by Londyn Skye
James took a deep breath to calm his rising rage, his chest visibly heaving before it slowly settled. “Laws that only eva’ ensure huge financial profit and political gain. Laws that ensure slaves only eva’ be compensated with pain and sufferin’ for all their hard work. Politically and financially thrivin’ off the brutal free labor of otha’s … that’s the sort ‘a powa’ and control the Confederacy is fightin’ for. They’re willin’ to slash the hearts of every Union soldier to maintain that level of powa’ ova’ a class of people they’ve deemed inferior … includin’ one ‘a the most brilliant women eva’ born on this earth.
“My Lily and my litte Rose. They’re the reasons I’m here. I wanna rob the Confederacy of the powa’ they have to get away with the despicable things my fatha’ and brotha’ did to my wife and daughta’. I wanna help us move toward a nation where everyone in these United States has the right to open a store, stay home and be a lovin’ motha’, or an artist, a teacha’, or present her musical dreams in a symphony to a bunch ‘a bums like us, without the laws ‘a this country standin’ in the way like a goddamn brick wall. Anyone who has a dream in this country should have the right to decide to pursue it. That should neva’ be decided by some demon who owns them.
“We need to win this war. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. We need to win. For every woman like Lily, who wants to maintain owna’ship of their dreams. For every fatha’…” He paused and swallowed hard. “For every fatha’ like me who wants to experience the joys of fatha’hood without fear of their child bein’ taken away … or senselessly murdered.” He again swallowed the lump in his throat. “We need to win this war … there are no otha’ fuckin’ options.”
The last of his words seemed to harmonize beautifully with the chirping crickets and crackling bonfire. His whole speech resonated like Lily’s music in everyone’s ears, bringing a hint of tears to their eyes in much the same way too.
James walked away before his own tears had a chance to escape in front of his men. He breezed past Amelia, who hid her face as she wiped away the tears in her eyes. There was no need to hide her face, though. James had not noticed her; he had locked eyes with Elijah. He was sitting on a tree stump on the outskirts of the group, sharpening the blade on his bayonet as he glared at James with lowered eyelids. James reciprocated the glare, daring him with his eyes to use his weapon. James was not surprised that Elijah seemed unaffected by his words. However, James was surprised that a drunken question had revealed how the Dream Symphony had impacted such hardened soldiers. Such a touching thing led James to feel equally unaffected by Elijah for once. He breezed past him with no urge to choke the man for a change.
James walked back to his tent on a high, his pride at immeasurable levels. The fact that his men still remembered Lily with such fondness all these years later reaffirmed to James that she was a woman born for greatness. He reached in his backpack and took out the book that was meant as Lily’s first birthday gift. James suddenly had an epiphany as he gazed at it. In some ways, the man who bought it was responsible for the mesmerizing symphony that had inspired a band of barbaric soldiers. One tragic day had been a critical turning point in Lily’s life that set the wheels in motion for the beginning of her musical journey. It was a journey that ultimately had a ripple effect on him, Austin, his soldiers … and even a president. It was one tragic day that caused James to weep the day he read about it through the tear-filled eyes of Levi Collins …
Chapter Twenty
January 13, 1845
Twenty-four hours, most often an innocuous time period that drifts by without a second thought. On busy days, some people wish they had an extra sixty minutes, but today I wished I had an extra sixty years. Every microsecond of the next twenty-four hours will undoubtedly be the most excruciating of my life …
Levi tiptoed into the chicken coop and quietly snuck up behind Maya. “Feelin’ any betta’?” he suddenly asked.
Startled, Maya quickly turned around, dropping her empty basket. “Oh lord!” she laughed at herself, placing her hand over her heart. “You’re as sneaky as a cat, I swear.”
Levi laughed. “I’s hopin’ my sneaky ways could get this beautiful smile to emerge,” he said, softly brushing the back of his hand along her cheek. “I ain’t seen it much since that nasty cold took a hold of ya’. Your symptoms subsidin’ at all yet?”
Maya’s smile broadened. “Yes, definitely! I feel much betta’ today. I owe that to your cat-like ability to sneak me some medicine … and that amazin’ homemade soup!” Levi had snuck the old family remedy into Maya’s room and left it at her bedside while she was napping with Lily. She had opened an eye and caught him leaving as he hurried out.
“You liked it then?” Levi asked.
“Loved it! It was really good. Worked wonda’s for my sore throat.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I’m not well unless you are,” Levi said, tenderly placing his hand on Maya’s cheek. His gentle touch sparked warmth from Maya … but sparked instantaneous rage inside his wife, who just so happened to catch a glimpse of the rare fleeting moment.
Emily had forgotten her purse while heading into town and had returned to retrieve it from the kitchen counter. She glanced out of the back window just as Levi placed his hand on Maya’s cheek. She then slowly stepped out onto the back porch to get a better view, and saw the way that Maya covered Levi’s hand with hers as it rested on her cheek. With her mouth agape, Emily continued to glare at the pair as Maya closed her eyes, tilted her head, and melted into Levi’s touch. The way Levi then gently kissed Maya on the forehead, and embraced her, turned Emily’s smoldering rage into an inferno.
Surprisingly, in all the years that Maya had been there, Emily had never once seen an interaction like that between the pair. It was a moment like that that Emily was trying to catch during the months she had randomly shown up in the barn after Lily’s birth. But she never caught them doing anything more exciting than milking cows and shoveling horse manure out of stalls. They were such an excruciating bore that Emily finally ceased her efforts at literally trying to catch her husband with his pants down. However, she never knew that the boring scene in the barn was a facade.
For years, Maya and Levi had been extraordinarily careful with their actions around all the children, especially Lily. Keeping their feelings a secret was a responsibility they both took very seriously. But Levi’s loving nature made it impossible for him to refrain from expressing his emotions for Maya in small ways, whenever he was confident they were alone. As they stood in the chicken coop together, he assumed it was one of those moments. As misfortune would have it, Emily had caught a glimpse of an extremely rare moment when Maya and Levi had let their guards down. The display of affection was over in seconds, but their brief encounter would soon prove to carry hefty lifelong consequences.
Levi emerged from the chicken coop, walked toward the barn, but froze when he saw his wife still on the farm. He was certain she had already left to take Dallas to the dentist in town. His heart picked up pace when he noticed the anger in Emily’s body language as she scurried up the steps to Maya’s cottage. Levi glanced back at Maya, who was still gathering eggs, oblivious to the fact that they had likely been spotted. He then began trotting toward the cottage to see what trouble his wife was about to cause.
A few times in the past, Emily had snooped in Maya’s room in search of more proof as to her husband’s continued infidelity. She was certain that she would find prophylactics or perhaps some of Levi’s clothing. However, her random sneaky searches had never yielded any damning evidence. Maya had created a secret compartment inside her wall that she was always sure to keep her telescope and music box hidden in. In Emily’s state of hysteria this time, though, she began ransacking Maya’s room like a mad woman. As she tossed items around in a blinding rage, she accidentally loosened the plank on the hidden compartment. The music box immediately fell out. Emily nearly threw up when she opened the lid and saw the color of the two figurines dancing to th
e piano tune. Even though Emily hated Levi, the beautiful creation in her hands suddenly caused her to burn with jealousy. Never had her husband expressed his feelings for her in such a way. In fact, it had been years since he said that he loved her at all. Even then, she could feel his words to be more out of obligation than truth. He had certainly never bothered to hand make her anything, ever. Only Emily’s desire to keep digging inside the wall stopped her from hurling the music box across the room and shattering it into pieces. As she was pulling out the telescope, Levi finally entered Maya’s room.
Emily quickly turned around, her face fire red as she glared at Levi. “Did you make this for your whore?!” she shouted, thrusting Maya’s music box in his face.
Levi just stared at his seething wife without saying a word.
“What about this telescope?! Did you spend our money to buy this for her?!”
Again, Levi did not reply.
“You had the audacity to spend money on that whore?!” she screamed, slamming the telescope down on the bed.
Levi pinched the bridge of his nose and blew out a frustrated breath.
“DO YOU LOVE HER?!” Emily suddenly spat.
“Lily’s my daughta’! Of course I love her!” Levi fired back.
“I don’t mean that little heathen! I’m talkin’ about your whore!”
“Why the hell do you care, Emily? You’ve neva’ loved me!”
“ANSWA’ THE DAMN QUESTION!”
“YES, I LOVE HER!” Levi erupted.
Burned by Levi’s bold confession, Emily gasped, took a step back, and stared at him with scathing eyes. Loving Lily was one thing. But, now, learning the true depth of his feelings for Maya instantly plunged her into madness. Emily tossed the music box onto the bed and stepped toward her husband, her eyelids lowered into angry slits. “For nearly ten years, I’ve kept quiet about the fact that your demon spawn is runnin’ wild around this farm! And now you have the audacity to look me in the eyes and tell me you’re in love with her motha’! I refuse to take anymore of your blatant disrespect! You’ve humiliated me enough!” She put a finger in Levi’s face. “I want you to get rid of ’er,” she said through tightly pursed lips.
“Jesus Christ, Emily! Don’t you think you’re overreactin’ about this!”
“Overreactin’?!” She threw her hands on her hips. “My husband fucks a slave, has a baby with ‘er, and now I find out he’s in love with ’er, and you think I’m overreactin’?! You’re lucky I don’t divorce you, take your boys, and throw you off this property! There ain’t a court in the United States that would grant you a thing on this farm afta’ I tell ’em about the cheatin’, nigga’ lovin’, son of a bitch that you are! I want ’er gone or that’ll be your future!”
“I’m not gettin’ rid ‘a Maya! We hardly have any help on this farm as it is!”
“Not your whore! Your illegitimate mutt! I want ’er gone!”
“Have you gone mad?! Lily’s innocent in this!”
“I don’t care! I don’t wanna spend anotha’ day starin’ at your abomination!”
Levi pinched the bridge of his nose and blew out a frustrated breath while trying to think of a way to deescalate the situation and silence the irritating sound of his wife’s voice. As long as we have each otha’, we’ll be alright, Levi suddenly recalled Maya telling him years before. Selling Maya and Lily was the last thing he wanted to do, but he was certain that he would have some semblance of peace, so long as they remained together. “Fine Emily. If it’ll give you peace, I’ll take ‘em both down to the auction this weekend. That’s the end ‘a this conversation. I don’t eva’ wanna hear a word about this again,” he replied, taking a step to leave.
“Oh no,” Emily replied. “I neva’ said anything about sellin’ your whore.”
Levi froze. “What?”
“You heard me. I only want that heathen outta here. Not your whore!”
“Goddamn it, Emily! There’s no way in hell I’m sellin’ that little girl away from ’er motha’!”
“Don’t you mean sell ’er away from you?! Don’t think I neva’ saw you sneakin’ in here to give that little mongrel all the stupid presents you made ’er for Christmas! I saw you wakin’ up at the crack ’a dawn to pick them damn apples off the tree for her! I see the way you stare at ’er now with that stupid grin on your face, gazin’ at ’er with pride in your eyes, like you were responsible for producin’ the world’s next queen, when Lord knows she ain’t gonna do nothin’ but grow up and be a whore just like ’er motha’!”
Levi suddenly gripped Emily hard by the chin. It took every bit of his strength not to slap every drop of saliva out of her mouth instead. “Watch your goddamn mouth!” he snarled through gritted teeth. “Don’t you have a bottle ‘a liquor to shove in this filthy trap ‘a yours instead ‘a standin’ here insultin’ my daughta’?!”
“Take your damn hands off ‘a me!” Emily yelled, slapping him across the face. “I want your little creature gone!”
“For what?!” Levi bit back, unfazed by the blow. “Maya’s the one you’re bothered by!”
“That’s exactly why I want ’er to stay right here on this plantation! I know how much she loves that little bastard! I wanna watch ’er suffa’ without ’er daughta’, just the way I’ve had to suffa’ with ’er! I wanna watch ’er kick and scream and holla’ as you drag that little mongrel away from here. I wanna see ’er drop to her knees in agony and wail like a dyin’ animal. Day afta’ day, I wanna watch as she slowly shrivels and dies without ’er daughta’! And you too! I wanna watch you both mourn the loss of your little mutt! It’s my turn to watch you both ache the way I have! I wanna see those pathetic tears in your eyes as you drag your little bastard outta here! I wanna see the way your whore recoils at your touch. I wanna see the coldness in ’er eyes every time she glares at you! I want ’er to hate you as much as I do!”
“I don’t give a damn what you want, Emily! So, I’m gonna say this one more time! I refuse to tear Maya and Lily apart! I’ll sell ‘em both togetha’! Now, this conversation is ova’!”
“If you don’t get rid ‘a that little creature, I swear to God, I’ll ruin you! I’ll spread it all ova’ this town that you’re a nigga’ lova’! I’ll see to it that you rot in prison for procreatin’ with a slave!”
“I’ll do the hard time with a smile on my face before I sell that little girl away from ’er motha’!” Levi snarled. He then turned around to leave.
“I figured you’d say that … nigga’ lova’! Don’t think your noble sacrifice of doin’ hard time is gonna save your mutt and your whore from bein’ torn apart. While you’re rottin’ in prison, I’ll sell the little heathen my damn self!”
Levi froze near the door but kept his back turned, too disgusted to look at his wife.
“And I’ll be sure to give ’er that long ova’due whippin’ before I sell ’er off to a place you’ll neva’ find ’er,” she added coldly.
Levi spun around, his face fire red as he glared angrily at his wife.
“Hmph, I figured that would stop you in your tracks,” Emily snickered, glaring just as hatefully back at him. “One way or anotha’ … she’s leavin’ this damn farm.”
“What happens to Lily, happens to you,” Levi said through gritted teeth. “I already warned you.”
“Be kinda hard for you to retaliate behind bars, now won’t it?” Emily taunted.
“Take your anga’ out on me! Not Lily! Not Maya! Me! Leave them outta this!”
“Hell, you’re so caught up in tryna be your whore’s hero that you haven’t even once thought about the impact all ‘a this will have on your own sons, have you?”
Levi’s eyes hovered to the ground when his sons suddenly bombarded his mind. His facial expression softened, and his demeanor instantly changed.
Emily smirked when she noticed her words had finally taken the fight out of him. “If there’s anything you love more than your whore, it’s those snot-nosed little boys. And I know how much they re
spect and love you too. I hear you preachin’ to ‘em all the time about bein’ respectful to women, tryna teach ’em to be upstandin’, God-fearin’ gentlemen who abide strictly by God’s laws! You always prancin’ around here on your moral high horse! Got your boys lookin’ up at you like you’re some kind ‘a god. They probably swear you shit roses and piss holy wata’! But little do they know, you ain’t nothin’ but a sinna’ shrouded in a holy robe! I’ll snatch you down off ‘a that horse, rip that robe clean off ‘a you, and unveil the devil you really are, right before their very eyes! I’ll destroy all the respect they have for you in a heartbeat! I’ll tell ‘em how their fatha’ is a self-professed God-fearin’, hypocritical adulterer! A nigga’ lovin’ adulterer at that! I wonda’ how they’ll feel when I tell ‘em the little slave girl they been playin’ with all these years is actually their bastard half-sista’?!”
“What the hell kind ‘a motha’ would consida’ hurtin’ her own sons that way?”
Emily threw her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side. “One who doesn’t give a damn about the little monsta’s you ejaculated into me. They ruined my life … I’d just be returnin’ the fava’,” she replied smugly.
Her vulgar statement made Levi’s face twist in utter disgust. “You’re clearly the only monsta’ in this family.”
“JUST GET RID OF YOUR BASTARD!” Emily huffed and stepped closer to Levi. “And if I have to lift a finga’ to do it, you can rest assured, I’ll drag her outta here without an ounce ‘a flesh left on ’er back! If you wanna maintain the respect of your sons and keep your bastard’s back unscathed, I suggest you get ’er outta here with your own two hands! If not, your little mulatto mistake and your sons will suffa’ dearly! The choice is yours!” She stepped toward the door and turned around one last time before exiting. “You have twenty-four hours!” she warned before storming out of the cottage.
With a deep-creased scowl ingrained on his face, Levi glared out the window of the cottage as his wife fled following her ultimatum. But Lily and Maya quickly stole his attention. They were far off in the distance, folding a sheet together that they had just taken down off the clothesline. The mother and daughter were talking and laughing as they went about their duties, completely unaware of the fact that a life-altering countdown had just begun. For the time being, Levi wanted to keep them both floating in the bliss of ignorance, while he thought of how to resolve the situation. He quickly began putting Maya’s room back in order, so she did not suspect anything was amiss. As long as we have each otha’, we’ll be okay, replayed in Levi’s mind as he straightened up the room. That notion had been proven for nine years at that point. Despite their circumstances, Maya and Lily seemed happy, blissfully so. Seeing how much they loved each other had helped ease the pain of not having the father daughter relationship with Lily that he had yearned for. Despite being forbidden to interact with her, he still cherished watching her grow. He picked up one of the many stuffed ragdolls that he had made and secretly left in Lily’s room for Christmas. The one in his hand seemed to be her favorite. She had carried it everywhere when she was smaller. Its missing eye and tattered ends were further proof of how attached she was to it. Seeing her joy over such things from a distance had given Levi solace. But now Lily’s joy and his solace were in jeopardy … and so, too, was Maya’s. As that fact crossed Levi’s mind, teardrops suddenly landed in the cloth eye socket of the ragdoll in his hands.