"Ruin and Redemption"

Lizzie's School

“What are you talking about, Josiah?”

“I told ya, Lizzie. Weren’t you listnin’ before?”

“But Josiah, it’s just a small school. I’m not teaching all the slaves, just a few. The war is ending soon anyway. Why would they even care?”

“They do, care! And it’s not just thet! There’s somethin’ else, but I haf’ ta let Derrick tell ya thet one.”

“No you don’t, Josiah! He’s hardly my husband anymore. He spends just as many, if not more evenings over at Scarlett’s than he does at our home. That’s the only way I got my little school, I suppose. And its just supposed to be like an ordinary slave cabin, or an overseer's quarters. Who would even know?”

“Well, I don’t know how it got out. But the whole county knows about it now. And some folks who don’t know ya aren’t too happy about what you’re doing. Me and Mindy are proud of you, of course, but you got plenty of people who aren’t.”

“People I know? People I know are going to come and stop me from teaching, Joe?”

“Yeah, they’re gonna try anyway. I’m keepin’ a look out. And I talked to Derrick earlier. He’s ‘sposed to watch from the bedroom window. But you could just stop teachin’, Lizzie. Just don’t let folks see you goin’ to thet cabin. Make sure all the slaves are out there workin’ in the fields like everyone expects them to be.”

“Oh? And should Mindy come and work in the fields alongside them? Since slavery isn’t really that bad, is it?”

“Don’t mention that, Lizzie. That’s my wife you’re talking about. I don’t want to think of her as just another one of yer damn slaves!”

“Well, she isn’t, Josiah! And I don’t! I was just making a point! Why should any of them work that hard and not learn anything? We have a work rotation now, and its more than enough to keep the crops coming up the way they’re supposed to. The overseer says its working out fine, anyway. He wasn’t sure about it, but he says they work harder when they don’t have to be in the fields all day every day.”

“Mindy ain’t one of them anymore,” Josiah growled.

“Oh, Josiah. I’m sorry about your wife! I like Mindy and I’m glad she isn’t out there working. Don’t you see? I don’t want any of them to be. Not really.”

“Lizzie, I’ve got to go home now. To my wife.” Why couldn’t Lizzie just respect his wife, and stop lumping her into a category of her former slaves?

“But Josiah, you hardly got here. I’m sorry about Mindy. I really am! I just don’t understand why it upsets you so much! I didn’t mean it. I don’t think she ought to be out in the fields working. I really don’t. She’s fine being your wife!  I just want to do what I can for the slaves that are still here.”

“Just forget it, Lizzie. Let it go! Stop tryin’ to ‘splain it, and stop teachin’ the slaves. Wait 'till after the War, Lizzie. Folks will calm down then, I reckon…Look, lots of people’s rel'tives have died, and they think you aren’t respectin’ that.”