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Looking into the distance, Nancy could see the stranger approaching. At first she thought it was her husband, Thomas, returning from town, but quickly realized the approaching person was no one she knew. He was not riding a horse, but was on foot, and now Nancy could see that he was a slave. She went inside her one room home and loaded her flintlock rifle. Coming back outside she pointed the gun at the approaching stranger.
“That’s far enough, Negra,” shouted Nancy. Stopping suddenly in his tracks, the man looked long and hard at her.
“My apologies, ma’am,” offered the man. “I mean no harm. I only ask for some water to drink.”
“Where you come from?” inquired Nancy.
“I will not lie, ma’am,” replied the man as he wiped his brow. “I come from the south.”
“You a runaway?” asked Nancy.
“I flee for freedom, ma’am,” the stranger said as he bowed his head. “I flee for freedom, that’s all ma’am.”
“You gotta a name?”
“They call me, Jerome,” replied the slave.
“You know times are hard here in Kentucky,” reflected Nancy. “I’d just as turn you in for any reward.”
“Yes, ma’am, you could do that,” replied Jerome. “Or you could kindly give me a drink and let me be on my way.”
“Where you headed?”
“Further north,” offered Jerome. “I won’t feel safe ‘til I get to Illinois.”
“That’s still a fur piece to go,” observed Nancy. “You gonna go on foot?”
“I have no other choice, ma’am,” replied Jerome. “I gotta keep moving. I gotta stay ahead of the man and the hounds.”
Nancy pondered the tall thin man in ragged clothes. She was sure he was not going to make it to freedom on foot.
“There’s a bucket at the well,” she offered. “Be quick about it. I don’t want no trouble brought on my spread.”
“Thank you, ma’am. Thank you,” replied a grateful Jerome as he rushed to the well.
Nancy watched as Jerome brought the bucket out of the well and drank to his fill.
“You hungry?”
“Yes, I am, ma’am,” replied Jerome as he sat the bucket on the well. “But I would never impose myself.”
Without taking her eyes off the man, Nancy shouted, “Sarah! Bring that loaf of bread!”
From inside the cabin came a little girl carrying the loaf. She handed it to her mother and stared at the stranger. Nancy gave the bread to Jerome and turned to her daughter, “You go back inside, honey.”
Jerome gingerly took the bread and then eagerly started eating. Nancy watched as he consumed half the loaf.
“You’re not gonna outrun no hounds,” observed Nancy.
“I’ve been able to so far,” reflected Jerome. “Though I’d admit, I do feel them getting closer.”
“Well, I got a mule in the barn,” offered Nancy. “He ain’t good for much, but I’d guess he could outrun a hound.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” said a grateful Jerome. “You’ve been very kind. I’ll go get him.”
“You’d better let me,” observed Nancy. “He can be finicky around strangers.”
“But ma’am, you’re with child,” objected Jerome. “It might be best if I fetch him.”
“No, you rest,” ordered Nancy. “I’ll pull him out and you can saddle him.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Nancy entered the barn and put a harness on the mule. As she was leading him to the door of the barn, the mule saw a snake hidden in the hay. The mule bellowed with fear and stood on his back legs. When he came down his left hoof struck Nancy beside the head. As she fell unconscious to the floor the mule rushed out the door of the barn.
Jerome heard the mule and when he looked he saw it running from the barn. Yelling for Nancy he ran to the barn and found her crumpled on the floor.
“Oh, ma’am!” cried Jerome as he bent over her looking for a sign of life. She was still breathing but had a gash on the side of her head. As he was picking her up to carry her to the house, he heard the baying of the hounds. In panic he laid Nancy gently on the floor and ran out of the barn.
“Hold it right there, nigger!!”
Jerome stopped and turned to find himself looking down the muzzle of a smoothbore rifle. In surrender he raised his hands over his head.
“You dumb nigger,” observed the man with the gun. “You thought you’d get away.”
Another man with a rifle came out of the barn.
“There’s a lady in there hurt pretty bad,” offered the man. “He must’ve hit her over the head.”
“I didn’t, sir,” protested Jerome.
“Shut your lyin’ mouth, boy,” ordered the man pointing the gun. “Jake, you get her to the house.”
“All right, Will,” replied Jake. “You just don’t let that nigger go.”
“He ain’t going nowhere,” observed Will.
Jake returned to the barn and gently carried Nancy into the house. Will looked around and saw the mule walking in the field.
“I see what you was tryin’ to do, boy,” reflected Will. “You was gonna steal her mule.”
“She give it to me,” protested Jerome.
“Give it to you?!?” mocked Will. “Why would she go and do something like that?”
“So the hounds wouldn’t get me,” replied Jerome.
“She gonna help you, boy?” pondered Will. “That’s real easy for you to say with her out like that.”
“It’s the truth,” offered Jerome.
Will smacked Jerome across the mouth with the butt of the gun. Jerome fell to the ground as blood squirted from his smashed teeth.
“I done told you once, boy, don’t be lyin’ to me,” yelled Will. “I’d just as shoot you and let the buzzards pick your bones.”
At this time, Thomas came riding up on his horse. He quickly hopped off and approached Will and Jerome.
“What’s going on here?” asked Thomas.
“This your spread?” inquired Will.
“Yes it is,” replied Thomas.
“Then you’d better get inside and check on your missus,” offered Will. “This boy here has done hurt her.”
Thomas rushed into the house and found Nancy in bed and still unconscious. Sarah was holding a wet cloth to her mother’s head to stop the bleeding.
“Jake says she’ll live,” observed Thomas as he once again approached Will and Jerome. “What happened?”
“Well, the way I see it is, our runaway slave here tried to steal your mule,” responded Will. “I’m sure the missus tried to stop him, so he hit her. That’s when we came up.”
“I did not, sir,” objected Jerome. “She gave me the mule so the hounds wouldn’t catch me.”
“Who hit her?” asked Thomas.
“I guess the mule did, sir,” surmised Jerome. “She went in the barn to get him for me.”
“Is that possible, Will?” inquired Thomas.
“Oh, this boy can run away, so he can lie, too,” observed Will. “Look over there at the well. I guess she gave you that bread, too.”
“Yes, sir, she did,” offered Jerome. “The little girl brought it to me.”
“You’d best leave Sarah out of this,” responded an angry Thomas. “You steal food, try to steal my mule, and hurt my wife. You in a heap of trouble, boy.”
“Wait to the missus comes to,” protested Jerome. “She’ll tell you.”
“There ain’t nothing to tell, boy,” reflected Will. “We can see what you’ve done. Stealin’ a mule is gonna get you hung.”
“I didn’t steal nothing,” offered Jerome. “Please believe me mister, I didn’t steal.”
“It’s up to you,” offered Will to Thomas. “We can hang him on that tree over there.”
“Well, he’s your property,” reflected Thomas. “I ain’t wanting to cause you no hardship.”
“Oh, it would be a waste to lose him,” observed Will. “We’ve been chasin’ him more than a day now. But stealin’ is stealin’. Especially when it a man’s mule.”
“I done lost my daddy when an Injun shot him dead and now this nigger done tried to kill my Nancy,” reflected a bitter Thomas. “Let’s string him up.”
“No, mister, no,” cried Jerome. “It ain’t right. I ain’t done nothing.”
Thomas gathered the mule and placed him under the big limb of the tree. Will tied Jerome’s hands and led him to the mule. Thomas made a noose of some rope and then tighten it around Jerome’s neck. Jake came out of the house and he and Will pushed Jerome onto the back of the mule. Then Jake tied the other end securely around the limb of the tree. All the time Jerome was crying and begging for mercy.
“Boy, quit your frettin’,” ordered Will. “You done brought this on yourself. The Good Book says, ‘Servants, obey in all things your masters.’ You haven’t been too obedient, now have you boy?”
“When did you go and learn to read, Will?” smiled Jake.
“I didn’t,” confessed Will. “But I heard the preacher say it.”
“Well, then it’s gotta be the Lord’s words,” reflected Jake.
“I’d tell you to make peace with your Maker, boy,” offered Will. “But thieves go straight to hell. The Bible says so.”
“This ain’t right,” begged Jerome. “Please mister. The missus will tell you.”
“You’d think he could at least tell the truth now,” smirked Jake. “He ain’t got nothing to lose.”
“Let’s get it done,” ordered Thomas as he backed away from Jerome and the mule.
Will took his hat off his head and gave a big swat on the back of the mule. The mule lurched forward leaving Jerome swinging at the end of the rope. His feet jerked wildly as he swung back and forth. Finally he let out a gasp and quit moving. All Thomas heard was the sound of cracking wood as the tree limb broke from trying to support Jerome’s weight. The limb came crashing down and struck Thomas in the head. His skull split open and he was dead before his body fell to the ground.
###############
“Next.”
Jerome looked around. He was not in Kentucky anymore. The floor was hidden in a layer of fog. An elderly bearded man in a white robe sat at a desk looking at him.
“I said, ‘Next!’” yelled the bearded man.
“I’m sorry, sir,” apologized Jerome as he stepped toward the man’s desk. “I don’t understand, uh, am I dead?”
“Yes, you are,” replied the bearded man. “You’re as dead as I am.”
Jerome slowly backed away from the bearded man and his desk. “Are y-you, the D-Devil?” stuttered Jerome.
“No, not at all,” laughed the bearded man. “I’m Abraham.”
“Abraham?!?”
“Yes, Abraham.”
“You the Abraham in the Good Book?” asked an astonished Jerome.
“Yes, that’s me,” confirmed Abraham as he smiled. “I know it’s hard to believe when you first get here. But there’s a lot of things going on up here that can be hard to believe.”
“I always thought I’d meet Saint Peter at the pearly gates,” reflected Jerome.
“Usually you do,” observed Abraham. “But we’ve been very busy here lately. So I volunteered to help out with the new arrivals.”
“Does this mean I get to go to heaven and not be a slave no more?” asked a hopeful Jerome.
“Well, that’s what we’re going to determine,” mused Abraham. “So, tell me your name.”
“Jerome, sir.”
“And Jerome, how did you die?” asked Abraham.
“They strung me up and I didn’t do nothing,” replied Jerome.
“Hmmm, why did they hang you?” inquired Abraham.
“They done says I stole a mule,” explained Jerome. “But I ain’t never stole no mule. It was that man standing over there’s mule.”
Abraham looked up from his papers and saw Thomas standing in the distance. He motioned for Thomas to join him and Jerome. Slowly Thomas made his way to Abraham’s desk.
“What’s your name?” asked Abraham.
“My name is Thomas.”
“Thomas, did you hang Jerome?” inquired Abraham.
“He done stole my mule and tried to kill my wife,” replied Thomas.
“I didn’t neither, sir,” protested Jerome. “You just a ‘white devil,’ killing us slaves any old time you want to.”
“Well, from what I can see here,” pondered Abraham as he sorted through a small stack of papers. “You hung an innocent man.”
“I done told you I didn’t steal no mule,” smirked Jerome at Thomas.
“You sure he didn’t?” asked a surprised Thomas.
“Oh, yeah, I’m perfectly sure,” replied Abraham. “He didn’t try to kill your wife, either.”
“I told you, but you hung me anyways,” offered Jerome.
“How did you die?” asked Abraham.
“The tree limb we hung him on broke and cracked my head,” replied Thomas.
“Seems to me you had it coming,” pondered Abraham. “You can’t go around hanging innocent people.”
“Well, he may not have done those things,” offered Thomas. “But he’s still just a runaway nigger. There ain’t much loss.”
“Let me tell you and I’ll tell you only once,” ordered an angry Abraham. “Don’t use the N-word around here. I’m Jewish and I know what prejudice is, and it will not be tolerated in my presence.”
“What should I call him, then?” pondered a bewildered Thomas. “From where I come from we call them ‘darkies’ or just ‘boy’.”
“Why don’t you try calling him ‘Jerome’?” asked Abraham. “That’s his name.”
“Well, OK. But I don’t know what all the fuss is about,” mused Thomas. “He’s still just somebody’s slave.”
“Up here everyone is treated the same,” offered Abraham. “Why do you have slaves?”
“Well, it’s just the way it’s always been,” explained Thomas. “They’re not the same as white folks. You can’t teach them much. Only thing they good for is slaves.”
“From what I’ve seen, some of them are a lot smarter than their white masters,” observed Abraham.
“Smarter than white folks?!?” laughed a bemused Thomas. “They ain’t smart enough to not be slaves. You just can’t teach them smarts.”
“Jerome, can you read and write?” asked Abraham.
“No sir, I can’t.”
“Come here,” ordered Abraham. When Jerome approached, Abraham quickly wrote on a piece of paper.
“Now, Jerome, take a good look at what I wrote,” instructed Abraham. Jerome studied the paper for a long while.
“Do you know what I wrote?” asked Abraham.
“No sir, like I says, I can’t read,” offered Jerome.
“That is your name,” explained Abraham. “That is the way you write ‘Jerome.’”
“That’s my name?!?” asked a bewildered Jerome. “I ain’t never seen my name before.”
“That is your name, Jerome,” repeated Abraham. He then took another piece of paper and wrote the sheet full. “Here is a full sheet of handwriting,” explained Abraham. “See if you can find your name.”
Jerome studied the paper and then smiled, “There’s my name. And there it is again. It’s there too.”
“And what is that word?” asked Abraham as he pointed to the paper.
“That is ‘Jerome’,” laughed an excited Jerome.
“You see, Thomas,” offered Abraham. “I just taught this slave how to read his name. All it takes is an opportunity.”
“I just don’t know about that,” mused Thomas.
“Of course you don’t,” observed Abraham. “It’s so much easier to just think someone can’t be taught. That way you can justify your need to keep them in slavery.”
“It seems to me you’re just trying to trick things,” reflected Thomas. “This ain’t the way it really is.”
“If I was white I wouldn’t want you to be a slave,” offered Jerome. “I would want you to be free.”
“You white?!?” laughed Thomas. “Ain’t nobody ever think you was white.”
“Jerome, I think you have a good idea,” pondered Abraham. “I believe I’m going to send you two back to finish your lives.”
“Could I be free, Mr. Abraham?” asked a hopeful Jerome.
“Yes, you can, Jerome,” offered Abraham. “In fact, I’m going to put you in Thomas’ white body and I’m going to put Thomas in your black body.”
“Why you gonna go do that?” inquired Jerome.
“This will give you a chance to be a free white man,” reflected Abraham. “And of course, as for you Thomas, it will give you the chance to see the freedom that all men desire.”
“Wait a minute,” protested Thomas. “You can’t go and do that!”
“It is done,” smiled Abraham as he clicked his fingers.
###############
Thomas(Jerome) looked at his white hands.
“Glory be!!” exclaimed Thomas(Jerome). “I am white!”
He turned to see his horse grazing nearby. Running to his horse he shouted, “I am free!!”
Looking into the distance, Nancy could see the stranger approaching. At first she thought it was her husband, Thomas, returning from town, but quickly realized the approaching person was no one she knew. He was not riding a horse, but was on foot, and now Nancy could see that he was a slave. She went inside her one room home and loaded her flintlock rifle. Coming back outside she pointed the gun at the approaching stranger.
“That’s far enough, Negra,” shouted Nancy. Stopping suddenly in his tracks, the man looked long and hard at her.
“Nancy, it’s me,” offered Jerome(Thomas).
“I don’t know who you are, mister,” threatened Nancy. “But you come any closer and I’m gonna fill you full of lead.”
“Nancy, don’t you know me?” asked Jerome(Thomas).
“I ain’t never seen you before,” answered Nancy. “How come you know my name?”
“Cause you and me are married,” explained Jerome(Thomas).
“Married?!?” laughed Nancy. “You done been in the sun too long. I ain’t married to no slave.”
“It’s a long story,” offered Jerome(Thomas). “I don’t know if I understand it all. But I am your husband, Thomas.”
“You ain’t Thomas,” objected Nancy. “You look like you’re just a runaway. You wait to my Thomas gets here.”
“I can’t wait, Nancy,” explained Jerome(Thomas). “The men with the hounds will be here shortly and they think I’m their slave.”
“Well, you sure look like a slave,” offered Nancy.
“Please, Nancy, I need to hide until they’re gone,” begged Jerome(Thomas). “Then I can explain it all to you.”
“I’m not gonna hide no runaway,” declared Nancy.
In the distance, the sound of baying hounds could be heard. Nancy turned to look their way. When she turned, Jerome(Thomas) grabbed the rifle from her hand. Nancy screamed and ran into the barn.
“No, don’t go into the barn!!” yelled Jerome(Thomas) as he chased Nancy into the barn. All the noise and commotion startled the mule. He reared onto his back legs as Nancy came running by. The rope he was tied with caught him, and his hoof came crashing down on Nancy’s head. Jerome(Thomas) caught her unconscious body before she fell to the floor.
“Oh, Nancy,” cried Jerome(Thomas) as he gently laid her to the ground. “This was not suppose to happen again.”
Jerome(Thomas) could hear the hounds getting ever closer. He pulled Nancy out of harm’s way and then started running toward the house to find a place to hide.
“Hold it right there, nigger!!”
Jerome(Thomas) stopped and turned to find himself looking down the muzzle of a flintlock rifle. In surrender he raised his hands over his head.
“You dumb nigger,” observed the man with the gun. “You thought you’d get away.”
Another man with a rifle came out of the barn.
“There’s a lady in there hurt pretty bad,” offered the man. “He must’ve hit her over the head.”
“I ain’t hit nobody,” protested Jerome(Thomas). “That woman is my wife.”
“Shut your lyin’ mouth, boy,” ordered the man pointing the gun. “You ain’t got no wife, especially a white one. You know you came from our place. Jake, you get her to the house.”
“All right, Will,” replied Jake. “You just don’t let that nigger go.”
“He ain’t going nowhere,” observed Will.
Jake returned to the barn and gently carried Nancy toward the house. “There’s a mule in the barn,” offered Jake as he carried Nancy past Will.
“I see what you was tryin’ to do, boy,” reflected Will. “You was gonna steal her mule.”
“I ain’t gonna steal the mule,” explained Jerome(Thomas). “I can’t steal my own mule.”
Will smacked Jerome(Thomas) across the mouth with the butt of the gun. Jerome(Thomas) fell to the ground as blood squirted from his smashed teeth.
“I done told you once, boy, don’t be lyin’ to me,” yelled Will. “I’d just as shoot you and let the buzzards pick your bones.”
At this time, Thomas(Jerome) came riding up on his horse. He quickly hopped off and approached Will and Jerome(Thomas).
“What’s going on here?” asked Thomas(Jerome) as he looked and smiled at Jerome(Thomas).
“This your spread?” inquired Will.
“Yes it is,” replied Thomas(Jerome).
“Then you’d better get inside and check on your missus,” offered Will. “This boy here has done hurt her.”
Thomas(Jerome) walked into the house and found Nancy in bed and still unconscious. Sarah was holding a wet cloth to her mother’s head to stop the bleeding.
“Jake says she’ll live,” observed Thomas(Jerome) as he once again approached Will and Jerome(Thomas). “What happened?”
“Well, the way I see it is, our runaway slave here tried to steal your mule,” responded Will. “I’m sure the missus tried to stop him, so he hit her. That’s when we came up.”
“Jerome, tell these men who I am,” ordered Jerome(Thomas).
Will looked at Thomas(Jerome) and then looked at Jerome(Thomas), “You know our nigger slave, sir?”
“I can’t say I’ve ever seen him before,” responded Thomas(Jerome). “You gonna go and take him back with you?”
“Well, I would, but he’s done tried to steal your mule and done hurt your missus,” reflected Will. “I wouldn’t blame you at all if we just strung him up here.”
“O come on,” howled Jerome(Thomas). “You can stop this foolishness now.”
“He is a cocky one, ain’t he?” smiled Thomas(Jerome). “I wouldn’t want to hang him when I know you can get a lot of hard work out of him over the next few years.”
“Oh, it would be a waste to lose him,” observed Will. “We’ve been chasin’ him more than a day now. But stealin’ is stealin’. Especially when it a man’s mule.”
“Well, I ain’t up to taking another man’s property,” observed Thomas(Jerome). “You just take him back with you and I’ll just go on living here with my wife and daughter.”
“You dirty bastard!!” yelled Jerome(Thomas) as he lunged at Thomas(Jerome). Will caught Jerome(Thomas) in the stomach with the rifle and he bent over with pain.
“It’s looks like he’s done out of control,” observed Will. “He ain’t no use to me like that. So we’re gonna hang here or I’ll hang him when I get home. It’s your choice.”
“If that’s the way it’s gotta be,” reflected Thomas(Jerome). “Let’s string him up.”
Thomas(Jerome) gathered the mule and placed him under the big limb of the tree. Will tied Jerome(Thomas)’s hands and led him to the mule. Thomas(Jerome) made a noose of some rope and then tighten it around Jerome(Thomas)’s neck. Jake came out of the house and he and Will pushed Jerome(Thomas) onto the back of the mule. Then Jake tied the other end securely around the limb of the tree. All the time Jerome(Thomas) was cursing and trying to explain that he was really Thomas.
“Boy, quit your frettin’,” ordered Will. “You done brought this on yourself. The Good Book says, ‘Servants, obey in all things your masters.’ You haven’t been too obedient, now have you boy?”
“When did you go and learn to read, Will?” smiled Jake.
“I didn’t,” confessed Will. “But I heard the preacher say it.”
“Well, then it’s gotta be the Lord’s words,” reflected Jake.
“I’d tell you to make peace with your Maker, boy,” reflected Will. “But thieves go straight to hell. The Bible says so.”
“As you’re hanging there waiting to die,” offered Thomas(Jerome). “I want your last thoughts to be about me and Nancy and the life we’re gonna have together.”
In anger, Jerome(Thomas) twisted to reach Thomas(Jerome). When he did, the mule spooked and took off running leaving Jerome(Thomas) swinging from the end of the rope. His feet jerked wildly as he swung back and forth. Finally he let out a gasp and quit moving. Thomas(Jerome) quickly moved away from the tree as the limb carrying Jerome(Thomas) broke from the weight and went crashing to the ground.
“Boy, that was close,” mused Thomas(Jerome) as he turned in time to see the terrified mule raised on his back legs. Before he could move a muscle, the mule came down with both hooves striking Thomas(Jerome) full force on top of the head. His skull split open and he was dead before his body fell to the ground.
###############
“Next.”
Jerome begrudgingly walked over to Abraham’s desk.
“Jerome, I see you’re back,” observed Abraham.
“Yes, sir.”
“Thomas are you here?” yelled Abraham. Thomas came sheepishly up to the desk.
“Yes, I’m here, too,” replied Thomas. “Jerome had me hung and I didn’t do nothing.”
“Yes, I see what happened,” reflected Abraham as he read his notes. “You two are a real piece of work.”
Jerome and Thomas stared at each other while Abraham was reading. “Thomas, what do you think would have happened if Will and Jake had known you were white?”
“They would have believed me, especially when Nancy woke up,” reflected Thomas.
“Then why didn’t you and they believe Jerome?” inquired Abraham. Thomas just stood there not saying a word. “I’ll tell you why,” answered Abraham. “It was simply because he wasn’t white.”
Thomas did not speak. “So how did it feel to have white men hate you because of the color of your skin?” asked Abraham.
“I didn’t like it, sir,” replied Thomas.
“Tell me, Thomas, how many slaves do you think like it?” inquired Abraham.
“I’m sure none do,” revealed Thomas.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell him, Mr. Abraham,” interjected Jerome.
“And what about you Jerome?” asked Abraham. “I put you in a white body and you start acting white.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you turned around and had Thomas hung,” reflected Abraham. “You treated him the same bad way that you were treated.”
“I tried to get them not to hang him,” objected Jerome.
“Yeah, he wanted them to take me back, so I’d be their slave,” observed Thomas. “Then he was gonna live with my family.”
“Did either of you ever think of helping the other one to get out of this mess?” inquired Abraham. “All you had to do was treat each other as equals, show some respect for each other, and it could have turned out totally different.”
“Treat each other as equals?” mused Thomas.
“Yes, just think about it,” reflected Abraham. “Humanity stifles humanity. Over the centuries people have been held down as slaves, less equal to the conquerors. Just imagine though, what if everyone had the same opportunities? Somewhere today, there may be a slave, that if he or she just had the opportunity, would be able develop a cure for smallpox, typhoid or a number of other diseases. Another person may have invented a flying machine, or who knows what could have happened if each individual was just given a chance. But no, humanity wants to act the way you two have, enslave or even kill anything that gets in the way.”
Thomas and Jerome looked at each other. “Have you two not learned anything from what has happened?” asked a frustrated Abraham.
“You know Jerome,” observed Thomas. “I must admit, Abraham does make some sense. You’re probably not as bad as I thought you were.”
“And Mr. Thomas, you probably OK for a white man,” reflected Jerome.
“You mean he’s not a ‘white devil’?” mused Abraham.
“No, I guess not,” replied Jerome as he suppressed a smile.
“Oh, can’t you just feel the love,” laughed Abraham. “Look it’s not easy. You two will be going against everything you have been taught and just about everyone around you. But it can be done. Not only do you two have an opportunity to redeem yourselves, but you can pass this to your offspring. Plant the seed of redemption in your children. One day it will sprout and flower forth and who knows what good it will do for mankind.”
“It is something to give careful thought to,” observed Thomas.
“Yes sir, Mr. Abraham,” reflected Jerome. “But there is one problem.”
“What is that, Jerome?”
“We is dead,” offered Jerome.
“I guess that does present a problem,” laughed Abraham. “You will never know what trouble I’ve got into because of you two. I’m telling you, if it had been Saint Peter he’d whacked you guys out of here in a heartbeat. But I wanted to try with you two. I wanted to see if a difference could be made.”
“I think if given the chance, we won’t let you down,” observed Thomas.
“Mr. Thomas is right,” agreed Jerome.
“Then we can try this one more time,” offered Abraham.
Thomas reached his hand out, and with a startled look, Jerome grasped his hand in a firm handshake.
“I want you know something, Mr. Abraham,” revealed Thomas. “I always admired the stories about you. In fact, me and the missus named our daughter, Sarah, after your missus. To meet you face to face for me was an honor.”
“Why thank you, Thomas,” replied Abraham. “I will tell my ‘missus’ about you and your daughter. She will be delighted.”
“Goodbye, Mr. Abraham.”
“Goodbye, gentlemen,” replied Abraham as he clicked his fingers.
###############
Looking into the distance, Nancy could see the stranger approaching. At first she thought it was her husband, Thomas, returning from town, but quickly realized the approaching person was no one she knew. He was not riding a horse, but was on foot, and now Nancy could see that he was a slave. She went inside her one room home and loaded her flintlock rifle. Coming back outside she pointed the gun at the approaching stranger.
“That’s far enough, Negra,” shouted Nancy. Stopping suddenly in his tracks, the man looked long and hard at her.
“My apologies, ma’am,” offered the man. “I mean no harm. I only ask for some water to drink.”
Off in the distance Nancy could see a man on a horse riding hard and fast toward her and the stranger. Before long she could tell that it was Thomas. When he approached the two, Thomas pulled the horse up tight and jumped off.
“Quick, Nancy, you and Jerome get in the house,” ordered Thomas.
“You know this slave?” inquired Nancy.
“It’s a long story, but right now, everybody in the house,” declared Thomas. “Everybody now!”
After all three rushed into the house, Thomas turned to Jerome, “You get up in the loft and hide under Sarah’s bed.”
“You sure you want to do this?” asked Jerome.
Thomas looked long and hard at Jerome, and then smiling said, “Yes, I do. I’m tired of you getting hung. Now get up there and be as quite as you can.”
As Jerome was climbing the ladder to the loft, the distant sound of approaching hounds could be heard. Nancy turned to her husband, “You’re gonna hide a runaway?”
Thomas took his wife into his arms and looked deep into her eyes, “It’s the only right thing to do.” Letting go of Nancy, Thomas found two of his rifles and made his way out to the front porch. Before long, Will, Jake, and the baying hounds walked up to the porch.
“This your spread?” asked Will.
“Yes, it is,” declared Thomas. “What can I do for you?”
“We’re looking for our runaway nigger,” offered Will. “The hounds have tracked him here.”
“You got any niggers hanging around here?” asked Jake.
“Can’t say as I do,” replied Thomas.
“We thank you for telling us straight,” observed Will. “But our hounds ain’t never been wrong before.”
“I don’t guess you’d mind if we checked the barn,” reflected Jake.
“Ain’t no need to do that,” replied Thomas.
“Well, then maybe we’d better look around inside your house,” mused Will.
“I done told you, there ain’t no need,” offered Thomas.
“Well, we’d kinda like to see for ourselves,” observed Jake. “Being he’s our missing property.”
Thomas pointed one of the rifles at the two men, “I’m telling you the last time, there ain’t no need.”
Will looked at Jake and then turned back to Thomas, “You gonna take on the two of us just to hide a nigger?”
“You’d better think about this, mister,” added Jake. “It’s two against one.”
“It’s two against two,” declared Nancy as she joined Thomas on the porch and pointed her rifle at the two men.
Will and Jake burst out laughing. They had to bend over from laughing so hard.
“Now little lady,” said Will as he tried to compose himself. “I just don’t believe you’re able to shoot me or Jake.”
Nancy cocked the hammer on the gun, “You’d probably be right, mister,” she offered. “But I’m more than able to shoot your dogs.”
“Shoot my hounds!?!” replied a shocked Will. “Lady you ain’t shooting my hounds.”
“If you don’t get off our land, I’m a gonna too shoot your dogs,” declared Nancy. “And my husband’s gonna shoot you.”
“Now, lady, you can’t just go around shooting a man’s hounds like that,” offered Jake.
“These here are the best hounds we’ve ever had,” observed Will.
“It appears to me, if you don’t take your leave, they’re gonna be some dead hounds,” reflected Thomas.
Nancy pointed the gun toward the sky and fired a shot and then grabbed the extra rifle by Thomas’ side. “The next one goes into a dog,” she declared.
“God Almighty, woman,” yelled Will. “You’re crazy!”
“Let’s get out of here, Will,” offered Jake. “She’s the craziest white woman I done ever saw.”
“OK. We’re leaving,” declared Will. “Now, lady, you take it easy. Don’t go shooting none of my hounds.”
“Just take it easy, lady,” pleaded Jake.
Will and Jake mounted their horses. “The next time I see you on my land, I’ll take offense,” offered Thomas.
Jake and Will rode off into the distance with their hounds closely following. After they were out of sight, Thomas and Nancy went back into their house.
“Jerome, it’s safe to come down now,” declared Thomas.
Jerome made his way down the ladder to face Thomas and Nancy.
“Thank you, Mr. Thomas, for not sending me back,” offered Jerome. “And thank you too, missus.”
“Thomas, how do you two know each other?” asked Nancy.
“Let’s just say, we met in a far away place,” replied Thomas.
“Thomas.”
“Yes, Nancy.”
“I believe it’s time for you to be a papa again,” declared Nancy.
“The baby’s coming?” asked an excited Thomas.
“I don’t believe it’s gonna be long,” replied Nancy.
“Jerome, get that bucket of water and start it boiling,” ordered Thomas. He helped his wife to their bed as she cried out with labor.
###############
“Well, she’s resting now,” observed Thomas. “But I don’t believe it’s gonna be too much longer.”
“Me and little Sarah been playing so she won’t worry none about her mamma,” reflected Jerome.
“That’s real good of you,” said a grateful Thomas.
“You know, Mr. Thomas, there’s not too many white folks that would’ve put themselves out for a slave like me,” observed Jerome.
“Well, maybe not in these parts,” agreed Thomas. “But I know further north there are places where there are no slaves.”
“That’s where I’m heading,” declared Jerome.
“That’s more than likely where you’ll be safe,” offered Thomas. “But you can stay the rest of the winter here. Spring comes you can head north.”
“That is a kind thing you’re doing,” observed Jerome.
“Well, Jerome, I’ve had time to do some thinking,” revealed Thomas. “You know, I believe old Abraham was right. You and me have a chance to spread this seed of freedom around.”
“There’s a whole lot of changing gonna have to be done,” observed Jerome.
“Well, we can only do it one person at a time,” offered Thomas. “And I’m gonna start with my wife and children. I got a lot to teach Sarah and the new baby.”
“And I’m gonna teach how not every white man is the devil,” revealed Jerome. “I suppose it was like Mr. Abraham said, we can redeem ourselves by spreading that seed of redemption.”
“You’re right, Jerome,” reflected Thomas. “None of us can be truly free until all men are free.”
“The baby’s coming!!” shouted Nancy.
Jerome and Thomas rushed to her bedside as Nancy cried out from the baby being born.
“Lordy, Lordy, Mr. Thomas, it’s a little boy,” declared Jerome.
Thomas gently cuddled the newborn in his arms after cutting the umbilical cord. He wiped him clean and then handed him to his mother.
“He sure is a healthy-looking baby, Mrs. Nancy,” offered Jerome.
“Thomas, you got you a son,” declared Nancy.
“Yes, indeed, it’s a blessing from above,” observed Thomas. “Nancy, we’re gonna show this little man how to make a difference. Why when he’s all grown up, it’s no telling what he can do for the world.”
“So what are you going name your son?” asked Nancy.
Thomas looked at Jerome and gave him a wink. “I think we should name him Abraham,” he declared.
“Abraham?” pondered Nancy. “That was your father’s name.”
“Yes it was,” reflected Thomas.
“You gonna name him after your dead father?” inquired Nancy.
“Yeah, something like that,” offered Thomas as he took the baby into his arms. “On this 12th day of the month of February of the year of our Lord, eighteen hundred and nine, I name thee, Abraham!”
“What do you think, Jerome?” asked Nancy. “Is that a good name?”
“I do believe that’s a fine name, ma’am,” replied Jerome. “Little Abraham. Little Abraham Lincoln. Yes ma’am, that’s a mighty fine name.”
THE END
Copyright ©2005 by Jerry W. Crews
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