The bright sun seemed like a warm invitation to Eubie’s first real taste of freedom; but when he saw the dark shadows of the broad leafy trees and heard strange sounds emanating from a nearby river, he wasn’t so sure.
Creatures that ordinarily come out only at night scurried past as toadstools squished beneath his deerskin moccasins. Through an eerie mist, snake-like roots conspired to pull him deep into the swift running water as plopping sounds echoed from a nearby river. According toNehemiah, those sounds were the souls of those who drowned while running for freedom. An owl hooted as an enormous wing span brushed past plucking a piece of straw from Eubie’s hat. He quickened his pace and ran in no particular direction. Convinced that he wasn’t being chased, he took refuge in the hollow of a great tree and was soon fast sleep.
In his dream, a black man appeared and sat down beside him. The man’s clothing was shredded and caked with dirt. One eye was blackened and swollen while his feet, which had no shoes, bled. In his dream-like state, Eubie offered the man his moccasins.
“Ain’t no need where I’s goin’, but thank ya” the man said.
“Where is you goin’?” Eubie mumbled in his sleep
“Never you mind. You got much to do before you get there. Best rest up. There’s a long road ahead.” Eubie couldn’t imagine how the man knew where he was going when he didn’t know himself. But in dreams, everyone knows everything and nothing is unexpected. The man stood, patted Eubie on the head, and walked toward the river.
“Don’ go down there!” Eubie cried out in between waking and sleep.
“Oh, I’ll be alright,” the man said. “Jes’ do watchu you been doin’.”
When Eubie awoke the next morning, he wasn’t sure if it was a dream at all. However, when he looked toward the river; Lady Slippers had bloomed in the wake of bloody footprints. He wasn’t really rested, yet he wanted to get as far away from the river as fast as could. Not knowing in which direction to follow, he simply focused on the well worn foliage that indicated a slightly trodden path. With every step, the plants appeared more violated. A torn leaf here, a broken stalk there until they amassed into a wide swath that indicated some sort of struggle. A few feet away, the ground was smooth again. Confused, Eubie looked to a small patch of sky to get his bearings. But as his eyes slowly turned upward, he recoiled. Swinging from a heavy tree limb was the man who had visited him in his dream. There was no telling how long he had been there, but a huge buzzard emerged from beneath his tattered coat and stood squarely on the dead man’s shoulder. Eubie figured it was what brushed past him earlier. Looking on defiantly, the bird flapped its enormous wing span. Without waiting to see what the bird would do next, he ran and ran until he reached the edge of his nightmare.
