"Ruin and Redemption"

Joe's Concerns

 “Lizzie, wait!” Derrick called. His wife was running away from him, towards the house. “Where are you going?”

“Home if I still live there, Derrick!” Lizzie shouted without looking back at her husband. Esme could get him home, if indeed he planned on coming home tonight. The day had been too long. She was weary and couldn’t wait to lie down in her bed. Maybe then the headache would ease and she could get a grip on her emotions. Divorce her and marry Esme! Surely it was just a ruse---but what if? Derrick and Esme were so much more the perfect couple than she and Derick had ever been. Who am I to him? Lizzie wondered. Hardly even his mistress. He probably thinks of me as his sister or something. He does seem to care, at least. Though why he still kept her around when he had Scarlett and Esme was somewhat of a mystery to her. It was all so confusing living with Derrick. Perhaps she could go and live with Josiah and Mindy---offer to be their servant perhaps? Or just another single woman in the household like Izzie. At least she wasn’t married to Joe, so she wouldn’t expect him to treat her as a wife. Seeing him with Mindy would be easier than seeing Derrick with Esme, wouldn’t it? And she would know where she stood, at least.

Outside, by the quarters, the people stood outside their homes, watching them burn or waiting for them to catch fire. It was a chilly night, and the flames were threatening to engulf the entire quarters. Many watched with the dull resignation of slaves who were used to bad things happening, and had not let themselves be fooled too much by the rare and unexpected blessings that Esme had brought to them. Others were angry, and even considered stealing horses from Derrick’s barn and going after the headless horsemen who had done this. Two of the teenage boys were shouting such things.

“We could go after them! We could grab the horses!”

“Yeah, wouldn’t they be surprised with a coupla n-gg-rs riding after them an’ pushin’ ‘em off their horses!”

“We’d take the horses and make ‘em ride home!”

“Hush up, don’t let them hear you talk like that; you’d be strung up ‘fore mornin’ hits!” One of the mothers reprimanded, whilst yanking on her sons ear. “You stop talkin’ like thet, or even thinkin’ it! You hear me! I ain’t losin’ my  boy, now!”

“Yes, mama.” He answered, chastened.

But the other boy lowered his head and started off at a trot towards the barn, counting on his dark skin and clothes to hide him in the night.

“Hey, what are you up to?” Derrick called.

“M-m-m-Master Derrick I aim to teach those men a lesson if you let me. They burned our homes and killed a child. Let me borrow a horse, and I’ll take care of them.”

“No, absolutely not. My horses aren’t going anywhere. Besides that, they’d string you up, don’t you know that?”

“ I don’t care. I’ll make ‘em pay first!”

“No, absolutely not. You’re too valuable," Derrick winced at his gaff; Esme had been lecturing him on proper etiquette towards the slaves lately.  And he had just made a major faux pas. "I mean, won’t your parents miss you?” He added hastily.

“My parents ain’t here no more… I’d rather die ‘fore I get sold anyway.”

“Well we aren’t selling anyone now, are we? Besides, somebody strong needs to help Patsy douse the quarters with water and organize things. Can’t you see I’m incapacitated, can’t stand on my own two feet? Go to the barn, and get more buckets, not horses, and see what you can do.” Derrick offered, half-hoping the young buck would disobey him and go after the men as he wished he had. When they came to retaliate, he’d be waiting with his shotgun and pick them off from his second story window.