A year later
Cotton Ran intoChyna's tack house, grinning from ear to ear. Chyna sat down on her bunk, made of hey and some sheets. She was patching up some of Ellison and Cottons clothing "Chyna! Chyna!" he called with asmile on his face. Chyna looked up at him and smiled softly, taking arest from sewing. "Yes Cotton Top what is it?" She asked He beamed at her "William Johnse and I are going down to the lake, I want you to come"He said blushing lightly. Chyna laughed lightly "Iwould Cotton but there's work to be done, I'm behind as it is, you go and have fun Cot" She said turning her focus back to sewing. Cottons looked down in disappointment. "Please Chyna?" He asked, as she looked up into his eyes she saw she could not say no. Chyna sighed and watched him, he flashed her even sadder eyes, and he knew what he was doing. Cotton knew just how to pull at her heart strings. Chyna sighed in defeat "Alright, alright, I s'ppose I can take this stuff down there and watch ya'll" She said Cotton smiled and helped her gather her things "come on" he called Chyna giggled as he lead her out of the tack house, so enthusiastic. He handed her back her things after she mounted his horse before mounting it himself. He lead the horse to the forest, Up ahead Chyna could see Johnse & William. Johnse had never really taken to her much, He looked at her with cold eyes and a blank face it had been a year now since she had been hired by the Hatfields. William smirked at her and tilted his head cockily looking between Johnse and Chyna. "looky their Johnse, Cotton is done brang your friend" He mocked Johnse rolled his eyes "that nigger ain't no friend of mine"He muttered, Chyna didn't even flinch at his words, she was plenty used to it and sat quietly with her arms latched around Cotton's waist. "Don't be like that Johnse please" Cotton asked a hint of sadness in his voice "Iwant Chyna to come with us.don' go scaring her off" He added. Chyna rolled her eyes "it takes a lot more than a rude peckerwood to scare me off Cot" Chyna muttered under her breath there was a sharpness in her voice. Cotton looked back at her and giggled nodding slightly "what that nigger say?" Johnse said squinting his eyes, "oh come on Johnse lets just go, you put too much focus on someone you ain't care to much for" William chuckled leading his horse through the forest.
At the lake Chyna sat under the Old Oak Tree, she kept herself busy sewing up the cloths she had brought with her. The boys where fishing and acting like boys, every now and then Cotton would call back to her in glee about having caught a fish. Chyna would smile at him and nod in approval. There was a large splashChyna looked up to see Johnse & William playing around in the water, wrestling each other over something petty like brothers do. Chynashook her head and stopped sewing for a minute to watch. "so him what for William!" Cotton called out "you old shaggy dog you ain't play fair! Let lose my leg!" William called out "you starting this William can't take that I'm finishing it?" Johnse asked. Chyna chuckled softly hiding her mouth with her hand. William looked up at her,his focus went away from his play fight and his eyes locked onto her. Chyna looked up and noticed his gaze; she quickly stopped her laughter and went back to sewing, cutting all eye contact. William tore his eyes back to Johnse and his fight. "Stop starin' at that bluegum over'er" Johnse said she shoved William back into the water the force of the splash rippled the water into large waves. One of the waves swept Cotton, who had waded into the water following the fight, into the lakes deeper center. Johnse & William were so caught up in their fight that they took no notice of cotton. Chyna watchedfor amoment as Cotton made movements like he was going to swim, but only started sinking. He called for Help but Johnse and William where to loud. Chynaput down her sewing supplies and got to her feet, stumbling a bit. "cot?" she called as he went under. "Cotton!" she called out loudly, breaking out into a sprint, she ran past the other two brothers. They stopped fighting to watch her as she ran far into the water before diving into the deep center. The murky and dirty water burned Chyna's eyes as she swam down,she could see Cotton he'd not lost consciousness yet. Chynagrabbed his hand and turned her body around heading for the surface. She pulled him up to her chest and with some trouble lifted his heavy body to the surface. Cotton coughing and gasping for air "Cot is you ok?" she asked gasping for air herself. Cotton nodded. William and Johnse swam out into the center of the Lake to the two of them. They took Cotton from Chyna's arms and started to lead him back to the shallows. Chyna swam behind them slowly but surely.
On the shore Chyna rang out her dress, and watched as William check over Cotton. "You all almost kill him! Ain't you know he couldn't swim!" Chynabarked, walking over to Cotton Top she shoved William away from him slightly "go on" she said before checking up on Cotton herself. "What how you address us nigger"Johnse said however Chyna ignored him. William laughed "Cotton's got a Colored mother, always knew some'n wasn't quite right with you cot" He said. Cotton look up at Chyna "I'm ok, just startled me a bit is all..I'm fine" Cotton said Chynanodded and stopped fussing over him, she brushed his short blonde hair back into place before turning to looked over at her shoulder. "If I tell Monsieur Ellison of this he'll wring your scrawny lil chicken necks!" Chyna said "Calm down, wasn't no harm done, it was a mistake,what's got your Nigro draws in a bunch" Johnse called. "You coulda killed'em, It's my job to look after him, that was Mister Ellisontol' me and that what I'm do."Chyna said. She walkedback to the oak tree and sat down she gathered her stuff and went back to sewing. The boys eventually went back to finishing. "William you got a snag in yur' jaket." Cotton pointed out, feeling better now that he had dried off abit. "damn..Ma's gonnakill me she just went out an' bought this" William sighed taking it off. "Chyna'll fix it, she's real good at fixin' things" Cotton said with a smile. William looked up at the ebony girl under the oak tree. He sighed and walked over to her holding out his jacket. He tossed it at her "fix it" He said Chyna looked at the jacket that now lay in her lap. She sighed "yes'ir" she huffed picking it up she ruffled through her bag of thread to find a matching color. William watched her work for amoment as if expecting her to be done very soon. Chyna felt uncomfortable under his gaze, eventually she was able to look up at him. "you know...this takes a minute, mayhaps you should go back to fishin' it'll be done by the time you all wanna head on back" Chynasaid turning her eyes back to her work.
Noon rolled around, the boys had caught a good number of fish, and has Chyna cook a good number of it too. They went to mount their horses, read to head back home. As William road by CottonTop and Chynashe handed him back his jacket. "her you go...looks like new all ov'r again" she said with a very small smile. William looked over his jacket mildly amazed "does look like new" he said showing it to Johnse who merely nodded "tol' you she was good" Cotton said proudly as they headed back. The four of the road alone through the forests, Chynahated and loved these woods. She used to play inthem as a child, and new her way around them like adoe. However bad things happen out in these woods and she knew that ever well. The boy shook a new path through the woods to reach home. They came by a rather large a sturdy tree. Something swung from arope tied in one of the highest branches. Chynalooked at the Noose with glassed over eyes, adark feeling washed over her heart as it was red with blood around the loop. Before it something lay chard up, burned to ash. She closed her eyes and turned her head away as Cotton rode by, he hadn't noticed, while William and Johnse were all together unfazed, they saw it. But it meant nothing to them. Chyna's eyes began to look around fearfully. If she was in a lynching area she wanted out as fast as possible, she tried to make herself look small behind Cotton, but the fact was you can't hide bare skin. All she could do was pray they reached home before they were spotted. Surely if they were, it would pose a problem to all of them. In these parts, Men are not just seen riding around with a Nigro girl in the light of day.
Chynacould now breathe easily; Ellison's house could be seen in the distance. Cotton pulled the horse to a stop Floyd Hatfield tugged behind him a large plump hog. "we gon have good eats tonight boys! Look at this old boy,pork chops, pigs feet, and bacon for a while!" he called William smiled at him. "where'd you find it" He called "well I found it wandering onour land, mustagot out of pig pin"Floyd said. Chyna frowned she wanted to speak up,she wanted to ask if it was a good ideato cook astrange pig without finding out whom it belong to. But Floyd wasn't very fond of her either and sat in the same boat as Johnse did on her being there. In short, the felt she should have been sent off a long time ago. Ellison held alarge dinner at his house, Chyna prepared all the food,however he had not stated why the dinner was being held. The house was full of Hatfields, young ones, old ones,fat ones, short ones; lose relatives of the Hatfield line and then those that were not and only good friends. Chyna kept out of sight and in the kitchen. It was not awelcoming environment for her. As Ellison entertained his family outside, Chyna set the table. As she did so she listened to the laughter and the fun being had outside. It made her think of her mother & father, and how even thought they grew up and lived working as slaves, she remembered how at dinner time, she would often forget about all of that. It was just them, in the back house, with the few other Slaves that the family owned, talking and having a meal, just like the rest of the people in their houses. A tear slipped down Chyna's cheek as she thought of her parents, she could remember her mother's wise old eyes, and her father's impish smile. Her heart ached; she had paused in setting up the table lost in her thoughts. Unknown to Chyna who had become unaware of those around her, thinking they were all outside, William watched her. He leaned against the door way, his blue eyes focusing on her intently. He watched the tear stroll down her cheek. Chyna came back to reality and set down the last few plates and silverware. As she finished she looked up into the eyes of William, they're eyes locked, Chyna froze. White men looking at her in such an unmoving way made her uncomfortable, it was the same way Tolbert hadstarted watching her before he began forcing her. Chyna tore her eyes away from Williams andlay the last fork down. She then scurried off into the kitchen again. William watched her disappear into the door way and sighed inwardly before leaving back out to the rest of the family.
As he walked back to Johnse he was in deep thought. He had seen a few Coloreds here and there that worked in or around the Hatfield lands, but he'd never seen such a young colored woman, and it was a new creature to him. He knew it was wrong, and went against what he believed and what his folks grew him up on. But he couldn't deny the urge to just feel the touch of her skin, it looked so thick and lush, it wasn't a romantic or lustful attraction just one bred of pure curiosity. William new better though, and he wasn't planning on being the cat curiosity killed. Chyna cleaned the kitchen from the mess she had made cooking, just as dried off her hands Ellison walked into the kitchen. "thank you for setting up the table, supper looks mighty fine" He said softly, Chyna looked at him warily "thank you sir" she said. As of late he had been acting strange for the past 3 months or so. At first Chyna chalked it up to him treating her like he treated his white friends, however his actions have become a bit buttery and fluffy, that that of a love driven man. Chyna didn't like this,but she could not say anything about it, for fear of being kicked out or worse. Though life was rough living with the Hatfields, aworld of whites, she had no other place to go to. Weather it felt like it or not, these lands where her home, and would more than likely always be. The family had eaten and Chyna had made herself a little plate, she sat in the kitchen over the pot belly stove and listened to the Hatfield family. "Chyna! Chyna come on out here!" she could hear Ellison call.
Chyna's heart dropped and bit and beat hard with a slight fear. She did not want to be in the room with so many who disliked her so greatly. However she did was she was told to, she was taught to always do what she was told to. She took timid little steps out of the Kitchen, all Hatfield eyes where fixed on her. A few sneered, a few whispered, and other just looked blinking. A warm friendly smile came from Cotton who sat next to his father. "yes sir? What can I get for you?" she asked making herself look as small as possible. "just yourself come stand here" he said, Chyna walked over to Ellison's side, he sat at the farthest end of the table, She could feel Anse watching her,she could fell all of them watching her, she stood stiffly next to Ellison rubbing her arm nervously. "I know you are all wonderin 'bout this dinner" Ellison said with a smile. Many of the guests made their own comments most of them poking fun or cracking some type of joke. "It's been a year since I found a caretaker for my boy Cotton, and she's been doing amighty fine job. It's been ayear to the day now,and I would like to welcome Chynaas an official member of my family" He said. Chyna nearly jumped out of her skin "wha- Mister-Mister Ellison Sir that's not needed, I thank you kindley but" Chyna started "I always wanted a sister" Cotton said with a smile, he got up and hugged Chyna around her neck, she stood limp as her eyes looked at the stunned faces of the Hatfields. "I love my nigger child dearly, and I hope but do not expect you all to mind her, tolerate it at the least" He added looking to his brother Anse who looked very unhappy. "we ain't gon' have no nigger in the family" Levicy said putting her foot down. "she's not officially family, you can regard her as you regard Cotton"Elision said his voice matched the bark that Levicy had. Chynawatched the scene with unease. This didn't bode well for the future she could feel it. Eerie feelings washed over her as Cotton pulled out a chair for her to sit at, and join the rest of the Hatfields at the table. She barely breathed and watched their stone cold faces as they looked at her. Something like a foreshadowing in her heart lingered.