Reckless Lives: A Tale of the Old South

Lizzie and Michael Visit Derrick pt. 1

Father, I can't go and see Derrick yet." Lizzie insisted. Nevertheless, she swung her bare feet out of the covers and onto the bare wooden floor. She dared not ask for a rug. Who might her father sell to get it? Best to wait and hope. Perhaps someday, if the harvest was especially good, she might have one.

"Lizzie, daughter, it would do you good to see Derrick. He's still one of your best friends, even if Michael is with us now."

"I know, father, but Michael isn't ready yet, father. He just barely got here. How can we go out visiting?"

"I was hoping you might leave Michael here with Patsy. Then you and Derrick can spend the whole afternoon together and come back home for Supper. Wouldn't that be nice, to see your friend Derrick?"

"Yes, but Michael is my best friend now, father. My constant companion; I can't possibly leave him alone all day, father, and it's too soon to take him out."

"You haven't seen Derrick in almost three weeks, Lizzie! I passed Monsieur LaPoint on the road yesterday and he said Derrick misses you. You can't just cut Derrick out of your life because you have  a companion now, Lizzie. You need to be Derrick's friend still."

"I don't want to cut him out, father. I just... Michael is new, and I need to look out for him, father. I can't take him to see Derrick yet, father. He can barely say anything. I've been trying to teach him, but I need more time! Derrick will be so frustrated if Michael can't talk back to him; I know he will father."

Patsy hung back at the open doorway as Lizzie and her father conversed. She was holding a plate of food for Lizzie to eat here, so that Lizzie could wash her face quickly and Patsy could help her dress. Then, she and her father would be ready to make an early start to see Henri and Derrick LaPoint.

"Lizzie, listen to me. You and Derrick have scarcely gone a week without seeing each other since you were babies toddling around each other's houses. It's time now for you to pay a visit to Derrick. And I can't give Henri the excuse that you aren't visiting because your new slave companion isn't ready to go, Lizzie, I just can't, and I don't have another excuse to offer. I'm sorry. You'll have to go, with or without Michael," Mr. Henderson hated to go against his only daughter's wishes, but he dared not be rude to his business associate, and the largest slaveholder in Horry county.

"Then it's my choice whether to bring Michael along?" Lizzie asked hopefully.

"Yes, I suppose it is. What would you like to do Lizzie?"

"I'll bring him with me. I can't just leave him here all day. So, I suppose he'll have to come along."

"Well, eat your breakfast then, and I'll have Patsy get Michael ready to go."

"Thank you, father." Mr. Henderson patted his daughter's knee fondly as he headed out of the bedroom, and gave a wry smile tand a wink o Patsy.

At her cue, Patsy brought in a plate of eggs and half a link of sausage. Lizzie eyed it hungrily before turning to Patsy.

"Patsy, are you sure you can't speak Michael's language? Doesn't anyone know Michael's language here?"

"No, Lizzie. You asked me that already. I can't find anyone who even remembers hearing it. Miss Clara Belle used to speak her African language with her parents, but it isn't the same one. She says there are lots of them, apparently."

"But aren't they even related? I thought you said they were close, that maybe she could communicate with Michael."

"It's just a few words that are close, Lizzie... Now, you try not to worry about that. Michael cant' speak English yet, but he's smart, Lizzie. He will before you know it, especially with the two of you spending dawn to dusk together, and you teaching him every step of the way."

"But we have to go to Derrick's house today, Patsy! What is Michael going to do? I can't even tell him about Derrick, or his father, or any of the rules. Patsy, you remember how strange Derrick treated you when you came with me, and then father said certain things were against the law, and I had to let Derrick treat you like that because the way we do things here is illegal sometimes. What if Michael does a mistake and something illegal happens, and Derrick and his father get upset? What am I going to do then, Patsy? How am I going to keep Michael safe?"

"You try not to worry about it too much, Lizzie. Your father isn't going to leave you and Michael alone. He knows how Monsieur LaPoint is now, Lizzie. He isn't going to take any chances with the two of you, I'm sure," Patsy reassured.

Lizzie had hurriedly washed her face, and now she was combing out her long frizzy hair, while Patsy  found a dress and stockings for her. It wasn't long before Patsy's efficient fingers had Lizzie dressed, and she was at the tree, plucking Lizzie's coat off and placing it around her shoulders. Her nimble fingers made quick work of the buttons. Lizzie liked to put on her own hat. After asking Patsy how her hair looked, Lizzie went to the dresser and put her hat on at just the right angle. Then she went to the full length mirror, feeling giddy and guilty at the same time. She still thought of the slave whose sale had brought her the mirror each time she looked in it. Nevertheless, she got a thrill from seeing her whole body framed by the lovely swivels and swirls of wood, and she could tilt the mirror too, so that she got more of the floor beneath her feet in the frame, or she could tilt it back to show the ceiling or more of the room above her head. It made her happy to touch the smooth wood and tilt the mirror. And she was happy to be seeing Derrick. It had been a long time not to see him. Still, she wished Michael knew more first! It was too bad her father had to keep Monsieur LaPoint happy so they could do business together. Otherwise, father would have listened to her and kept her and Michael home, where they could both be safe.