A Love That was Housebound

Chapter 7

Both went wide-eyed by my quick discovery.

I shake my head, “Bud…your mother’s been dead since last year remember? I don’t why you spittin’ out lies just tell me whatcha wantin’ to leave for?”

Both look at each other then back to me.

Joe spoke up, “Well, We’ve been hearin’ about this gold findin’ in the west.” I frown in disbelief.

“Na I don’t know about that, where you’d hear that scuttlebutt?” I asked.

Bud jabs his thumb in Joe’s direction.

“His brother, David that lives in west has says that some man name *James found gold and for a couple months now people been rushing over there to get their share.”

I look from Bud to Joe and waited for him speak.

“People over here don’t know about it yet so my brother told me I should go there and get my share before the news gets ‘round.”

I frown and look between both balled up men.

“Fine” I finally say.

Both Bud and Joe grins and chuckles. Bud puts his hat back on and pats me on the shoulder, “God bless ya, you see we won’t be gone fo’ long!”

I shake my head and then hear soft footsteps from behind me. I look my shoulder to see Lena walking towards me with her head down and hand clench together in front of her.

“You had done grooming my horses?” I ask in a stern tone.

She nods softly answering with a ‘yes, master’.

“Good, no go back in the house and finish up Sarah’s chores.”I felt like giving Sarah a break and Lena a hard time.

She nods answering with the same answer, bows and swiftly walks away. I look back to Bud and Joe to see their eyes sticking to Lena till she was gone. After they both turn their heads back around and Joe shakes his head.

“Is there something wrong? I ask.

“Nothin’ just that we’ve never seen yo new slave before… it looks healthy” I raise my eyebrow again from Joe’s comment.

“Yea it’s works well…what of it?” I ask waiting for them again to get to the point.

“Well, Isaac I just have a suggestion…that is if you wanna hear it?”

I shrug my shoulders, “I’m already listenin’ to y’all might as well tell me whatcha want ta say.”

Bus shoves his hands into the pockets of his overalls and looks up to me.

“Isaac you know your strongest picker Jant and that there house n-gger could breed some strong slaves.”

Joe nods in agreement with Bud, “Yea it’s just a suggestion, y’know just some advice…well I appreciate you letting us take some days off, thank ya again!”

“Yea, than ya Isaac” Buds adds in.

Then both walks off talking about how they’re gonna travel over into the west. I scoff as their hopeful attitude.

‘Good luck dealing with those savages’ I thought in disgust turning around and walking into Mary-Ann’s stable.

‘Let’s see if she cleaned you guys right…’

After checking all of my horses, I can say that Lena did a fairly good job grooming my horses.Their mane and fur was untangled and smooth and their hooves were now clean and ready for some new horse shoes. I slowly made my way out of barn, looking over to the fields where the pickers were picking away.