Like Oil and Water

Guilt Trip

* Blanche in the multimedia *

Despite the events of the past night, the next morning began as always. There was no time for Essie to stop and think about how she felt when Massa and his family had to be fed.

Essie also knew that Mama was angry with her for turning up late because she hadnt said anything directly to her since the night before and everybody knew that Mama's silence was worse than her scolding.
The tension was thick in the kitchen between the two.

"What did you do?" Shiloh whispered as they worked on the pancakes.

"Nothing." Essie replied rolling her eyes. "I came home late that's all."

Shiloh was surprised because Essie never really broke the rules.

"Where did you go?" Shiloh questioned, " Wasn't you supposed to clean up with Blanch?"

"Where do you go when you go missing?" Essie snapped back, tired of everybody treating her like a child.

"Hey, you know where I be going..." Shiloh smirked. "You aint got a man so that's different."

"I felt sick okay, so I went outside. That's all."

"Less talking, more working!" Mama called from the stove. "And Miss Esther, you gonna serve breakfast this morning."

"Yes ma'am."

Truthfully, she didn't really mind her 'punishment' because part of her was looking forward to seeing Gabriel but she would never tell anyone that.

She knew that it was wrong to be talking to Massa's son, she wasn't even supposed to look him in the eye,  but something that stretched out of their childhood friendship still lingered. Come to think of it, this wasn't the first time he kissed her either but one could hardly compare childhood playhouse kisses to the real deal.

"Miss Louise, I come to get the breakfast." Carrie called from the kitchen door.

"Sho' chile" Mama answered, nodding her head in the direction of the breakfast tray. "Esther here gon help you take it upstairs, she servin' today."

Essie wiped her hands in the dingy apron and untied its strings from her waist. Carrie took one tray and she took the other, making her way to the kitchen door.

"Esther, we gon talk when you get back here, you heard me?" Mama spoke up as Essie stepped out the door.

"Yes ma'am."

The kitchen door closed and that was that.

"Last night, Miss Louise was looking all over for you girl." Carrie interrupted the silence, making Essie roll her eyes. "She was real scared too...especially after what happened to Blanche."

"Blanche, what happened to Blanche?" Essie pressed, oblivious to anything that could have happened.

" How you mean what happened?" Carrie huffed. "Ain't that your friend?"

"Just tell me what happened." It took everything in Essie not to start fussing at Carrie.

"Alright I'll tell you, but you aint heard it from me." 
Carrie looked around quickly to make sure no one was in earshot before dropping back to meet Essie's pace.

"Last night when Blanche was cleaning upstairs, one of Massa's guests grabbed her and tried to...you know."

Essie felt sick to her stomach. It couldn't be true...not Blanche. Blanche was the youngest out of all of them. It couldnt be....

"She lucky Miss Hannah was coming upstairs to check on the baby and heard her screamin'. You know the white women don't like that sort of thing."

Essie felt her breathing get heavy as she tried to control the urge to vomit.