Reckless Lives: A Tale of the Old South

Mr. Henderson & His Green Horse

The Bible: Epesians 6:12 English Standard Version (©2001)

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Lizzie quickly tied the horse, and nearly ran back to the cabin. She found Scarlet alone there.

“Where is he, Scarlet? Where has he gone? Tell me now, I’ve got to see him!” Lizzie demanded deperately.

“Miss Lizzie. You know where he be. He already gone in dat tunnel.” Scarlett patiently explained, as if to a child.

“No, no, no! He can’t have left already! There’s too much I still have to say to him! I’ve got to stop him!” Lizzie shouted to whomever might hear her.

She felt Scarlet grab hold of her, they were face to face. “Miz Lizzie, you calm down now. All you gon’ do is make Mr. Stack suspicious if you keep yellin’ like some crazy woman. It’s too late. I already try to talk him out of leavin’ right away, and he weren’ havin’ none of it.” Scarlett was determined that Michael have the best chance possible; This time Lizzie had to listen to her.

“Let me go, Scarlet!”  Lizzie hated being held onto like that by a slave, especially Scarlett. She pushed herself free of Scarlet’s grip. But Scarlet made a lot of sense right now.

She had been noisy; She had yelled so that anyone might hear. Someone who wanted to curry favor for themselves and thier family might go to Mr. Stack, that is if the man was too cozy in his cabin to have heard her himself! She was suddenly terrified! What had she done, putting Michael at even greater risk. She must do her best now to not draw any further attention to Michael, and pray that it was enough.

“Oh my God; Oh my God!” She fell to the ground.

“You not gon beat me now? Since he gone now. That’s the only reason you stop. You not gon sell my children are you?” Scarlett was suddenly very frightened of the prospect of being without her husband's protection. Although he had been beaten by Mr. Stack more times than either of them cared to keep track of, she had overheard him once telling the man that if he ever laid a hand on her he would be dead by morning. That time, Mr. Stack's back had been up against the wall, and Michael had been holding his neck up against it.

“No, no, no---I don’t want to talk about any of it now. Just let me sit here. I don’t think I can get up.”

“But you not gon beat me? You not gon sell my children?” Scarlet would feel much better if she could just get Lizzie's assurance right now. Her husband would be far up North soon, and there was nobody but Lizzie and her father who everyone knew would give her anything she wanted.

Lizzie was too much in her own world to care what Scarlet wanted. “Just leave me alone, Scarlet! Or I am going to beat you!” She threatened. Lizzie suddenly couldn’t stand the sight of Scarlet. She had no intention of beating Scarlett, but if the threat worked to get her out of the way, she would use it. She wanted to be alone in her vigil for Michael’s safe passage. She couldn’t think with Scarlet around. Scarlet and Michael’s life together kept intruding on her happy memories of herself and Michael. She wanted to be alone with her memories of Michael; it was the only thing keeping her sane right now.

The moon was at three quarters. Enough for Michael to see his way through the woods, but not enough for anyone to see him, he hoped. He had ignored Scarlet’s pleas last night to wait. He wanted to keep his courage; He didn’t want to be afraid of death. He didn’t want to end up dying a slave on this plantation, watching Lizzie become a slaveowner, possibly seeing her marry another white slaveowner!  Watching his wife Scarlett, and child Becky suffer, and being unable to protect them or educate them. Ironically, his only chance of helping his family was to leave them; He had to make a life for himself in the North. From there, he could raise the funds to take Scarlett and his child out of it.