Read The Slave Master's Son Online
Authors: Tiana Laveen
The Slave Master's Son (10 page)
“OK now. Here’s your book.” He handed it to her after getting his fill. He slumped back down on the bed, folding his arms behind his head and laughing. Hannah stood there, her chest heaving. She walked over to the bed and laid down beside him, opening the book to the last page she’d read.
“What’s it about?” Henry asked, peering over her petite shoulder trying to see if there were any illustrations he could make out.
“What’s it about?” Henry repeated quietly as he scooted over, allowing her more room.
“It’s scary!” Hannah laughed. “You want me to read it to you?” she asked, her smile revealing her glistening teeth.
“Yes,” Henry answered excitedly.
It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet…
* * *
“Now Hannah, you and I need to have a talk.” He slammed the door abruptly behind himself. Suddenly Hannah’s mood was dampened. Her wonderful, colorful dreams of marital bliss evaporated as the angry man stood before her, prepared to lay down the law. Henry toiled in the fields while Hannah lay there wide-eyed and vulnerable. She pulled the covers up around her tightly.
“We had an agreement. You live as you wish as long as you and Henry produce. Henry belongs to someone else. He’s only on loan. He helps me from time to time, but I don’t own him. It’s come to my understanding that you and he aren’t living up to the agreement. I’m sure, though your intelligence is more than likely limited, you understand fully what I’m saying. I expect to receive news over the next few weeks or our agreement will change and not in your favor.” Master Washington rose from the bed and left, just as quickly as he arrived, slamming the door behind him.
Hannah shuttered. Hot tears streamed down her buttery cheeks. She clasped her fingers together, praying but unsure what to say or ask for. Suddenly she sprang out of bed and paced, falling several times to the ground in crying fits. This lasted for hours until the door opened again, revealing Henry who stood there with the sun setting behind his broad back. He awkwardly ducked as usual as he entered.
“Sorry ’bout my shoes. I got dirt all on ’em. I know how you hate that I get dirt all over the rug then you gotta clean it up.” Henry noticed Hannah’s sullen disposition. He studied her before speaking again.
“What’s gotten into you?” he asked as he took even greater notice of her swollen eyes. “What’s the matter?” he questioned, drawing closer to her and helping her off of the floor.
“Master – Master Washington paid me a visit today,” Hannah sobbed.
“What’d he say?” Henry asked slowly as he removed his shoes and sat on the edge of the bed.
“He got on me about us. We ain’t doing what was asked,” Hannah explained. The thought of it made her stomach cramp repeatedly. “Can’t we just say we done it?” begged Hannah.
“Naw – we can’t. If you don’t end up with child, they’d know we lied and then they liable to sell you. Trust me, Master Washington may not be peaches and cream, but he a whole lot better than most. I’d hate to see you with someone else. We gots to. It ain’t cause we don’t love other folk no more; it’s because we ain’t got a choice,” Henry said earnestly. Hannah wiped her tear-streaked face as anger crept into her soul.
“Henry, I’d like to kill him,” she whispered.
“Don’t go sayin’ nothin’ like that!” Henry yelled. Hannah inhaled and exhaled calmly. She walked over to the stove and started to stir a large pot of beans, this time with tiny pieces of chicken. She diced an onion and boiled a handful of carrots. Henry lay across the bed, his massive arms behind his head. The aroma of the savory food calmed his nerves.
“I sure like that story you been readin’ me every night. I sure wish I could read, too. Who taught you?” he asked inquisitively.
“My husband,” she answered quietly. Hannah added the crushed pepper to the beans and watched as it simmered. She then poured two small cups of water, handing one to Henry.
“Thank you, kindly.” He gulped it down anxiously. Hannah took the cup out of his hand and quickly refilled it. She grabbed two large wooden bowls and piled on generous helpings. A small, unstable table with two chairs sat in a dimly lit corner.
“Henry, instead of us eating on the bed tonight, let’s eat over here.” She pointed to the table. Henry rose, slowly walked over, and sat down. His large body made the furniture appear to be for a child.
“Today I pulled a bunch of weeds and ran into a snake. Usually I know what kind they is, but this one I didn’t know. I know he was poisonous, though,” Henry stated as he chomped down his food voraciously.
“How can you tell which are poisonous and which aren’t?” Hannah asked with intrigue.
“You gotta look at the eyes. The eyes tell you everything – just like in people.”
“What do a poisonous snake’s eyes say?”
“You seen a cat eye, how it’s shaped?” explained Henry.
“Yes.”
“If that snake eye look just like a cat, you gotta watch out. If it’s round like a tiny pebble, it probably ain’t,” Henry slurped. “Snakes a lot like masters. They all snakes, each and e’ry one of ’em, but some of ’em worse than others. Master Washington ain’t poisonous. Don’t stop the fact that he’s crawling on his belly, but he don’t bite, and if you feel offended by his words, at least it won’t kill you later.” Hannah mulled over what Henry said.
After dinner, Hannah cleaned up then dug into a small pile of books. She pulled out a sheet of paper from one and handed it to Henry. Henry stood in the middle of the house, looking at it with great puzzlement.
“I know these are letters. I know they part of that alphabet, but that’s all I know.” He handed the paper back to Hannah and sat down in the chair. Hannah scooted her chair close to his, taking a small knapsack from the counter. She took out an apple, hair bow and a piece of peppermint.
“Can I have that apple and peppermint?” Henry asked, reaching for them.
“Wait a minute now.” Hannah furrowed her brow annoyed. “You can, but let me show you something first.” She spread the piece of paper open over her lap and pointed to the “A.”
“This sounds like ‘Ahhh.’ The word ‘apple’ starts with ‘A’ – Apple.” Henry looked at Hannah and smiled.
“Ahhh – Apple.”
“That’s right. Say it again and look at the letter, here,” Hannah instructed.
“Ahhh – Apple,” Henry repeated.
“‘Apricot,’ ‘Apron,’ ‘Alligator’ – they all start with this letter. It’s the very first letter of the alphabet!” Hannah said proudly. She took a bite of the apple then handed it to Henry who quickly finished it off.
“Buh! B! Buh! B! This is the second letter of the alphabet.” Hannah pointed to the piece of paper, at the letter ‘B.’
“Buh! B!” Henry repeated, swallowing the last of the apple before repeating it twice.
“‘Bow’ – like this hair bow – starts with the letter ‘B.’ Bite. You bit that apple and now it’s gone,” Hannah laughed. “Buh! Bite – bow – bacon – bread,” Hannah added.
“You makin’ me hungry,” he teased.
“Henry, you’re always hungry,” Hannah laughed.
“Cuh! Cuh! Cee – the letter ‘C.’ Candy. Just like this peppermint candy. ‘C’ is the third letter of the alphabet. Candy – corn – cotton.”
“Cuh – candy – cuh – corn. Cee,” Henry repeated.
“You’re doing good, Henry. Once we get this all down pat, I’ll teach you how to write the letters. Then one day you can read ‘Frankenstein’ all by yourself,” Hannah smiled weakly.
“Wouldn’t that be somethin’? Maybe one day I could write a poem, too.”
“You sure could,” Hannah said reflectively. “You could write letters to your beloved – beautiful love letters that she could read over and over to make her feel whole when you aren’t around.” Hannah’s eyes glossed over.
“Well, that’s probably enough for now. Tomorrow we can go over three more letters and go over these first three again. Don’t tell anyone I’m teaching you,” Hannah suddenly warned.
“You must think I’m thick in the head,” Henry barked. “I know better than that. This is just ’tween us two.” Hannah watched as Henry removed his sweaty clothes. He stood naked, his skin like black silk woven tightly around marble. He slid under the quilt and balled up the slim pillow into an elevated roll. Hannah quickly put out the light in the room.
“Ain’t you gonna put on any clothes?” Hannah asked, embarrassed.
“I don’t see why I would. We have to do what was asked anyway. It ain’t like we’re havin’ fun – it’s just work, like e’rything else they want,” Henry clarified as he closed his eyes. Hannah took a deep sigh and slowly undressed. Silent tears streamed down her face. She tried to tell herself it was a dream, but she knew better. She covered her breasts, then dropped her arms and walked assuredly over to the bed. She slid under the quilt, trying to avoid direct contact. It was impossible. The bed was so small and he was so large that he immediately wrapped around her. Hannah trembled in his arms.
“I’m sorry ’bout this,” Henry assured. “I think you’ll make a good Mama, though. I got to say, for me, it could be worse.” He moved her hair out of her face and gingerly turned her over flat onto her back.
“I’ll get it over wit’ quick,” he said in almost a whisper. Hannah felt his heavy body over her as he braced his weight with his arms before parting her thighs open with his large, heavy hands. She felt him push inside her. She closed her eyes and tried to disappear within the recesses of golden memories from when she was a little girl, running happily through Master Stewart’s house with John. Her tears and whimpering became intensified.
“I’ll never forgive myself,” she finally muttered. “Henry?” she said as he continued to make love to her.
“Yes,” he responded, slightly out of breath.
“Do you mind if I call you John while we do this? It’ll just make it easier for me.”
“I don’t mind. This whole time I’ve been pretendin’ you were Carole, anyway.” They both smiled weakly in the darkness, embracing one another tightly.
“John, I love you,” Hannah whispered.
“Carole, I love you too,” Henry whispered back. Hannah felt the familiar final lunge she’d become accustomed to with her beloved. She thanked the heavens it was finally over. Henry rolled over, covered in sweat. He fell quickly asleep, leaving Hannah swimming in her own daydreams as she pretended the throbbing between her legs was a gift from John until they should meet again.
* * *
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