“Did you get the invitations and letter?”
“Yes, the invitations were unopened, when I opened them pictures fell out. The letter about mom was opened,” Drew shook his head, then said, “just think, had Harry opened the invitations he would have seen his grandson, my nephew, named after his uncle.” He playfully punched Charles in the arm and said, “thank you, Charles.” Laughing he said, “he looks just like his uncle.”
“No, he does not,” Charles said laughing. He looked at Drew, sadness had settled on his face. Charles continued, “you know Drew, he kind of do look like his uncle.”
Drew said, “I know,” he smiled then continued, “all these years he knew mom was dead.”
Just think, Charles said, “had pops opened the invitations he would have recognized Stella's daughter, she looks just like her mom.”
Drew asked, “who is Stella?”
Charles told Drew all about Harry’s adulterous deceitful rumble in the hay.
Drew asked in the most downhearted tone Charles had ever heard, “Harry did not tell me about my mom, why?’
“He’s an evil old crow,” Charles replied, he put his arm around Drew shoulder. “He will pay,” Charles said.
Late in the evening, when the sun was setting, everyone was tired and drunk from cheap wine, except Harry, Charles, Drew, and Vance. Deb looked up at Vance and said, “it's almost over, we leave here and start our lives together in the new house.” She was drunk and giddy with excitement.
Vance looked at Deb and said, “don’t drink the rum.
Deb didn’t listen, she continued talking, “I want to get two big chairs with cushions and set them in front of the fireplace. In the evenings before retiring, we’ll sit there and talk about our day. We’ll invite only important people over.”
The rum had cooled off and was ready to be served, several women filled the cups full, everyone got in line to receive their drink even the children. Harry yelled out asking everyone not to drink because they were going to drink together, he said, “we began this project together, we will end it together.
Zeek asked, “where’s da’ cabins we need ta’ bury?”
The question threw Harry for a moment, being a professional liar, he recuperated and said, “my boys and Vance will bring them, tomorrow.”
Moses stood by Zeek and said, “something doesn’t feel right.”
While the women poured the rum, Harry went to his boys that were standing together. He pulled them aside and said, “do not drink the rum, pretend.”
Drew said, “naw pops, I am going…”
“You will die,” Harry said.
Charles gasped and said, “those three bottles of poison on the kitchen counter, is in the rum?”
“You are a smart child Charles.” Charles slapped Harry so hard he fell to his knees. While Harry was on his knees Charles said, “you failed to tell Drew, mom is dead.”
Harry tried to stand, Charles, knocked him back down and said in a gangster tone, “you will pay.”
Drew grabbed Charles' arm and said, “hold on brother.”
Harry got up and walked away. Everyone stopped, the hired hands watched in shock. Harry pulled himself together, straighten his clothes and gave his goodbye speech. He got the hired hands attention by banging a metal cup on the gate and said, “well, it's time for you to go your way,” to his sons and Vance he said, “boys and Vance after we drink this fine rum together, give everyone a silver dollar and their last pay.” He turned back to the hired hands, and said, “God be with you on your new journey.”
One of the freedmen said, “Mr. Brown we thank you foe’ what you's' done foe’ us.”
Harry said, “Thank you for your hard work. I am not an easy man to please, but all of you did better than my expectations.” As he talked his face grew redder and stung from the slap he received from Charles. Harry continued, “I thought it would take much longer, but you finished in eleven years, thank you.” Harry held up his cup and said, “a toast to your new life, let us drink together.”
Everyone drank. Charles looked at Drew and whispered, “what if this do not work.”
Vance and his wife were next to the money table, that was close to the slave gate exit.
Without anyone seeing him, Vance turned sideways to pour his drink out, then held his cup as though it was full. Vance looked at Deb and said, “don’t drink.”
It was too late, she quickly slurped down the liquor, Vance wiped his mouth as though he had just finished drinking.
Several of the hired hands using their cups got more rum, others went to the table where Vance was handing out the money. Deb turned to him and said like a kid in a candy store, “give me one, give me one.”
Vance gave her a silver dollar. She smiled, laid her head on his shoulder and slid down his body to her death. Vance stood watching her, he knelt next to her, he shook and said, “Deb, get up.” He stood and saw most of the hired hands began dropping dead like flies being sprayed with a can of industrial insecticide, Vance fell as though he was dead, he was in a good spot, hidden behind the table.
Zeek dropped to his knees and softly prayed just above a whisper, “I unnastan’ Lawd, foe’ da’ reason, foe’ da’ room wid’ da’ dirt flo, and da’ church close to da’ gate.’ I’s pray Lawd, foe’ dey’ safe journee.” He slowly exhaled saying, “tank ya Lawd, fo’ eleven years free,” his breath slowly released as his head bowed lower. Zeek died on his knees in a prayer position.
Several tears that had begun rolling down Zeek’s cheeks as he prayed, dropped on the ground.
Moses approached Harry and his sons, and said, “it was never your plan to let us go, I watched you, you didn't drink so I didn't drink, and guess what.”
Moses pulled out a gun, Charles jumped in front of his father, Drew pushed Charles out the way, the bullet struck Harry in the arm. Drew whipped out his own gun and shot Moses in the shoulder, Moses dropped his gun, Charles ran over and picked it up. Moses said, “I should have been nicer to Paula and my boys, I should have gone with them.”
“Shut-up fool,” Drew standing close to Moses pointed the gun, pulled the trigger, and missed.
Getting out of Drew’s way, Moses fell to the ground and rolled. He stood and said, “I was raised in hate but not to hate. My mom and dad taught me to love, when they died, I became the boy raised in hate.”
Charles said, “good speech.” He pointed the gun, shot, the bullet went straight to his heart.
Falling, Moses had a surprised look on his face. When he hit the ground, he was dead.
Harry stood next to his sons, the three looked down at Moses body, “Good job Charles, I still think you are a disgusting child. How dare you hit your father.”
Charles' eyes glowed with rage, he gave Harry a look that was so evil it frightened him, Harry stood behind Drew.
Drew turned and pointed his gun at Harry, and said, “you had me angry at Charles because he didn’t invite us to his wedding, I found the letters and invitations, there are pictures in the letters, had you opened them you would have seen your grandson.” Drews' voice became soft, “why didn’t you tell me mom was dead. Been dead for years.” He cried.
Charles said, “Listen to this Drew, I only told you half the story,” he told Drew about Harry’s life as a slave and his four siblings. Charles ended by saying, “He ran away, landed in Boston and was taken in by a rich family, that he killed.” [RL42]
Harry said sarcastically, “are you finished?”
Charles continued, “Moe is nothing but a white slave.” Charles handed the book to Harry and asked, “look familiar Moe?”
With his good arm, Harry tried to punch Charles, “You been talking to Billy.”
“Billy is a kind honorable man,” Charles commented.
Harry shouted, “he left me to rot.”
“No Moe. He quit because you killed your parents in Boston, while married to mom you told another woman that you were going to marry her.” Charles looked at Drew and said, “show him the
pictures of my wife and his grandbaby.”
Looking at the picture Harry said softly, “that’s Stella.”
“No, that’s her daughter, who is my wife. You and your lies are responsible for my mother-in-law killing herself.”
Harry tried to kick Charles; Drew pushed Harry back. Drew laughed as he said, “Charles told me your names were Bo, Jo, So, Toe, and you the youngest, Moe. Excuse me as I become a religious man, thank You God for letting him marry my mother, whom you did not tell me was dead.”
Harry looking at Charles said, “I will kill you, something I should have done years ago. It will not be a merciful death Charles, you’re an ungrateful twit.”
Charles frowned as he said, “kill me like you did your parents in Boston, who were celebrating your engagement and birthday. Billie told me that the police found a few of the bolts, they showed them to him, he confirmed they had been tampered with. He was going to take everything to his grave but decided to unburden himself, by regurgitating to me, what you had done.”
Harry put his hand on Drew's shoulder and softly said, “Drew, you’re my favorite son, are you going to let him talk to your father like that? Look what he did to my face.”
Drew yanked away from Harry and said, “you strut around here like you come from royalty. You’re nothing but a white slave raised in hate just like Moses.”
Using Moses gun, Charles stood like a marksman, pointed Moses gun at Harry and said, “it’s time for you to go Moe.” He pulled the trigger, the bullet struck dead center Harry’s eyebrows, he fell instantly to the ground. Charles looked at Drew and said, “little brother, let’s clean this mess up.”
Drew stood in awe of his brother, he simply said, “Dad had no favorite, we all slaves to him, you, me, ma, Vance, the rest of America, niggers, and whites. Charles, me and you can run this place together.”
Vance stood and said, “with all, I just heard, you can shoot me now or let me live.”
Charles and Drew thinking everybody was dead, Vance terrified the brothers. Charles said as he got himself together, “you can help us dump the bodies in the grave Moe had them to dig.”
The three men laid Harry’s and Deb’s body on one of the carts. They worked into early morning dumping over five hundred hired hands, in the grave and covered them over with dirt.
Drew stopped to take a breather, he asked, “Think they thought they were digging their grave?”
Vance said, “no, they did not know, they grew ta’ luv’ and trust Harry.”
Drew said, “the tobacco in this area is going to be vibrant green and healthy.”
“Tobacco?” Charles asked.
“Yes, tobacco and sugarcane.”
Charles said, “Drew, we’re inside the slave’s quarters, they will plant their vegetables here.”
Charles went over to his father and found a key in his pant pocket.
Drew said, “we have at least seventeen years before the children are between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one, a time when they will move to their new home.” He looked down at the massive grave and said, “I will not eat anything that’s grown on this plot of land.” He laughed hard.
Vance asked, “are you going to let me live?”
Charles and Drew said to gather, “yeah.”
Charles smiled and said, “I’m tired, let’s stay in one of the cabins, then take Harry’s body home tomorrow morning,” Charles looked around at Vance wife, then over at Moses.
Vance followed Charles' eyes, he said, “I’ll take her and bury her behind our cabin. And be on my way.” He picked her body up and laid Deb across the horse she had ridden.
Charles asked, “why didn’t you tell her about the poison?”
Vance said, “I did, she would not believe me. I even suggested that we leave a few days ago. She got caught up in money and things.”
Drew said, “she did change.”
“She made a drastic change,” Charles admitted.
Vance left riding on the horse he had ridden on, with Deb draped across her horse. Vance took her to the well and dropped her body down. In his pockets were several silver dollars he had stolen off the table, he went into the house and got the money they were saving.” He changed horses and left.
“Drew looking down at Moses and asked, “what are we going to do with his body?”
Charles suggested, “Moses shot dad, we killed Moses. Justice served.”
Drew agreed with Charles and then asked, “what do we do about Vance.”
Laughing, Charles said, “we will never see him again.”
“How you know?”
“I know Vance.”
Before sunrise, the brothers took the two bodies out of the slave area, they locked the gates behind them. Harry had hired a teacher and nurse to care for the children, they were locked in the children area. Before going to the mansion, Drew went straight to Vance cabin, he was gone.
The next morning, while Charles and Drew were leaving the plantation, Vance was on a train going west. He was never seen again.
Drew asked Charles, “why did mom go to Europe?”
Charles answered truthfully, “she was leaving dad, she thought the family in Europe were rich. I asked her to come to Boston and live with me, she turned me down.”
Punching Charles, Drew said, “you could have told me,” he punched Charles a second, by the third time the punch was hard, Drew was growing angrier at the whole situation.
Charles said, “let’s not fight.”
Drew swung a fourth time. One punch from Charles and Drew was knocked out cold. Charles dumped water on his brother’s face. When Drew came too and was standing, Charles said, “stop hitting me. I know you feel deceived and sad, hitting me is not the solution.”
Drew asked, “where did you learn to fight and shoot.”
“Grandpa,” Charles answered.
Drew said, “tell me about the MacCall’s.”
Charles told Drew about their grandma and grandpa birthplace and lives before they became rich. He finished by saying, “so, we are from a slave and very poor people.”
Charles and Drew brought a table into the drawing-room and laid Harry’s body on top. They took Moses body and dumped him in front of the police station. The brothers went inside the station where Charles did the talking. He told the authorities that their mom had left his dad, she was living in Europe. Charles showed them the letter she sent asking him for money. The officer acknowledged that they had not seen her around in a while.
The five openings to the gates had the same lock, Harry had six keys made. One key he kept in his room, an extra key in the kitchen. He had a chest in the attic where he put his H. B. Metropolis complete plan, drawings, maps, the four extra keys, and the newspaper article Charles had written about him.
Before the funeral, Charles put a key down Harry’s shirt next to his heart. Drew asked, “why.”
“In hell, he will have a piece of his Metropolis.” [RL43]
Drew said, “you are nothing that you look like.”
“What do you mean,” Charles asked.
“You look soft, easy, flyboy. But you’re not, you fight, lie, and kill without a flinch.”
Charles smiled and said, “I learned that from grandpa before Harry killed him and grandma. And when we were in the army.”
“What do you mean he killed them?” Drew asked.
Charles looked at Drew, he thought he was either ignorant or innocent he didn’t know which. Charles said, “Baerbel told me that Harry threw her in a slave shack. Did you know about that?”
“Yes.”
“The best thing Harry did for me was to hire someone to kill me. Why do you think I went to Boston? And the best thing you did for me, shot me when we were in the army. I was tired of combat. Did you know that?”
“No,” Drew answered. Drew smiled saying, “the soldiers liked you best, they respected you, you were full of strategies.”
To ease Drew jealousy, Charles said, “Harry left all this to you. I don’t
know what you are going to do with the children, how you are going to care for them, who’s going to raise them, why do you need overseer’s, tiny houses, all the gates, and the forest. It looks illegal to me, but you know exactly what to do, how, and when. I am going to stick with the steel mill.”
Drew stood taller, shoulders back, he resembled a soldier when he said, “dad left all this to me, and the Steel Mill to you. We’ll see who’s going to be the richer brother.”
“It’s not a contest Drew.”
Drew said, “I am making it a contest.”
Charles said, “I have a few hours before my train leave, let’s take a look at the castle Harry built.”
“Good Idea.”
Charles and Drew went to see the castle for the first time. It was spectacular. Looking at the monstrous size building, Drew said, “I thought it was supposed to be V shape.”
Charles replied, “I’m glad it’s not.”
The castle was four stories high, had fifty rooms, thirty thousand square feet, with an east and west wing. It was not the size of Buckingham Palace, not even close, it was, however, the largest house in MacCall. The Brothers went up the twelve steps that led up on the marble porch. Twelve marble columns spread from one end of the porch to the other. They entered the castle through double doors made of pure brass and gold. The knocker on the door was a big lion’s head with a ring going through its nose. [RL44]
Inside the castle the vestibule was like non-other, it was bedazzling to behold. The decor was gold, crystal, and ivory, the floor was made of smooth stone with splashes of grays, white, and black. A beautiful huge chandelier hung from the high ceiling. Charles was breathless, he continuously repeated a breathy, “wow.”
Watching Charles reaction, Drew said, “I can see you living here. The mansion is more of me.”
Charles said, “yeah, gargoyles, deep dark colors dad liked. But this place is bright, airy, it’s happy. Who is this Harry?” I would like him,” Charles laughed, then said as they went from room to room, “no wonder pops was low on cash.”
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