"Well you are a treat. Thank you sonny. I would very much appreciate it."
Jack and I unloaded three crates of watermelons sweating in the hot noon sun and he placed them nicely on display so that a buyer could not avoid seeing them first because they were so big. There must have been forty. Then Jack asked if there was anything else he could do but there wasn't so we started to leave. Jack didn't take anything else, just took what he thought would get Leroy through for a few days so we could have some time to make a plan.
"I'll be back this afternoon ma'am and if you like I'll help you crate up whatever didn't sell. Be glad to do it," said Jack.
"Why I'd be so happy for your assistance. What a generous heart you have. You just don't see many boys like you around Charleston anymore. Would you like another peach boys?"
"Oh no ma'am, you've been too generous," Jack said, but the woman, whose name was Molly or Polly, insisted and gave us both two more of them sweet Georgia peaches which we saved one each for Leroy and we ate the other ones. Then we went back to the boat and headed back across the river.
When Leroy saw us he wasn't at the tree house but came up behind us. He said he was following us just in case, 'cuz a runaway Negro just couldn't be too careful.'
We didn't mind. And Leroy was so glad when he saw how much food we'd brought him. Then we knew he trusted us from then on. Jack even cooked some carrots and beans for him before we left.
"Tomorrow we'll bring you some blankets and some coffee Leroy. You just stay put now!"
YOU ARE READING
Jack: Book One in the Trilogy, the Battle Begins
Teen FictionIn Book 1, Jack conspires with friend Jeremy to undermine their racist, secessionist teacher's efforts to poison his students' minds with his benefits-of-slavery lectures. Will the students buy into it? Not if Jack has any say. The book is dedicated...
