stepped together. He swung me up and
swung me down – from side to side and up the middle.

“You look mighty nice, Clotee,” Buddy Barnes said. My face turned hot and my head topped light – as light as my feet felt dancing with Buddy Barnes. As long as I live I will
never, ever forget dancing with Buddy Barnes – even though Spicy and Hince were the cakewalk winners. They each took a slice of the cake for themselves, then they let everybody else have a
bite.

Of course Missy was a sore loser – but she only makes herself look bad – keep pushing, pushing. Everybody knows how Spicy and Hince feel about each other. Missy should just give
up.

Friday, December 30, 1859

The Week of Sundays has gone so fast. Like most holidays it’s been filled with work – up the stairs, down the stairs. Bring me this, Clotee. Take that there, Clotee.
Clotee. Clotee. I wish I could change my name. It is always late when we finish. Eva Mae was so tired this evening, she just fell fast asleep up in the attic. I eased out of the kitchen without
waking her.

Saturday, December 31, 1859 – New Year’s Eve

In the Big House all the talk is about the race tomorrow. The Campbelles are here with their horse and rider. Their horse looks like a real champion – named Betty’s
Son. The rider is the size of a boy, but he has a lot of years in his face. I heard one of the Campbelles call him Josh.

Later

The Campbelles brought along three of their slaves who stayed in the stables with Hince. They also made good dance partners for us. Missy took one look at the young man named
Booker and claimed him for the rest of the evening. Aunt Tee called her a shameless hussy. I danced with the one named Obie. He was fun and had a happy laugh, but he wasn’t near as good a
dancer as Buddy Barnes. The one named Shad seemed shy – didn’t dance, didn’t talk. He left before the party ended.

After one of the dances the straw in the barn started me to sneeze. It always makes me sneeze and cough. Aunt Tee took me outside to get some fresh air – and sent me to the cabin to get
some cough syrup. When I passed the stables, I saw Shad standing at Big Can’s stall.

Sunday, January 1, 1860 – New Year’s Day

My God. Hince lost the race!

As best I can tell, this is what happened.

This morning it was bright and sunny, but cold – not a cloud in the sky. The course was from Belmont’s front steps down to the road and back, past the Big House, down to the river
and back again – about a half mile.

Carriages full of people began gathering on the grounds all morning. Hundreds were here by mid-morning. A few minutes before noon, Hince walked Can up from the stables. I could tell something
was wrong with the horse. Can looked spooked, jumpy, hard to handle. I caught a look of worry in Hince’s face. That spooked me.

At exactly noon, the gun fired and Can reared up, losing time that he was never able to catch up. The other horse won! We all were too shocked to believe what our eyes had seen. Hince
wasn’t supposed to lose.

Right away, Hince commenced to hollering that Can had been drugged. He was right. And I knew who had done it. Shad! “I seen him at Big Can’s stall last night.” I went running
to Mas’ Henley, all the time pointing a finger at Shad. He glared at me. “Please save Hince,” I begged. “Shad did something to Can, I know he did. I seen him,
honest!”

“I seen him, too,” said Aunt Tee. “Left the dance early last night.” Shad didn’t say anything. The Campbelles stayed calm.

Everybody started talking to one another, whispering about what had happened during the race. The Campbelles called for several men – all good horsemen to check out Big Can. Rouse Mosby
and Len Beans checked out Can. They said there were no signs of the horse being drugged. “Were they blind?” Can wasn’t acting hisself. Anybody could see that – who wanted to
see it.

The next few seconds were like hours. The Campbelles claimed that the race was fair and they had won the bet. The crowd agreed and sent up a cheer.

“You’ve cheated me, Amos Campbelle – you have, but I can’t prove it,” Mas’ Henley said real angry-like. Then he ordered them off his property.

The Campbelles tipped their hats and said they had other business in the area before going home. Say they’ll be coming in several weeks to pick up Hince.

“Please do something, Miz Lilly,” I begged her. “I saw Shad in the barn doing something to Can. He did. Please help Hince. Please don’t let them take him away.
Please.”

Miz Lilly snatched me by the arm and pushed me toward the house. “Hush all that crying, before I give you something to cry for. You’ll say anything to save Hince.” Through my
tears I could see her mean eyes, and I knew she wasn’t about to help Hince. She was happy to be rid of him. It’s hard trying not to hate Miz Lilly – but I do hate the cruelness
that lives inside her.

Later

Hince been like a wild man – walking, walking, never stopping. Say he aine going with the Campbelles. Spicy been crying all day, limp with crying. “I hope Hince
don’t try nothing foolish like running away,” say Aunt Tee. I hope not either. I got to do something, but what? What good is know-how if you can’t use it when you need it. I got
reading and writing, but it can’t help Hince. I feel like my head is in the big mouth of the lion, but I’ve got to be like Daniel. Be not afraid.

Thursday, January 5, 1860

It finally happened! Mr Harms done been found out. Hince tattled. How did he know?

Later

We’re all here at Aunt Tee’s cabin. I’m trying to write down all that’s been going on, so we’ll never disremember.

Spicy told Hince about me, Mr Harms, the one-eyed man, the abolitionists – everything. She asked me to forgive her. “I trusted Hince. I didn’t know he was gon’ tell on
po’ Mr Harms.”

I wouldn’t a-counted Hince ’mongst the tattlers either. It breaks my heart that he has.

Would he tell on me if he got scared enough?

Still later

Hince came to Aunt Tee’s cabin after the last meal, when he knew all of us would be here. “I aine going to the Deep South with the Campbelles. Why should I care
about a white man? It’s his life or mine.” Them words didn’t sound like Hince. He must be plenty scared. I would be – having to go to the Deep South.

Aunt Tee never stopped stirring the pot. She spoke. “Going to freedom this way would be a bitter road. Mr Harms may be white but he come here to help the likes of us. Wrong for one of us
to be the cause of his undoing.”

“What am I s’posed to do?”

“You’ve got to make this thing right, somehow.” Then with pleading in her voice, Aunt Tee went on saying, “Oh, son, if you gets to freedom, don’t let it be on a
river of innocent blood – or you’ll sour yo’ heart and soul.”

Hince dropped his head. “I aine going to the Deep South and that’s all there is to it. I’m purely sorry ’bout Mr Harms, but it’s him or me, and right now, I got to
look out after me.” He looked at Spicy. She didn’t say nothing.

I stood with Aunt Tee. “Mr Harms could have turned me in to win favour with Miz Lilly and Mas’ Henley. He never did. I owe him something. I’m gon’ try to help.”

Now that I’ve studied on it a spell, I can’t shake a stick at Hince without it pointing back at me. I told on Shad when I thought it would save Hince. And I didn’t care. Now
Hince done used what he knew to bargain with Mas’ Henley for his freedom. He aine about to go to the Deep South. I understand wanting to be free, but telling on Mr Harms aine the way to do it
– it just aine right.

Right now I feel like we’re the Israelites standing at the Red Sea. Pharaoh’s army is coming in chariots. Our backs are to the water. Mr Harms is tied up in the study waiting for the
sheriff to come. What we need is for God to push back the waters so we can cross over on dry land. We need a plan.

Friday, January 6, 1860

We’ve got a plan that might save Mr Harms. It may or may not work, but we’ve got to try to save him. We can’t just let him die. God, please help us like you
did the three boys in the fiery furnace.

Saturday, January 7, 1860

I’m still shaking from the cold and fear. It snowed all night, so the sheriff didn’t get here until this afternoon. This is what happened.

The sheriff and Waith came to the Big House. Spicy and me slipped in the side door and hid in the pantry where we could see and hear everything that was going on in the large parlour of the Big
House. If Mr Harms was afraid, he didn’t show it. He looked as strange and out of order as he did the first day I laid eyes on him – not at all like the picture of a brave and daring
abolitionist.

Just like we’d planned it back at the cabin – Hince said that he had seen Mr Harms talking to the one-eyed man down by the river. “The same one-eyed man who’s been
helping slaves get away.” Hince did a fine job.

Mr Harms said none of it was true. “I don’t know a one-eyed man.” That was good. We ’spected he’d say that.

Then it was time for Spicy to come in. She was so nervous, I had to push her two times. But she burst into the room, screaming, “Oh, please, Mas’ Henley, don’t hurt Mr Harms.
He aine done nothing wrong. Hince be just lying ’cause he’s jealous – jealous of me … and Mr Harms. Tell ’em, Hince. Tell ’em.” Spicy was even better than
when we practiced it in the cabin. I prayed Mr Harms would catch on to what we were doing. I had never gotten around to telling him what I’d told Waith about him and Spicy.