MULATTO (Iyila) (Editing)

chapter thirty three

"Sir," Iyila called again and knocked on the door, but as before no answer came.

"Sir, are you in__are you decent__may I come in?" she calmly enquired. It was exactly the time Gabriel had asked her to come so she wondered why he wasn't responding. Sighing, she grabbed the knob and was surprised to see the door unlocked.

"Sir, are you in?" she asked; slowly pushing the door. He wasn't in but his coat was still hanging on the hook. Everything was normal; his books as were, as usual, carelessly arranged on his table and his candle which she supposed he had used the previous night was yet to be removed.

Iyila concluded that he had gone riding. After all, the morning was still young or better he had gone to visit his beautiful mistress - Anne. She wondered why the Anne had acted so friendly with her, since the woman never slacked in cursing her during her visit to Collete.

Perhaps she was trying to deceive Gabriel, Iyila thought. She quickly set down her mopping bucket and her rag then moved to dust the furniture. She was happy that he wasn't in to pester her with his numerous questions. She had been lucky the other day. She didn't know what she could have done if he had found out about her. She swore not to speak to him again because he was capable of making her talk even when she didn't want to.

Iyila then moved to his writing table at the corner of the wide room. There were so many books, all she had never seen before. She wondered why he didn't pack his books since it was not one of his habits. She had seen how Gabriel guarded those books as though they were his life, but today they were just left like an abandoned child. Iyila was convinced that he had gone to visit Anne. She knew that only a woman could make him act this way. She began to clear the table, from large books to small ones, until her eye caught a paper. His outstanding hand writing did not only lure her interest but the words boldly written on it.

Quickly taking a thorough survey round the room, she read the words out loud. "The journal of a freed Chicago Negro," that instant her heart began to pound uneasily. She quickly flipped through the first page and continued to read in a whisper until she heard an obscure noise from the closet. Iyila quickly became alert. The hair at her back instantly rose like a poised soldier, she managed to swallow and fixed her eyes on the closet.

And, just before she could say a word, Gabriel came out of the closet grinning the way she had envisaged the devil would smile. She froze.

It was all Gabriel's perfect plan, he had hidden in the closet so he could watch her head. An intelligent slave was likely to be curious, especially with an article which concerned freedom. It was an assumption and it worked. For a minute he had almost gave up on her, but a part of him was too precise about her.

"Good morning Liya," he said in a chuckle. Iyila remained dumb while her mind tried to disbelieve what had just happened. Gabriel had caught her reading after she had lied to him the previous day. She should have known from the coat on the hook, he had scattered books, the candle, the unlocked door.

She watched him laugh in that proud manner. In a victorious manner which meant he was always correct. She could give anything to slap it off his face but she knew she was in trouble. "I was right about you all along," Gabriel said as he walked to her. She retreated back when he was only a few paces from her.

"Why are you frightened?"

"Please, do not report me to your father, I beg of you," she begged, slowly descending to the ground.

"I would do anything you wish of me, all I ask for is your forgiveness." Gabriel chuckled.

"Forgiveness?" he questioned and snorted.

"Why would I forgive you, you have done absolutely nothing wrong to me, in fact I am thrilled to know that you can read," he excitedly whispered. Iyila stared at him, suprised and shocked. Mellisa had told her about Whites, she had witnessed a first hand scene of a master and an intelligent negro but this one standing before her was nothing like she had seen or heard.

"What do you mean?" she feebly asked with a quizzical expression. The man seemed insane to her, he ought to have bundled her off to his father!

"Please be up_up_up," he said and she got up. "You are exactly what I had not expected on my father's plantation, how many people know you can read?"

She hesitated for a while. Deila and Dede did. "Two," she replied." Can they also read?"

Iyila shook her head, only Dede could but he was no longer on the plantation and even if he was, she wouldn't have told Gabriel. It was already bad that he knew that she could read, she didn't trust him. He thought about her answer, he wasn't sure but as usual, he did not push her.

"Very well then, you must not say a word to anyone. Do you undertsand my argument?" Iyila nodded again, but she didn't understand why he was always fair to her, he was breaching the balance. He was White and she a Black.

"Would you like a book, any book, which would you prefer, which wi__"

"Why are you treating me like this?" she gasped. She didn't know when it slipped out. She prayed he did not frown at her insolence. But he only laughed at her question. "Should there be a reason for me to be civil?"

"I_I_I am a __ a negro," she whispered as she avoided his green eyes. "You are a human, that is how I see you, an intelligent woman," he cheerfully announced and walked to his box. She watched him search through it until he brought out a black book, she gasped when she recognised it to be a bible.

"Here. I want you to have this, read it and know that you are a human before God almighty who is our father," he said and handed her the bible. Iyila stared at him, expecting that he would curse her, strike her, or do anything she was was used to. Seconds turned into minutes yet all she saw was his piercing dimples and green eyes and an exciting smile. She took it.

"Thank you, but why?"

"I admire intelligent women," he added. Iyila nodded again. He saved her at the railway station, lied for her, hid her secret, appreciated her knowledge, called her an intelligent woman, gave her a bible and most of all recognised her as a human. Iyila knew that somewhere in her scared heart she was beginning to see him from a different pespective.

Authors note; Read comment and vote. Hapi new year in advance.