by Darrel Bird
“Uh, Verma Lee, would you walk down the road a piece in this nice evening?”
She didn't say anything, but she stepped off the porch, still not looking at him. She began walking down the road, and he walked up beside her. She was bare foot, and she stopped and squished the sand through her toes. She shyly reached for his hand, and they walked hand in hand. She still did not look directly at his face, but as she looked around at the forest a smile played around her lips. Josh stopped.
“Verma Lee, could I have a kiss?”
She moved closer to him, and she looked directly at him for the first time, and her body warmth set him on fire. By then there was just enough light to see each other close, and when he kissed her he knew he was in love with someone for the first time in his life.
They took many long walks during the evening of that summer, as the corn flourished in the rich soil.
Moses and Josh each had a fat hog to slaughter, and the Josh worked together with Moses to get the meat in the smoke house.
The next spring Verma Lee turned 16 in April, and on one of their long walks, Josh asked her to marry him. She agreed and they planned the wedding for the first of March.
The wedding was performed by a colored minister who lived over at Becket and agreed to come out to Moses place to marry them. Swearing both Josh and Moses to silence. He said if either one of them ever told, he would be forced to deny it because it would bring danger to his little black congregation.
Moses stood there frowning during the whole ceremony. Not because he didn't love Josh like his own son, but because he was worried they would have trouble if any in the white community caught wind of it. After the wedding, she moved over to Joshes cabin. It wasn't much of a move as she only had two old flour sack dresses, and a photo of her with her parents some photographer had taken when he visited John Bertram's slave plantation her parents were raised on. The photographer was a kindly man, and on his next visit he gave the photograph to Verma Lee. She prided that photograph almost more than the cloths she had on her back.
That year the black codes began to crop up in Becket, the mosquitoes got real bad, and Verma Lee's mother took sick with the fevers, and she moved back in as her mother needed constant tending. Josh was afraid of Verma catching the fevers, but he agreed it had to be done. Both he and Moses had to get the corn and potatoes planted.
They were out working together up next to the swamp where Josh wanted to plant potatoes in some new ground. The field was out of sight of the house. The sweat was running off both them and the mules when Moses wife came across the newly planted corn field screaming her head off. “Moses...Moses!”
Moses and Josh ran to meet her when she collapsed in the field in her weakened condition, and Josh got there first.
“What in the world is wrong Mrs. Bones?”
“Mr. Josh, they took my Verma Lee!”
“Who took her?”
Moses health wasn't all that good after a life of slavery, and beatings, and he collapsed beside his wife. He sat beside her, mopping the sweat off his brow. “Lord a mercy woman speak up!”
“Mr. Bertram took her, he said she was still under apprenticeship law because she had worked in his house when she was thirteen. She be my only child , an I knows he gonna hurt her!”
Moses got up off the ground and began running toward the house, “Where you goin' Moses?” His wife screamed.
“Goin' to get my shotgun, I aim to have my daughter back!”
Josh helped Mrs. Bones up and caught up to Moses, “Now Moses, you listen to me, you go to Bertrams with a gun, you know they gonna kill you. I'll get her back, I promise you that, she's my wife you know.”
“They'll kill you too boy, fer marryin' a black girl. I done tole you son.”
“Well, at least they won't shoot me on sight. You go up there carryin' a gun, all you goin' to do is get kilt, then where will Verma be? You know I'm right Moses. You stay here and take care of Mrs. Bones, and I'll go to Becket and see the sheriff. Will you do that Moses?”
By that time Mrs. Bones had caught up to the two.
“Listen to Mr. Josh Moses, please! You know he right!”
Moses turned to Josh and stared him in the eyes, “You go Josh, and if you don't bring her home with you, I'm gonna go get her myself, and I'm liable to have to kill a white man.”
“If I don't bring her back, I'm goin' to kill my own self a white man Moses, Verma is my life, I'll get her back.”
Josh hurried to his cabin to gather up a few things while Moses put the saddle on his Mule. Josh tucked his revolver into his waist band after checking the caps and loads.
He pulled his old coat on to hide the gun. When he got to the barn Moses handed him up a small sack of corn pone Verma had made the morning before. He looked sadly up at Josh as he mounted his Mule.
“Give me a day or two Moses, and don't you come into town. If you and me both get kilt, the cause is lost for our women folk, you hear me now?”
“I hear you boy, but it's awful hard goin' just sittin by and doin' nothing.”
“I'll be back in a day or two, maybe three... four at most, but I ain't coming back without her.”
“We be prayin' for you boy.”
“You do that Moses, you pray real hard.”
As he rode his Mule toward Becket, he secretly was afraid she would kill herself or run off to the swamps, which had taken many a black persons life. The snakes, mosquitoes, and black water was as dangerous a cruel master as had ever lived, and he knew if she got into the swamps, the swamps would devour her in a day.
He rode into Becket at about three in the after noon, and went straight to the sheriffs office. When he opened the door the sheriff was sitting behind his desk.
“Sheriff, I want to report that John Bertram has done took my wife and put her to work in his fields.”
“Ain't you the Barnes boy lives over next to the swamp? How is it Bertram has took your wife? I ain't heard about you bein' married off.”
“I married Moses Bones daughter Verma Lee. Thats who he took.”
“Boy, don't you know its against the law to marry a black woman?”
“Not over at my place it ain't, Bertram stole my dad's land, and you know it, now he's done took my wife.”
“Judge said it was fair and square on account of your dad didn't pay enough taxes, and chip in for the war.”
“Well, I ain't tryin' to get my rightful land back, but I aim to have my wife back!”
“I'll ride out there and talk to Mr. Bertram in the morning, meantime I suggest you go cool down somewhere boy, or I might have to arrest you.”
“I'll be camped out down by the creek. You come see me when you get back sheriff.”
“I'll come get you when I get back, now you just settle down some. I always liked your dad, and I'd hate to have to put you in jail, I got too much riff raff to feed in there already.”
There was a good stand of timber by the creek, and Josh set up a little dry camp in the timber. The water made a soothing sound, but Josh rolled fitfully throughout the night.
The next morning an old man walked down to his camp from a house a short distance away, “I see you have a tolerable camp here son.”
“Howdy mister.” Josh said.
“Might be you could use a mite to eat?” The old man looked at Josh with kind eyes.
“I wouldn't want to trouble you. I got me some corn pone to nibble on.”
“Ain't no trouble, the old woman done cooked up more than three people can eat.”
Josh took a liking to the old man right away and he followed him up to the house, “Come on in and set to table son. Martha, our guest will take some coffee.”
“Who might you be son?”
“Names Josh Barnes, Bertram stole most my daddy's land, and left me 40 acres over by the big swamp.”
“I knew your daddy, the reb appropriators shot him didn't they?”
“Yeah, they did, when he wouldn't hand them everything he had. Dad sent me to live with my aunt u
ntil the war was over, and when I came back, he had been kilt dead.”
“Name here is Walter Gardener.”
The hot coffee had more chicory in it than it had coffee, but it tasted awfully good to Josh as he ate heartily of hog jaw bacon and milk gravy over fluffy biscuits.
“You sure know how to cook ma'am.”
“Aw shaw, twernt nothing.” The woman smiled at him. Josh thought they both were in their eighties.
“So what were you doin' down by the creek, if I may be so bold?” The old man asked as he sipped his coffee.
“Walter, it ain't none of our affair.”
“Its okay Ma'am, I live over by the swamp, and John Bertram done took my wife to put her to work on his farm.”
“Your wife happen to be a cute young black gal bout sixteen or so?”
“Yes, have you seen her?”
“Bertram passed here with her on his horse. When they was right in front of the house, she bit his hand and he clapped her upside the head. That gal has got some fire in her.”
“Could you tell if he hurt her much?”
“I don't think he hurt her, but there ain't a meaner snake around Becket than John Bertram. He'll go to hell kickin' and squealing like a gutted hog, and I hope I live long enough to see it.”
“Now Walter, somebody might hear you talkin' like that.” Martha looked at him sternly.
“So what's he gonna do? Shoot me, I already got one foot in the grave, and tother on a rotten tater peel. Heh, heh, heh!” The old man laughed until he lost his breath. Martha clapped him on the back.
“Old man, you'll be the death a me.” She laughed.
Josh pulled back his chair, and got up to go, “Thank you most kindly for the food and company I have to go see if the sheriff went to Bertrams like he promised.
“Twon't do no good even if he did son, the black codes done fixed it for the slaves, as if the war weren't ever fought.”
“What about these black codes? What are they?”
“They are crooked laws hatched up by the slave owners and rich legislators to put the negros right back under slavery.”
“Well, I'll be going Mr. Gardner, I ain't going to rest until I get my Verma Lee back.”
“Good luck to you son.”
Josh walked into the sheriffs office, and a deputy was attending the place, “Has the sheriff gone to Bertrams?” Josh asked.
“Yep, probably be back in an hour or so, you want to wait? Pot of coffee on the stove.”
“Done had some thanks.”
Josh found a chair against the wall on the front porch, and since he hadn't slept all that well the night before, he pulled his hat down over his eyes, eventually falling into a deep slumber. He slept until he heard horses stopping directly in front of him. He opened his eyes, and saw the sheriff getting down stiffly from his horse.
“Did you see her sheriff?”
“I saw her, and I talked with Mr. Bertram. There ain't nothing I can do as he is not breaking any law.”
“Its breaking the law to take someones wife.”
“No it ain't, the apprenticeship law is that he can force her to work until she is eighteen, because she worked for him before.”
“You know good and well thats an attempt to put blacks back in chains sheriff. I won't abide it.”
“If you stir up any trouble young man, I'll have to arrest you. Now you go on back home and let this be, you hear me?”
“I hear you sheriff. I hear you saying you won't uphold the emancipation.”
Josh went to retrieve his Mule from Mr. Gardner, who had allowed him feed for the animal, and then he rode straight north to the Bertram plantation. In two hours he neared the plantation, but instead of riding on in, he skirted the fields, keeping cover in the woods he worked his way to a spot of trees that bordered the the main field.
By that time it was coming on sundown and the field hands were making their way to the slave shacks that sat away from the house about fifty yards. He tied the Mule and waited in the shadows. Right away the mosquitoes went to work on him, but there was no help for it, he tied his bandanna as close as he could to his eyes, and stuck his hands in his pockets. He sat back against a tree in order to try and rest. It made a long night of waiting, but as it came daylight he saw the field hands coming toward the fields.
Bertram was a cruel task master, and he would work slaves until they died or ran. Emancipation meant nothing to the man, and he just re-hired the adults with a pittance and went after the children, claim any who had been slaves before under the black codes. It looked to Josh like they were no more free now than they had ever been.
The day wore on and the slaves advanced slowly down the long cotton rows, pulling grass out of the cotton by hand. It was almost eleven o'clock when he made out his wife crawling along on her knees in the hot sun, and his blood ran hot in anger. She was close enough to see the sweat dripping off the end of her nose, before he made his move. He untied the reins of the Mule, and climbed into the saddle, he gave the old Mule a solid kick in the flanks, “Git up Mule!” He tore out of the woods across the fifty yards between him and his wife.
“Verma Lee!”
She saw him coming and jumped up. He held out his hand as he passed her. When she grabbed his hand, his momentum slung her onto the back of the Mule behind him, and he headed for the woods again.
He looked behind him to see the overseer racing his horse after them. He had forgotten that the overseer was usually a horseback, and he cursed himself. He looked back again in time to see the overseers horse step in a hole and the overseer went end over teakettle over the horses head to land in one of the cotton rows.
He breathed a sigh of relief, hoping the horse would be lame after the spill. He kept running the Mule until they were well into the woods, and then he had to slow the animal to keep from being swept off by low hanging limbs. She gripped his waist tightly, and began crying.
“I knew you would come for me Josh, but I was so afraid they would kill you.”
“Now don't you fret Verma Lee, I'm still alive and kickin'. We got to ride quiet now girl, so they don't hear us.”
Josh rode through the trees, then would back trail himself to help confuse dogs. they heard no one in pursuit, and by dark Moses cabin came into view. Both Moses and his wife ran down the lane to meet them.
Verma Lee jumped off the Mule and into her mother and fathers arms.
Josh dismounted and Moses reached out his hand, and then hugged Josh, “I knowed you would do it boy, and praise be to God you done it.”
“You the best of men Josh.” Her mother hugged him.
“Well I spect we gonna have to fight if Bertram comes here.”
“Then we'll fight if we has too son.” Moses looked at him sternly, “Ain't no man gonna take my girl while I'm a livin', never again, no sir!”
“Better load your old shot gun then Moses, same as me. I want you and the missus to come to the house, and stay tonight in case we have to make a fight of it.”
The women cooked up a late supper as none of them had eaten. Moses wife was still sick, so they stayed inside while Josh and Verma sat on the front porch.
“Josh, I got something to tell you, and I don't want to.”
“Well, just telling it would be about right I think.”
“Ol' Mr. Bertram tried to force himself on me last night, and I fought him off, thats why I was in the field working, at first he was going to keep me in the kitchen to cook.”
The words spilled out, and she grabbed on to him, and began crying. Deep anger flooded Joshes soul, but he knew anger could cloud a mans judgment like nothing else could.
“I reckon if he hadn't tried that, and you hadn't of fought him, you wouldn't have been where I could get too you. We just need to give the Lord thanks, even if we don't know the reason a thing happens. I reckon if it be Gods will, we will win out.”
Josh slept fitfully again that night, and was up early with the first morning light. He boiled up some willow ba
rk, and made a strong tea. The tea would alleviate some of the pain in his limbs. He sat on the porch thinking he would like to plant some tobacco, so he could have a pipe of an evening as Moses seemed to put a lot of stock in the comfort.
He knew though in his heart, he may not be alive to plant anything.
He cleaned his musket, poured in the powder and rammed a ball home. The old musket shot fairly straight, and he could make a man think over his ways before entering the end of the lane where the road came out of the trees. He laid the gun over the porch rail and sighted down the lane, then he took the gun and sat it against the wall.
Moses came out the door and took the other chair, and he had his old double barrel, “You primed and loaded son?”
“Yes I am Moses.”
“Its a sure thing Bertram will be here, along with some of those rowdies of his.”
“Yep.”
Verma Lee came out, and sat on Joshes lap, “Josh, I had rather be dead than to be taken back there, yet I had rather be dead then see you and Papa get hurt or killed too.”
“Well ain't no use to fret it, because Moses and me will give up our lives if we have too.”
“It ain't just you girl.” Moses said. “If men are not willing to fight fer the right, ain't no use livin' anyhow.”
“Verma” Josh said looking sternly at her, “I want you to take the Mule and ride over to Becket to stay at the Gardner's till this is over.”
“I won't leave Josh.”
“Yes you will, we can't win this by ourselves, and you and Mr. Gardener might be able to scare up some help in Becket. Its really our only chance.”
“You think he might help us Josh?”
“He might, don't seem like there is much love lost between him and Bertram.”
“Ok, I'll go.”
“Go now then, and say off the road until you get to Becket. Mr. Gardner's little farm is the first one at the edge of town by the creek. You tell him I sent you and what happened yesterday. Now go on girl.”
Moses was already leading the Mule up to the porch, and Josh helped her into the saddle. “Josh, I love you.”
“And I love you.”
“Love you Papa.”
She rode down the lane and entered the trees. Josh and Moses watched her go, and they were both quiet. After a while Josh spoke.
“Moses, how did you get your last name anyhow? ”
“I was just skin and bones when I was a sprout, and the name stuck. Lots of slaves ain't got proper names, but it be bout as good as any.”
“I