WHEN GOD GIVES US SPRING - an excerpt
PAGE 101 - 107
With my outfit I fought hard throughout the south. It wasn't until after September, 1862 and the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation that many more free blacks signed up for duty. The way it was explained to me this Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by United States President, Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. He used his war powers and proclaimed the freedom of 3.1 million of America's four million slaves. I heard this proclamation immediately freed fifty thousand slaves, and nearly all the rest were freed as our Union Armies advanced.
These ex-slaves, including me, were called Freedmen but we never were made citizens of the United States. That never did bother me much anyway because I knew that once this Civil War was over I would be on my way home to Canada.
In May of 1864 when I was at the age of sixty-two, the Union Army came under the leadership of a fellow named Ulysses S. Grant. We clashed against Confederate General Lee in the wilderness. Lots of men around me were being killed. I prayed a lot to sweet Jesus and stayed alive to fight another day.
In 1865 I was with my black battalion and we were in the State of Virginia. That's when I did something I never thought I would do. Battle ensued. Men dropped around me while others advanced. I dropped down too. Yes, I pretended I was hit. I acted as though I was dead. I was quiet. I was still. My battalion carried on without me. I was sixty-three years old and that's when I decided to finally do something I'd been thinking about doing ever since I first signed up in 1862.
After taking off and burying my Union Army jacket I made my way to Master Alfred's plantation. I was surprised to see that the Union Army had not been here, at least not yet. Everything looked much the same as it had when I was my Master's house slave and sex slave. From my distant vantage point I saw the big house up on the hill; the big white house with the tall white pillars reaching up to heaven. From where I stood I could not see the slave shacks down the hill in back of the big house.
That's where I was heading and when I did finally reach the slave shacks and looked up to the big house on the top of the hill I hesitated, but only for a second. Was I doing the right thing? Yes, my heart decided. I knew what I must do.
It was quiet there outside the shacks. I wondered if they had all run away. But then I realized it was early in the day and no doubt they were all out working in the cotton fields. I raised my eyes and looked up to the top of the hill. I saw no signs of life up there either and began my trek up the hill.
The back door of the big white house was unlocked. I let myself in and looked around for Leona. I didn't see her or Wilbur and though I thought that was odd it didn't keep me from my goal. I walked from the kitchen at the back of the house through the dining room, the drawing room and then made my way to the library. Master Alfred was not at home unless, of course, he was upstairs in his bedroom.
I removed my shoes and in as quiet a manner as I could manage I began my climb up the stairway. My back hugged the wall in the upstairs corridor as I made my way slowly to his bedroom door. Once outside the door I didn't hesitate. Grabbing the knob, I turned it and pushed the door open before me.
That's when I saw him.
I had forgotten that I was not the only one who had aged throughout the years I'd been gone. Before me in a heavy dark wooden wheelchair sat an old white-haired man. His rheumy eyes were pinkish and his toothless mouth gave him a gaunt expression. He was much thinner than I remembered. I didn't know his age but like a ton of bricks it hit me that he must by now be at least ninety years old. Could I go ahead with my plan?
Looking straight at me he asked in his soft, trembling old man voice, "Who are you?"
"You don't remember me, Master Alfred?"
"Nope."
"Well, it's been a very long time."
"Michael? Is that you, Michael?"
"It's me, Michael," I answered. "Still alive and breathing God's good air after all these years."
"Where have you been, boy? What made you take off like that? You were my favourite. I told you I would always look after you. Didn't I tell you that, Michael?"
"Yes, you told me that, old man."
"What brings you back here, Michael? Have you missed me the way I've missed you all these years?"
"I'm here to settle an old score. That's why I'm here."
"Old score? I don't understand."
That's when I removed the gun from its resting place behind my belt. I pointed the pistol at the old man and .............
WHEN GOD GIVES US SPRING is a novella and it can be found on my Amazon Author's page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin
WHEN GOD GIVES US SPRING has received only five ratings but all ratings are 5 star and, even though this novella was published twelve years ago, on Amazon.ca it is still rated #534 in Black & African American Historical Fiction
WHEN GOD GIVES US SPRING is available exclusively on all Amazon sites in Kindle, Paperback, and Audiobook formats.
No comments:
Post a Comment