The Thirteenth

Chapter 5

Richard nervously hopped out of the chair he was sitting in, and Darrell sat up straight. "Hey, Pa!" he exclaimed in counterfeit excitement, hoping that he hadn't heard anything that was just said. "Haven' seen you in forever it seems!" He walked over to his father and put his arms around him for a hug. Adam stood still. And kept his arms down by his side. Richard let go of his father, and he knew that he had been found out.

"Richard, what did I just hear?" Adam asked closing the bedroom door behind him.

"Somethin' you weren't 'spose to," Richard replied sighing. He sat back down in his chair.

"What does this mean, son?"

"It means..." Richard started. "That you was right all along. 'Bout slavery, 'bout equality. Nobody deserves to be treated the way we treat them slaves."

Adam could feel tears forming in his eyes at his sons breakthrough. He knew he'd come around, but he never thought it'd be this early. "I'm so proud of you, son. And your mother would be too." He admitted, and he held his arms out for a real hug. Richard stood up and walked into his father. And for the first time in a long time, they finally felt that connection that had disappeared years ago. Adam was glad that he could genuinely say the words, "I'm proud of you," to his only son."I knew if you'd hang 'round Darrell long enough-,"

"Oh, that wasn't my doings, Uncle," Darrell stated.

Adam pulled away from his son to look at him. "What made ya change, son?"

"I'on know," Richard answered. He let go of his father and sat back down. "I really don't."

"Yes you do," Adam said. "Cause I know too."

Richard and Darrell quickly glanced at each other. "Then what?" Darrell asked. He tried to test his uncle.

"Anita made him change," Adam stated, which both the teenagers knew was true. Anita had made him change. But it just wasn't because he liked her. But that was all Richard himself knew.

"Yeah," Richard answered. "And Pa, you might wanna whip me like a slave after I say this, but I think I'm actually in love with that girl. I know I shouldn't be, and I know I'm risking both of our lives, but every since we were kids, she was the girl I thought would be like Mama, and I'd be like you. Ya know, together. But every since we got split up, it's like I had hatred in me. I didn't and still don't know for who, but I do know that I took it out on who Uncle George and everybody else told me I should take it out on. And that was the Negroes. Until I was reunited with her...," Richard paused for a minute as if he were thinking about something. "Uncle George and Overseer Edward! That's who I despised! Because they separated Anita and I!"

"What?" Darrell asked.

" I was so angry because they'd taken me away from her! Because they beat me for hangin' out with the only friend I had back then!"

"No...," Darrell argued. "They beat you cuz you broke the law."      

Richard rolled his eyes and dismissed his point. "Whatever. That's ain't the point. The point is, I never truly thought slavery was okay. I just took my anger out on the wrong people. And since I've had Anita back, the anger I had went away. Because getting her back was all I really cared about."

"Oh my," was all Adam could say. And Darrell sat speechless. "Son, you know what the law says, right?"           

"Yes, I know what the law says," Richard sighed. "Which is why I'm not gonna try nothin'."

"You better not. Or else you'd be skinned alive. And God knows what they'd do to the girl," Adam added. He looked at the worrisome face of his son, to the shocked face of his nephew. "This stays in this room. And stay away from that girl. It's for her own good."