The Boys from Libertyby Frei Mimms

episode 3: Herrel meets Sarah

Herrel rolled over in the morning light, his arm instinctively reaching out for his big brother. As his hand hit the bedding, he briefly thought "Where's Red?"
Then he remembered.
Red had left the day before. He was off to Texas, and Herrel didn't know if he'd ever see him again. Herrel wiggled over to Red's side of the bed, figuring that if he couldn't be where Red was now, he could at least be where Red used to be.
A voice at the door broke up Herrel's little moment of peace.
"Missy, you up?"
Herrel's mother went to the door and opened it.
"Why yes, Ms. McGee. And what'd you like us tuh do today?"
"You stay with the cows, Missy. A couple of them are about to drop their calves, and I want to know immediately if they're any problems. Herrel will come with me to the main house. My granddaughter Sarah arrived yesterday, and she needs someone to help her with her chores until she learns her way around. As soon as he's had his breakfast, send him up."
"Yes 'em."
Mrs. McGee left and Herrel joined his mother in the doorway.
She looked at him.
"You heard what she said. You go out and wash up."
Without a word, Herrel slipped out and ran towards the woods. After doing his business in the bushes, Herrel headed downhill to the stream. He looked forward to immersing himself in that clear, cold water. At water's edge, he quickly stripped and stepped in. After the first cold shock, he waded out further, so he could get his whole body under. Stretched out underwater, on his back, he filled his mouth with water, brought his lips to the surface, then blew out as hard as he could, making a little waterspout. He gulped for air, went down, then did it again. And again. And again. He had a sudden urge to pee, so he surfaced, still on his back, and made one more waterspout - this one noticeably larger.
He didn't see his ma on the bank of the stream.
"I thought I'd find you here," she said, doing her best not to laugh.
"You're not goin' be late to the massa's house.If you don't git outta that water right now, you be goin' there with no breakfast. You unnerstand?"
"Yes ma," he gasped, as some water went down his wind pipe.
He got out of the stream, dressed, and walked up the path to the little slave shack. He could see the fire goin' outside. His ma was frying up some eggs, with pieces of boiled potatoes and leeks - leftovers from the previous day's dinner.
"Sit down, Little Man. Let me feed you."
Herrel did as he was told. He was hungry and the food was good. A big cup of cider rounded out the meal. Soon Herrel was full up, and on his way to the main house.
Mrs. McGee was waiting for him. At her side was a girl about Herrel's height, with white skin and blue eyes and hair the color of pumpkins.
"Sarah," Mrs. McGee said to the girl. "This is Herrel. He's one of my slaves, and he'll be helping you out today."
"Thanks, gramma," the girl said, looking at Herrel.
After some awkward silence, she looked up at her grandmother and asked "Does he talk?"
Herrel blushed. It was hard to tell with his dark skin, but he was blushing.
"I ain't never see'd hair that color," he said, "not close up."
Now Sarah was blushing.
"Well I guess that makes us even. I ain't never talked to a nigger before."
Mrs. McGee put her hands in her face and walked off.
Sarah watched her leave.
"Oh, I'm gonna get it later," she said. "Gramma told me that wasn't the right word to use."
Herrel was once again at a loss for words, but finally blurted out "Wha's it I 's'posed to help you with?"
"Laundry," she answered.
And laundry it was.
Sarah had apparently arrived with her entire wardrobe dirty from the trip. And others in the household had their own dirty laundry. Herrel carried the tub and the washboards out back. Sarah carried out part of the dirty clothes. Mrs. McGee brought the rest of the clothes, along with the soap, a pail, and an extra basket. Herrel used the pail to fill he tub from the well. He and Sarah both worked the washboards. After about an hour, they ran into a problem: neither were tall enough to get the clothes on the line to dry. So Sarah went to get her grandmother. She returned a few minutes later.
"She says she wants to finish a letter she's writing first, and we should wait here, cuz she'll only be a little while."
"Sounds fine to me," Herrel said.
He sat on the gound and leaned against the wash tub. Sarah sat on the stump nearby that folks in the house were using as a stool.
"Can I ask you somethin'', Miss Sarah?"
"Surly Herrel, only don't call me Miss Sarah, just call me Sarah."
"But my ma says we hafta use the words when we's talkin' to white folk, or we git in trouble."
"Then use it when someone else is around, but don't use it when it's just you and me."
"All right ... Why'd you come here?"
"Cuz my pa's gone off to join the Union army. Arkansas done left the Union. He didn't think much of that, so he took me and left home to go to St. Louis. He dropped me here. He says the war won't last long, and he'll be back soon to get me, and then we can go home."
"That's what Red says."
"Who's Red?"
"My brother, 'cept his real name is Richard. He left yesterday with Mrs. McGee's brother to go to Texas."
"Oh, I heard about that. They're going out to where Uncle Josiah lives. I got a cousin there. We visit sometimes. We even write letters."
"You know how to write?"
"Yes, I do. Do you?"
"No."
"Would you like me teach you?"
"Could I write Red?"
"Does he know how to read?"
"No."
"Then how's he goin' to read what you write?"
"I dunno."
Sarah looked exasperated.
"This is what I'll do Herrel. I'll write my cousin and ask her to ask after your brother. That way when she writes back, I can tell you all about him. Would you like that?"
"I'd like that."
"Sarah?"
"Yes Herrel?"
"Is it hard to read?"
"Not really."
"Would you teach me how?"
Before she could answer, Mrs. McGee appeared at the back door.
"I'm coming Sarah. I have the clothes pins. One of you hand me the clothes. The other hand me the pins. By the time we have everything up, some of the clothes will be dry enough you can start on the ironing."
Sarah groaned and made a face at her grandmother. Then she winked at Herrel and mouthed the word "Yes."
Between the washing and the ironing, and more washing and ironing, Herrel spent most of the day at the house with Sarah and Mrs. McGee. As he walked home at the end of the day, there was a spring to his step that wasn't there that morning.
That night in bed, he rolled over to Red's side of the bed and tried to picture where he was and what he was doing.
He just couldn't picture it, but then he told himself "Sarah will tell me. It's goin' to be all right."

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