MULATTO (Iyila) (Editing)

chapter twenty seven ~

  

When Gabriel left Iyila in his bedchamber, he walked outside to see if the stableman had done exactly as he had instructed. The horse was tied to a tree, already prepared and waiting to be saddled.

He sighed as a cool breeze rushed past him. The morning was still young and the grass was just waking. The sky was a mixture of white and a sprinkle of fading blue; no sign of a rising sun. The air was a little bit chilly and summer was on it’s way. It was late june and everything indicated that summer was just some days away. The fields were already hammed by Negroes; humming as they worked and an overseer on a horse; giving commands while twirling his whip. When the man saw him, he halted to greet him.

“Good morning sir,” the man greeted. Gabriel recognised the man to be one of his father’s oldest overseers, but he couldn’t remember his name. Gabriel noticed the man was already aging. He was no longer the man that he'd seen some years back. He appeared as though he was a rough painting of his old self. His beard was overgrown and unkept, so was his hair. Gabriel thought it was a fashion that the man had employed to scare Negroes.

“Also a good morning to you, sir,” Gabriel politely replied already walking towards his mare. He was not ready to have a conservation with a man who gained pleasure in torturing others whom he considered lower than him. Four years of being away and he’d almost forgetten such unpleasurable sights.

The gaze of some Negroes followed him as he briskly walked to the horse. Gabriel untied it and tactfully mounted it. Launching his boot into the mare’s flank, he wore his hat, and rode off without turning to see the man. The road was rough but the mare was an experienced racer. Gabriel smiled as they galloped through the meadows and past the cotton fields that were like his father’s, crowded with Negroes. They raced past some rice and sugarcane fields, and through a ruined plantation. The mare was eager to race just as he was eager to see Anne-Maria. The only woman he was willingly to say those cursed words I do to. To swear an oath of fidelity and a lifetime of love. No woman had convinced him of his attention until he met her at a friend’s wedding ceremony in Michigan. She had played the role of the chief bride’s maid. Her beauty and gracefulness immediately caught his attention and he had been intrigued by it. Like other men on the occasion, Gabriel was hooked by her charms. She was in fact the finest on the occasion and the centre of attention. Since then, no woman had ever come close to his heart as she did.

But Gabriel was doubtful if a woman such as Anne was already out of bed. He was certain that a woman like her was, like the members of his own family, fashionably late in waking. Even before he left the plantation, none except Zachary had been awake. And Zachary  also rose early because he had to visit the rice plantation situated at the other extreme end of Charleston. They hadn’t said much to each other. Only a formal "good moring" even though they had almost acted like brother’s yesterday at dinner. Yet Gabriel wasn’t moved by it. He had accepted that they would be nothing but formal brothers.

When he arrived at Anne’s plantation, he dismounted the horse and quickly asked a Negro to call on her. While the Negro went to deliver his message, he waited outside, surveying the large plantation. He would ask Anne to sell the plantation once they got married.

The Negro returned smiling. “Sah, ya may come in,” she said. “Thank you,” he replied and followed the Negro inside.

“Ya may sid whal mah Misstress geh’s ready,” she said again. “Thank you very much,” he replied and sat down.

Not more than ten minutes later, he heard a continous thud. Like that of a person hurriedly descending the stairway. He patiently waited until she appeared at the door: breathing heavily, a wide smile on her face and looking as beautiful as a goddess.

“It is you!”  She gasped.

“Anne!” he excitedly called. So much had changed but she had bloosomed from a bud to an alluring flower.

“Gabriel,” she said again and rushed to him and threw her hands round his neck. “Gabriel?” she stared at him and they kissed. He had missed her lips.

“I think I am dreaming,” she said in a chuckle. “You are not,” he assured her with a smile.

“I think I am. I still cannot believe you are here with me. That I am touching you, kissing you again,” she sharply said and kissed him while he pulled her closer.

“I had not believed it when my Negro informed me of your arrival, but I knew she couldn’t play with such a dire matter,” she said, disbelief on her lovely face.

Anne had been so impatient that she didn’t wait for her Negro to heat up water so she could have a warm bath. Her hair wasn’t prepared, her dress was yet to be properly fixed, neither was her face ready to be seen by the man that she had waited so long for. He laughed when he noticed it.

“You look beaitiful,” he said and kissed the nape of her neck.

“Oh, please do not flatter me I beg you, I know I look horrible, I haven't had the time to properly dress up because I was so anxious to see you, I hope you are not dissapointed,” she replied feeling quite abashed. She would have prepared if he had notified her of his coming.

“You need not worry. To me you will always be beautiful, I have missed you,” he said carresing her damp hair.

“Oh you have no idea of how I have missed you. You stayed for too long,” she whispered.

“I sent you letters.”

“I got tired of recieving them, I wanted you so I stopped replying. Yet you never cared.” She pretended to be angry.

“I cared because I always asked of your well being in my letters to Collete. Did she not inform you?” he enquired.

“Oh yes she did, however that was not enough and I am very displeased with you, I am v__”

She didn’t finished before he drew her closer for another kiss. Gabriel knew she was the woman, there wasn’t anyone to be compared to her. They separated and then laughed. “When did you arrive in Charleston?” she anxiously asked.

He decided to toy with her. “Four days ago.”

“Four day ago!” she snapped. “I have not seen you for two years Gabriel and you have been in Charleston all this while and never bothered to see me?” Anne had shifted away while she spoke. He laughed when he recognised how angry she was.

She frowned. “What is funny, do you find my query amusing?” she irrately asked. “No, no, calm down Anne, I am only pulling your leg, I only arrived yesterday,”  he said amused.

“I do not believe you,” she stubbornly insisted. Laughing, he walked to her. “I am serious Anne, I only arrived yesterday. You must believe me,” he said and pulled her closer and kissed her again.

“You should go up to your room Anne, your father would not approve of you looking so improper.”

Anne laughed, “Will you wait in the garden while I dress up?” she asked.

He kissed her and nodded. “I will, now go Anne,” he said and released her from his hug. She kissed him one more time and turned to go in.

“Wait for me!” she yelled as she scurried up the stairway. “I will,” he replied, laughing.

Anne returned some minutes later, she was looking just the way he had seen her at the wedding ceremony some two years ago. Elegant and beautiful. Gabriel smiled as she walked to him. In his heart he knew she was capable of satisfying him.

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