by Londyn Skye
“Me neitha’, but he says the matta’ is urgent.”
“Oh, how so?”
“I don’t know, but he claims to have traveled two days to get here in hopes ‘a speakin’ to ya’.”
“Two days?”
“That’s what he claims.”
“Interesting. That definitely piques my curiosity. No matter what he has to say, though, I certainly don’t have the heart to turn someone down who’s that eager to speak to me. Send him in,” William replied, as he snuffed out his pipe and laid it down.
Benjamin returned to the foyer and startled James, who was still incessantly pacing. “Right this way Mr. Adams.”
“Thank you.” James followed Benjamin, but only half focusing on where he was being led; the elegance of the home’s interior had easily won his attention. It looked to him more like a museum full of fine arts and decorative antiques than a place where someone actually lived. His eyes roamed everywhere in wonderment until Benjamin suddenly opened the set of double doors to William’s study. Nerves then instantly hit James again once he entered.
“Mr. Adams this is Mr. Werthington,” Benjamin announced. He then exited the den and closed the door behind himself.
James walked toward William who stood to shake his hand. “Hello, Mr. Werthington. Forgive me for showin’ up here unannounced. I thank you for seein’ me despite it.”
“Not a problem at all.”
“I’m truly pleased to meet you.”
“Pleased to meet you as well, Mr. Adams. Can I offer you something to eat or drink? I believe Anna Mae’s made chicken and dumplings. The best in the world!” he boasted with a smile.
William’s smile and generosity calmed James at once. “Thank you kindly, but I’ve already eaten.”
“Truly a shame! Your taste buds will never forgive you,” he joked while motioning his hand to offer James the chair in front of his desk.
James laughed lightly and sat down at the same time as William. “It truly is an honor to finally meet you,” he began.
William smiled in appreciation. “Well, thank you.”
“I’ve heard a great deal about you and your music ova’ the years.”
“Ahh, so I assume your visit today is music related?”
“Well, that’s part ‘a the reason, but only if somethin’ I once heard before about you is actually true.”
“And exactly which something might you be referring to?” William replied with questioning eyes, wondering if he might suddenly need to be on the defensive.
“Well, to be quite honest, rumors.”
“Ahh, rumors! Of course. I shouldn’t have expected anything less with the way this town loves to jabber on about other people’s lives,” he said, waving his hand dismissively. “But now, if I might be quite honest with you, Mr. Adams.” He leaned back, placed his elbows on the chair, and touched the tips of his fingers together, suddenly looking at James very seriously over the top of his spectacles. “If you have truly traveled two days to speak to me, as Benjamin has just informed me, then I have to believe that this conversation will eventually lead to something much more important than any silly rumors.”
“Yessa’, far more important, I assure you of that,” James responded quickly. “But I can also assure you that there really won’t be a need to carry on with this conversation if there’s no truth in the whispa’s I’ve heard about you around this town.”
“And just which whispers might you be talking about, Mr. Adams?”
“Well, I’ve gotten different details dependin’ on who was tellin’ the story. But at the core of it was always the fact that you once helped a slave family out of an awful situation.”
William immediately focused on the term that James used to describe their circumstances. “An awful situation?”
“Yessa’.”
“And you say there’s no need to carry on with the conversation if the story is not true?”
“Yessa’.”
“So, you’re saying that you’d actually prefer that it is true?” William asked, looking perplexed. He was intrigued by what this young man might want but wanted to be absolutely clear about his stance on the matter.
“Yessa’, more than you know.”
Because of his word choice, and the sentiment in his voice, William felt in his gut that James did not want to believe the story was true so that he could inflict harm on him, like many others had threatened to do in the past. Still though, James was a stranger, so he proceeded with caution. “Young man, why don’t you explain to me the nature of your visit, then maybe I’ll decide if you’re worthy of hearing about my personal life.”
“Fair enough.” James leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees, clasped his hands tightly in front of him, and exhaled before he began. “Six years ago, I left home and went to school at Ohio University, where you once worked. I went there to begin my trainin’ to be a medical doctor. I’d dreamt ‘a bein’ a doctor since I’s just a boy. It was somethin’ I wanted more than anything in my life. So, when I arrived there, I’s determined to get through with my studies as quickly as I could. I doubled up on courses and even took courses ova’ the summa’ and durin’ winta’ breaks. Afta’ graduation, I started workin’ alongside a brilliant doctor. I worked with ’em because I didn’t wanna be just an average doctor. I wanted to be great. And I’s confident that this particula’ man could guide me there. And I’s right. He was one hell of a mentor. Any and everything he was willin’ to show me, I clung to it. I locked it all away while I had the chance to work alongside a man who was a true masta’mind. In fact, he was so impressed with my eaga’ness to learn that he took me on a mission trip with ’em. We traveled togetha’ from city to city helpin’ folks. We treated all kinda people, no matta’ who they were, or what their status was. I saw and learned things that a classroom could neva’ have taught me. It was truly one ‘a the greatest experiences ‘a my life. From then on, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to travel and take care ‘a folks all ova’ the country, the way we did for all those months.
“That doctor was undoubtedly the inspiration behind me wantin’ to take my skill on the road. And afta’ everything I experienced with ’em, you’d probably think he was also the one who inspired me to work so hard to be great. But oddly, I can’t give ’em the credit for that.” James paused a moment and looked directly into William’s eyes. “Because that honor belongs to you, Mr. Werthington.”
William was taken aback by James’s unexpected words. He was inwardly affected but kept a straight face as he continued to listen to the story.
“Because ‘a you, I aspired not only to be a great doctor … but to be a great man,” James confessed. “I wanted to be the sort ‘a man who was as compassionate as I had heard you were through all ‘a those rumors. I know most folks were outraged by the fact that you’d supposedly helped a family ‘a slaves. But for me…” James tapped his fingers on his chest. “It touched me deep.” He shook his head, thinking back to the first time he had heard about William as a freshman. “It changed my life to finally know that there was a man like you that existed. It did wonda’s for me just to hear that there was a person fearless enough to help otha’s in need, no matta’ who they were. And fearless enough to be his own man regardless of the rules ‘a society. What that did for me, Mr. Werthington, I honestly don’t have the words to adequately express. But I can say that in the six years since I heard your story, it’s neva’ once left my soul, not for one minute … And I swear it neva’ will.”
William still sat there quietly, completely gripped by the candidness of this unfamiliar man’s confession, noting the sincerity in his voice and eyes as he spoke.
“Mr. Werthington, that story was truly an inspiration to me. And if it’s true, the way I’ve always believed it was, then I know I’ve come to the right person.”
“Come to the right person for what?”
“Ya’ see, afta’ six years of avoidin’ goin’ back home, I just recently…”
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“Avoiding?” William interrupted, suddenly very curious. “A man only says that when he’s running from something.”
James noticed how William analyzed his every word and realized that perhaps he needed to be more cautious about what he chose to say. “Yes, well, it’s just that at home…” He froze and closed his eyes for a moment. “The person I had to be there…” He stopped again as a rush of unwelcomed memories suddenly flooded his mind. “I, umm,” he sighed. “Let’s just say, I couldn’t bring myself to be in that house unda’ the circumstances.”
William nodded and prodded no further, after seeing in James’s face that he was deeply troubled by whatever had stopped him from returning home.
“But afta’ six years ‘a bein’ away, I had to force myself to return,” James continued. “I knew I needed to go back before I went off to live my life on the road. Of course, I had to see my fatha’ and brotha’s again. But more importantly, I knew I’s gonna need some help while I’s on the road and, umm … well, I had someone in mind there that I wanted to take along with me.”
William faintly smiled when he realized that James’s slight hesitation likely meant that this “someone” had to have been a woman.
“But when I finally got home last week, everything changed,” James further explained. “All the plans I had for my career and for headin’ out on the road … everything. It all changed. Afta’ what I witnessed that day, the dream I had for travelin’ the country suddenly didn’t seem so important to me anymore.” He stared emptily at a bare area of William’s desk as the memory resurfaced. “Not nearly as important as what I saw when I walked through the door that afta’noon.”
“After you’d been dreaming for so long to be a traveling doctor, what could possibly make you have such a drastic change of heart so quickly?” William asked.
“The woman that I’s hopin’ to take along with me, she … she has a gift, Mr. Werthington. A gift that could take ’er fartha’ in life than I could eva’ take ’er in the back ‘a my dusty wagon, draggin’ ’er from place to place while I take care ‘a folks. She has a gift to play the piano unlike anyone I’ve eva’ seen,” he said with an intense look in his eyes. “Her abilities are so incredible that I feel she’s worthy ‘a me puttin’ my dreams on hold for a while. What she can do is so astonishin’ that it’s guided me to travel for two days to find a man I ain’t eva’ met before, a man whose rumored story I pray to God is actually true. Because I’m hopin’, with all my heart, that you’d be willin’ to help this woman too, the way you allegedly did with that family all them years ago.”
William leaned back slowly in his chair after being bowled over by James’s words. Something so extraordinary was the last thing he had expected to hear on such an ordinary day. “I am certainly moved by your passion, Mr. Adams. But I still don’t understand why the rumors have anything to do with this.”
James instantly felt his heart start to race. He swallowed hard, nervously looked down and blew out a breath, knowing that his next few words could potentially be a turning point in William’s decision. “Th-the young lady who was playin’ that piano…” He paused and exhaled again. “She’s … she’s a slave on my fatha’s farm, Mr. Werthington,” he finally confessed, feeling ashamed that he had to label a human as such a thing. With hesitancy, James then nervously looked up and met William’s solemn green eyes. Unsure what to expect next, James just quietly stared at him as his heart crashed mercilessly against his ribcage.
William silently stared back at James while contemplating his surprising admission. Before saying a word, he suddenly stood and went to look out the window. “And what exactly would you be hoping I could do for her?” he finally asked.
James was surprised not to hear any hostility in William’s voice. Instead, it was a calmly stated question that showed interest. His compassionate tone seemed to confirm that the inspiring rumor was true, a fact that instantly settled the speed of James’s racing heart. “Well, I’m aware of your level of musical talent, and the kind ‘a powa’ and respect you’ve earned in the field ‘a music. So first, I’s hopin’ you’d be willin’ to hear her play, and if you felt she needed any fine tunin’ then perhaps you could help ’er with that. And if you think she’s worthy of it, I’s hopin’ you’d use your influence to help me get ’er some work somewhere around here. Ohio’s a free state, and I’m sure she could earn a good wage here. I don’t know, maybe she could teach children to play, or perform in small venues somewhere, or perhaps even work with an orchestra. Anything along those lines that’ll give ’er the financial means to take care of ’erself.”
“I haven’t touched a piano or any other instrument in over two years,” William admitted, still staring out the window at his wife’s heavily flowered grave site in the distance. “Haven’t taught anyone in just as long either.”
“I know this is askin’ a lot, Mr. Werthington, but you’re my only hope at this point. I really believe if you just give ’er a chance, just listen and watch the way she plays…” James closed his eyes for a moment, recalling how Lily’s music had affected him. “Then maybe you’ll think she’s worth the trouble the way I do.”
William turned from the window to face James. “Is coming here something she’s asked you to do for her?”
“No sa’, she has no idea I’m here.”
“Hmph. Certainly lends credibility to how strongly you feel about this.”
“Truthfully, Mr. Werthington, I don’t think my words can do any justice to how strongly I feel about this.”
“Trust me, if you were listening with my ears, I don’t think you’d be saying that,” William replied, staring down at James, still fascinated by the whole ordeal, and by the man who sat before him. “Have you any idea how long she’s been playing?”
“Fourteen years.” James shook his head in disbelief. “Said she taught ’erself to play.”
“Really?” William smiled, recalling how he had done the same as a boy.
“Yessa’.”
“And you’d truly be willing to put your medical career on hold for a while just to help her?”
James finally got up and stood with William near the window. “Afta’ hearin’ her play, Mr. Werthington, my medical career can go straight to hell for the time bein’. The sorta healin’ I can do as a doctor pales in comparison to what she’s capable of. She may not have eva’ had one minute ‘a trainin’, but I swear ’fore God she could heal a man’s soul the way she plays the piano. I ain’t neva’ seen or heard anything like it before in all my life. And so, yes. If puttin’ my career on hold for a while is what it takes to help ’er pursue this, then you’re damn right I would,” he said with conviction.
“Young man, I don’t think I’ve witnessed a grander act of altruism since my wife was alive,” William said, staring at James as if to convince himself that he was not a figment of his imagination. “What is this young lady’s name?”
“Lily.”
The name instantly reminded William of something else about his wife. “Well, you bring your Lily to me, and I promise to do everything in my power to help her.”
“You’re certain?”
“You have my word.”
“I can’t thank you enough, Mr. Werthington! I can’t tell you what this means to me!” James exclaimed, a great amount of relief in his voice as he vigorously shook William’s hand.
“I think the fact that you’re even here says more than enough about what this means to you.”
“If only I could make my fatha’ see that.” James’s excitement waned a bit while thinking about how Jesse would now be the toughest obstacle on his path to helping Lily. “Which reminds me, I’ll have to send you word by letta’ to let you know of our arrival. Knowin’ my fatha’, it might take me some time to convince ’em to let Lily go for a while.”
“May I ask why that might be?”
“My fatha’ doesn’t know that Lily can play piano, nor does he know about what I’m askin’ of you here today, and he
doesn’t take the matta’ of his property lightly. You’d swear he paid a million dolla’s for every slave on that plantation and five million for Lily. So long as he’s alive, he’d neva’ let ’er set one foot off that farm.”
“And so just how were you planning to convince him to let you take her on the road with you when you went on your medical journey?”
“Just like how I plan to get ’er here … by any means necessary.”
Loving James’s tenacity, William smiled, nodded, and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Sounds like a brilliant plan to me, young man!” He then began escorting James toward the front door. “Are you sure I can’t offer you something to eat? You could have dinner and stay the night if you’d like and have breakfast in the morning before your departure. I know you have a rather long journey ahead of you. It might be best to go about it on a full stomach and well rested,” William offered, as they walked down the long hallway toward the foyer.
“Thank you, but I’m eaga’ to get back on the road.”
“I understand. Well, at least wait here and let me have Anna Mae prepare you a bowlful of her famous chicken and dumplings to take along with you. You’ll thank me for it later!” William smiled.
“I’d appreciate that.” James waited by the door until William returned with more than enough food to last him on his journey. “Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Werthington. You’re incredibly kind. And again, I thank you in advance for your willingness to help Lily.”
“You’re quite welcome, but I almost feel as though I should be thanking you. I now find myself very much looking forward to meeting this lovely young lady you speak of.” He shook James’s hand again after they stepped out onto the porch. “It was truly a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Adams.”
“The pleasure was all mine. I look forward to seein’ you again soon.” James walked away and was about to proceed down the porch steps but then stopped. “Oh, and one otha’ thing. Please don’t mention anything to Lily about what we’re tryna accomplish when she gets here. I don’t know how any ‘a this is gonna work out, and I don’t wanna get ’er hopes up for now. I’d just prefer to speak to ’er about things when I feel the time is right.”