Tess asked Theenda, “are you getting something for yourself?”
“No, I have enough clothes for the week and a few outfits for church.”
Theenda asked Tess, “how about you?”
“I shop at secondhand stores, unlike the Bright’s, you all shop at expensive stores.”
Penny said, “sis, you should stay here with me, there’s a group here to help with anger issues.”
“I’m not angry!” Tess yelled before she stormed off.
Theenda and Penney looked at each other, Rita said, “hum.”
Penny asked, “what did she tell you about our family?”
“Your father beat your mother and gave you candy.”
“Not even close,” Penny said as she watched her sister argue with one of the workers, she continued, “dad beat mom, raped us girls, then gave us candy.” She began to leave but turned and said, “I’ll take you shopping tomorrow.” She left to get Tess under control.
XLII
Jeff Brown Return To Ogville
June 19, 2017
Donovan woke up at five o`clock in the morning, an idea had popped in his head, he looked outside, it was raining. He took his laptop out of its bag, even though he was trying to be quiet, he roused Theenda, she said, “don’t bang on that thing the way you normally do. I’m not ready to get up.”
Donovan said, “I’ll go in the bathroom.”
Theenda asked, “why don’t you get dressed and work in the business center?”
“I’ll run into someone, they will talk and talk, don’t have time for that. Go back to sleep Baby Girl.”
He quickly entered the bathroom because he could see that Theenda wanted to talk. In the bathroom was a large countertop, Donovan sat his laptop on the counter and began typing away. Donovan had attended college in New York with a male student, they had become buddies, he was studying journalism and Donovan history. Donovan’s friend landed a job as a reporter with a newspaper in Ottawa, Canada. He was looking for a big story to write so that he could move up in the company. Donovan sent his friend an email saying, man do I have a story for you. From the documents Donovan received from Mrs. Paddleton, he wrote a ten-page paper about H.B. Metropolis and the slaves escape. He emailed the document to his friend and pictures he had taken, then Donovan called his friend and told him about what he had sent. After the conversation, the newspaper man ran the article. It appeared in Tuesday morning paper, the caption was, “American Slavery In Twenty-First Century.”
Jeff read the article and caught the first flight to America. He rented a car In MacCall and went to the mansion. In the driveway were several government cars and reporters, he got a quick glance of the partially burned down mansion, Jeff turned around and drove off. He returned to downtown MacCall, and drove past the police station, several sheriffs and FBI cars were in front of the building. Jeff went to Ogville.
Jeff casually walked into the Ogville police station, leaned on the counter top and said to the receptionists, “chief in, gorgeous?”
Behind Jeff entered two men wearing black coats.
She said, “yes Sir, I'll get him,” she looked at the two men and said, “please have a seat, I’ll be right with you.” She left to get Chief Gideon of Ogville.
When Chief Gideon came out, he asked, “what can I do for you?”
Jeff said to the Chief, “you don't remember me? I'm Mr. Charles Browns son, Jeff. I am richer and more important than most people in this town.”
“Now that you say it,” the chief vaguely remembered, “I thought your name was Harry. I believe you’re looking for Chief Stevens in MacCall, he knows you and your family well.”
Jeff jumped right into the reason he'd returned home, and his revenge on the slaves. “I want to find the bastards who did this to my family,” Jeff said in anger.
“Jeff they've been gone for a long time, I don't know where they are.” Chief Gideon replied.
Jeff looked at the chief with the attitude of superiority, and the confidence of an arrogant fool, he unknowingly said, “my family paid your family from one generation to the next, to serve as the chief of Police and take care of our biddings. You will find the bastard slaves, or you lose your job.”
Chief Gideon said, “you’re in the wrong town, you paid Stevens, who was the Chief of MacCall and Titleburk. Not me.”
Jeff continued to try and break Ogville’s Chief, he said, “that’s my great-great grandpa statue sitting in the middle of your downtown.”
Gideon tired of Jeff idiocracy said, “just a moment, let me get my deputy, he’ll find your human property.” He went into his office.
While Chief Gideon was gone, Jeff winked at the secretary, she asked the two men in black coats if she could help them. One of the men said, “we’d like to speak with the Chief.”
“I’ll let him know.”
In the background were two officers, talking on the phone. Jeff looked out the window watching cars drive by, and people slowly walking past the station. To the receptionist, Jeff said, “one day everybody will know that my family is back in control of this town.”
Chief Gideon returned and said, “my deputy is making calls now, give him a few minutes.”
Jeff said, “I'm going to bring them back.”
The chief asked, “have you been home?”
“Yes, I’m looking for my parents, tell me where they are, and I will pay you handsomely.”
“Sir, you’re in Ogville, my town, not MacCall, I don’t want or need your money.”
“Your town!” yelled Jeff, “my family owns this town, we own you.”
Felix came out to tell the chief the news, “Sir, I think they went back to the plantation.”
Jeff yelled unnecessarily loud, “you're not paid to think, I just came from there!”
Chief Gideon said calmly, “if they are not there, one of the men who stole your property worked for the government. They may be on their way to Washington D.C.”
Sitting on the counter were two baskets filled with files and papers, Jeff picked up both baskets and slung them across the room, and said, “I'll be back in an hour or two. When I get back, “have my property.”
When Jeff stormed out, the receptionist asked, “Sir, he owned slaves, this year?”
“So, he says,” said Chief Gideon.
Chief Gideon went back into his office with Felix, another officer named, Hank, followed them. Chief Gideon asked, Did you do it?”
Felix said, “done.”
“See that the job is finished.” Chief Gideon insisted.
They exited the side door of the Chief office; their police car was parked in back.
With them gone, Chief Gideon sent an email telling the secretary to send the two men in.
When they entered Gideon’s office, he asked, “what can I do for you?”
One of the men said, “we’re from Canada, we’re here to arrest Jeff, but wanted to speak with you first.”
The other man said, “Stevens is in prison.”
The men told Chief Gideon about Jeff’s falsifying his birth. Gideon laughed, he told them about the Brown family and Stevens.
Jeff sped down the highway on his way to the house in Titleburk, he needed to find his parents and suggest they rebuild H.B. Driving too fast, Jeff turned on the freeway, normally he would have made the turn if his brakes were not tampered with. His car crash through the barrier, the impact caused the tampered gas tank to completely crack. Jeff got out of the car and slipped in the gas that had leaked in the grass. When he stood, gas was on his pants and shirt. Hank and Felix had followed Jeff to do as the Chief had instructed. The officers stopped and blocked traffic, Hank redirected the cars, as Felix call the ambulance and his precinct. The chief called the fire department. Jeff was smoking, Felix said, “your car is leaking gas, put the cigarette out.”
Jeff called Felix several unspeakable names, as he was fussing and cursing, he threw the cigarette towards Felix. A spark hit his shirt, Jeff and his car went up in flames a
s the ambulance and fire truck was parking.
The firemen working at top speed got the fire out, the paramedics saved Jeff life. All though Jeff whole body was burned, the two men from Canada had Jeff discharged, and helicoptered to the Canadian hospital, where Jeff said he was born. Jeff committed an offense in another country, his term in prison was going to belong. Jeff had no family or friend to help, not even the people who worked for his janitorial company or the company he worked for. He reached out to the girl he had purchased the computer and paid three months’ rent, she and all others turned their backs on Jeff.
The reporter that wrote the first article about the Brown family, wrote another, the headline read, Brown Family America’s Bad Seed, Captured. It ran on the front page.
Two weeks after Jeff’s admission in the hospital, he was killed during the night shift. The murderer was never caught, still, search for the person is ongoing.
Donovan’s friend got the higher position he wanted, Jeff was not the only person that read the article, so did TV, Newspaper, and Magazine reporters stormed the plantation. In addition, the Canadian Newspaper that Donovan’s friend worked for, sold more papers than it had ever.
*******
Columbus, Ohio Church day
A busload of freedmen, women, and children exited the buses and entered the church. Pastor Desmoid had told his members about the slaves, he said, “today, we are getting one hundred visitors that just last week, escaped from a plantation located in the deep south. These people have been slaves since their birth.” The audience gasped in astonishment. He concluded by saying, “please be kind and remember to welcome them with opened hearts.”
Down front, the ushers had saved twelve rows of seats for their visitors.
As Pastor Desmoid finished telling his members about the fugitives, the ushers opened the doors of the sanctuary, Theenda had them to file into the church in twos’. Lillie said to Sophie, who stood next to her, “everythang' in freedom is beautiful.”
Sophie replied, “look at the women fancy hats and dresses.”
Helen holding onto Faye’s arm said, “look at the women’s hat. Ain’t they fancy.”
Faye whispered, “I like dey fancy jewelry.”
Once everyone was seated the hostess of the church welcomed them, she said, “on behalf of our Pastor and first lady, Pastor and Mrs. Desmoid, we welcome you to our church. Thank you for worshiping with us today.”
The choir stood and sang a foot-stomping high energy gospel. The freedmen and women released pinned up emotions of hate, loneliness, and a lifetime with the deficiency of joy and happiness.
Pastor Desmoid preached on the Love of Jesus, in the middle of his sermon Lillie jumped up and asked, “did God make slave to serve white man, and the white man to serve God?”
For a moment the pastor was taken off guard. It took him a minute to gather his thoughts and recuperate from the blow of Lillie's question. he said, “no ma'am,' ahh hum, God made humans of all race and color to serve Him.”
Lillie ask, “where it say dat' in da' Bible?”
He said,” turn in your Bibles to Acts 5:29, he read, “we ought to obey God rather than man.”
Lillie said, “I knew it, thank you, pastor, thank you.” She wept.
After the sermon, Glaidous stood and said, “Sir I's likes ta' sing a song for Jesus if you don’t mind.”
The pastor said, “I would love to hear your song.”
Glaidous stood before the church, closed his eyes, moaned a slow sorrowful rhythmic melody with the flavor of Amazing Grace. It was a song the slaves sang when Glaidous preached. The freedmen and women softly stomp their feet on the carpeted floor, the pounding of their feet vibrated like a heartbeat. The freedmen and women joined Glaidous, as they sang and moaned, the drummer caught on to the beat, as did the church band. And then the members sung with them, they clapped, rocked, and stomped to the gloomiest song they had ever heard, though the words were very powerful. The members reflected on their personal failures, victories, health issues, finances, struggle in their fight to overcome sin.
The church vibrated with everyone praising God. Theenda looked at Donovan and said, “if we were staying in Columbus, I’d make this church my home.
*******
True to James Bright word, when they arrived in Rochester, New York, the FBI and different government departments he contacted, was there to meet the freedmen and women and the modern-day abolitionist. Before James and Sara left for Ogville, the welfare department contacted the Mayor’s Office. He had his Legislative person communicate with the owner of their abandoned hotel, they had the company to repair and open the hotel for the freedmen and women temporary housing.
Haze, Timpkin, and KayKay stayed with Sara and James. Donovan and Theenda were at Paul’s house.
*******
Tess signed the divorce papers and moved to Ohio with her sister. Unfortunately, she could not get a job.
Tess references from the hospital and her friends in Ogville were damaging to her career. Haze was at the hospital too often from being stabbed, sliced, or hit with a bat, and the fight in the bar sealed her fate as a vicious person. No one in Columbus hired her.
Her luck changed when a manager at a Pittsburg steel factory got Tess resume through an employment site. He called the hospital in Ogville and got a violent report about her, he said to himself, “perfect.”
The original nurse was also a hard brute, however, she was killed in a motorcycle accident. As the manager figured, when he saw Tess comradery with the employees, she was textbook fit. She was also, the right choice for his ragged tag rough group of men and woman.
*******
Haze first morning in Sara’s home, he called Donovan. Theenda and Paul’s wife got along well, he left them there with the kids. When Sara entered the kitchen, Donovan and Haze were talking and drinking coffee. Sara said, “good morning fellows.” She poured herself a cup of coffee.
Donovan said, “sorry if we woke you mom.”
“No, you didn’t wake me.” She looked at Haze and said, “you are a free man, your healing began, now.”
Donovan said, “we were just talking about that.”
“I love this family.” Haze said.
Sara said, “you’re a part of this family.” She looked at Donovan and continued, “you’re over here early, where’s Thee.”
“Haze called said he wanted to talk. Thee is with Paul’s wife talking.”
“Where’s Paul.”
“Mom, your son’s are so happy about the freedmen and women, that crazy man packed them in a city bus and took them to the hospital, your other son is teaching them history.”
Sara laughed as she asked, “how did he get a city bus?”
“No idea.”
“And John is doing what?” Sara asked.
“Exactly,” was Donovan’s reply.
A few days after their arrival, Donovan made copies of Harry’s papers that was given to him in the black case, from Mrs. Paddleton. He gave the original copies to the FBI and kept the copy.
Paul had every man, woman, and child ex-slave to get their teeth, eyes, and a full physical exam. Lillie had a tumor in her stomach, she told the doctor, “I’s gotta go wid’ my people.” She refused to have the surgery.
Paul gently talked her into having the surgery, she asked, “you be Mr. Bright brother, I’s don’t wanna go to da horse-pillo.”
Even so, with Paul’s assurance, Lillie had the surgery, she was in great pain afterward from the stitches, fortunately, the tumor was not malignant
Their second week in New York, reporters took individual pictures of the freedmen and women and ran them in newspapers and television across America. To claim their child, the parent had to have the child’s birth certificate, social security number, hospital records, and pictures.
By the end of July, people traveled to New York to claim a child hoping to get money, even though no one had said anything about cash. Though, Lee’s mom and uncle recognized him r
ight away. Lee’s dad searched tirelessly for his son; he died a broken man from a heart attack. His mom did not give up on finding her son, even though it took thirty years to see him again. She had the paperwork needed and his tiny footprints from the hospital after he was born.
Lee’s mom brought a picture of his dad, he looked just like him and his uncle that came with her. Lee introduced them to Cush, who cried. Lee’s mom covered her grandchild face with kisses. Lee told her that he had been a slave for thirty years. He told her all about the plantation. Unfortunately for his mom, Lee did not go home with her. He asked her to go with them, she declined but his uncle said, give us time to take care of things at home. He wrote down their address and said, send us your address. That’s when Lee learned that a few years after his dad’s death, his dad’s brother married his mom. Lee’s mom and stepfather/uncle stayed with Lee until the freedmen and women left. Lee introduced Donovan to his parents, Donovan said, “if one day you want to come, there is plenty of room for you and jobs.” He told them about the trailers and eventually building houses.
Lee’s uncle said, “okay, we’ll pack our things and move out there.”
His mom was happy, Lee introduced his mom to Lillie.
A great number of parents whose child was small or young came with the proper papers and hospital records. Several of the teen’s parents came and identified them and had the correct papers. All the parents had pictures of their child and oftentimes siblings. Several Psychologist was present to talk with the parents and their family.
Faye’s mom came, she recognized the woman, her mom had gotten in a bar fight, the man hit her in the head with an empty bottle of wine. A permanent scar in the shape of an eye, formed on her forehead. Faye’s mom looked like she had walked from Detroit, Michigan to New York, she was loud, rowdy, and smelt of alcohol. Faye saw her but left out of the building.
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