The Slave Master's Son

by Laveen, Tiana

  “I see, Doctor?” he said softly.

  “Yes,” the doctor responded, holding his hat in his hand.

  “I should safely assume this is a full-term baby, correct?” Master Stewart asked cautiously.

  “Yes – yes he is – healthy in all regards and definitely nine months, possibly even nine-and-a-half.”

  “And can I safely assume that this is – how he looks?” Master Stewart asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Yes. There appears to be no medical reason as to why he’d look that way other than his heritage.”

  “I need for someone to alert Mr. Grant,” Master Stewart said reflectively. “Please let him know that the baby isn’t to be his. I’ll pay monetarily for the inconvenience.”

  “Certainly,” the doctor responded as he gathered his bag and equipment. “Mary, keep Hannah cool with ice water. I’ve stitched her up, and she’s not to walk any long distance for at least two days.” Mary nodded. John stood up and continued to listen. His breathing was erratic and heavy. The thick, dark swirl of hair once again hung in front of his left eye. He swung it back as he strained to eavesdrop. The doctor left the house and got into his carriage. Moments later, Mr. Grant rode his carriage towards the house. He jumped out, stomping towards the door enraged. He entered the house, not closing it behind him, allowing the cool air to bathe all of them and the flames of the fire to jump in twisted, eerie convulsions.

  “What the hell is going on here? What do you mean the baby is no longer mine? I hope you’re prepared to pay then!” Mr. Grant yelled.

  “Keep your voice down!” Mary warned without thinking. “The baby is asleep!” The room quieted. He looked over at the baby and walked up to Hannah to get a closer view.

  “Oh my!” he gasped. “He’s – he’s…”

  “He’s my grandson!” yelled Master Stewart. “Get out!” Master Stewart pulled out a balled up handful of dollars and stuffed it into Mr. Grant’s palm. “Leave us! Leave us at once!” Mr. Grant smiled nervously and ran out of the house. He rode away. The sound of the carriage dissipated just as a pebble skipping across a pond. John bit his hand to contain his exuberance as he continued to listen in. He smiled bright as the sun as warm tears flowed down his cold cheeks.

  “I want to see him,” he said to himself. “I want to see my son.” John sat back down and waited patiently. His father finally exited the house and walked away. John waited a few minutes then slowly entered the house. Mary’s back was to him as she poked the fire. Hannah was asleep as was the baby.

  “Mary,” John whispered. Mary jumped.

  “Oh, my Lord!” she exclaimed as she put her hands to her mouth in disbelief. John rushed over to her and hugged her tightly.

  “How did you get here, boy?” She hugged him again.

  “Any way I could,” John chuckled. “I heard what my father said,” he whispered as he turned away from Mary and approached his sleeping Hannah and baby. He looked at his son’s mouth, partially opened as he rested his tiny full, pink lips softly against Hannah’s dark nipple. John’s eyes welled with tears. He wiped them away as he gently stroked the baby’s silky, black waves. His skin was soft, with a honeydew coloring, and it almost seemed to glow. Light hair covered his plump shoulders, and the rest of the baby was wrapped in a small beige blanket.

  “He has Hannah’s lips,” John said softly.

  “Yeah, but he looks just like you ’cept for that,” smiled Mary as she sat down, exhaling deeply.

  “Yes, he does,” John nodded in agreement as he leaned down and kissed Hannah’s forehead.

  * * *

  “I must be dreaming,” Hannah’s voice slurred slightly as she awoke forty minutes later. She saw John folded by the side of the bed, sound asleep. Mary was in her chair knitting a baby blanket. Mary did not look over at Hannah; she kept knitting.

  “No, Hannah, you’re not dreamin’. You really do see John layin’ there,” she answered matter-of-factly. The baby began to stir. John woke startled as he heard the baby whimper. He jumped to his feet. Hannah looked up at him. Her mouth was open, but no sound was uttered. John sat at the edge of the bed. He leaned down slowly towards her, kissing her passionately.

  “If this is a dream, please never wake me up,” Hannah pleaded. “I’ve dreamt of you almost every night.”

  “It’s not a dream, my love. I’m here. We’re all here. Can I – can I hold him?” he asked with a weak smile.

  “Yes.” Hannah slowly sat up and handed the baby to John. “Yes, like that. Keep your hand under his head. He can’t control it yet.” Hannah smiled.

  “Yes, of course. He’s so little,” John smiled happily, his exuberance exploding and filling the room. The baby looked up at him, moving his lips as his puffy eyes strained to focus. “He’s beautiful, Hannah,” John said as he held him closer to his chest.

  “I know. I don’t know what to name him. I ain’t thought that far.” She frowned as she tried to sit up.

  “Let me help you,” Mary said as she stood up and set her knitting needles down. Mary moved Hannah’s pillow and gently pulled her daughter into a more upright position. John looked at his son intensely, studying and memorizing his every feature. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a white, wispy shadow. When he turned, whatever may have been there disappeared. John rubbed his tired eyes and looked back down at his son, smiling appreciatively.

  “How about Jonathan?” Mary asked as she sat back down.

  “That’s just fine,” Hannah smiled. “We’ll call him Jonathan. What do you think?” Hannah asked.

  “Would you find me vain if I agreed that it was an excellent idea?” he smiled. Hannah laughed. She looked down at their son in John’s arms and said, “That’s your name, baby – Jonathan Abraham Stewart.”

  “I hate to leave after all of this time, Hannah. I have some important business to tend to, and I don’t want my father to discover me here like this, at this second. Time is of the essence.”

  “Please stay!” Hannah urged. She fought her physical pain and gripped the side of John’s shirt, bringing him towards her.

  “Hannah, Sweetheart, I promise you I’ll be back soon. Your dreams are real and the nightmares are over. From this point forward, everything will be fine,” he assured her as he quickly kissed her, handed her the baby, and abruptly left the house.

  * * *

  “Under the current circumstances, that seems reasonable,” answered Master Washington. He poured John a cup of tea as the two men sat down. It was four in the morning, and Master Washington was still groggy from being awoken by Mr. Grant who informed him of the entire, sordid tale.

  “Tell me, John, does your father know of your arrival?” he asked as he dropped a cube of sugar in his tea.

  “No, he does not, and I’d like to keep it as such,” John said as he took a sip of his tea, warming his throat.

  “I understand.” Master Washington got up and locked the study door before returning to his seat. “I want to make sure he does not overhear us. Mr. Grant’s already informed me. He was to watch over this matter, and I was only to receive a confirmation update, but due to the fact that the baby in question isn’t Henry’s,” Mr. Washington gave a quick glance towards John and looked away abruptly, “you’re surely entitled to your son. I think it’s unfortunate that Mr. Grant allowed your father to pay for his own grandchild. He’s an excellent businessman, but has a heart of coal. I apologize and will talk to Mr. Grant about his unscrupulous behavior,” Master Washington assured.

  “I’m not concerned about Mr. Grant,” John guaranteed. “Men like him weave their own webs and end up trapped themselves. Time will eventually take care of him. At this point, I want to get Hannah away from here as soon as possible. I understand that she just gave birth, but in the next twenty-four hours I need to have her and my son on a train. I’m taking her up north,” John explained.

  “You know, John, your father confided in me that you may try to find Hannah. He was hesitant to elaborate. I’m s
ure that was due to pride. I did spend a lot of money for her, but I wouldn’t expect you to pay me nine hundred dollars. Mr. Grant’s already been compensated for the child situation.” Mr. Washington adjusted his robe. “I’m deeply sorry that you had to go through all of this in order to get her back. Though I’m not what I’d call a sympathizer, your father knew I’d take good care of her. I don’t treat my slaves badly. I think they deserve to be treated like you or me unless they show disobedience. I told Hannah she needed to be with Henry. She complied though it was obvious it was upsetting for her. I figured it was simply because she was young. We didn’t know she was already pregnant. I don’t believe she knew either. If my calculations are correct, she couldn’t have been more than a couple weeks along upon her arrival,” Master Washington explained.

  “I didn’t know either, obviously. If she’d known, she would’ve told me,” John said. “So, what do I need to do in order to take my wife and baby from here?” John asked as he leaned forward, looking Master Washington directly in the eye. Mr. Washington looked at John and paused. He placed his tea cup down on the grand table between them and folded his hands together.

  “Your wife? She’s here?” Mr. Washington asked.

  “No – Hannah. We in fact were married quite some time ago,” John smiled. Master Washington smirked with confusion but dismissed it.

  “John, you will need to speak to your father. I’m not going to stop you from taking her. Just pay me back a reasonable offering on the percentage I paid for her, and she’s all yours. I’ll give you the paperwork should you run into any issues along the way. You don’t seem like the type of man that’s afraid of your father, so I wonder what’s truly driving your behavior. You know that this is inevitable.”

  “I know it is. I just don’t want Hannah subjected to any more of his antics.” John went on to explain to Mr. Washington what happened right before Hannah was sold.

  “I see,” he responded as he shook his head. “That fills the void as to why you don’t wish to have discourse with him about this matter. You know, John, it’s none of my business, and I really don’t condone this sort of thing between Negroes and whites. I think we need to stay separate as far as things such as that. But I’m not in a position to tell you what to do nor would I interfere especially since you now have a child with Hannah. I can see that you care for her very deeply or you wouldn’t have gone through all of these things to be with her. The bottom line is you’re your own man and will have to make your own choices,” Master Washington explained. John nodded as he stood up. He handed Master Washington five hundred dollars and shook his hand. Master Washington opened the study door as the two men walked out. John approached the front door, then stopped in his tracks. He swung back around and marched to the guest room from where his father’s snoring was emanating.

  “John, where are you going?” whispered Master Washington.

  “I think you know. It’s time he and I get this over with,” John said as he opened the door, allowing a thin veil of candle light to seep into the room, cloaking his father in a warm bath of yellow luminescence. His hard, slow footsteps approached the canopy bed, covered in cream tapestries. The faint odor of kerosene filled the room. Master Stewart’s eyes flew open suddenly. He looked to his left and saw his son’s silhouette in the doorway. John was leaning against the frame, his ankles crossed and arms folded across his chest. Master Stewart sighed and slowly sat up.

  “Are you going to just stand there?” Master Stewart asked as he cleared his throat and coughed into his handkerchief.

  * * *

  John approached his father, his figure slowly coming into the dim light. He looked down at his father, suddenly seeing him as weak and feeble. He looked vulnerable. Master Stewart chewed on his bottom lip and rubbed his dry hands together.

  “So it’s clear that by your presence here what you’re planning to do. I see that regardless of what I tried to instill in you, you continuously insist on disobeying and making a mockery of all that I’ve taught you. You’ve repeatedly embarrassed me, and this action tonight’s proven that there’s no loyalty for me.” John smiled and touched his father’s knee gently with his right hand.

  “My initial reaction as I approached your sleeping body was to defend myself and my family with all my strength. If it included having to succumb you, I was prepared for that. I was prepared for the lost inheritance, being ostracized and disowned, as well as public humiliation. As I watched you sleeping though, I realized that there’s no need to fight you unless you insist. I’m prepared to do just that, as I stated to you before.

  “You’d kill me over Hannah?” Master Stewart asked in disbelief.

  “Unfortunately, yes. Things are more serious now. There’s more at stake than our love. I now have a child to also protect. No man, whether he’s my father or not, will cause me to turn my back on my newborn son.” Master Stewart rolled his eyes.

  “John, you’re truly astonishing. It’s as if we aren’t even related. If I hadn’t seen you moments after your birth and you weren’t my likeness, I’d swear to the entire country you were an orphan.”

  “And for those same reasons, I too, would swear I was adopted,” John smiled. “Father, if you lost your leg and couldn’t walk, would you miss it?”

  “What sort of question is that? John, I have no time or patience for riddles this evening. I’m very tired, and you’ve taken all the fight out of me over the years,” he said as he rubbed his bag-laden eyes.

  “It’s not a riddle. If you suddenly lost your leg and couldn’t walk, would you miss your leg?” John repeated it. Master Stewart sighed.

  “Well of course I would! No one wants to be without a limb, especially a leg. What nonsense you speak!”

  “What if a doctor told you that a year or two after you lost the leg, he could give you your ability to be upright again by means of a contraption that would serve as an attached artificial limb of sorts?

  “John, are you mad?” Master Stewart asked. “What in the dickens are you talking about?”

  “Father, you took my leg from me. I couldn’t walk properly, yet you expected me to act as if I was completely able-bodied and gallivant down the road. I wanted it back. That’s why I’m here. Now you tell me I’m an embarrassment because I don’t want to walk around crippled when I really don’t have to. I can’t be crippled simply to make you feel better. Hannah completes me. I refuse to be handicapped for you. That’s too much to ask. You and I’ve been around and around this issue. I’m not going to change your mind and you’re not going to change mine,” John said as he sat on the side of the bed. Master Stewart sighed and looked away. Several minutes passed before either of them spoke.

  “John, you’re my son,” Master Stewart said softly. “I want what’s best for you. I now understand, however, that I can’t stop you from continuing this affair with Hannah.”

  “It’s not an affair. She’s the one I wanted to be with all along, not Gayle. My marriage with Hannah is real, Father. I’ll be terminating my marriage to Gayle in the upcoming weeks,” John said angrily.

  “You refuse to relinquish, and I’m too tired to continue the battle. You’ve worn me down, Son. After our physical fight, when this all began, I can’t do this again. I’m too tired, and you’re too determined and stubborn,” Master Stewart sighed. “Since you know of the baby, you’ve obviously seen Hannah. How is she?” he asked weakly.

  “She’s doing well. We named the baby,” John added. “His name’s Jonathan Abraham Stewart.” Master Stewart smiled and nodded his head in approval.

  “He’s a very handsome baby,” he laughed. “The color left our faces when we saw him,” he chuckled. John smiled pensively.

  “I’m sure. I suppose it was a bit alarming since no one was the wiser. I truly had no idea she was in that state. I love her, Father. I love her very much,” John’s voice trembled.

  “I know you do, John,” Master Stewart responded as he touched his son’s hand. “I just wish you didn’t.”<
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  “I’ve paid Master Washington the money he spent for Hannah. I’m taking her away. Please don’t worry about your reputation. I won’t be taking her back to Richmond. I’ll be taking her and our baby to New York. I plan to open a law practice there,” John explained. “Master Washington is signing her over to me in the morning. I’ll have legal ownership of her should anything arise along the way. From this point on, Father, she’s my wife, and I expect her to be treated as such. She’s the mother of my child, and we’re going to be together.” John stood up from the bed and held his head high. Master Stewart nodded.

  “I concede. You won’t encounter anymore interference from me. This isn’t what I wish for you, but it’s become increasingly clear that she’ll be chosen each and every time despite the consequences. It’s as though she has some spell over you, but yet I know her personally and understand that she’s innocent and believes she loves you. You’ve been smitten with her since you two were children. I grew increasingly concerned as you matured into your manhood, fearful that your desires would grow and you’d act upon them. I had no idea it’d be much more serious than even that. A part of me wishes I had broken my promise to Mary and sold Hannah as soon as I saw what was going on between you two, but another part of me understands that removing her from you wouldn’t have stopped the love you have for her. I don’t know what else to say, John – I just don’t know.” Master Stewart yawned as he lay back down onto the bed. John patted his father’s hand affectionately. Moments later he walked towards the door and headed out into the early morning air. He walked briskly to the small, brown cottage where he found Hannah wide awake, breastfeeding as Mary slumped in her chair sleeping. John smiled and closed the door behind him as he approached her. Hannah looked up and smiled.