Harry appreciated the beautiful shimmering sun; it burned the backs of the slaves. Harry’s favorite tree was the weeping willow that swayed gracefully in the wind, to the slaves the branches were used as a whip. No, a church, a school, and kindness were not enough for them; they wanted freedom, equality, they wanted to go back to Africa or Europe. All Harry had to do was remember his days as a slave, but greed blocked his memory and money corroded his heart.[RL22]
During the Civil War, Harry did all that was in his power and finances to aid the Independent Southern States to win the Civil War. He met with the public officials, he attended KKK meetings, supplied clothes, shoes, food, anything the troops needed.
In 1863, His oldest son Charles was seventeen and Drew the youngest sixteen. He was taking them to town to enlist. Baerbel protested profusely, so much so she threw an adult size temper tantrum. She broke the mirror on her vanity, then went into Harry’s bedroom and broke his mirror, using scissors she ruined most of his clothes.
Harry did not flinch; he had his trusted slave, Joe to take him and his sons’ downtown. Once they reached their destination, Harry signed Charles and Drew up to serve and protect his beloved south. He made sure that the regiment his sons were a part of received two sets of clean uniforms, boots, four pairs of socks, clean underwear, and all the ammunition and guns they could carry. He stood proudly as he watched them march off to victory. Once they were out of sight, he told Joe, “return the horse and buggy, tell the misses nothing. Tell Clara to clean my bedroom, I will return when I am ready.”
“Yaw Sir, Massa,” Joe replied.
*******
Harry caught a train going to Boston. To bring the railroad to his small town, Harry donated a large sum of money, he rejoiced when the town named the station after him. The naming ceremony was a big festivity, downtown MacCall was crowded with people attending the program. There were speakers, and singers, and food, all for Harry.
While in Boston Harry met at the mill with his good friend Billy, who was about to retire from the company. Harry asked Billy to give the company a few more years and during that time train his predecessor.
Harry visited his parent’s gravesite, as he stood next to them, he looked around and in a short distance saw a very elegant woman standing in front of a grave. She looked familiar to him, to get her attention he cleared his throat. When she looked over, he gasped in surprise, for it was his fiancé, Stella. He wondered who had died? Whose grave was she visiting? One year after Harry’s parent’s funeral, Stella’s mother and father were on their way to England, but a storm came and sunk the ship, there were no survivors.
Twenty years after losing her parents, Stella's husband got pneumonia and never recovered, he died in the hospital. Like Harry, she had two children, a boy, and a girl, that were teenagers.
They left the graveyard, Harry took Stella to their favorite park, they became a couple again. Harry lied and told her that his wife had died giving birth to their third child, who after living for thirty minutes passed away in his arms. Stella was touched; she gently rubbed Harry’s brow with her gloved hand, and then cupped his chin in the palm of her hands and softly said, “all is well, I'm here for you.”
To Stella, he was the same soft gentle loving man she knew so long ago. With time passing, she had forgiven him, her love for Harry was etched in stone, never to fade.
Harry apologized for leaving her behind the first time. He claimed his parent’s death was too much for him to bare. Harry assured Stella that he was back for good, he took her out to eat on several occasions, she prepared picnic lunches, they went to the beach and took trips to the mountains in Vermont. Harry promised to purchase land, he said, “I want to build you the castle I promised years ago.”
Stella was happy to have Harry back in her life, but Harry’s mind and motive salivated at the thought as to how much money she was worth. He sweet talked her into marrying him, he bought her a ring with a large solitaire diamond rock. Stella was impressed and without thought said a soft resounding, “yes.”
In the back of Harry’s mind, he was thinking he had to return to MacCall and eliminate his wife.
Harry told her that he had to go back south to sell his house and pack his things, then after the war, he would return. Before Harry left, they began planning their wedding. Stella was excited, she clasped her hands in total joy. “When is the war over?” she asked.
Stella was thrilled about the wedding and being with Harry forever. Harry was pleased that he had made Stella happy, he adored watching her, she was beautiful, sophisticated, and fashionable. “I hope soon my darling,” he smiled and gently kissed her, “very soon my darling.” Harry was excited about their combined richness. His dream to build Stella a castle was becoming a reality.
Poor Harry did not know that Stella’s parents were not as rich as he was thinking. Nor did he realize that the title Mayor was a prestigious privilege that did not pay millions of dollars, though they lived well. Harry confused his love of money with a person, he did not love Stella, he adored her wealth.
Before leaving Boston, Harry visited Billy and Liza. They talked about the success of Liza’s book, Henry’s insane jealousy of their friendship. Harry asked Billy to make round iron rods twenty-two feet long and six inches thick. He placed an order for thirteen by thirteen feet solid iron plates that were to be six inches thick. He did not tell Billy the reason, he knew if he had, their friendship would be over. While Billy and Harry talked, Liza was in the kitchen singing and cooking. Her Moe was visiting. Harry stayed the night in one of their guest bedrooms. It was an amusing time for the threesome, they reminisced about their first meeting, the backroom, and the Evans. Harry’s visit was tense, but each played through the moment and made it comfortable.
Billy and Liza stood on the porch waving Harry off as he returned home. When Harry was out of hearing, Liza said to Billy, “you did not tell him about our new house in Vermont.”
Billy said, “something was different about him.”
“I noticed that also,” Liza said.
“What are the thousands upon thousands, times thousands of rods and plates for, why does he need so many?” Billy said in a confused tone.
Liza said, “so tall and gigantic.”
“I guess we will eventually find out,” Billy said as he and Liza entered the house.
Harry was at the train station when he realized he did not ask if Billy had heard from the Evans. Harry was young when he was at their home, he had no idea which way to go and find them. Harry remembered their house, kindness, and how much fun he had. If he would have asked Billy about the Evans, he would have learned, that Mr. Evans youngest son ran the farm with his dad. His older boy became a doctor, the middle boy moved to Indiana, opened a store, sold his father’s wine, hired several dressmakers, he sold rack ready clothes for men, women, and children. In addition, he retailed shoes, perfume, purses, hats, and undergarments. The Evans boys did well. [RL23]
Harry returned to the south in March 1865, a deliriously happy man. The train stopped in New York, while there, Harry bought Baerbel a gift; after all, he had been away for two years.
Whenever Harry had memories of his childhood days as Moe, his mother yelling at him, and Massa beating him, he thought of the color gray. He bought Baerbel a gray drawstring armlet, a matching parasol, and shawl. He also bought her gray silk material to have a new dress made for her funeral. He sent a telegraph asking someone to tell Joe his return date and time to MacCall.
Gaining Property
April 1865, the Civil War had ended. An outraged Harry, for the second and last time, disappointed his fiancé. Harry with his whole heart expected the South to win; he had plans to eliminate Baerbel and leave the plantation to Charles. He was going to return to Boston, where he would run the Steel Mill with Billy and marry Stella. His tactics took a detour in July 1865.
Harry became a dogmatic determined man to preserve slavery on his plantation through the endlessness of time. His plan, aspirati
on, and hope were to get his precious chattel back. The south losing the war turned Harry into a dominating demon that ruled with an iron fist. Without any remorse, Harry in this insolent egocentric culture, broke the law like a devious thief, in broad daylight, which turned out to be his death trap.
Billy had begun designing the molds for the rods and plates, Harry’s plan had commenced, and he was satisfied. If the south won the war, there would be no need for the iron rods, he would try and sell them. However, before taking his son’s downtown and signing them up to fight in the war, then going to Boston, Harry barricade himself in his room and formatted a plan. In essence, he was prepared for victory or defeat.
The South may have lost its authority over their valuable human property, “I will not,” he whispered aloud to himself. On Harry’s plantation, only eight slaves stayed behind, his other two hundred and forty-two had run away or joined the army. On the train, Harry’s thoughts got the better of him. Harry was no different than his wife, they both had their tantrum moments. If Harry wanted something bad enough, he had no qualms going after it by thievery or murder. Baerbel simply threw things.
Joe met Harry at the train station, before going home he had Joe to first stop past the MacCall's home. Lining the pathway to the stately house were trees filled with Spanish moss, Jo did not like the hairy matter, he thought it was haunting. He was glad Harry did not like Baerbel's parents, since their wedding, this was Harry's second time visiting. When they pulled in front of the house, Harry jumped down, went on the porch and knocked on the door. A female house slave let Harry in, she escorted him to the room where Mr. and Mrs. MacCall were drinking tea and eating tea cake.
It was a quiet Sunday afternoon; all the house slaves were in the slave quarters. The main color in the room was silver gray. Harry loath the room and it’s dull gray furnishings.
Harry sat next to Mr. MacCall, his wife began pouring Harry a cup of tea, “no let me do that,” Harry said as he reached to pour himself a cup. He hit her hand and the tea spilled all over the table. Harry jumped up and said, “I'll get your help.” He took the fancy tea kettle with him.
The train had arrived in MacCall earlier than Harry anticipated, which was in his favor. While waiting for Joe he went into a store and purchased a vial of poison, he put it in his pocket.
Harry saw the slave girl coming out of another room, he told her about the incident and that he would start another kettle. While in the kitchen, Harry noticed that the wood burning stove was still hot, he put more water in the kettle and poured the poison in the water. On the counter were two containers that had tea and sugar written on them, using his hand he put tea and sugar in the kettle. When the slave girl entered the kitchen carrying the items from the tea room, he told her that the tea was ready. She sat the things she was carrying on the counter, Harry saw a strainer in one of the cups, he got it. The slave girl got out three clean cups. Harry poured the girl a cup of tea, she smiled and said, “da’ cup foe’ you, Massa, mistress.”
Harry said, “just drink,” he held the cup to her mouth and watched her sip until it was gone. When Harry took the tea to the MacCall’s, the slave girl went to the window and waved at Joe, he smiled and waved back, she returned to the kitchen and died.
Harry entered the tea room with two clean cups and the tea, he poured the MacCall's a cup, apologized for the mess he made, and then sat watching the husband and wife sip their tea until the cup was empty. Mrs. MacCall said, “this tea is delicious.”
Mr. MacCall said, “sweet and tasteful.”
Harry smiled as he left the tea room and the mansion, he got on the buggy and sat next to Joe and asked, “did you see anyone?”
“Naw' Sir.” Joe lied.
When the slave girl waved, Joe thought she had a strange look on her face.
Two weeks after Baerbel's parent’s memorial service, Harry was happy because his wife, the only child of the MacCall's, got everything.
Harry was jogging up the porch steps when he detected, out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone coming. He turned, it was his sons slowly meandering up the long pathway, “they look like ragamuffins,” he said to himself.
Harry’s defiant outburst against the South losing the Civil War, confused many southern executives since he was from the North. Charles and Drew stood at the bottom of the porch steps and looked up at their father.
“Hi pops,” Drew said. “We’ve been gone for a long while.”
Charles stuttered, “The war is-is over, and it’s good-good to be-be home.”
“And you idiots lost,” Harry barked before entering the house.
After the Civil War, several slaves struggled to attain employment and regenerate their sense of self-worth. For too many years, they had been stripped naked and treated less than an object. Upon their freedom, they desired to regain family value, confidence, and self-respect, much of which was destroyed upon their abduction from the arms of mother Africa. The poor whites could not understand the reason they were treated like they were equal to the darkies. After the Civil War, all slaves entered the battle of hatred that was thrashed upon them. Still, the newly freedmen and women clung to the firm belief that America was home, and they would survive. Although free, the doors of opportunity were slammed shut in their faces. Several white slaves left MacCall seeking employment out of the South, while others remained and joined the KKK.
Letter from Stella
The stagecoach carrying mail entered the town of MacCall and dropped off the parcels and mail at a store that doubled as a post office. As the storekeeper assorted the envelopes, he came across a letter from Boston, Massachusetts for Harry V. Brown. An employee in the store ran out and told a few others about the Bostonian letter, the news spread like wildfire. The small town had never received mail from a northern state. Fortunately, for the storekeeper a crowd of people stacked in the shop just to see the return address. Many made purchases, in hopes it would help them to see the address. A male onlooker told the storekeeper that he would deliver Harry’s mail that had come in. The storekeeper looked around and spotted the other employee at the store, he said to the man, “take my horse and deliver this letter to Mr. Brown.”
The storekeeper looked at the gentleman that offered to deliver Harry’s mail and said, “I am sorry Sir, Mr. Brown will not take too kindly to strangers going to his home.”
Paula a young slave girl, entered the drawing-room carrying a tray of food for Harry when someone knocked at the door. Paula answered, when Harry heard a male voice, he stood next to his young slave. Harry recognized the man from the store instantly, he asked, “what bring you out this way?”
He handed Harry the letter and left, Harry called him back and gave him a few coins.
Harry whistled as he took two steps at a time going to his room. He read the letter and then laid the letter on the top of his chest-of-drawers. He was going to reply on a letter date.
Baerbel was in her room that was down another wing of the house, even so, she heard Harry whistling as he rummaged around his room and then went back downstairs. She tiptoed through the hall, peeked down the stairs and saw Harry going into the drawing-room. When he was out of sight, she went into his room where she saw Stella’s letter. Baerbel read the letter, Stella wrote how much she loved and missed him, his tux was ready, her dress would be finished by their wedding day. Baerbel continued reading how sorry Stella was about his wife's death and his three children, she ended the letter stating they were about to start a new family with each other. After reading the letter and hearing Harry whistling, the hairs on the nape of Baerbel's neck stood straight up. All the years they had been married she had never seen or heard Harry so happy. put the letter back in the envelope and laid it on the chest.
She went to her room and wrote to Stella, “I’s not dead, I’s neva’ had three babies, only two and they’s be alive.” She signed, “Harry’s wife, Baerbel.” She got dressed and had Joe to take her to town, where she mailed the letter. The very next day Baerbel w
as nervous, she wanted to stop the letter from reaching the woman. she had no idea what was going to happen, her mind raced a hundred miles an hour, what if the woman wrote Harry back? What if she came to the house? Did she speak proper like Harry?
On a hot day in July, Harry, his wife Baerbel, and sons were finishing lunch when he scooted back from the table and said, “boys, follow me into the drawing-room, Vance is coming over for a meeting.”
The Brown’s home décor was a Gothic theme; all the woodwork throughout the mansion was dark mahogany, even the furniture. In the high ceiling of the dining room were mahogany wood paneling that surrounded the base of the ceiling. A built-in mahogany and metal stand were positioned in four corners of the room, on each stand sat a three-foot gargoyle made of stone. Their wings spread up and out, knees bent, their torso leaned forward as though they were about to leap down on the family. Baerbel was extremely frightened of their big sharp off-white polished teeth, and their glassy piercing eyes that seared her bloodcurdling soul.
Harry, in contrast, was mesmerized by the beast apparent strength. He looked up at one of the gargoyles, took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It was as though his strength derived from the stone beast. A movement in the dining room caused him to jump, he looked at his wife with contempt, hate spewed out of his mouth, “Vance is coming over, clean this mess up.”[RL24]
Baerbel was short, she had soft tired blue eyes. Her heart-shaped face, untanned pale white skin, perfectly petite keen nose, and thin narrow chin was not the reason Harry married her. The capital that followed her in the union was his gluttony. Baerbel, answered back in a strong singsong southern dialect, “whys’ Harry, you’s talkin’ ta’ me likes’ I’s’ one of the darkies.”
Harry shouted, “woman, mind your place, tell Bella to fix something for Vance to eat, he will arrive soon.”
All But One Page 7