FORBIDDEN

Chapter 4. Thomas

" Thomas! Hold on a minute"

" What is it, Mother?"

"Oh Tom I was wondering if you'll be so kind as to go buy me some eggs from the market"

Was she serious, I had wanted to go see Valerie, but it would be rude if I were to decline my own mother.

"OK mom"

" And also take a servant with you to carry the eggs and flour"

"you only said eggs"

"Sorry must have slipped", she remarked grinning,"You could go with Luisa, I'm sure she has nothing to do"

"I think I'll go with someone else". I already knew exactly who.

There she was at the stables again admiring Dusty and singing in the most beautiful voice. She looked splendid even in her servant's clothes. She had her brown hair tied behind her head in a ponytail. She had the most adorable smile plastered across her lips. STOP IT Tom! get a grip.

I slowly walked towards her. she stopped looking at dusty to gaze at me. " Hello there master Tom"

The name made me flinch, master tom . I raised one of my eyebrows. she slowly kept her hands over her mouth and whispered.

" Your sister is in the stables" just as she spoke, Susannah stepped out of the stall with her palomino horse, lightning. "Morning Susannah, are you going out for a ride to clear your head some more"

"What" she murmured confused. She was always clueless one but made up for it with her forked tongue.

Valerie pressed her hands against her lips trying to keep her laugh in. Susannah finally left and I turned to Valerie.

"I'm going to market wanna come with me" I asked

"I can't I have a lot of work to do"

"So petting Dusty is work"

"Shut up" she retorted jabbing in the arm, which surprisingly hurt.

"It's just that he seems so familiar"

"Wow, you meet a horse for one day, the next he looks familiar"

"I mean it, I get a strong sense of Deja vu when I'm around him.

"Come on Valerie stop dreaming a horse gives a sense of remembering" i spoke and I immediately regretted it, she glared at me, looked at Dusty, patted him on the shoulders and walked past me.

"Valerie I'm sorry" I spoke, not sure why she was so angry at me. Women!

"Why is it that you people think your so superior, that just because your on top you can just say anything and that's how it has to be" she half shouted.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it"

She was quiet for a moment, before turning towards me. "Fine I'll go"

"Where?" I asked confused by the change of subject.

"To the market where else. Men!" she finally said before passing me.

We slowly walked to market, together, quiet as she wanted it. I could see people glaring at her, white people. I could tell that she saw them, she kept her head seeming to shrink from all the stares.

We reached farmer Grundy's market, the one we usually shop at.

"Don't sell stuff to colored" he said in broken English.

"Actually am here to buy something not her" I spoke breaking the glares that seemed to be passing between him and Val.

"Good" he said stepping back into his shop. I slowly walked in, I looked back and saw that Valerie was still standing outside the shop. "come on Val" I called.

" No negroes allowed in the shop" he snapped glaring at me.

"You're joking"

"It's the law sonny, you wanna break some laws suit yourself but not this one" he said glaring at me.

I huffed and walked out the door. Valerie staring at me astonished.

"What about your eggs?"

"Not buying them from him"

"Your stupid you know that" she said but i could hear the amusement in her voice.

We quietly walked back towards the estate.
" yo negro" shouted a bear of a man standing outside the trap shop, with his buddies beside him.

"What do you want?" I asked the pot bellied man with a beer bottle in his hands and crooked grin plastered on his face. He slowly begun walking towards us.

"How much for the negro?" he asked, the question clearly directed at Tom.

"What?" I hissed, my fists clenched at my side.

"The negro, you deaf, I just bought a new bed thought she might like to test it with me" he started laughing and so did the men behind him. I was about to speak when Valerie interrupted .

"Why don't you stop worrying about your next bed partner and start worrying about the piece of junk you call a shop" she snapped.

That's when his buddies begun to laugh. The man glared at them face as red as tomato, I wasn't sure if it was from anger or embarrassment. I got my answer when suddenly, a loud smack filled the air. I watched in shock as Valerie was pushed back by the force of the slap, cheek already starting to bloom with color.

"What did you say you dirty freak, know where your place is" he spoke, his bear hands grabbing hold of her jaw and squeezing it tight. I felt rage like no other, I was just about to bring my clenched fist onto his face when he suddenly yelped pulling his hand from her face as if he'd been burned. Valerie spat on the floor, grabbed hold of my arm and we ran out of there.

We were out of breath by the time we reached the estate, our breath matching the same pounding beat. I felt sweat crawl down my back and neck. Valerie's hair stuck to her head with sweat.

"Valerie, are you ok" I asked, surprised to find concern in my tone.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just wish they'd leave me the heck alone", she spat again while rubbing furiously at her eyes. I saw the tears burning to be released behind them.

I slowly and gently wound my arms around her thin body. "Its OK " I said again and again. Some how, I kind of understood what she was going through. "You've got me" I reassured her even though I knew it wouldn't help,

"Yeah" she answered, pulling away from me way too fast. Her eye's were an irritated red. She turned and walked away.

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