Darkness

Moses

Can a man’s heart grow so full with joy that it can actually burst? If so, I should warn them to stand back, because the explosion mine might create could flatten the plantation. I cannot believe how I feel, how Dalila makes me feel, how this entire situation has come together so miraculously.

Thomas and Stephen are chattering with Gregor as we walk towards the garden, but Ben walks quietly at my side. I always appreciate his peacefulness. He is happy for me, I know, but there is no need for him to carry on about it.

Stephen mentioned that I might show the men the new garden plans, so I lead them over to the lattice walls I have built along the edge near my shed to support the growing beans which I have started threading along them. Ben and Gregor look at this with particular interest, and Gregor mentions that perhaps they should put up something like this in his garden.

Marcus has come over to join us, and Gregor puts his hand on the boy’s shoulder in greeting. Then he glances over at the garden shed, and asks, “Moses, isn’t that where you have been sleeping?”

When I nod, he goes on, “Um, is Dalila going to be living there too?” Ayola giggles in his arms.

Stephen chuckles. He knows my plan. “No, of course not!” I tell Gregor. “I wouldn’t bring my bride to a shed! No, Stephen has agreed to let me build a little cabin for us to live in.”

Gregor gets that gleam in his eye that I have grown to recognize as a sign that he is hatching some scheme. Oh my, what now? “You’re going to build a cabin, eh?” he says. “Have you made any plans yet for this?”

“Well,” I shrug, “only that I will need to get the lumber out here from the sawmill in Natchez. There’s a little plot of land near the overseer’s house that I will build it on.”

Gregor grins. “As a wedding gift, please allow me to help you with this!”

Oh! “That is very kind of you, Gregor, thank you! I’ll let you know when I have all the supplies ready, then maybe you can come out and help me start the construction. I figure it will take some time to get everything together.”

He waves his hand. “It won’t take any time at all. I’ll get my crew to do it! I think they could build a cabin in just two or three days. They’ve had quite a bit of experience building now, and they are nearly finished with their most recent project. I can take care of shipping the supplies out here, then we can have a cabin up within a couple of weeks.” He smiles at me while I goggle at him.

Stephen and Thomas look at each other and burst out laughing. “Well,” Stephen says, “it looks like the wedding date just got moved up! I’ll bet the ladies can have everything ready by then too.”

They all turn and stare at me expectantly, and I find that I cannot speak. Ben gives me a sympathetic nod. He knows how that feels.

Ben

I truly am so happy for Moses. He is such a kind man, and has been so helpful to me, and he deserves every happiness. I’m glad that it has worked out for him, that he is going to be able to marry his love, despite everything standing in their way.

It has worked out for Sam and I too, as much as it ever can. Gregor managed to find a way for us to be able to live together without rousing suspicion in the town. We share the rooms above his medical office, in the eyes of the citizens of Natchez just two bachelors sharing lodging to save on expenses, a perfectly normal arrangement. Nobody else knows that we are as closely bonded to each other as the most devoted married couples, as much as Gregor and Rosy, or as Stephen and Margaret. Those people are the only ones who know our secret, and none of them will ever reveal our illegal relationship. So we are as happy as we can be.

When I drop Gregor and his family off at home, before I take the carriage back to the stables he tells me, “I’ll be heading down Under-the-Hill shortly to check on the fellows from the steamboat crew who are ill. Samuel said that he’d go check on them every couple of hours as well. Want to walk down there with me?”

I shrug. “Sure. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” I turn the horse around to head back to the stables.

He is coming out the door when I come back, ready to walk down the hill. “Nadine says she doesn’t need anything else tonight,” he tells me, “so when we’re done Under-the-Hill you can go on home.”

“Great, thanks,” I say. “So who has yellow fever?” They didn’t really talk about it much today, and I’d like more details. Working as a Kaintuck on flatboats all those years, I saw lots of people coming down with it. Sometimes we had to leave our shipmates behind in little towns along the river when they were too sick to continue working. Some of those fellows we never heard from again.

“Caleb and Albert from the steamboat crew,” he says.

I nod. I’ve met Caleb, but not Albert. “Are they really sick?” I ask.

“They were feeling pretty unwell this morning, but I don’t think they’re in danger. Samuel will be tending them, and I’ve arranged to have someone from the crew with them all the time to make sure they don’t want for anything. They’ll get through it.”

“Well, that’s good to know.”

He heads into the new boarding house addition, where Caleb and Albert are staying. I look around with interest at how much progress has been made on the structure since I was in here last. It’s practically finished. Just some bare doorways, it looks like some trim needs to be added, maybe some paint and other little finishing touches.

When we get to the sick room, I am happy but not surprised to see Sam in there. He looks up at us and smiles. My heart beats faster. He always does that to me. He looks tired, but not overly worried about the illness.

I hang back in the doorway, nodding to Caleb and Albert, but Gregor immediately goes and gets all hands-on with the fellows, checking their temperature with his hand on their foreheads, patting their shoulders, adjusting their pillows. I remember that he was like this the time that David was so sick. Sometimes I feel like he wishes he was a doctor like Samuel.

“How is everyone doing?” Gregor asks. They don’t look terribly sick, just weak maybe, and I think a little yellow. I know that yellow fever causes jaundice, so that must be what this is.

“Not too bad,” Caleb says. “Doc has this magic tea that makes the headache go away, and that’s the worst part. So we’re getting along.”

“How about you, Albert?” Gregor asks him.

“I’ll just be glad when this is over,” he says, his voice weak.

Gregor looks up at Samuel, who responds. “With yellow fever,” he explains, “the symptoms usually subside within three or four days. This started yesterday, you said, so it is possible that by about the day after tomorrow you might be starting to feel a little better.” Albert nods miserably.

Sam asks Gregor, “Can you have the kitchen send over some soup for them? Something very bland, just broth really.”

“Of course,” he says. “Someone will be staying here overnight too,” he tells the sick men, “we’ll assign a duty roster from the crew to make sure you aren’t alone. There will always be somebody here to help you with anything you might need.”

“Thanks,” whispers Caleb.

“All right, I’m going to order some soup from the kitchen, then I’m heading home,” Gregor tells us. “Have a good night, I’ll see you all in the morning.”

I wait with Sam for the soup to arrive, then I help him get them set up with whatever they need. He tells Walt, who apparently is on duty here for the next few hours, that he will come back first thing in the morning to check on them, but if there is a problem he can be sent for at home.

And then we are walking together up the hill, right out in plain view, not skulking up separately like we used to have to do. I don’t know how long it is going to take me to get used to this freedom to be seen together, but it isn’t yet. He gives me a little smile, and I’m sure he is feeling the same.

"So,” I ask him, “how are they really? Are they going to be all right?”

He nods. “It seems so. This must be a milder strain of yellow fever, they don’t seem quite as sick as I would expect. It can hit really hard the first couple of days.”

“I know. I’ve seen it before, on the flatboats.”

“Oh, right, yes, you would have seen that on the river. Well, Caleb and Albert are ill, yes, but not critically so. They seem more uncomfortable than anything else. I don’t think they’re in any real danger.”

“Well that’s lucky.”

He leans slightly closer and murmurs, “I’m lucky, to be here with you.”

I give him a sideways smile. He’s about to get luckier, but I’ll have to wait a couple of minutes until we are in our rooms. I’m already planning my attack.

“How were things at Homochitto?” he asks me, distracting me from my scheming.

“Good,” I say. “There’s some nice news.” He looks at me expectantly. “Moses and Dalila are getting married,” I tell him with a smile.

“Oh! How nice!” Then he gets a quizzical look on his face. “She’s still a slave, though, right?” I nod. “I wonder how they are going to work that out?”

“I don’t know, but your brother seems fine with it.” There is more to tell him, and I know he will love hearing this next part. “He was really nice to me, by the way, he invited me in just like everyone else, talked to me, didn’t seem squeamish about it.”

He looks happy and relieved. “I knew that he would come around someday. Just like you always told me. He’s my brother, and we love each other, and he was going to remember that eventually.”

We’ve reached the stairs behind the building, and I indicate that he can go up first. I follow behind him, and wait while he opens the door. I come in and lock the door behind me. Then before he even gets the chance to take two steps into the room I am on him.

He gasps, and laughs delightedly, and quickly adjusts to my mood, his enthusiasm immediately matching mine. I plan to show him just how lucky he is. How lucky I am.