by Ginny Dye
Opal’s face lit with a glorious smile as a sigh of relief exploded from her lips. “Oh, thank you, Miss Carrie.”
“You’re welcome,” Carrie said softly. “And just remember, Opal, your freedom is yours when you want it.”
_______________________________
Carrie sighed as she ran the ivory handled brush repeatedly through her long, black hair. It still felt better when it was done for her, but she had determined months ago to take care of herself. It was hard to even imagine that she had once had everything done for her. Her baths drawn, her clothes selected and laid out, her hair brushed and arranged. At one time, Rose had done it all for her. Carrie’s time in Philadelphia with Aunt Abby had changed all of that. Wealthy enough to pay for any services she desired, Aunt Abby chose to care for herself.
Carrie’s face grew sad at the thought of Aunt Abby. She missed her terribly. Most of the time it seemed as if she actually were her aunt, and not the aunt of one of her close friends. The month she had spent in her home the summer before was one of the most special memories of her life. The two had connected on a deep level, attracted by the honesty and independence they found in each other. The years difference between them had melted away as they spent hours in heart-to-heart conversation. Carrie allowed her mind to wander and imagine what she would be doing right now if she had been free to accept Aunt Abby’s invitation to come and spend several months with her, pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor. Her mother’s illness and subsequent death had aborted all those plans. Carrie had become the mistress of Cromwell Plantation. How many times she had longed to walk away from her responsibility and follow her dream. There had been time before the war had started to simply tell her father he must hire a new overseer - then she could have moved to Philadelphia and started her education. Knowing she was where she was supposed to be sometimes did nothing to ease the pain of her situation.
She had struggled earlier when she had walked home from the Quarters. She was excited Opal was going to have a new beginning in Richmond. She had had to fight a creeping bitterness that nothing new was on the horizon for her. Only laughing at herself had finally helped her to gain perspective. How could she be jealous of a slave? Opal, no matter what she did in Richmond, would know she was a slave. Carrie had to keep reminding herself she had options. She could leave the plantation any time she wanted to. She knew her father would understand. It was her choice that kept her here. She could either make the best of it, or continue to grumble.
Reaching into her dressing table drawer, Carrie pulled out a thick sheaf of letters. Turning the lantern up a little brighter, she flipped page after page of letters Aunt Abby had sent her. Their correspondence had been a saving grace for her as she had struggled to fulfill her responsibilities and duties on the plantation. Now even that had been taken away. Lincoln had ordered all mail service halted between the warring states.
Now, more than ever, Carrie yearned for a good long talk with her friend. Was she making the right decisions? Carrie knew Aunt Abby would give her no answers. But she would ask all the right questions so that Carrie could examine her heart clearly and know what she really believed, what she really wanted, and what would be the best course of action. Sometimes it was so difficult to see a situation clearly when you were immersed in it. You could so easily lose sight of the goal when the surrounding problems pressed in so tightly they obscured your view.
Oh, God......
It was sometime later when Carrie lifted her head, sensing the peace that she could find only in talking with God. Her reflection from the huge, ornately gilded mirror on her wall flickered back at her. Slowly she began to run the brush through her hair once again. She would take one day at a time. She would do the best she could. She could do no more. And no more was expected of her. Carrie’s heart would almost fail her at times when she tried to look far into the future. But one day at a time. Most of the time she was sure she could make it through just one more day.
Gazing more deeply into the mirror, Carrie smiled at her reflection. As the soft breeze swirled around her, once more she tried to fathom the secrets and mysteries hidden in the mirror. She had sensed them there ever since she had been a young girl. She would spend hours staring into its clear depths, trying to imagine what secrets her great-great-grandmother had bestowed upon the mirror, and whether she, her great-great-granddaughter, would be found worthy to know the secrets.
Carrie knew the heritage the mirror had bequeathed to her. She knew that it stood as a six foot tall, gilded symbol of courage and determination - and the will to carve the life you wanted out of impossible circumstances. It had stood as a challenge before her all of her life. Each night it spoke to her - urging her on to be all she could be - to not give in to the circumstances of life.
Tonight it spoke to her once again. But in a different way. The mirror issued the same challenge as always, but then as she stared into it, it seemed to offer back the courage she would need to meet those challenges. The flickering lantern light, tossed about the room by the billowing of her long drapes, seemed to sink deep into the mirror and then come shooting back out at her, offering more radiance on it’s way out then on it’s way into the depths. Carrie sat quietly, absorbing the strength and courage it was offering her tonight.
She felt awed, sensing that she had discovered one of the secrets of the mirror. If she could see herself reflected in the mirror and feel comfortable and confident about the condition of her heart, then the mirror would reach out and give her the strength necessary to follow the dictates of her heart.
Smiling softly, Carrie reached over to lower the wick on the lantern. Moving over to her bed, she slid gratefully under the covers. She sighed as the soft warmth of the bed welcomed and cradled her tired body. Just as she rolled over to bury her head in her pillows, a burst of song reached across the night and crept through her window. Carrie sat up to hear more clearly. She knew it was from the Quarters. On certain nights, when the breeze blew just right, the sounds of the Cromwell Plantation people singing, would rise to her window. Closing her eyes, she listened closely.
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low
Sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home.
I looked over Jordan
And what did I see
Coming for to carry me home
A band of angels coming after me
Coming for to carry me home.
Carrie smiled and snuggled deep into her covers. No unbidden thoughts would bother her tonight.
To purchase either the E-book or Print version of On To Richmond visit:
www.BregdanChronicles.com
The Bregdan Principle
Every life that has been lived until today is a part of the woven braid of life. It takes every person’s story to create history. Your life will help determine the course of history. You may think you don’t have much of an impact. You do. Every action you take will reflect in someone else’s life. Someone else’s decisions. Someone else’s future. Both good and bad.
For notice of new book releases, to buy print versions, and to purchase both Print and Ebook versions of later titles, please go to www.BregdanChronicles.com or www.GinnyDye.com.
The Bregdan Chronicles
Storm Clouds Rolling In
1860 – 1861
On To Richmond (Release date -May 2010)
1861 – 1862
Spring Will Come (Release date – June 2010)
1862 – 1863
Dark Chaos (Release date – July 2010)
1863 – 1864
Many more coming as the Bregdan braid of history continues to be woven…
Other Books by Ginny Dye
Fireflies For The Heart – Volume 1
www.FirefliesForTheHeart.com
Fly To Your Dreams Series - www.FlyToYourDreams.com
Dream Dragon
Born To Fly
Little Heart
101 Ways
Series - www.TogetherWeCanChangeTheWorldPublishing.com
101 Ways To Change The World
101 Ways Your Church Can Change The World
101 Ways Your School Can Change The World
101 Ways Youth Can Change The World
101 Ways Women Can Change The World
101 Ways Your Business Can Change The World
101 Ways To Show Appreciation To Your Volunteers
101 Ways To Help Planet Earth
101 Ways Change The World For Animals
101 Ways To Support The Troops
101 Ways To Survive Tough Economic Times
If you have been challenged through the Bregdan Principle to want to make a difference with your life, please go to www.5MillionForChange. This division of Together We Can Change The World will provide all the FREE Resources you need to make a difference and give you a community of like-minded people.
5 Million For Change Pledge
I raise my hand for 5 Million For Change
I will take time TODAY to make a difference in the world.
I will take time TODAY to do one thing – for one person.
I will take time TODAY to spread some love & caring in my world.
One thing – TODAY.
EVERYDAY!
Nothing is too small. Nothing is too big.
It is only important to take Action.
I will take time TODAY – to ACT – to create CHANGE!
Author Biography
Who am I? Just a normal person who happens to love to write. If I could do it all anonymously, I would. In fact, I did the first go round. I wrote under a pen name. On the off chance I would ever become famous - I didn't want to be! I don't like the limelight. I don't like living in a fishbowl. I especially don't like thinking I have to look good everywhere I go, just in case someone recognizes me! I finally decided none of that matters. If you don't like me in overalls and a baseball cap, too bad. If you don't like my haircut or think I should do something different than what I'm doing, too bad. I'll write books that you will hopefully like, and we'll both let that be enough! :) Fair?
But let's see what you might want to know. I spent many years as a Wanderer. My dream when I graduated from college was to experience the United States. I grew up in the South. There are many things I love about it but I wanted to live in other places. So I did. I moved 42 times, traveled extensively in 49 of the 50 states, and had more experiences than I will ever be able to recount. The only state I haven't been in is Alaska, simply because I refuse to visit such a vast, fabulous place until I have at least a month.
Along the way I had glorious adventures. I've canoed through the Everglade Swamps, snorkled in the Florida Keys and windsurfed in the Gulf of Mexico. I've white-water rafted down the New River and Bungee jumped in the Wisconsin Dells. I've visited every National Park (in the off-season when there is more freedom!) and many of the State Parks. I've hiked thousands of miles of mountain trails and biked through Arizona deserts. I've canoed and biked through Upstate New York and Vermont, and polished off as much lobster as possible on the Maine Coast.
I had a glorious time and never thought I would find a place that would hold me until I came to the Pacific Northwest. I'd been here less than 2 weeks, and I knew I would never leave. My heart is so at home here with the towering firs, sparkling waters, soaring mountains and rocky beaches. I love the eagles & whales. In 5 minutes I can be hiking on 150 miles of trails in the mountains around my home, or gliding across the lake in my rowing shell. I love it!
Have you figured out I'm kind of an outdoors gal? If it can be done outdoors, I love it! Hiking, biking, windsurfing, rock-climbing, roller-blading, snow-shoeing, skiing, rowing, canoeing, softball, tennis... the list could go on and on. I love to have fun and I love to stretch my body. This should give you a pretty good idea of what I do in my free time.
When I'm not writing or playing, I'm building Together We Can Change The World - a fabulous organization I founded in 2001 - along with 60 amazing people who poured their lives into creating resources to empower people to make a difference with their lives.
What else? I love to read, cook, sit for hours in solitude on my mountain, and also hang out with friends. I love barbeques and block parties. Basically - I just love LIFE!
I'm so glad you're part of my world!
Ginny
And could you do one final thing for me? If you found this free book on Facebook, and you enjoyed it, will you SHARE it with all your friends? Or just go ahead and forward the PDF to every living soul you can think of? The more readers I have, the more books I can write!
THANK YOU for your help!