Storm Clouds Rolling In (52 page)

Carrie continued to follow Sarah into the woods.
Finally, they broke out into a wild field lush with growth. Sarah walked more slowly and then stopped. Carrie came up beside her.

“This here be the yarrow plant, Miss Carrie.
Get a good look at it.”

Carrie bent close to examine the plant.
The stem was covered with a sort of staircase of blue-green leaves split up into many teeth like a comb. Its flowers were clustered together into little white parasols.

“Sometimes them flowers be pink.
The thin’ to look for is them leaves. You’ll know it ever’ time that way. Some of the healers call it thousand-leaf. You got it in your head, girl?”

Carrie nodded.
“I think so.”

“Good, but just knowin’ how to find it ain’t gonna do you no good.
To most folks it just be a pretty flower. That be because they don’t know its magic.” Sarah’s eyes glowed.

Carrie stared at the plant and waited for her to continue.
It certainly didn’t look magic.

“This plant here be good for a lot of thin’s.
We’s goin’ to take some back for yo mama ‘cause it be good to fight that fever she got. Fever be awful hard on the body and the heart. This here little plant be good for the heart, too.”

Carrie looked at the yarrow with increased interest.
“What do you do with it?”

“Not so fast!” Sarah chided.
“You still gots to know what it does.”

“It does
more
?”

Sarah nodded.
“Them thin’s I told you. They just be the extras. The yarrow really shines when it comes to stoppin’ bleedin’. It stops bleedin’ better than any plant there is. Least ways, any plant
I
know ‘bout.” She reached out and took hold of the flowering plant. “This plant be too far along for it to do any good. You’s got to find the plants that the flowers ain’t opened up yet.” She scanned the area around her until her face lit up and she moved to a patch a little farther on. “These ones here. They be perfect. See how the flowers be just startin’ to open? Now’s the time to pick the leaves and the big flower tops.”

“How did you learn all this, Sarah?”
Carrie asked wonderingly.

Old Sarah shrugged.
“The magic just gets passed on,” she said simply. She reached forward, snapped the tops off several plants, and picked a large handful of leaves. “Put these in your bag, Miss Carrie. You can learn what to do with them later.”

Carrie did as she was directed, enthralled by what she was learning.
She did have doubts about the plants actually working, but the medicine the doctors were sending her was doing nothing. She was willing to try anything.

Sarah was already moving away from her, this time looking up.
Carrie followed her example, but had no idea what she was looking for. Finally, Sarah came to a halt under a large tree at the edge of the woods. “There!” Triumphantly, she pointed upward.

Carrie stared.
“Mistletoe?” she asked in disbelief.

“Ah, you know ‘bout mistletoe already?”
             

Carrie laughed.
“I know they hang it from doorways at Christmas and girls wander underneath hoping they will be kissed.”

Sarah laughed, too, and then sobered.
“Can you get me some?” Her face said she wasn’t going to say anymore.”

Carrie shrugged, pulled up her skirts and nimbly climbed to the first limb.
She had been climbing trees for as long as she could remember. She had decided years ago that she wasn’t going to let long skirts keep her from doing what she wanted to. Straining upward, she was able to grasp a large bunch of mistletoe and yank it loose from its grip on the tree. Face flushed, she jumped down from the tree and handed it to Sarah.

Sarah grinned and held it up like a prize.
“This here magic plant needs to be picked before any of its white berries pop out on it. Now, Miss Carrie, you listen to me careful on this one. Mistletoe be a magic plant for sure, but only for them who knows how to use it. Too much of this plant be poison to a person. You’s has to know how to use it,” she repeated. Then she pointed to the leaves. “There ain’t no berries here. Them berries—they carry the most poison. You don’t
never
want to use them berries.”

Carrie nodded quietly, drinking in the words of the older woman.
Every part of her mind was alert and keyed in to what she was learning.

Sarah looked at her closely and seemed satisfied she was getting it.
“Your mama be having bad headaches. She be havin’ dizzy spells, too?” Carrie nodded. “This here mistletoe will help her. Put it in your bag.” Then she was off again.

Carrie’s head was spinning
when they got back to the quarters just before noon. From now on she would take a notebook and pencil out on their expeditions. Never had she tried to cram so much information into her head in such a short amount of time.

“Now we learn what to do with all this,” Sarah said.

Carrie shook her head to clear it and watched as the old lady unloaded their treasures out of the bags. Yarrow, mistletoe, onion, mint, poppy, broom, thistle, dandelion, and various other plants came spilling out to pile up on the table.

Sarah looked up.
“You be hungry, Miss Carrie?”

Carrie nodded faintly, suddenly aware of how weak and famished she was.
She had done no physical exercise since returning from Philadelphia and her legs ached from their hours of tramping through the woods.

Sarah nodded, eyeing her closely.
“You go’s and get you a good meal and some rest. Check on your mama. Come back tonight. Then old Sarah will show you how to draw the magic out of these here plants.”

Carrie smiled weakly.
“I think that’s a good idea. I’m pretty tired.” She stood up slowly.

Sarah, still as fresh as when the morning had started, rose to put a hand on her arm.
“You’re a good girl to want to help your mama. But you’s got to take care of yo’self too, Miss Carrie. It ain’t good for you to be cooped up in that house all the time.” She frowned. “Tell you what. Ever’ other mornin’, you meet me here. We’ll go out into the woods. Ain’t but one way to learn the magic. You got to get out and meet them magic plants.

Carrie smiled at her old friend.
“I would like that Sarah. Thank you.” She turned toward the door and then swung back. “I’ll be back tonight.”

Sarah nodded and continued to sort through the plants, crooning to them as if they were precious loved ones.

Rose was standing on the porch when Carrie broke out into the lawn around the house. Carrie sped across the grass. Rose saw the fear on her face and smiled reassuringly. “Your mama is fine. Marse Cromwell came in for a while and wanted to spend some time with her.”

Relieved, Carrie dropped down on the front steps.

Rose laughed at her exhausted expression. “Keeping up with my mama is rather a challenge, isn’t it?”

Carrie smiled.
“She is a remarkable woman. My head is swimming with everything I learned today.”

“Do you think those plants are really magic?”
Rose asked skeptically.

Carrie shrugged.
“I know a lot of people who would turn their nose up at it. I also know medicine doesn’t have all the answers. I don’t see any reason to throw out all the old just because something new has come along. It’s fascinating,” she said, “and I love learning it.” Briefly she told Rose of Sarah’s plan. “I’m going to do it. Will you sit with my mother?”

“Certainly,” Rose replied.
She looked at Carrie closely. “Go sit on the porch swing. I’m going to bring you something to eat. You look all done in.”

Carrie stood slowly.
“Thank you. I guess I am a little tired.”

“Here.”
Rose reached into her pocket and pulled out a thin envelope. “This will give you something to do while I get your food.” Carrie reached for it, and a wide smile exploded on her face. Rose smiled and disappeared into the house. Once inside, she leaned against the hallway wall and struggled to bring her raging thoughts under control. What she would give to be able to have a relationship like free people. It was obvious Carrie was in love with Robert Borden. At least it was to her. She was sure Carrie didn’t know it yet. When she did there would be nothing to keep them apart. They would never have to worry about one of them being sold and never seeing each other again. A noise caused her to straighten and continue her movement down the hall. She had fought her bitter feelings for weeks now. Would there be no end to them?

Carrie settled down on the porch and spread her dress around her.
She fingered the envelope, closed her eyes, and allowed the fragrant breeze to wash over her tired body. The smell of fresh-cut hay filled the air with its heavy perfume. She had always loved haying time when the tall grass lay in thick swashes on the ground, drying in the sun, waiting to be piled into huge mounds to provide feed for the animals through the winter months. After several long moments she opened her eyes, refreshed. She smiled and tore into Robert’s letter.

          
Dear Carrie,

I am sorry to hear from your father’s latest correspondence that your mother is still so ill.
I hope daily for her renewed health, and my mother sends her deep concerns and best wishes to her.

Carrie frowned and put down the letter.
Why was her father corresponding with Robert? Her brow cleared when she remembered Robert was helping her father with some of his political business since Thomas was not free to leave the plantation. All of that seemed so far away. The conventions, secession, Lincoln—they all seemed to belong to a different time. A time before her mother consumed every waking hour and thought. She continued reading.

I have tried to get away but so much here at Oak Meadows demands my attention.
My brother has left to pursue his dreams in Richmond, so I find myself with more to do than I have time for. I will be glad for the harvest. Once again I will have time that is my own.

The real purpose of this letter is to let you know I will be coming to Cromwell the latter part of September.
I have some business to conduct with your father, and, of course, I am eager to see you once again. I have not forgotten that you promised to give me a tour of Cromwell on horseback. I intend to hold you to your word.

Sincerely,

Robert

TWENTY-FIVE