“Of course, duh,” Cam said, “You think I don’t have a memory or what?”
“C’mon, buddy.” I was trying not to be frustrated with him. I smiled softly and continued: “We had a great time. What do you think? Want to go on another adventure in American history?”
“Whatever,” Cam said with a shrug. Then he turned again and ran away.
I walked back to Danielle, who was standing with her arms crossed.
“I’m sorry, Rush. He has never been like this. He was always the sweetest boy,” she said.
“I understand this must be hard for all of you. I have an idea. I’m going to ask Principal Sherman if I can teach a summer class. I think at least I can get him thinking about something else. Also, it may keep him away from that bratty kid.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea, thank you.”
We shook hands and I turned toward the cafeteria. I knew I had to pay off Liberty with a little snack when I got back. Hopefully he was where I left him. As I walked I called Principal Sherman. Lucky for me he always had his cell phone. I asked him about the whole summer class idea.
I passed through the front gate and exited the military base looking for Liberty. I was certain I left him tied to the tree across the street. Did the tree move? Where was he? “Liberty?” I called. No answer. Where could that horse have . . .
“I’m right here,” said Liberty, panting.
“Where were you and why are you out of breath?” I asked, suspicious.
“Oh, yes, I am a bit winded,” Liberty confessed. “It’s, well, it’s because I was holding my breath. I was tired of all the people staring and gawking at me in their cars while entering or leaving the base. I felt like shouting, This is NOT the zoo, people. Move it along! Sheesh!”
I narrowed my eyes as I pondered his explanation.
“You don’t believe me?” asked Liberty.
“Oh, I’m sure that’s part of it,” I said. “But something tells me I’m not getting the full story. Weren’t you chewing a piece of gum?”
“That old stuff,” Liberty huffed. “I spit it out ages ago.”
“And you didn’t enter the base?”
“What kind of question is that?” Liberty guffawed.
“It’s a pretty simple question, actually,” I stated.
Liberty looked at me like I was thickheaded. He said, “We both know that Marines are required to keep the details of their missions highly confidential. They are sworn to secrecy and live by a code of honor to never divulge information that could compromise the mission.”
“You haven’t answered my question,” I said.
“And I see you brought me back something from the cafeteria,” he said eyeing my carrot cake. “But you can eat the frosting. Blech. All I want is the carroty stuff.”
I simply shook my head and smiled as I peeled back the plastic wrap, broke off a piece of cake without frosting, and fed it to Liberty. While he was preoccupied eating his cake, I prodded further: “I’m just relieved that Cam didn’t get hurt during that fight.”
“I know, right?” Liberty said as he stopped mid-chew. “Er, I mean, what fight?”
“Liberty!” I scolded.
“And when were you going to tell me that we were teaching a history course during the summer? Don’t I get a choice? I thought we were a team. How are we ever going to trust each other if promises are being made with fingers crossed behind the back?” Liberty sighed, then added, “Not to worry, I’ve already forgiven you. But seriously, the next time you promise to give someone a shot in the arm of real American history I think you should consult the guy who can get us there. That’s all I’m saying.”
“And just how long were you eavesdropping on our conversation?” I asked.
“Shh, remember, code of honor.” He tried to zip his lips with his hoof.
I shook my head. “Well, Liberty, I spoke with Principal Sherman on my way back here and I have some good news. We will be teaching a summer class with our old time-traveling crew.”
“Woo-hoo!” Liberty jumped and kicked with his back hooves. One of the guards looked on with suspicion.
Chapter 2
It was the first day of summer school. I had butterflies in my stomach as Liberty and I arrived at Manchester Middle School. Would my time-traveling crew show up? How would Cam react? As we walked into the school, Liberty held his breath and disappeared. His skills never ceased to amaze me. The hallway was empty as we walked into classroom five.
“Liberty!” Freedom shouted as he reappeared. She jumped up to give him a bear hug, as he snuggled back.
Cam barely nodded at us and then turned back and slouched in his chair.
As we waited for Tommy, Liberty decided to have some fun with a Jeopardy-style quiz challenge. After the first couple of questions, Cam was still not very responsive.
“Question number three is for Cam. No pressure but Freedom is winning two to zero.” Liberty cleared his throat. “What exceptional American said, ‘Give me liberty or give me death!’?”
“Oh brother, he definitely knows this one,” Freedom said, her hands surrendering.
Cam yawned. “Um, was it the Three Musketeers?”
Liberty raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? I don’t think Cam is trying very hard.”
Freedom shoved his shoulder, “You know the answer is Patrick Henry. He’s your hero.”
Liberty piped in: “Remember we time-traveled to 1765 Virginia to meet Patrick Henry, and Cam got arrested and handcuffed by the British Redcoats for disorderly conduct? That was crazy!”
Cam shrugged his shoulders.
Liberty tallied the score. “Freedom now has three points and Cam has a big, fat goose egg. Of course, if it was a golden goose egg then you’d be rich! And if you owned a goose that laid golden eggs then you’d be really rich. And if you owned a flock of geese that laid golden eggs . . .”
I smiled while listening to Liberty’s random thoughts. I was glad to be back at Manchester Middle School even if it was summertime. I stood by the open window as a light breeze drifted into the classroom and gently blew the American flag. I checked the clock on the wall again and felt a little anxious. Tommy was almost ten minutes late.
Liberty continued: “Of course, if you had an elephant that laid a golden egg, well, that would just be weird.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt your insightful conversation,” I said, “but has anyone heard from Tommy? He’s awfully late.”
“I bet he slept in,” said Freedom. “Knowing Tommy, he’s probably hibernating. It is summer vacation, after all.”
Both Freedom and Cam looked casual and comfortable. They both wore shorts and short-sleeve shirts. Instead of the feather I had often seen Freedom wear she had her hair pulled back into a ponytail.
Cam was slumped in his chair with his arms folded. He yawned again and said, “We were gaming at his house late last night. I’d still be sleeping, too, but my mom threatened to bring the drill sergeant to wake me up.” He grumbled, “Seriously, she does not pull any punches when it comes to getting me up for school.”
Liberty gasped. “Are you saying your mother punches you out of bed? Wow, she’s really strict.”
“No, it means she doesn’t beat around the bush,” Cam said, grumpily.
“You have bushes in your bedroom? Boy, you must live in the outback,” said Liberty.
“No, I just mean my mom gets right to the point. She doesn’t blow smoke.”
“Well, I don’t blame her,” Liberty replied. “Smoking is a really bad habit and is the leading cause of lung cancer!”
Cam pulled his phone from his pocket and said, “Hey, I just got a text from Tommy. He says, ‘Sorry, I accidentally slept in. Tell Mr. Revere he better go without me. Don’t have too much fun!’ ”
“That’s too bad,” I said. “I’m afraid Tommy will miss out on an exciting adventure today. But I want to thank you both for making the effort to come this morning.”
“Thanks for inviting us, Mr. Rever
e,” said Freedom, beaming. “This is way better than doing chores.”
Freedom turned to Cam expecting him to say something. Instead, he just nodded with his arms folded.
“So will it just be Freedom and me?” Cam asked.
“Yes, only those who have time-traveled before, “I said with a wink. Among the three of them, our time-traveling adventurers had landed on the Mayflower and met the Pilgrims and Native Americans at the first Thanksgiving. We met Ben Franklin and King George in London, and witnessed the Boston Tea Party. We had even seen fights and angry crowds protesting against the Stamp Tax and saw Samuel Adams get the crowd going. Our next adventure would be even more exciting.
“Uh-oh, does that mean Elizabeth is coming?” Cam inquired.
“I hope not,” Freedom said softly. “I don’t mean to sound rude. It’s just that . . .”
Freedom was too nice to say what she really thought so Cam finished her sentence. “It’s just that Elizabeth is a power-hungry, stuck-up, snobbish diva who tries to make everyone around her feel inferior?” He looked around to give Tommy a high five but then realized he wasn’t there.
Elizabeth is a student at Manchester Middle School, and the daughter of Principal Sherman. She knew about Liberty and time-traveling and tried to befriend King George when we visited eighteenth-century England. Let’s just say she isn’t the best-behaved girl in the world.
Freedom blushed. “I wasn’t going to use those exact words.”
I smiled and said, “No worries, Freedom. Elizabeth won’t be attending. Her family is spending a chunk of the summer on the coast. Of course, after the stunt she pulled trying to leak information to King George III I’m not sure I trust her just yet.”
“Or ever,” Freedom mumbled.
“Let’s head outside. The back of the school will give us more room to time-jump,” I said.
Both students slipped out of their desks and Liberty opened the classroom door with his teeth. As we walked down the hallway and out of the school I watched Cam out of the corner of my eye. He shuffled along with his hands in his pockets and his head down. This was definitely not the boy I remember playing pranks in class and always smiling.
When we reached the grass behind the school, I thought we should do a little history reminder class, to be sure we were all on the same page. Perhaps it would put Cam in a better mood before we time-traveled!
“Who can tell me what happened when the Pilgrims landed in the New World?” I asked.
“I can!” Freedom said confidently. “They started to build towns and neighborhoods and grew crops on their land.”
“Yes, Freedom, you are exactly right!” I said, adding, “The original Pilgrims helped to develop the communities that eventually formed into the thirteen colonies.”
“Do you remember why the Pilgrims wanted to have their own colony?” I asked.
“Yes, they wanted to live in a place where they could be free and openly believe in God,” Freedom answered immediately after I asked the question.
“Well done, Freedom, you are on a roll!” I said smiling.
“How about you, Cam?” I prodded.
Cam barely lifted his head and said, “Yup. I agree with Freedom.”
Cam was not making this easy. But I was not going to settle for grunts and attitudes.
“After the Pilgrims worked very hard to establish the original thirteen colonies, they didn’t want anyone coming and imposing strict laws that took away their freedom. When the King of England saw the success they were having in their new communities, he thought the land was rightfully his and should be under his control,” I said.
“Cam,” I went on, “do you remember how the King tried to show his power and make the thirteen colonies submit to his rule?” I was hoping for more than a yes-or-no answer from him.
Cam lifted his head a little higher and said, “Well, he wanted to show them who’s boss by forcing them to submit to tough laws whether the early Americans liked it or not.” I nodded, giving him reassurance he was on the right track. “Like the Stamp Act and taxes,” Cam said reluctantly.
“Yes, very good! To show his power and try to control the people in the thirteen colonies, the King started to impose tough laws and put heavy fees or taxes on a lot of things sold in the colonies, such as tea. American colonists were also forced to take British soldiers into their homes. That is how the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party came to be!” I said.
“Yes,” Freedom said, “I remember the Boston Tea Party; it wasn’t really the kind of tea party we used to play at my house. They dumped a bunch of tea crates in the harbor to show the King the people weren’t happy with all of the fees.” Freedom acted out throwing a box over her head.
We spent a few minutes more talking about how the early Americans had no right to vote and how mad they were that the King shut down the Port of Boston and stopped political meetings from happening.
“The tension in the thirteen colonies only got worse from that point on!” I said. “The early Americans were scared their freedoms were being taken away. Kind of like when you make a big mistake and know your parents are going to get really mad. It’s just a matter of time after they find out. Let’s go see if we can find out what is happening there now!”
I reached into Liberty’s saddlebag and pulled out a colonial dress, a shawl, stockings, breeches, a linen shirt, and leather shoes, among other items, and distributed them to Cam and Freedom. Whenever we time-traveled we did our best to blend into the crowd. It kept us safe and let us fit in with the people of that time. I was already wearing my colonial clothing so I was ready to go.
“Looks like we’re going undercover again,” Freedom said. She turned to Cam and asked, “Are you as excited as I am?”
“Probably not,” Cam said as he began putting his breeches over his shorts.
“Is something wrong, Cam? You don’t seem like yourself,” Freedom asked.
“Sorry. I’m just, I don’t know, I guess I’m just tired.”
After they finished dressing in their new clothing I ushered them onto Liberty.
“We need to time-jump to Boston, April 18th, 1775.”
“At least it’ll be spring and not winter,” Freedom said. “I almost froze when we first visited the Pilgrims in Plymouth Plantation.”
“Wait,” said Liberty. “April 18th, 1775. That’s the same date we time-jumped when we last visited Boston. You know, when we were chased by that spy!”
“Yes, Liberty, thank you for that,” I said sarcastically. “We are actually heading to Dr. Warren’s surgery center on a different street in Boston for exactly that reason. Hopefully, the man in the black coat doesn’t find us there.”
“You were chased by a spy?” asked Freedom nervously.
For the first time Cam looked genuinely interested.
I avoided Freedom’s question and asked my own: “What’s your favorite part of time travel?”
“Riding on Liberty through the time portal is the best part. Getting there is half the fun!” Freedom replied.
“Aw, shucks, thanks, Freedom,” said Liberty.
“How do you do it?” Cam asked. “I mean I know the lightning storm changed you but what do you actually do to open the time portal?”
“I’m not sure,” Liberty replied. “I just say the magic words and think about it really hard and it happens. Before we know it we are back in time to a place in American history.”
“It still seems impossible,” Cam said.
Freedom sighed. “Oh, Cam. Santa Claus coming down the chimney seems impossible, too, but he does it every year.”
“Yeah,” said Liberty. “If reindeer can fly then I can time-jump.”
I quickly changed the subject before Cam could respond. “Ready when you are, Liberty. I’m right behind you.”
Liberty nodded and said, “Rush, rush, rushing to history.”
The vertical whirlpool of purple and gold appeared between the school buildings. Liberty bolted toward the swirling portal as
it got larger and larger. I repeated the date to Liberty and shouted, “The home of Dr. Joseph Warren!” In a blink of an eye we jumped into the eighteenth century.
* * *
Liberty landed on the familiar cobblestone streets. It was rather dark out and difficult to determine exactly where we were. We walked under one of the streetlamps. I pulled out an old map of the colonies from 1775 and pointed to where we were in the city of Boston, located on the upper coast of Massachusetts.
Cam said, “Is Boston an island? It looks on the map like it is completely surrounded by water.”
“It is very close to an island, yes,” I said, “but there is a little strip of land to the south that connects it to the rest of Massachusetts.”
We started to walk down one of the cobblestone streets. “I can hardly see anything,” Cam said.
“Look, there’s the steeple of the Old North Church just a few streets away,” Liberty said, looking up and beyond the rooftops. The church was the tallest building in Boston, towering over the rest of the city.
We turned to look where Liberty was staring. A scrawny cat darted across the empty street into an alley.
“Where is the house?” asked Cam.
“Give your eyes a few minutes to adjust to the darkness,” I said. “Let’s get out of the street and closer to this building. There are British soldiers patrolling the streets tonight. We need to be careful.”
“Mr. Revere, why are we being so cautious?” asked Freedom.
“Well, the Revolutionary War is about to start. The Boston Massacre happened not too long ago, and everyone is really angry. Any spark could set off the British Redcoats or the American colonists, and there could be beatings—or worse.” Just as I finished a group of British soldiers walked by. Clank, clank, clank. Their rifles were held high on their shoulders and their red coats were bright under the lamplights.
“I’m scared, Mr. Revere,” Freedom said, curling in close to Liberty. As the soldiers passed we found ourselves next to a neat little house.
“These soldiers are losers; honestly, they treat everybody like dirt and expect us to treat them well. Forget it,” Cam said, his voice echoing off the side of the house.
Rush Revere and the American Revolution Page 3