By Way of the Rose (2 page)

“Daniel, you can't mean that.” Marion frowned at him as she set his plate down. “The very idea that you'd even think such a thing!”

“Well Marion, wouldn't you like to have a doctor when you have the baby? All the Eastland's slave women do.”

“Not at the price of my freedom, Mr. DuVal.”

“What ‘freedom’ are the slaves giving up, if I may ask, Mrs. DuVal? The freedom to scrounge for food? The freedom to live in shacks, sod dwellings, or a cave dug out in the side of a hill? I ask you this, when is the last time any of us found enough ‘freedom’ to go fall asleep down by the stream?” He waved his fork in the air as he talked. A hint of his old Spanish accent flavored his thick southern drawl.

“Sure, we struggle, but we also have freedom to come and go as we please. If we did fall asleep down by the stream we wouldn't be hunted down like a culprit or an escaped prisoner! We have rights, rights that I enjoy and think all people should have! Wasn't that the whole idea behind this new country? Wasn't that why we all came here? Honestly, Daniel, you make it sound like a privilege to be owned and controlled,” she huffed. “How much did they pay you anyway? How much was it worth to them for you to risk yours and D.J.'s lives coming home in the dark over such nonsense?”

“Not a lot.” He slapped some coins onto the table. “Stingy old man Eastland ain't going to give a dime that he don't have to.”

Marion knew that Daniel was still mad about the day he'd gone to ask Mr. Eastland for a job because he had heard that their last overseer had been fired. Word for word he'd told her what had happened when he'd walked up to the large plantation house, a negro woman had come out to meet him at the steps.

“What's your business here?” She snorted as she stared down at him.

“I came to ask Mr. Eastland about being his overseer. I hear he needs one.”

“Master William done got another overseer. He don't need you, he don't need nobody now. So you can get on out of here,” she snapped.

“Well I didn't know he already had somebody. I was just looking into it.”

“You trash don't need to be lookin’ into nothin’ around here! So just take your business someplace else.” She squinted her eyes and looked at him sharply, “The less I see of your kind the better. I know you people come around to look and see what you can steal. I'm warning you, you take anything from here, our dogs will hunt you down and rip you to pieces!”

Mr. Eastland came out. “What's the trouble out here, Hannah Mae? What's all the ruckus about?”

“This poor trash come up here saying he wants to be your overseer,” the woman answered. “I told him you already got one and for him to go back where he come from but he won't leave. Um no, he's making all kinds of fuss! I know what he wants, he's seeing what all he can get!”

Mr. Eastland looked down at Daniel. “Go on away now and stop causing trouble around here.” He shooed Daniel with his hand. “Like Hannah said, we have nothing for you. Go on now, scat!” Mr. Eastland cut his gaze sharply at Daniel, “And don't you even think about trying to steal anything from my place. I'm tired of trash like you coming around and taking what you want.”

“I'm no thief!” Daniel's dark eyes were full of rage. “You have nothing I want except an honest day's pay for an honest day's work! I had no idea you already had an overseer, I was just asking, that's all. There's no cause for such a fuss and to look down your nose at me! I'm a man just like you are, and just as good too!”

“Humph, indeed!” Mr. Eastland twisted around on his black leather boot and loudly clomped back into the house.

“Get on outta here, you trash! Ain't you heard what Master William done said? You ain't no good, I sees it in your face. I know your kind!” She shook her broom at him. “Go on now! Get!”

Daniel turned and left that day without saying another word. Yet Marion knew that in his heart of hearts, he'd wanted to snatch that broom and beat them both within an inch of their pompous lives! “Thank God I'm not their overseer! I'd beat them all into next week! Me ‘trash’ when they act like pure heathen gods? As poor as I am, I know how to treat folks!” He'd ranted as he walked away. “Pompous bunch of Godless filth they are!”

Daniel was a very proud man and a strict enforcer of the family's moral standards. He put his family a cut above just plain old people or
poor trash
and to be talked to in such a way was almost more than he could bear. To turn and meekly walk away from such humiliation took everything he had in him and made him very bitter. This bitterness had begun to show in sour outbursts that Marion didn't like.

“I understand why you're angry, Daniel, but slavery isn't good for anyone but the plantation owners, you know that.”

“Deep down I know you're right. It's not our fault and it's not the slaves’ fault. Slavery's a blight on America. One that most American's don't like. It's just frustrating to me, that's all. It needs to be done away with so folks like us can earn a living too.”

“Well, when I grow up I'm going to end slavery.” John piped up.

“What are you gonna do, bookworm?” D.J. sneered. “You can't fight the slave owners when you're scared to even use a gun.”

“Guns can't settle everything, you know? Sometimes it takes brains.” John shot back.

“Everyone settle down now and let's finish our supper in peace. Slavery won't be ended tonight.” Daniel scolded.

After breakfast the next morning, John sat at the end of the table reading, as usual, when Daniel walked by and thumped the back of his book. “Do you think you could part with that long enough to do your chores?”

“Yes, Poppa.” John closed the book and laid it back on the shelf. He went down to the stream to gather the fish from the net. As he went he pretended he was Captain John Smith scouting out the new world for the first time. He watched all around him for Indians hiding in the bush and maybe he would even get a glimpse of the beautiful Indian Princess, Pocahontas.

The net was loaded with fish. John picked eight of the biggest and best then let the rest go free. After cleaning his catch, he took them in to be cooked for the noon meal.

“Oh, these are nice fat ones, John. None of us will go without plenty today!” Marion smiled in approval.

“Where's Poppa?”

“He and D.J. are down checking the traps. You can go help them if you will.”

John hurried along the way. Daniel and D.J. had already emptied three of the traps. There were two rabbits and a raccoon.

“Hey, Poppa. Momma said I should help you empty the traps.”

“Well, I'd rather you take these up to the house since you don't know where I placed the traps. I don't want you stumbling upon one that hasn't gone off yet.” Daniel threw him a gunny sack. John cringed as he picked up the dead animals and stuffed them inside. Daniel laughed. “Son, you are going to have to get over your squeamish ways. This is all a part of life. If they don't die, we do. A man has to do what must be done. You've got to toughen up, son.”

“I know, Poppa, but do I have to like it?”

“No, I guess not.” Daniel admitted. “Just so long as you do what you have to do.” He smiled. “You're a good son. You know, it's time you learned to shoot a gun, I'm going to take you hunting with me soon.”

“How soon?” John frowned. “Will I have to shoot animals?”

“Don't worry... it won't be today, just take those on home and be sure you tie the sack high on the porch.”

“Yes, sir.”

Daniel Jr. walked up carrying two more rabbits and threw them on the ground in front of John. “Take these while you're at it.” The lifeless animals hit the ground with a hollow thud; a shiver shot up John's spine as he picked them up with trembling hands.

Later Poppa would skin the animals, tan and stack their hides. He would sell the furs in town along with eggs, potatoes and corn. They would put the money up until winter shopping time.

They would also get permission to glean and pick the leftovers in the plantation cotton fields before they were plowed under. Going through the humiliation of having to, in a sense,
beg
tormented Poppa's proud nature. But Momma's forcefulness won out. “There's no need to have it plowed under when it can help us and the owners don't mind!” She would say. So off they'd go to glean in the fields. Momma would comb out the seeds and cord up yarn for thread. Leftovers were used to stuff the feather mattresses or as batting for quilts.

As the days passed, fall cleaning time came around. The pillows were opened and the feathers put out in the sun to air and fluff up. Sometimes there would be a tightly coiled wad which had to be taken apart. Marion told the children these were crowns. Feather crowns, she'd say, were caused by someone having a beautiful dream about Heaven or by someone's head pressing the pillow as they lay dying. Since no one had died they figured the feather crowns must have been caused by Heavenly dreams. John wondered if he'd had a heavenly dream and had just forgotten about it because sometimes he didn't remember what he had dreamed.

While everything was airing and sunning, the inside of the cabin had to be washed down. Floors, walls, beds and tables were scrubbed. The stove was blacked and windows cleaned. There wasn't a spot that wasn't thoroughly gone over before winter started. “There won't be a bedbug on the place now. I doubt there will be one within a mile of here with all this ferocious scrubbing.” Daniel chuckled in his throaty manner.

This was John's favorite time of the year. The heat of summer had passed and the field labor was over. The trees had turned colors and from far away looked like flowering bouquets. The falling leaves drifted on the breeze and coated the valley with a thick colorful carpet that crunched under his steps as he gathered the wild apples and hauled them to the back porch.

John watched Daniel and D.J. as they skinned and cleaned the deer D.J. had shot that morning. Daniel cut and placed some of the deer meat in syrup cans, then nailed them to the porch rafters. “There, that'll keep the wild beasts from getting to it.”

John really didn't care if the wild beasts did get to it. He'd had his fill of deer steak over his brief eight years and he was sick and tired of it. He'd never had a piece of beef in his entire life and chicken was for special occasions like the Fourth of July or Easter. Sometimes there would be a turkey if they were lucky.

Daniel had made a box over the rocks in the stream bed to hold things like butter and milk. It was like a spring house only it was a box. Before winter set in they'd pick the garden to sell in town and stock up for winter months. Potatoes were banked, apples dried, grapes and nuts gathered and wood cut and stacked. The fall garden was planted full of rutabagas, sweet potatoes, turnips, mustard, onion, cabbage and collards. Little care went into this garden. It fairly grew on its own, free of the weeds and bugs that the summer garden had to endure. By the time the cold set in, most everything was done, except for the occasional deer or other meat which could be hunted all year. Now they could settle in for winter knowing the hardest part was behind them. The day's work was done by early evening and supper was on the stove. It usually consisted of dear steak, biscuits and gravy or potatoes.

As the family sat around the roaring fire Daniel read
Poor Richard's Almanac.
Marion and Agnes worked on clothes for the new baby that was expected around the first of the year.

John was reading the adventures of John Smith, yet again, by the fire light. Daniel Jr. cleaned his rifle, his pride and joy, while Nathan watched every move he made in brotherly admiration. Cora slept peaceably in her trundle bed.

Suddenly there was a loud commotion on the back porch. Daniel threw down the almanac and jumped from his chair. “What in the world is going on out there?” He rushed toward the window. “Oh, sweet Lord above!” He shouted as he looked out.

“What's wrong?” Marion ran to Daniel.

“It's a blasted bear! He's getting the apples!”

John and the other children crowded at the window to see the bear as Daniel Jr. went to load his freshly cleaned gun. John watched as the huge black creature dumped another basket of apples onto the porch floor and began to devour their juicy sweetness. His grunts and the chomping of the apples sounded loud even in the cabin.

“What in the world is going on here?” Marion looked at Daniel. “Shouldn't the bears be hibernating now?”

“They're supposed to be, but this one obviously isn't.”

Daniel Jr. rushed toward the back door with his loaded gun in hand.

“You're not going to shoot him, are you?” John shouted.

“That's good meat we're looking at out there, so yeah, I am. One less bear to worry about anyway. They'll rip you apart in a minute and not think a thing about it.”

“Don't shoot it! It was just hungry. It hasn't done anything terribly wrong!” D.J. ignored John's plea as he pushed past him.

“Get out of the way and stop being such a tit baby!”

“Children, get away from the window.” Marion herded them back to their places.

“Don't do it!” John shouted at his brother who kept stomping eagerly towards the cabin door. “He's not hurting anything!” John ran to block the door.

Marion pulled John back as Daniel Jr. pointed his rifle through the door and fired a shot into the bear.

John cried, “You shouldn't have done it! You shouldn't have! We have plenty of meat and food. It didn't hurt us to share with a hungry animal!”

“We need all we can get. That hide will bring a pretty penny too. You're acting like a baby— grow up!”

“You did good, son.” Daniel patted Daniel Jr. on his shoulder. “And as for you, young man,” Daniel glared at John, “you are going to have to learn the difference between reality and your dream worlds. The reality is we can use that bear to make life better for us. It's shameful the way you acted tonight!”

“Yeah, little tit baby!” Nathan stuck his tongue out at John.

“No need for you to chime in, Nathan! I can tend to him.” Daniel turned back to John. “Do you understand what I'm saying to you?” John sniffled as he looked away from Daniel in contempt. “You look at me when I'm talking to you, boy! I believe it's been a while since you felt my strap on your backside, have you forgotten what it feels like? Do you need your memory refreshed?”