Billy laughed and said, “we Bought this with the money from my wife’s book.”
Charles said, “I’m impressed, you own two huge houses.”
Three months after Charles arrival in Boston, Billy presented him to a beautiful young woman, that had dark brown hair and big green eyes. She captivated Charles heart the first time he saw her. Before Matilda, when Charles moved to Boston there was a fresh new field of women, Charles was having fun.
Billy noted that Charles was a hard worker and lover, to slow him down and get him focus, he introduced Charles to Stella’s gorgeous daughter. Billy’s plan was to get Charles to settle down, the strategy worked, Charles fell in love at first sight. Matilda’s eyes and big beautiful sunshine smile won his heart.
With Charles focused and in control, The Brown Steel Mill production increased to one ton his first year in Boston. Charles told Billy he wanted to triple sales the following year.
Eighteen months after meeting Matilda, Charles asked her to marry him. She said yes, and for the next six months, she planned the wedding with her father’s sister. At first, Matilda’s family were reluctant, after all, Charles was the progeny of Harry. But Charles was over the top handsome, charming, and charismatic, he could talk a lion to eat a carrot out of his hand, and not harm him. Matilda’s American and European family adored the young man.
Six months before the wedding Charles mailed three separate invitations to the mansion. Baerbel collected the mail, kept hers and gave the other two to Harry. One month later, Baerbel sent a letter to Charles asking for money, she wanted to travel to Europe to her father’s home. She complained that Harry only gave her fifty dollars every month and that was not enough to travel.
One month later Baerbel received a letter from Charles asking her to attend the wedding and meet his bride. Baerbel replied through a telegram, just send da’ money, I am leavin’ yo’ father and ain’t got time foe’ a weddin.”
Charles told Billy about his mother’s message, Billy said, “send her the money. Don’t try to make people do what they don’t want to do. You’ll only irritate the person.”
Charles sent the money.
Four months before Harry’s shindig, Baerbel was on a ship going to Europe. Baerbel had written a letter to her father’s sister stating she was on her way.
X
MacCall Family Lies
On the ship heading towards England, Baerbel boasted about being related to the queen through her father’s family. She had never been beyond her little country town, seeing all the elegant people, ladies dressed in the latest fashion she had never seen, and the men were dashing. She was happy that Charles had given her thousands of dollars, she was planning to purchase all new clothes. She envisioned going shopping with her aunt, she would purchase the latest fashions.
Baerbel was failing at trying to fit in. When she was born, everyone in Titleburk and MacCall, rejoiced. She, after all, was the daughter of a wealthy prominent man, who the town was named after. Baerbel never had to make friends, because everyone rallied around her. On the ship, away from home was another experience.
Baerbel styled, she smiled, she walked with the fingers on her right hand gently resting on her collarbone, as she nodded and smiled at each passerby. She perched her lips, walked with her head held high, her nose pointed towards the sky, she squinted and fluttered her eyes. In her mind, she resembled a high-class woman, no one, was greater than she.
When the boat docked, she departed with the flair of what she thought made her look superior. And then, she looked over and saw two toothless dirty people holding a sign with her name written on it. She turned and said to the people behind her, “the queen must have sent them.”
Baerbel father’s people were not rich, they lived down a wet rat-infested alley. Eleven people lived in a four-room flat. A pot sat in the corner of the room as the toilet. There was no well or water to bathe. Her family took her money, sold her jewelry, and all her clothes, excluding one dress. In the matter of a month, Baerbel was dirty, sticky, stinky, and broke. Her second month in England, she was bitten by a rat, she became very ill. Lying in bed, she said to her aunt, “I should have gone to Boston.”
Her aunt said, “you were a fool for coming here alone. Didn’t your dad tell you about us, and where he was raised.
Baerbel said, “father had a thick southern dialect.”
Her aunt said, “so, he didn’t tell you about his home.”
*******
Charles and his new bride went to New York to visit his mother’s people. He learned that she lied to him from a storekeeper where her father worked. Charles grandma was raised in a New York slum. A high bridge was the dividing line, coloreds on one side and whites on the other. Charles grandma met his grandpa one week after he got off the boat from Europe. They met, got married, moved to Vermont, bought a house, and in a few years sold it and moved south to a town without a name. Within a few months and lots of practice, the MacCall’s had a deep southern drawl. Charles said, “Tilda, my grandma is nothing but a lie, she said she was from a rich family.”
Charles and Matilda stayed in New York for two weeks and shopped after learning about Charles grandma. They mailed their purchases home and got on a boat to Europe, where they first visited Matilda’s relatives, who were doctors, professors, or business owners. Matilda’s family were successful people. The older ones remembered meeting Harry when he traveled to Europe with Stella. They had nothing good or positive to say about Harry. Charles apologized for his father’s misgivings, his wife family liked Charles, he was excepted as one of them.
Matilda’s brother, Morris had moved to Europe, he took them around to the different sites, the threesome had a grand time together. Charles shared with him what was going on with Billy and the Steel Mill. Morris told Charles that he was tired of being away from home, America. He said, “I plan on moving back soon.”
Charles said, “join me at the Steel Mill.”
Morris said, “done. I’ll return in a few months.”
Charles said, “you have a job.”
After spending two weeks with Matilda’s family, the couple’s next stop was Charles grandpa family.
Before leaving Morris told Charles, “meet them in a park, not in their home.”
Charles said, “I was going to invite them to our hotel room.”
Morris replied, “not a good idea.”
Charles asked, “how do you know about my family.”
“When you sent the itinerary of your visit, I went to see them for myself.” He paused before saying, “not good.”
When they left, Charles wife said, “I know what you’re thinking, do not do it. Get word to them and let’s meet them in the park.” She looked at him sternly and said in a demanding tone, “hide your money.”
Charles took his wife and Morris advice; it was a good thing. William MacCall relatives were prostitutes, drug addicts, and alcoholics that resided down a rat-infested alley, where people threw their waste and garbage out the windows. Their hair was matted and dirty, their teeth were yellow or missing, they and their clothes were filthy. Charles inquired about his mom, he looked at one of the women strangely, she had squeezed in a dress he had seen his mom ware. One of the men said, “she was weak and sickly.”
Charles asked, “sick from what?”
The woman wearing his mom’s dress said, “she got bit by a rat.”
His aunt said, “young man I am your aunt, we git bit by rats all the time, we okay.”
Charles asked, “did you call a doctor?”
A man said, “I am your father’s older brother, he always send us money, do you have any money.”
The woman wearing Baerbel’s dress said, “We ain’t got no money for a doctor.”
“She had money,” Charles said.
Another female said, “that was gone before she died.”
Charles looked at his wife and said as he grabbed her hand, “I’ve heard enough, let’s go.”
A female asked, �
��You got money for us.”
Charles turned beet red and yelled, “mom had enough money to get you out the slums. You chose to be stupid and spend it all.” He saw a police officer in the park. He looked at his filthy poor relatives and yelled, “officer!”
Charles looked around; his relatives had scattered. Matilda said, “call the police again, let’s follow them, with him by our side.”
Three policemen went with Charles and Matilda down the filthy alley. When Charles saw where his mother stayed, he cried and said, “she should have come to Boston.”
Charles had given his mother five thousand dollars, her family spent it faster than lighting flash, on booze, drugs, and gambling. When Charles, his wife, and the three policemen arrived at the rundown apartment, Charles aunt was the only one home. Standing outside trying to see in he asked, “take me to see my mother.”
His aunt said, “she’s dead.”
Charles was stunned. His heart his mind became blank, like an empty barrel. Charles wife said, “she died because you did not call a doctor.”
Charles aunt said, “we didn’t have the money.”
“My husband gave his mother five thousand American dollars,” she yelled so loud the police had to calm Charles wife down, she said softer, “you could have gotten a bigger cleaner place to live.”
Charles spoke up, he looked at the police officers and said, “Sir, you’ll find drugs in there.”
His aunt protested profusely, Charles and his wife left, the police officers entered the apartment, they found the drugs. Also, the officers were glad that Charles had left, otherwise he would have learned that his mother was not bitten by a rat, instead she was raped several times.
Before Baerbel died, she recalled hearing the house slave women crying for help when Harry’s friends had their way with them. She yelled when the memory of laughing at Bella’s daughter crawling on the floor and out the kitchen door struck in her mind. She cried hard because it was her idea to lock Jo in the barn and keep Bella working late. Baerbel sat up and pushed the man off her, she yelled, “no!”
Charles aunt grabbed a pan and hit Baerbel in the head. Right before dying, she had visions, she saw a young teenage girl face as though the child was standing there. Baerbel’s last memory was of sending an elderly man out to the girl. When she heard the girl screaming, Baerbel left and joined the others in another room. When the man was finished with the girl, he joined the others. As he entered the room Baerbel winked at him. Baerbel last words were a loud babble, “dey be slaves, I’s a rich white woman.” Unbeknown to Baerbel, when the man joined the others, the girl entered the kitchen got a glass, went outside. She and young Bo chopped the glass up until it looked like grains of sugar. Bella made lemonade.
After remembering the telegram that she had sent to Charles and realizing she should have gone to Boston, Baerbel inhaled and died.
Her aunt and the others went to Baerbel bedside, for a moment they stared at her. The aunt said, “she looked surprised.”
Upon Baerbel’s death, the family did not have enough money to pay for a funeral. Her aunt gave the crematory Baerbel’s pearl bracelet, to have her cremated. [RL35] Baerbel died during her third month in Europe. From the ship to the rat-infested alley, Baerbel never saw beyond the slums.
XI
Paula
April 5, 1876
On the day Vance dropped his last load of men and women off in the back of Harry’s mansion, Moses jumped off the wagon. He bombarded his way through the freedmen and women to the front. Twenty-two-year-old Moses looked up at the Browns and saw, seventeen-year-old Paula standing with the family. He was determined to use her and rise above coloreds across the nation.
Unlike Thaddeus and Dakota, who were nice and kind, their son Moses was mean and hostile towards his wife and sons. His parents would have been disappointed with their son. Moses had an anger issue that subsided when he lived with his parents. It was as though they were the glue that held the rage at bay. Living with anyone else he spiraled out of control.
One week before Harry’s shindig for his hired hands, Moses entered his cabin and saw his sons cleaning. The oldest boy had inherited his father’s flair to make anything out of wood. He had proudly made two toy horses, one for himself the other for his younger brother. His carvings left wood shavings all over the floor. When Moses entered the house, the older boy was sweeping, his little brother was gathering the pile of wood shavings and threw them in the fire. The older boy saw his dad standing in the doorway, he stopped what he was doing and ran to his father showing him what he had made. Moses pushed him aside, he went straight to Paula, who was cooking. Moses yelled, “housework is for women only!”
When He began beating Paula, the boys ran upstairs to hide. They did not come down the steps until Moses was gone. The oldest boy said, “one day, I’s kill em’ foe’ our mom.”
He helped Paula off the floor onto a chair, she laid her head on the table. The youngest boy ran and got an old slave named, Mama Faye. She walked in the cabin looked at Paula and said, Lawdy child, what happen ta’ ya.”
That same day Harry sent Vance to deliver a few digging tools and fetch and bring Moses to the mansion. When Paula got word that Vance was on his way to the slave compound, even though she could barely walk and was sore and bruised, she begged Moses to let her and the boys go with him. She promised that they would stay outside and sleep in the barn with the horses. Moses said yes, with one thing that Paula had to agree to do, she agreed. Vance drove the horse pulling the flatbed cart filled with digging tools for the big shindig, inside the slave gate. Moses and a few other men helped Vance unload the things off the cart. When they finished unloading, Vance stayed the night on the cart. Paula asked Moses if she could take food out to Vance, he said yes.
When Vance saw Paula, he flinched then asked, “what happened to you?”
“Can you please help me leave Mr. Vance?” She whispered as she handed Vance a plate of food, she also gave him and his horses' water. She asked him to help her to the church.
Before eating, he took Paula to the slave church. Inside the church were two books under the podium, Paula got the first book, on the last page there was just enough room for her to write her name, the date Bella said she was brought to the plantation, the dates of her son’s birth,1866 and 1869, and their names, Boy One and Boy Two. She also wrote a message, April 1876, I am running away from my husband Moses with my two boys. Paula and her sons were the last to have their name written down in the book.
She opened the second book, it was empty. She said, “I am the last of Harry’s original slaves, it’s all over,” she placed the books in their place.
Paula went out to Vance and said, “I would like to come back in a few years to see the museum,” she looked at Vance and asked, “how about you?”
Vance said, “I need time away from this place.” He handed her the empty plate.
When they pulled in front of Paula’s cabin, Moses came out and yelled, “where have you been, git in here and fix my boys plates.”
The next morning, Vance was in the driver’s seat with Moses sitting next to him. Vance looked at Moses then jumped down off the wagon, he entered the cabin to see if Paula needed help. She had new cuts and bruises, and the oldest boy had a black eye. Paula gave Vance a hug and then sent the boys out. As the boys were leaving, Vance watched Moses scoot over to the driver’s seat. Mama Faye going to Paula’s cabin saw the oldest boy eye. She entered the cabin, and said, “y’all stayin’ wid’ me from now own.” She went to Paula and continued, “he beat ja’ agin?”
Moses did not like the way Paula was raising his sons, he felt she was training them to be loyal slaves and not independent, as himself. For that reason, he got her to agree to help clean the debris around the newly built building in the woods, he had planned to cause her accidental death. With her out-of-the-way, he and his boys would start an architect company. He looked where Vance had sat, scooted over and took the reins.[RL36]
What Moses did not know was that Paula had a plan as well. She was snatching the opportunity to run with her sons that were, ten and seven.
Paula was in more pain but calmer when she asked Vance to help her hitch up, her Massa smallest wagon when they get to the Massa house.
Mama Faye asked, “can I’s go wid’ ja’?”
“Yes ma’am, mama Faye,” Paula answered.
Mama Faye said, “Gib me one moment.” She hurried out of the cabin.
When she was returning, Paula and the kids were on the cart, Moses still in the driver’s seat, he began to pull off. Paula said, “Mama Faye is coming.”
Moses ignored Paula and kept going, Vance reached over and grabbed the reins, the two horses stopped. Mama Faye climbed on huffing and puffing hard from running to catch up. Vance told Moses to move when Moses got down and went around to the passenger side, Vance scooted to the driver’s seat.
Once they reached Harry’s mansion, Paula, the kids, and mama Faye got off the flatbed cart. Standing in the backyard looking up at the porch, mama Faye said, “five years ago I came here, my life changed.” She took a deep breath and released slowly, she looked at Paula and continued, “from slavery, ta' freedom.”
Moses pointed towards the porch, and said, “boys that’s where I saw your mama, standing with the family like she was one of them. I thought she was going to be my equal, intelligent. She turned out to be, dumb and useless.”
Vance caught Paula's eye and inconspicuously nodded towards the side of the house, but said, “I’ll take the horses in.” Inside the barn, he got a small wagon and one horse ready for Paula and her family.
Before entering Harry’s house, Moses turned to his sons and said, “I have big plans for you two.” His oldest boy looked like a combination of Paula and Moses mother. The youngest son resembled his handsome Egyptian dad. Moses asked, “what’s our family name?”[RL37]
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