Ransom of Love (17 page)

Green excused himself and hurried away with Lynch.

The rest of the Johnson family looked on as Zack said, “Well, Benjamin, by now you know who I am. You met my son Dan before the auction. Let me introduce you to the rest of the Johnsons. This is my wife, Catherine, our daughter, Angeline, and our youngest son Alexander.”

Benjamin felt shock to be treated like he was on the same level with his new master and his family. He bowed first to Catherine and said, “I am very happy to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Johnson.” He then bowed to Angeline and to Alexander, greeting them in the same manner. To Dan, he said, “I am honored, Master Dan, that you came to the pen and talked to me. You are very kind.”

“It was my pleasure, Benjamin. And I am so glad my father outbid Finn Colvin for you.”

Tears welled up in Benjamin’s eyes as he turned to Zack and said, “Master Johnson, I am very thankful the other man did not get me. But sir, I am sorry you had to pay so much for me. I promise you, I will work extra hard and try to be worth it to you.”

Zack smiled, then turned and looked toward the cashiers’ booths. “Looks like the lines are getting shorter. Come, Benjamin
and family. Let’s go close this deal.”

With Benjamin at his side, Zack stepped up to the cashier and said, “Hello, Bryan.”

“Nice to see you, Mr. Johnson,” said Bryan Arkin. “That was some contest in there. I’m sure glad you won out.”

“Thank you.”

“Those slaves you bought here a couple of months ago, Mr. Johnson … how are they doing?”

“Oh, you mean Elias and Georgianna?”

“Yes. That’s them.”

“They’re doing quite well. Both are good workers. My wife has Georgianna working inside the house quite a bit.”

Arkin set his eyes on Benjamin. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a fine one here.”

“Sure do,” Zack said, pulling out his checkbook. “Guess I’d better pay for him, huh?”

Bryan chuckled. “Yes, sir. That would be best.”

“May I use your pen and inkwell, please?”

Arkin took the pen out of its holder and slid the inkwell toward him.

While Zack wrote out a check in the amount of 2,500 dollars, Arkin opened a drawer, pulled out a set of official looking papers, and held them in his hand. When Zack had blotted the check, he slid it across the counter to Arkin, who handed him the documents, saying, “Here are Benjamin’s papers.”

Zack scanned all three sheets, making sure the papers were in order. When he was satisfied, he said, “Bryan, may I borrow your pen again?”

The cashier’s brow puckered as he looked at the papers. “But Mr. Johnson, there is nothing for you to sign on these papers. You ought to know that … as many slaves as you have bought.”

Zack shook his head. “There is one place I need to put my signature.”

By this time, Zack had his family’s attention.

Arkin handed Zack the pen and pushed the inkwell toward him. “Whatever you say, Mr. Johnson.”

“Mom,” Dan whispered, “there’s only one place for Pa’s signature in those papers. That’s on the last page. You know—”

Catherine’s eyes widened.

Bryan Arkin frowned as he saw Zack flip to the last page, dip the pen in the inkwell, and put his signature on the bottom line. He could not believe what he was seeing.

When Zack blotted his signature, he handed the pen to Bryan and said, “Thank you.”

The cashier blinked and nodded without speaking.

Catherine and Dan stepped closer, waiting for Zack to speak. They watched intently as he turned to the muscular Negro and said, “Benjamin, you are a bright-looking young man. I’m glad you can read and write English.”

“Thank you, Master Johnson. I—”

“When I observed you and Dan talking at the pen, you impressed me.”

“I did, sir?”

“Yes. In a very special way.”

“In what way did I impress you, sir?”

“You have a very pleasing personality and you conduct yourself well with people.”

Zack looked down at the papers in his hand, then met Benjamin’s perplexed gaze and said, “Son, I see real potential in you.”

“Yes, sir?”

“I believe you have it in you to make your mark in this world. I want to see your potential realized. Therefore, Benjamin, I have signed the bottom line on the last page of your papers. This means that I have set you free. You are no longer a slave owner’s chattel.”

Bryan Arkin listened dumbfounded.

Benjamin looked at the papers in Zack’s hand, then raised his eyes to the man in utter disbelief. “M-Master J-Johnson. I … I m-must
have heard you wrong. Would you repeat what you said, please, s-sir?”

Zack grinned as he laid his free hand on Benjamin’s shoulder and said, “You didn’t hear wrong, son. I have set you free. You are no longer a slave.”

This time Benjamin was speechless. While he tried to find his voice, Zack said, “I couldn’t let Finn Colvin buy you. I know the man well. He would have brutalized you if you hadn’t been able to do the work of two men day after day. Eventually, he would have worked you to death.”

Dan moved up close and squeezed his father’s arm. “Pa knows what he’s talking about, Benjamin. You’re nineteen years old, aren’t you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Believe me, if Finn Colvin had bought you, you wouldn’t have lived to see your twenty-first birthday. And you would have had a miserable life until then, too. The first morning you woke up and your weary body was too weak to do a day’s work, you would have been given a severe beating.”

Tears streamed down Benjamin’s cheeks as he shook his head. He had finally found his voice. “Master Johnson, this is all so overwhelming. How … how do I thank you?”

“By making a successful life for yourself. You are a bright young man. You can thank me by fulfilling the potential I know is there.”

“I will do my best, sir, I just don’t know where to go from here … what to do first.”

Reaching into his pocket, Zack pulled out a wad of currency, laid it in Benjamin’s hand, and said, “You will need this. There’s enough here to take care of you until you find a job.”

“No one will hire me, Master Johnson. I’m a black man. I will have to go up North, will I not?”

“Not necessarily. There are free black men in South Carolina—right here in Charleston—who have good jobs. The jobs are manual labor, but the pay is decent. A hardworking black man can make a good living.”

Benjamin shook his head. “I did not know that, sir. I thought the only black people here were slaves.”

“Well, now you know different,” Zack said, smiling.

Dan chuckled at the young man’s utter confusion. “Benjamin, I guess it would surprise you if I told you there are free Negroes in South Carolina who own slaves.”

“You are jesting, Master Dan!”

“No, I’m not. There aren’t any Negro-owned plantations this close to the coast, but farther inland, there are many.”

“This surprises me, for sure,” said Benjamin, wagging his head. “Nobody ever told me that before.”

“As Pa said, Benjamin, a free Negro, even here in Charleston, can work and make a living for himself and his family. I sure would love to see you stay so we can get to know each other.”

The black man grinned. “I would really like that, sir.”

“Benjamin,” said Zack, “on the north side of town they have boardinghouses where Negroes live. You need to get yourself a room there. They are owned by free blacks. They’re all on Spruill Avenue close to the Cooper River. Just go straight north on Meeting Street, which is exactly one block east of where you are standing right now, and it runs into Spruill Avenue.”

“Yes, sir,” said Benjamin. “But …”

“Mm-hmm?”

“Well, Master Johnson, what do I do when some law officer, or just some citizen, stops me and wants proof that I am not a runaway slave?”

Zack lifted the papers in his hand. “You carry these with you at all times. They prove that you are a free man. And if anyone gives you a problem about it, the law will back you up.” As he spoke, he placed the papers in Benjamin’s hand.

“So these are called my em—eman—”

“Emancipation papers. They show that you were my slave, but that I set you free. That’s what I meant when I said my signature on the bottom line made you a free man.”

“I still can hardly believe this is happening to me, Master Johnson. I’m afraid I’m going to wake up and find out it really is only a dream!”

“It’s real,” Catherine said. “Your whole life will be different from now on, Benjamin.”

“Yes, ma’am. Now … if I can only find a job.”

“I have many friends in business here in town,” Zack said. “If you wish, I can take you to some of them and see if I can help you find a job.”

“That would be a real help, Master Johnson.”

“Tell you what. You go on up to Spruill Avenue and rent yourself a room in one of the boardinghouses. You can’t miss them. They are white frame buildings with lots of little Negro children playing in the yards. You will have no problem getting a room. You do know what a boardinghouse is?”

“A place where a man has a room to sleep in.”

“More than that. They also have three meals a day for you, which is included in the price of the rent.”

“I see. That’s good, since a man has to eat.”

“Tell you what, Pa,” said Dan, “if you’ll give me the time in the morning, I’ll find Benjamin at whatever boardinghouse he’s staying in and take him places where he might be able to find work.”

“Fine with me, Dan.” Then to Benjamin he said, “You go on now and find yourself a room. There aren’t so many boardinghouses but what Dan will be able to find you with no trouble.”

Benjamin nodded. Once again, tears filmed his eyes. “Master Johnson, I wish there was some way to thank you right now, even before I go to work on reaching the potential you see in me.”

Zack patted his shoulder. “It’s all right, son. Just seeing you this happy is really thanks enough.”

Catherine moved to Benjamin and said, “I am so happy for you. I had no idea what my husband was going to do when he was bidding for you, but in my eyes, he most certainly did the right thing.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Benjamin,” Dan said, “I meant what I said. If you stay here in Charleston; I want to spend time with you so we can get to know each other.”

“That sure sounds good to me, sir.”

“Tell you what,” said Zack, “we would love to have you come visit us at the plantation. Maybe tomorrow, after Dan takes you job hunting, he can drive you out to the place and we can show it to you.”

“I would love that, sir.”

“We’ll have you out for an evening meal sometime soon,” Catherine said.

Benjamin was overwhelmed at being treated like an ordinary human being. He wiped away tears from his cheeks. “I would be honored, ma’am.”

“You’ll like Samantha’s cooking, Benjamin,” spoke up Angeline. “She’s the best.”

“I’m sure I will, Miss Angeline. I will look forward to it.”

“Well, dear wife of mine,” Zack said, “we’d better be going. Benjamin is probably tired and would like to rest himself.”

“I’m wondering, Benjamin,” Dan said. “Did you leave family in South Africa when you were brought here by Mr. Green?”

“No, sir. Mr. Green bought my mother and father and me from Mr. Kent Rhodes, the owner of the cattle ranch. And—”

Seeing the inward agony Benjamin was feeling, Zack said, “Your parents were on that ship?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Where are they?”

“They—they died while we were crossing the ocean, sir.”

“Oh, Benjamin!” Catherine said. “How did it happen?”

“It was dysentery, ma’am. Several slaves came down with it. And some—like my parents—died with it. Their bodies were buried at sea.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“All of us are sorry about this, Benjamin,” Zack said. “If there is anything we can do for you, please let us know.”

“Master Johnson, you have already done more for me than anyone on this earth ever did. Thank you for your kind offer, but I will be fine.”

Zack nodded. “Dan will pick you up at your boardinghouse in the morning.”

The Johnsons walked away, leaving Benjamin standing by the cashiers’ booths with the emancipation papers in one hand and the wad of money in the other.

“As soon as I can get to know him better,” Dan said, “I want to give him the gospel.”

Catherine smiled in approval at her eldest son. “I think he’ll be open,” she said. “As happy as he is to be free, he will listen to anything you tell him, I’m sure.”

The Johnson carriage was the only one left in the plantation owners’ parking lot. As they headed for it, Dan said, “Yes, sir … I really want to bring Benjamin to the Lord.”

At the cashiers’ booths, Bryan Arkin observed Benjamin standing there with the papers in his hand, his eyes following the Johnsons as they crossed the parking lot.

“Tell you what, Benjamin,” Arkin said, “in all my years of working this booth I have never seen anything like what Zack Johnson did for you today.”

Benjamin kept his gaze on his deliverer as he replied, “I have been a slave since I was born, sir. All my life I have lived around slaves. I have seen them bought and sold since I was a small child, but I have never seen anything like this either.”