Princess Ces'alena (41 page)

“Do you know what you’ve done to him!?! Do you have any idea!?!” He tossed her back to the chaise, staring down at her in disbelief, with the shake of his head, he turned and ran from the cabin.

A moment later, Kayleen entered closing the door behind her. She went straight to the crying baby, picking him up. Holding him close to calm him, she looked down at Lena. “They gone now…they gone.”

She ignored Kayleen, stumbling up from the chaise she tossed herself onto her bed…hiccupping and sniffing into her folded arms. As Kayleen rocked the child she had an awful feeling in her stomach. “I’m gone take him to his mama and bring your Hope back, she make you feel better. Holding onto her, all the reason you need to understand why we do this. You can’t give in…you can’t! Every time you get tempted you need to hold her and think about if you willing to trade her, your own child…for a man.”

Charles rode into town looking for Manny. He went straight to Percy’s saloon first and that’s exactly where he found him. Remaining silent, he eased up next to him at the bar. Getting Percy’s attention, he ordered himself a drink. Manny made no move to acknowledge his presence; he stood with a bottle of whiskey and a shot glass.

Manny’s right hand was bloody and dripping on the bar, the blood slowly being drawn into the pool there from squeezing the first bottle until it shattered. Charles looked up from it to Percy who approached with Charles’s drink, careful not to say a word as the two of them made eye contact. Percy’s burning with curiosity as to what could be wrong.

Charles took his drink and gave a slight shake of his head. The body language was clear…to leave them alone. Percy backed up complying. Holding his own drink Charles stood next to his friend, quiet and waiting; matching his pose with his arms resting on the edge of the bar. Sipping, his own drink patiently.

Manny’s pride was strong; never had he felt so ashamed, so betrayed, and so devastated. His masculine ego was thoroughly battered. The thought that after all of this time he had finally been able to confess his feelings for Lena to his friend, but what had she done? Kicked him in the stomach! A horrible, caught unaware, kick in the stomach. So powerful in its delivery, he wanted to double over from the blow and weep. There was no way to hide the pain, or pretend that nothing happened. Because Charles had been there, and he knew that Charles had to have seen the child. A child he’d eagerly waited to be born. A child he thought was his own…a girl…the would be, Hope - and in his mind he’d already determined to name her, Golden Hope Webster.

No such person existed.

Instead what he found was a dark brown skinned baby with shiny, curly, jet black hair. Clearly not his child…Lena had been with another. He hadn’t even bothered asking who the, “Other” man was. What did it matter? He had freed her. But never in a million years would he have believed she would betray him. It didn’t matter to him that he had married and in a sense, betrayed her. She knew why…at the time, he thought it the only way to protect them all. Now look where it had gotten him! He was devastated, humiliated and heart broken to the highest degree, with no way to hide it, and not a rock in sight big enough for him to crawl under. He’d lost his. He’d lost the love of his life.

“Well…go ahead, say it…or better yet, laugh!” Manny finally spoke up offering Charles the opportunity to take a dip out of him. Manny filled his shot glass spilling some, then tossed it down, banging the empty glass back down to the bar.

“I don’t see a damn thing funny. If something was you know I’d laugh, but this my friend…this is not funny.”

“Hell! It is to me. One thing I know for sure, there’s a damn fool born every minute, and a complete one every other, and here sits an every other.”

“You’ll have to excuse me for disagreeing. Men do it all the time, giving their hearts to the wrong woman. They usually don’t find that out until she’s broken it.” Both stood a moment in silence thinking that over. “Why’d she do it Charles? Why? I thought she loved me?”

“I thought I knew her. For more than ten years I’ve loved that woman. At first, I thought it was just - just lust. But I - I could never get enough, -(he shook his head)- everything about her, had always been so gentle, kind and loving. Don’t get me wrong, she has spirit, and plenty of it…just get her mad, and…she’d - she always stood up to me if I were wrong about something and wouldn’t listen. The little thing, I could have crushed her with my bare hands, and…she never…no… never backed down. And now….well...” He swallowed as his eyes watered. “How could I have started out with it all, only to now…have nothing? Nothing that matters, my son is gone. And Lena-…” He looked down choked up, determined not to start crying in this bar.

“Look, we’ll move this to my room. We’ll scrounge up some food and…”

“I’m not hungry; I’m fine right where I am.”

“You’re not fine, and I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not, but it is almost one in the morning. Another hour or so, Percy will be shutting this place up.”

“
Aye!
Don’t pull that on me. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere! If you must stand here feeling sorry for yourself, by all means, go right ahead. But hurry up! Your son is out there, or have you forgotten about him already?”

Manny exploded, reared back and launched the shot glass into the bar mirror they faced,

“Hey!! Aaaaah – what are you doing?!” Percy yelled ducking from the flying glass.

Manny wasn’t done as he turned and launched the bottle of whiskey across the room shattering it against the wall. Those standing near yelled out at him moving quickly to avoid the spray of glass.

“Forgotten my son!? Hell no! And I can tell you this - Chester Sands - is a dead man!” He let go of Charles lapel and charged from the bar. Charles sighed deep, straightened his clothes, and looked at Percy.

Charles shrugged heading for the door. “Put up a picture or something, I don’t know.” He left as Percy angrily threw down his drying cloth. “And who’s gonna clean this up?!”

Manny stayed in town with Charles. However, despite their aim to get themselves together for travel, there were matters to see to before they left. Grappling with night depression forced Manny to the bottle; he couldn’t stand the emptiness that plagued him. Simmering as he stood on the sidelines watching Charles build a future with Mildred Hastings, while his own had been destroyed. So until all business was in order for them to leave, the idle evenings sent Manny on violent rampages at the Hastings. Banging at their door, and yelling for Katherine to come out. This went on until Stan Hastings got over his fear of facing the rampaging man; he stepped out trying to reason with him.

Manny was too drunk and hurt for reasoning with, he needed someone to grab a hold of and rip to pieces and Katherine was his choice for the moment. But of course, she wouldn’t come out.

The following night Charles happened to be there courting Mildred Hastings and discussing with her his plans to help Manny. After she’d filled him in on the events of the previous night and while they were discussing him, Manny turned up again, shouting obscenities and threatening to ring Katherine’s neck. Charles went outside and attempted to reason with him, trying to get him to return to town.

“No! I wan’ tha - Engli’bitch! That - that bit’witch! Ha ha ha ha ha!” He laughed at himself as he staggered backward and tumbled off the porch.

“Manny!” Charles shot growing angry. “Head back to town!”

It took him a few moments to get his feet beneath him, “I’ah burn’ nat’bitch out!” He threatened, barely able to see or speak coherently. Having seen and heard enough, Charles strode down the five steps, drew back his fist and cold cocked him. Manny dropped like a stone, out cold. Evening now ended, Charles went back inside, apologizing for Manny to the Hastings; said a few words to Mildred, and went back out, then with Stan’s help he hoisted his friend onto the back of his horse. With Manny’s horse in tow, they slowly headed back to town. The next morning, after a night of retching in which Charles cleaned up and aided him through, Manny sobered eating a huge helping of humble pie. He regretted his actions, and promised not to go near Hastings Manor again. He finally returned to the plantation the day before they were to leave again. Morris chastened and now eager to please Manny, immediately sought to know his plans.

Manny’s answer was cold and unforgiving. “I’m off to search for my son. I need to get as far away from this hell as I can, and don’t bother feigning sorrow father…it doesn’t suit you. It really is a shame you never accepted Michael as your grandson while you had the chance. Especially considering how badly you wanted one. Now, he’s gone, and if I don’t find him, you can scratch me off your will and my name from this deed. I don’t want it…or anything else you have to offer me.” All was stated in the study as Manny sat at the desk taking care of last minute business and responsibilities. Morris stood silent, lost for words to say to him. Without looking up Manny explained what he was doing.

“I’m writing out forms to free, Leon - Jordan - Henry and Amos. They know this plantation as well as I do, if not better. I’m appointing them as overseers to take care of everything with the power of selecting who is to do whatever they feel needs doing. I would advise you to back and support them. This is their home, they love Webster Fields and they’re loyal to you!
Why
, is beyond me…but they are. Don’t ruin it - you’ll find no one to do more - or better for you, and this plantation!”

He was writing and speaking at the same time. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, and frankly speaking - don’t know if I’ll be back.”

Ferrus popped in then. Manny looked up, “Yes umm, Ferrus - please send one of the young ones for Jordan, Henry, Leon and Amos to me…right away please.” Ferrus nodded and left the room, closing the door.

“Just in case any problems should occur, with Charles’ help, we’ve found four other white overseers. I’ve interviewed them, laid down the laws of how things are run here and instructed them that they are to follow Jordan’s lead. He will be head overseer over them all. Two are young, two are older with family’s; they’re new to the area and are some kind of Christian group. They’ll do fine here with Jordan over them.”

He continued to write. “Listed - here in the books, are the wages they’re to be paid. They’ll be coming out this afternoon, lock, stock and barrel. I promised them land to dwell on in the East field that we left clear for building more cabins. I told them whatever they needed would be provided for building. This plantation needs enforcements, the presence of white men with you behind them incase anything should happen while I’m gone will do that. I can’t leave the safety of those here to chance again. Between you and them, things should be fine. Do my mother a favor, don’t ruin what she started. She wanted Webster Fields to be something great, would you act as if you gave a damn at the very least, about her.” Morris stood listening as the others joined them. Manny stood passing out the documents to all he had freed, then laid out clearly, all he had been telling Morris, who remained listening and watching his son. Wishing he could turn back the hands of time.

Something about Manny was changing, there was a steady growing - hardness forming around him, a matter of fact method in his actions leaving no room, nor patience for dispute. A very distinct - take it or leave it attitude, as if all was handled in a cool detachment.

Morris didn’t argue with anything. All that Manny set into motion, he backed one hundred percent. He wanted his son back, and if this is what it took to get him, then so be it. Besides that, he knew Jordan and the others were more than capable of taking on the responsibilities given them.

A little later the new overseers with their entire entourage arrived on time. There was a large gathering in front of the mansion; curious slaves and Manny’s four selected freemen. Manny introduced the new arrivals to the slaves gathered. He also informed the slaves who stood in attendance what they needed to know to allay any fears of the new, additional overseers. Lena stood back from the others beneath the shadow of a massive oak, her daughter swaddled and bundled with a blanket harness against her body, and close to her heart.

There she stood - watching him as he paced back and forth speaking with the command of a splendid captain over his mighty vessel.

“I love you.” She whispered, and then shifted her daughter who was suckling at the time. “Look at your daddy Hope. Oh if you could only see him. What a man is he.”

“What you doin’ out here with that baby?” Ma’ Nicey slowly drew up behind her to ask, warning in her tone. Lena swallowed and ignored the older woman. “You get that chile back t’yah cabin gal! That man was to come at you right now-…”

“No chance of that…you see - he hates me.” She responded sadly, then turned and walked away. There was a resentment building in her for them, as well as herself. A resentment towards all those white and black that kept her from the man she loved. Lena walked on to be alone, because she knew…there would never be another in her life. There was only Hope and her now, she drifted off where she could be alone with daughter.

Manny continued speaking, ignoring the rioting emotions within him. Having spotted her in the distance at the tree, and watching, though he pretended not to, and then her slow departure, with the child nestled in its wrap — made him pause in his speech. He looked away, swallowed back the rush of emotion and finished. He wanted her…even after what she’d done to him, he still wanted her. But he had his pride. Everyone around him knew… she’d duped the master. She’d made a fool of him, and there was nothing in his pride that would let him run back to her. So he would suffer the loss, and suffer…he did.