Family Reunion (32 page)

"What do you mean, they punished her!?" He asked, concerned.

"They... sent her to the grave. A lil'box in the ground look like a coffin. You go in and stay in till they lets you out. They close the top on you, and po' yo'water through this pipe, yo' food too. You got to stay awake for when they come, else the water splash in yo' face stead'ov you drinkin' it. The food ...horrible slop, but you better off eaten it, 'cause if you don't the bugs an' rats come to eat it. Ain't no way t'get away from'em either or the spiders."

Leon closed his eyes as the images went through his mind.

"Her friend come to see her that week when they put her in the grave. Boy, she raise some hell. Her friend got her out before she went through the fou'th day. Not too many can stay longer than a week, they fin' Carrie dead, she fell asleep and they pour that water in on her, she musta choke or drown. When Feline come out she had this streak o'white startin' on her hair right above her eyebrow." Francis touched her right hairline remembering it, "Feline couldn't talk fo'awhile…she scream so much down there, she mess up her throat."

"That's enough." He stopped her, "Tell me how she left?"

"I’on really know, I wake up one day and she was gone. I been hopin’ her friend got her out." Leon let out a sigh and was silent a moment.

"Thank you Francis, you've been a great help to us."

"You a friend or family to Feline?"

"Yes, family." A funny look came over Francis's face when he said that. "I hope you fin' her. I'm glad I could help."

Leon stared at her a moment, smiling he stood away from the fence, before he turned to leave he said. "Be ready tomorrow Francis, I'll be back to get you out of here."

Francis stood gazing through the gate at him as he walked away.

Never in her life had she set her eyes on such a fine and educated Negro man. She wondered had she heard right or was she daydreaming.

"Did he say he gone come back and get me?" She asked herself out loud.
"Lord…he say he gone come back and get me." All she could feel was the pounding of her heart. "Please…come back… come back and get me…please." Self consciously she reached up and stroked her shoulder length, coarse hair. It was in two braids as always, she touched her cheek and for the first time in a many years, she wondered what she looked like. She backed away from the fence and ran back to the building. Two white women were standing watching her the whole time.

"Was that a nigga we see at that fence talking to you?" One asked.

Francis stopped with wide eyes as she nodded, yes. "He got designs on you or something?" She asked Francis, who shrugged. "Go on get inside and tell the next she can come out for a bit." Francis ran obeying, with Leon McNeil heavy on her mind.

* * *

"I just left Nate and Dwight to tell you she and that woman is right here in town. They ate at Carmine's, now they at this ladies boutique. By the looks of it, they be there a while, the driver left'em." Davis, who was one of the men assigned to follow Lena, reported. "There is no time like the present, the first chance you get - take her. I'll get Patty to drive the coach, Wilkes and Moosey'll help you all to make sure nothing goes wrong. Don't mess this up, I want her today!"

* * *

"Excuse me, but could you tell me how I might find Mr. Webster's office? I have some very urgent business to discuss with him." Sandra asked the receptionist in the waterfront building.

"He no longer has an office in this building; he's now located closer to the wharf. He's either there, or at the Princess. Second thought, his daughter may be at the new building-…"

"His daughter?! His daughter?" Sandra asked twice, confused, and wondered.
'Does he have another child? By his wife maybe? Lena said their daughter had been lost to her…could she be with him as she’d hoped?'

"Yes, she works with her father and brother."

"Her father and brother?" Sandra swallowed and crossed her fingers, while silently saying a quick prayer. "Can you please sir, tell me their names?"

"Michael Webster and Golden Hope O'Brien."

"Oh my! Is she married? Of course, she must be! Oh I can't believe
it! I can't believe it! Oh Lena!" After her moment of exultation, she asked the receptionist. "You mentioned something about the Princess, what's that?"

"I really should not being providing this information... is this somehow family related business?"

"Yes…it is, very much so family related!!"

"In that case, alright, the last time I withheld this I was chewed out by him...how was I to know she really was his daughter?" He asked as if speaking to himself as he stood to give Sandra directions to the ship and his new building.

"It's one of his ships, called the Princess Ceś alena, I believe he and his family reside there." He answered, stepping through the door to point her in the right direction. Sandra thought she would burst with joy. They lived on a ship named after Lena. What man about to marry would live on a ship named after someone he once loved, if not for reasons of trying to hold onto that someone the only way that he could. Rushing toward the waterfront, she knew within her heart this man was still in love with Lena, he had to be. He had their children with him living on a vessel named for her. She knew she had to hurry and find someone to inform them that Princess Ceś alena was alive and well and living with her. She didn't have much time, Lena's fitting would be over soon, and she told her she'd be gone for only a moment.
'Oh Lena, if you only knew, if you only knew what awaits you!'

Hope went from one ship to another searching for her father, husband and brother, the three were supposedly together. She listened for her father's booming voice which had a way of rising above all others but he was nowhere to be seen or heard.

Making her way towards the Crest Horizon she saw her husband and brother working hard at loading. The pier was too crowded with crates and men to walk around in order to get to the boarding plank, so she went to the edge of the wharf and yelled up to them. "Mike! Mike!" She shouted over and over: jumping a few times and waving her arms in the air to get his attention. At the time he was holding the crane lever, as another crewman worked to secure the net that was threatening to unload its burden prematurely. He looked up and around agitated that someone was calling him at a time like that. He emitted a gruff growl to see his little sister waving her arms for his attention. With his brows drawn in impatience he yelled crossly.

"What!" Hope put her hands on her hips and threw her head to the side as if to scold him for his tone. "Where is daddy, I need to find him, it’s important!"

Finally the man secured the net
and Mike could help swing it over, doing so before answering his little sister who yelled up again.

"Mike, I asked where’s daddy?!"

"Bloody - hell!" He grumbled after someone came over to replace him, stalking to the rail of the ship to look down at Hope. "What in blazing hell do you want?!"

"My father!"

"Well I don’t know where he is, he was here only a moment ago!" He turned and asked one of the men behind him. "Anyone see where my father has gone?"

All those that heard shook their heads as Joe came up from the hold.

"Have you seen dad? Your wife is looking for him." Mike asked. "Where is she?" Joe went looking over the rail of the ship for her, pulling the work gloves from his hands. "Right there, stomping her foot and glaring up at me." Mike answered.
Joe looked to see her below, waiting
impatiently.

"Why do you want your father now? Can’t it wait until we meet at Carmine’s?"

"I need to talk to him, it’s about Rory!"

"What did she say?" Mike asked. "She said she needs to talk to him about Rory." The men had slowed down a bit as did the noise that kept them from hearing each other clearly, relieving them from further yelling. "What about Rory?" Mike asked her.

"I met him today and he acted so strange when he saw me, I have a feeling about him-…"

"Is that all you wanted?! That kid is always strange! Look, we'll be done pretty soon, go to Carmine's like you were told and quit interrupting our work over nonsense like Rory!"

Hope felt her anger rise. "You're such an irritating person! Maria bless her, should divorce you!"

"Oh bugger off!" Mike retaliated.

"You bugger off… I wish to speak with my husband! So go away!"

"Hope - just go to the restaurant! We will be along shortly. You can talk to your father then." Joe spoke up, cutting Mike off; aware they were gearing up for an argument. "Yes, scoot along little girl, do as your husband says, we have work to do."

"Oooh!!" She uttered as she turned and stomped off.

* * *

Rollo stood with his hands on his hips wondering if he should follow the boy or not.

He'd just been picking up some things from the mercantile for
Betsy while he was in town and was on his way to find Rory, when the boy almost knocked him over as he ran past. When he righted himself and realized who it was that had almost knocked him down, he yelled out, "Rory! Rory! Why the hell ain't you in school?! I was ‘bout t'come lookin' for you, ya' mama up all night waitin' for you!"

Rory had turned back rushing over to Rollo again, "I'm on my way home now to talk to her, can I get a ride, it's important."

"Yo' mama ain't there, she in town here with Miss Sandra." He replied.

"In town? Where?!"

"Why ain't you in school…wha's so important?" Rollo demanded.

"Rollo…I can't explain now, I need to find my mother, where is she?"

"She gettin' fitted fo' gowns at Seasons -…Hey! Rory! Boy!" Rollo stood watching him race away towards ‘Season's in fashion’. With a sigh, he stood a moment more, then turned and waved him off. There was no sense in him going back there, his part was done. The boy was located, now he could get back to his in town duties while the women shopped.

Rory was caught up in a whirlwind of disbelief. Everything had fallen into place, because he'd seen her with his own eyes and knew there was no mistaking it. Seeing Golden Hope had done more than shock him, it had jarred the memory of where it was he'd heard her mother's name before; Princess Ceś alena -
Huebana
. The name had flashed over and over until pictures began to form, the picture of him lying in bed. He had been eight years old, maybe nine. Lena had just returned from that place where Sandra used to take him.

He hated that place, it scared him going there. Yet every week for years she took him there, with no one ever telling him exactly what it was. It wasn't until years later that he'd learned his mother had been at Dustinhurst, a work house prison – which he thought, was for bad women who had committed some kind of crime. Among them also, were women who'd been cast off and unwanted by society. After she left him, things were different for him. All the love and attention he'd craved from her, Sandra had given him, hugging him, loving him, reading to him, playing with him, dressing him up, and passing him off, as her son.

So often, after her return, he’d wished she'd never come back, because he had Sandra, she was his mother, the mother he much preferred. It was during that time he had been able to forget who he really was.

Things were perfect then, Mr. Sinclair had gone away too
, around the same time his mother had, and all was as it should be. Yet as time passed, the day came when she returned. He had no idea, at the time, why she'd gone to such a place; all he knew was the shame of it. Often he told Sandra he wished she was his mother instead of Lena and on one of his visits he even told Lena that. He didn't care anymore, the hurt and pain of her rejection was buried and all she needed to do was stay away. Still vivid in his mind was the day Sheldon greeted her and Sandra on her home coming. He stayed away from her, watching her from afar as if she were an unwanted intruder of his life.

She looked around for him and spotted him peering covertly from behind a vase.
"Rory."
She called his name, he turned and ran. Then one night after she'd been home a week, he had lain awake in the room next to hers listening to her talking to herself.

At first he chose to ignore it but with each word she spoke, he could hear the torture and pain in her voice, and it affected him in a way he thought nothing concerning her ever would.

" ... no more ... no more ... how long? How long will you force this life upon me? I told you, you could have it back. I - I don't want it – do you hear?! I don't want it."
She cried.
"Make it stop… ple-e-ease… make it stop. Princess, princess, princess."
He heard her laughing then, rising from his bed, he crept closer putting his ear to the connecting door.

"I don’t want it God! Do you hear!? I don’t want it! You weakling…I cry, I cry, I cry and ...if you will not take my life, then at least give me the strength to do so myself! I told you, I don’t want it – n-now you take it back! You hear me?! Take it back! I don’t want it!!"
She was sobbing.
He’d knelt to peer through the keyhole at her, and saw her go into a rage. Snatching the sheets and spread from her bed, screaming for God to take her life, she’d knocked pictures from the wall and had thrown things across her room. Yelling for the faces in her head to leave her alone, whimpering,
"Michael … baby, I – I tried Michael…mama tried..."
He’d stood and cracked the door open to look at her, to see her snatching and fighting, and wondered who Michael was. He grew scared to see her in the throes of madness, afraid that at any moment she would attack him too. He’d watched horrified, as she swept the dresser clean, then her vanity, and stopped to stare at herself in the mirror, her hair was in wild disarray, her eyes swollen from crying as tears wet her cheeks, she’d swiped the back of her hand across her face, wiping her red runny nose, and laughed at what she saw.
"Look at you! Look at you. You coward! You beg for God to take your life ... take it yourself, go ahead! You want the pain to end, end it yourself, right here! Now! End it! Your whole life has been for naught! A waste! You were given a chance to keep ne of your children and what did you do! You pushed him away ... Oh God!”