Revolution

Chapter 1

Laurens watched as his family's estate grew near. The dread filling his stomach as he knew that his father would be there, with his other siblings, he'd have to face them. After the death of his younger brother Jemmy, and dropping his pursuit of medicine for law the last thing he wanted to see was them, reminding him of the deep sadness he carried with him now, almost every day.

He walked out of the carriage pulling on his gloves and making sure the misfortune of late didn't happen then, drips of wine on his overcoat. All of his siblings were on the steps, as well as his father, all wearing embellished outfits; yellows for his sisters, and darker blue, blacks, and grays for his brothers. They all had smiles on their faces. He got on the bottoms of the steps and they ran for him. He laughed as they swarmed around, trying to get a hug before getting stepped on by another giddy sibling. As the commotion settled he stood.

How they've grown.

It brought sadness as he realized how much he missed his sister's childhood but made him proud to know that they'll do many great things in life. Just as he hoped to do.

He bowed as his father walked up to him. " I hope you've been doing well father." It was more of a nicety, feeling lucky as his father couldn't see his hands in his pockets, shaking. The nerves of seeing him after so many years. So many things he did wrong, all coming to a tilt.

" I trust your studies proved well."

He nodded.

" And what of the war? Do you still aim to be a soldier? Or has your childhood fantasies dissipated into nonexistence?"

" I still will fight for my country as you do. Never will I stand to the side as my countrymen, my own father risks his life for a cause I am a part of." He felt his adam's apple bob. " Even if it means I die, future generations will know our sacrifice, my sacrifice to the cause, so that generations to come to live in a land of freedom and prosperity without the word of tranny in their minds. That they may be free, perhaps even more so than the motherland herself."

" I hope you aren't referring to the Blacks, never would something like that pass through Congress." Laurens Sr. scoffed. " They hold tight to their tight and conservative ideas. You'd be wasting your time as a politician, ruin your career, or worse, destroy the legacy that you will create."

Like you? He wanted to ask. " What is the point of freeing these colonies then, father, why would we be fighting for freedom? Proclaiming it to the elitist white man then denying it to his counterparts?

" You have to take small steps son, it the terms of freeing a country of its king." He said, " If not, then there would be even bloodier revolts than ever seen."

" That would be to say in one hand holding the torch of liberty than in the other a whip for a slave. Who deserves freedom just as much, perhaps even more so as we stripped him of his rights, clothes, family, and make him work without pay. For what? A death without means, no stone to mark his body, to get another one as if he's cattle for you to herd."

He was surprised his father hadn't chastised him.

" Son I-"

" Jack!"

He turned around to see Polly smiling with a bounce in her feet.

" Father, I bid you adieu as other needs call more important than fighting with my father and making a scene over my passions you seem to hate."

Then Polly grabbed his arm, being the youngest of all of them he followed, knowing how sweet and innocent she was compared to this world. That anything could break her heart. And he'd broken enough hearts, including his own, for a lifetime.