Mustard Seed

by Laila Ibrahim

  “Mama, shall we go back?” Jordan whispered.

  Before Mama could answer the man turned to look at them. He bellowed down from his horse, “You, boy. Why ain’t you working?”

  “We jus’ visitin’ relations, suh,” Mama said. “He work back home.”

  The man swung down from his horse. He sauntered up to them, staring hard at Samuel. Jordan put a protective arm around Ella and moved them both in close to Mama.

  The man glared at Mama with his bright-blue eyes. “I ain’t talking to you now. Am I?”

  “No, suh,” Mama said, head bowed over. “Sorry, suh.”

  “Let me see your hands,” the man said to Samuel.

  Samuel looked at Mama, fear in his eyes. She nodded and gestured with her eyebrows. Jordan could feel the tension in her mama’s body. Her brother put his hands out, his fingers trembling.

  The man scoffed. Then he looked each of them up and down slowly. Jordan’s legs shook, and her chest got tight.

  Looking at Samuel, the man said, “I’m taking you in for vagrancy. And theft.”

  “What!” Jordan exclaimed without thinking. “You can’t do that!”

  The man glared at Jordan. “Yes, I can.”

  “We will go to the justice of the peace,” she countered.

  “Shush!” Mama hissed at her.

  “You listen to your mama. She understands respectin’ the law!” The man looked Mama up and down slowly, a challenging smile on his face.

  He leaned in and smirked at Jordan. Then slowly he drawled out, “I am the justice of the peace. There is nothing you can do to stop me.”

  Jordan’s heart rose up into her throat. The man grabbed Samuel and spun him around. He pulled Samuel’s arms hard behind his back. Jordan was utterly helpless. She dug her fingers hard into Mama’s arm.

  While the man roughly lashed his hands together, Samuel leaned toward her and whispered into her ear, “Find Lisbeth! Tell her what’s happened to me.”

  Confused, but knowing not to speak, Jordan just nodded.

  Samuel stared at her, despair in his brown eyes, and whispered, “Tell Nora and Otis that I love them. Always.”

  “You will tell them yourself!” Jordan said.

  The justice of the peace hissed at her, “Shut up or I’ll round you up too!” Then suddenly he shoved her hard in the sternum. The wind flew from her chest. She grunted and fell backward, jerking Mama and Ella with her. She nearly pulled them to the ground, but she found her footing.

  Panting to get her breath back, Jordan saw Mama reach into her pocket, pull something out, and press it into Samuel’s palm. His hand closed up tight, but not before one of the mustard seeds bounced to the ground.

  Jordan looked up, watching in horror as the evil man tugged on the rope and dragged her brother away. Samuel resisted, but it did him no good. The man swung up onto his saddle and tied the rope to the horn. Her brother turned to stare back at them, his dark-brown eyes filled with such anguish and desperation. Jordan stifled a scream of protest.

  Samuel watched them until the momentum of the horse forced him to turn around. Jordan watched his awkward figure get smaller and smaller until he was dragged around a corner and gone from their sight.

  She exhaled and looked around in disbelief. Their worst nightmare had just come true: Samuel had been captured. Confused and disoriented, Jordan felt panic start to rise. She looked over for comfort, but Mama looked as terrified as Jordan felt. Samuel was gone, just gone, and the horrid White man had said there was nothing they could do to get him back.

  CHAPTER 15

  LISBETH

  Richmond, Virginia

  “Momma, can I just eat supper in the kitchen?” Sammy implored, his hazel eyes open wide.

  Lisbeth shook her head. The children were tired after spending half of the day traveling back to Richmond. Lisbeth would have preferred an informal meal as well, but her mother had declared they would have supper as a family.

  “So Grandmother Wainwright just decides for everyone when and where we eat?” he asked.

  Lisbeth nodded firmly.

  “In their home, we will do what she asks.” She looked at her son sharply. “I expect you to be a good example for your sister.”

  Sammy acquiesced. “I will.”

  “Put your glove away, and wash your hands,” Lisbeth instructed.

  Sammy’s face fell. “I don’t have my glove.”

  Lisbeth sighed and then scolded, “Did you misplace it?”

  “No.” Sammy shook his head slowly. Then he said, “I gave it to Willie.”

  He looked at Lisbeth, waiting for a reaction. She gave him a small smile.

  “You’re not sore, are you?” Sammy asked.

  “No. That was very kind of you,” Lisbeth said. “It is your glove. You may do what you like with it.”

  “When I bought mine, Mr. Evans said he could teach me how to make them if I wanted. If I help him I bet he’d let me work for him in exchange for a new one.”

  “I think you are right about that,” Lisbeth agreed.

  “Willie was so excited, Momma.” Sammy beamed. “You’d think I’d given him a hundred dollars!”

  Love for her son welled up in Lisbeth. It was sweet to see him so very excited at another person’s happiness. She tousled his head, gave him a sideways squeeze, and said, “Wash up! Supper is waiting.”

  Jack arrived at the table after the food had already been served onto plates.

  “Miss Sadie,” Jack declared, “you look very lovely this evening.”

  “Thank you, Uncle Jack.” Sadie beamed at him.

  “You are late,” Mother scolded.

  “It was a busy day—many arrests at the Tredegar.”

  “What happened?” Sammy asked.

  “Vagrants,” Jack replied.

  “They are a growing problem,” Julianne said. “We spoke of it at the Ladies Memorial Association last week.”

  “Vagrants?” Lisbeth asked, concerned at the tone the conversation was taking. She’d hoped for a quick supper without conflict and a calm evening.

  “Those living idly or unwilling to work at the prevailing wage,” Jack replied. “I’m sorry to say that William was caught up with the nigger agitators. I could not show him preference, even though this will cause Emily distress.”

  Lisbeth nearly gasped. She reached under the table and took her children’s hands. This meal was turning as unpleasant as possible.

  “The law is the law,” Julianne reassured him. “You are bound to uphold it, even when it causes you distress.”

  “I don’t understand,” Sammy said, pain in his voice.

  Jack said, “Our law is very simple. Regardless of race, men who do not work to support themselves and their families will be arrested and leased out for the best wage we can procure. My job is to enforce the laws.”

  “But William has a job,” Sammy countered.

  “He was agitating for pay equal to what the White men receive, which is absolutely unrealistic, and he understands that fact. He did not return to work when he was warned,” Jack explained. “He knew the consequences of his choice.”

  “He has to go to jail?” Lisbeth asked, concerned about Emily and Willie, as well as William. “For how long?”

  “Three months,” Jack replied.

  Lisbeth was grateful that at least it wasn’t for very long.

  “But his family needs him,” Sammy declared.

  “He will be put on a work detail. Expenses will be taken from his pay, and the rest will be forwarded to his family,” Jack said.

  “That is how we are taking care of the freedmen who believe they are entitled to be kept without working,” Julianne explained. “Their numbers have been growing and growing without end. It has only worsened since the end of the conflict. It is dreadful.”

  “They are indolent and disrespectful,” Mother added. “These laws help them to fulfill their place in society and contribute to their own well-being.”

  “But—” Sammy
started to argue.

  “Samuel, stop. Enough questions,” Mother said. “Julianne, please tell us about your association meeting.”

  Lisbeth surreptitiously glanced over at Sammy. She saw he was blinking back tears. Lisbeth breathed in deeply to quash the sense of dread rising in her belly.

  Julianne explained, “We have finally agreed on a project. We are going to focus upon Gettysburg for the moment. Our fund-raising effort will go toward getting our fallen heroes reinterred in the Hollywood Cemetery, as well as to create a memorial to their sacrifice in the public square.”

  Lisbeth barely heard her sister-in-law’s words. She had wanted her children to understand more about the world she had come from, but she hadn’t counted on Sammy coming to care for a child who was so directly affected by the nastiness. Lisbeth hadn’t imagined her children would be hurt by being here and that she would be powerless to protect them. She patted her son’s leg, hoping to provide some comfort. But he jerked his thigh away at her touch.

  Her son looked at her with contempt and disappointment. Lisbeth suspected he wanted her to come to William’s rescue in some way, but she did not have the experience or power to challenge the legal system in Virginia. Simply staying here until the end of her father’s life was challenging enough for her.

  Late that evening, while her children were asleep in bed, Lisbeth was startled to hear a light tap at the door. She opened it to find Emily on the other side. Clearly she had been crying. Lisbeth took her hand and pulled her into the room.

  “Emily, I’m so sorry to hear about William,” Lisbeth whispered.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” she replied. “It’s been a blow. We’re praying for him.”

  “He’ll be back in three months; you can be grateful for that,” Lisbeth reassured her.

  Emily gave her a harsh look, then closed her eyes and shook her head.

  “I don’t mean to be dismissive, Emily. It’s just, on a positive note, three months is not so very long,” Lisbeth said calmly, wanting to sound supportive and kind.

  “They don’t come back,” Emily whispered through a tight throat.

  Instantly alarmed by Emily’s tone, Lisbeth questioned, “What do you mean?”

  “They been arresting men for almost two years now using this law. Hardly any of the men that get put on work detail are released after three months. After they plant or harvest around here, they’re moved south to work on roads . . . and we don’t hear from them again.”

  Fury passed through Lisbeth. “Emily, that’s just wrong! You have to speak with a judge. I will help you.”

  Emily shook her head. “Miss Lisbeth, you mean well, but you really have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s the judges that are ordering the men to go to work in the South. They say it’s for ‘running away.’”

  Lisbeth heard Emily’s words, but they didn’t make any sense. She stared at Emily, trying to formulate a question or response.

  Emily continued. “I didn’t come here for help with William. I came to ask you about Willie.”

  “Willie?”

  “When you go back to Ohio, will you take him, please?” Emily said, her voice high and tight.

  “We would love to have him visit with us,” Lisbeth replied. And she meant it; it would have been sweet for both of their sons. “But I do not intend to return anytime soon, so I don’t know how we would manage to get him home again.”

  Emily shook her head. “No . . .” She cleared her throat and squeaked out, “To keep.”

  “What!” Lisbeth exclaimed.

  “Don’t answer right away,” Emily rushed to say. “Just think about it, please. My Willie is so light he can pass for White.”

  Lisbeth’s blood went cold as it dawned on her what Emily was asking. Emily could not possibly wish to send Willie away permanently. He would be devastated to lose all that was familiar to him.

  One of the children stirred in the bed, drawing her attention away from Emily. Lisbeth watched Sammy roll over under the covers. She and Emily waited quietly until he settled again. Lisbeth turned back to Emily and took a deep breath.

  “Please think about taking him into your family,” Emily whispered. “He is your blood, your half nephew. Slavery may be over, but he is going to have a better life in the White world.”

  “You can’t mean this,” Lisbeth said, forgetting to keep her voice quiet. “You love him too much to part with him.”

  “I love him so much that I want what’s best for him, no matter how much it hurts me,” Emily replied, her eyes moist.

  Lisbeth’s head spun with the implications of what Emily was asking. “Both of you come with us!” she whispered fiercely. “We will help you settle in Ohio.”

  Emily shook her head. “I’ve given this a lot of thought. If I came, then . . .” Her voice broke. “Then he’d . . . still be colored.”

  Lisbeth felt sick; her throat tightened, and bile lurched into the back of her mouth, burning and acrid. She swallowed hard.

  Emily pleaded, “He’s a good boy. You know that. Sammy would be a good big brother to him.”

  “Oh, Emily, I—” Tears burned at the back of her eyes, threatening to spill over. She blinked hard, not wanting to be more emotional than Emily.

  Interrupting, Emily said, “I don’t want an answer now. Just think about it. We have money saved. I can send all of it with him . . . and send more later.”

  Emily turned away without waiting for a reply. Lisbeth’s head swirled. She felt trapped. Abandoning Willie felt as untenable as taking him in. Only the most appalling conditions would cause her to choose to live separately from her children. It was a measure of Emily’s desperation that she was willing to do so.

  The woman paused at the doorway before walking out. “They took Samuel too.”

  Lisbeth was confused. She looked at Sammy, asleep in the bed. “My son?”

  “No.” Emily shook her head. “Mattie’s Samuel. He got rounded up today too.”

  Lisbeth’s knees went weak. She collapsed onto the bed.

  A small wry smile passed over Emily’s face. “Like I said, it’s not really over,” she reiterated. “Mattie came by this afternoon and asked me to tell you to meet her at the Ebenezer Baptist Church on Leigh between Judah and Saint Peter. She’s waiting for you there, right now.”

  And then Emily vanished. Lisbeth stared at the white door, so overwhelmed that she could not move. Her arms and legs were too heavy. But her heart pounded with urgency. She was torn, wanting to go to Mattie immediately, but also scared.

  If Jack found out that she had gone to a Negro church or that she was still in touch with Mattie, he might lash out at her, make things more tense in this home—and perhaps worse for Mattie as well.

  But Mattie had never once asked for Lisbeth’s help. Lisbeth owed her everything. And she might be of true assistance to Samuel.

  “Momma?” Sammy’s sleepy voice cut through Lisbeth’s confused and terrified thoughts. She tamped down her internal storm and slid closer to her son, sitting on the edge of the bed.

  “Yes, Sammy?” Lisbeth said, hoping he hadn’t heard the conversation that had passed between her and Emily.

  “Are you going to help Mrs. Freedman?” Sammy asked.

  He had been awake! Lisbeth’s chest tightened, and her head nearly burst. Sammy was asking her to act. She stared at her son; longing covered his face. The desire to make Sammy proud overwhelmed her. This was a chance to show him how to live morally with deeds, not just words. Lisbeth nodded.

  “I’m going to see if I can do anything for her, though I don’t know that I can be of any actual help. Can you take care of Sadie if she wakes up?” Lisbeth asked.

  Sammy nodded.

  “Find Miss Emily if you need any help,” she instructed him.

  He nodded again. “Is Willie going to be my brother now?”

  A chill traveled down Lisbeth’s spine. She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before she spoke. “Oh, Sammy. I . . . I don’t know. We will have to t
hink about it very carefully.”

  “Miss Emily says he’s not safe here. We have to take him,” Sammy pleaded.

  Lisbeth felt torn and overwhelmed. “It’s a big decision,” she explained. “I’m not prepared to make it without a lot of thought. Poppa—”

  Sammy interrupted, “Poppa will agree if you say it is the right thing to do. Write to him.”

  “Sammy, I know you care for Willie. So do I, but a third child? It’s not a simple choice to make.”

  “Momma, I promise I’ll take care of him. I’ll walk him to school and help him with his chores and his schoolwork—”

  “Sammy,” Lisbeth interrupted. “I promise I will think about it. But tonight I need to go speak with Mrs. Freedman. And you need to go back to sleep. Good night.”

  “Good night, Momma,” Sammy said, not sounding like he was ready to go back to sleep anytime soon.

  CHAPTER 16

  JORDAN

  Richmond, Virginia

  “Mama, we can’t just let him take Samuel!” Jordan screeched.

  “Hush!” Mama rebuked. “We gonna calmly walk to Miss Grace’s house so we don’ make things any worse than they already are.”

  Jordan took in a shaky breath and worked to steady her racing heart. She looked at the little girl next to her. Ella stood still, staring off into space, detached from what had just happened. Jordan followed her mama down the street. Anger and frustration built in her with every step, but she didn’t yell or scream until they got inside.

  As soon as the door to the living room closed, Jordan burst into tears and shouted, “Mama what are we gonna do?”

  “You sit right there with Ella,” Mama directed her. “I’m gonna find Miss Grace.”

  “We shouldn’t have come,” Jordan reprimanded her mother. “This whole trip was a mistake. You knew something just like this could happen, and now Samuel is gone!”

  Mama’s face grew tight and hard. Her caramel-brown eyes gestured that Jordan should be mindful of Ella. Jordan got the silent message to act calm.

  Changing her tone, Jordan said quietly, “Mama, I’m so scared.”