Work Order: Interracial Love Story

Chapter Seven

Excerpt From Unthinable: The Novel

“How could you do this to me?” Lily asked, hurt deeply by her friend’s actions. Martha looked at Lily with hatred in her blazing blue eyes. She wanted nothing more than to see Marshall and Lily hang from the tree in her back yard. How dare they! She was supposed to be his betrothed. She was supposed to one to love him. Not this animal standing in front of her, how pathetic.

 “You walk around here in love. You think you’re better than me. You’re not better than my cattle outside Lily. How dare you think that you could take Marshall from me an’ I would be jus’ fine.” Martha spat venomously. Her southern accent thickened with her anger. Lily wanted to cry but she refused to let her pain show. She trusted Martha, even after her family insisted that she stay away from the white woman.

 “If I’m no better than yo’ cattle, than you aren’ any better than what they release. Who knew a woman of yo’ caliber could stoop so low. Spreading vicious lies about me? Did that make you feel betta’ Martha? Tellin’ tha’ whole town that I’m out here seducing white men foh money. Not only did you put my life in danger, but my unborn child’s too! You are nuthin’ but the devil! I pray that you see the light.” Martha’s vision began to redden. She was beyond angry.

 “You nigger! How dare you carry Marshall’s child!” Lilly felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart. With every ounce of pride and dignity, she held her head high and looked Martha in the eye.

 “Even if you succeeded in killin’ me, Marshall would never want an evil woman like you. No man wants a trifilin’ woman to raise their children and take care of their homes. You are a waste. Goodbye Martha, I do hope you don’ die from your own cold heart.” Lily walked out the cabin. As soon as she was out the front door, she began to run, run for her life. She shouldn’t have gone to Martha’s house, but she had to know if it was true. Her closet friend was the one that betrayed her. She ran until she saw Marshall’s house in the distance. As she got closer she could see him packing the car frantically.

 “Marshall! Honey! Wha’ are you doin’” Marshall stopped packing their things in his automobile when he heard his Angel yelling his name.

 “Come on Lily, we have a boat to make. I think we have about an hour before the Klan shows up to my door ready to burn us alive.” Marshall packed everything that they would need, the rest he would get when they made it to Paris. Lilly didn’t even go in the house to make sure Marshall had everything that she needed. She trusted him with her life.

“Marshall! I have to say goodbye to my family!” Lily began to panic with the thought of not being able to see her papa ever again. Marshall turned towards his love, he saw the anguish in her eyes, but there was no way they could see her family without risking getting killed.

 “I’m so sorry love, but we can’t go to them. When we make it safely to Paris, you can write them a million letters. If we stop to say goodbye we risk death.” For the first time that day, Lily let the tears fall from her eyes. She nodded understanding that Marshall was right.

 “You were right about Martha.” She whispered. They were both secure in the car, driving towards their freedom. About three miles from Marshall’s home, Lilly looked back to vaguely see cars and horses beginning to show up in front of Marshall’s home. Men with white cloaks on began set a blaze to what once was Marshall’s home. Lily turned back around and said a silent prayer, hoping that none of those Klans men would see them in the distance.

 Three hours later, Lilly could see the harbor in the distance. Marshall turned and smiled at Lily. “We are her, Angel.” Lily leaned over and placed a generous kiss on Marshall’s lips. She could see the huge ship in the distance. Excitement tugged at her.