Sweet summer Rain

                    Chapter 1

Sweet summer rain, in the site of a morning offering.

All the smells of the mountain honeysuckle are abundant as a steamy mist rises above the greens
and the purples. I hear the beauty singing in a songbird, chasing a busy squirrel, all in unison with the croakin bullfrog that keeps the rhythm as the melody grows around me. I am tired in these eyes as I ponder my younger days and look back I remember the smells and the sights in a world so different than the one I know now. I yearn to here the sound of the steam engine off in the distance churning closer.

My heart grew quicker, my feet moved to kick up the dust, as I raced in anticipation to meet Anna Belle Proctor at the station. So many questions in a world I looked up too. All the things I had come to know in the nine years of my life had not prepared me for the likes of her. We had laid Aunt Sadie to rest two weeks ago last Tuesday and I was left with the preacher’s family only for a short period of time. A telegraph from my mother was the hope that kept me out of the orphanage in Dale city as the town folk would abide to Mama’s last dying wish.

Some said it was the month of my June blues as death marked my threshold twice and it was bound to come again as the omen read everything would fall in three’s. But I was not knowin and ill willed to accept such grave talk, the grace and the innocence of my youth would keep my head bobbin. I was holdin out for the hope that was arriving on the evening express and nothin had become more sacred.

I did not know the time but dusk had settled and firefly’s were lighting the platform as she stepped down and I looked up into the blackest blue and could not speak. She wore big buckled brown boots that disappeared under a blue cotton dress and topped it all off with a floral flat hat that matched her dress. Her face was black as coal and as she reached down for me I took a step back in fear and drew a breath. “Don’t be scared child, it’s gettin dark out here and we need to be weary of our company.” I took her hand and she knelt a little closer. “I knew your mama and promised I would take care of you.” “Your everything she said you was.” Her fingers brushed the hair out of my eyes and I found myself exhaling in a long blink. I never knew a black woman, I had not laid eyes on a black person until that day on the platform.

I just remembered what mamma had said and what daddy had said, and daddy went and joined the Union army because President Lincoln wanted to end slavery. I took her hand she said, “Help gather my things child it’s getting dark.”Her hand was strong and calloused yet held mine with soft approach and we carried the bustle of her bags up the roadway towards the preacher’s house that lay in the outskirts of this small town. I chose to walk on the side of the main road the path there was softer on my bare feet and not hard and covered by the wagon wheels. “Elijah, did you mind the preacher and his family.”? “Yes mam, I did every chore they asked of me and even took a bath when I didn’t want to. “Elijah are you thankful for the preacher and his family.”? I never had given it much thought until Anna Belle had brought it to my understanding. I quivered in my response. “ I reckon so.”

“You reckon, lets not be so mis understandin.”! “If the Lord bless’ you child you bess be thankful.”! “I can see we have a lot of doin and undoin to see you to the right path but by the Lord’s mercy and grace I will get you there to live up to your namesake.” “Walk child with me in the roadway.” “Yes mam.” I didn’t dare sass back if her hands were strong I wouldn’t care to find out how strong they were. This woman was only a couple of inches taller than me yet she bore the weight of twice as many bags as I was carrying and was not bothered in the least.

I was pantin and sweatin when we finally arrived at the preacher’s house, I knocked on the door as not to be so rude and all the bags fell to the ground when I reached out. I looked up at Anna Belle and did not see a bead of sweat, she managed to straighten herself without droppin a single bag. I drew hard on some deep breaths and scurried to pick the bags back up. When I finally straightened up I was starin in the eyes of the preachers wife standin in the doorway with a lantern. “Bring those things in Elijah let’s not be standin in the dark”. “Yes mam.”

We entered into the front of the house and the place was lit around us. I smiled and looked up at Ms. Natalie. “This is Anna Belle Proctor.” Ms. Natalie was very pretty she brought form to her cotton dress and wherever she walked so did the eyes of every man around her, including me. She had deep blue eyes and light colored hair with a hint of hazel. She always kept clean and smelled like scented powder and lilac perfume. The preacher addressed her as mother and Ms.Natalie addressed the preacher as father. With one girl child of six years who was probably sound asleep at this time.

“Welcome to our home, father will be along shortly.” “ I have a room made up for you, I figured you would stay the night.” “You must be hungry, I fried some chicken and have biscuits and gravy with black eyed peas.” I was hollow inside and could not eat much today in anticipation of Anna Belles late arrival. The smell of Ms. Natalie’s food woke me up inside, my stomach started growlin like a mountain lion, I couldn’t wait to eat.

Another lantern came in behind us through the front door. Wearin a heavy set of black riding boots and a long black duster was the preacher holdin the lantern. “As soon as you get settled Elijah tend to the horses.” “Yes sah.” The preacher was tall at least six feet and was strong and use to speakin into people as if everything mattered,every choice heaven or hell. He had dark black hair and hands like leather .

When my aunt Sadie grew sick the preachers wife came to tend to her. She sent me to live in their home until Sadie got better. It never happened. As I sat in church listenin to the preacher givin Sadie’s eulogy I began to wonder what would become of me. I watched as the men carried her casket down the church steps and out to the wagon. My feet hurt from the new shoes Ms. Natalie bought me and as I followed the wagon down the road to the cemetery I could not feel the road under my feet. To honor the gift of new shoes and a tailor made suit I would mind them not to get dirty and wear them every Sunday in church. I looked up to the preacher and found his eyes fixed sternly on Anna Belle who was holding her hat and adjusting the pins in her hair.

The preacher looked at Ms. Natalie and said quickly “Mother can I speak with you in the kitchen?” “Yes father.” Ms. Natalie handed me the lantern as her and the preacher turned the corner in the direction of the kitchen. I looked quietly at Anna Belle who stood stoic and did not remove a single bag from her shoulders or back. We could hear the loud whispering from the kitchen, I could make out every word and so could Anna Belle. “Mother, I have a congregation to think of.” This could divide our church, I cannot judge what is in the heart of every man, if he chooses to believe in slavery or not.” “I don’t wish to find an empty church on Sunday because I allowed a black woman to stay in my home.”

 “Father she has traveled all that way for the sake of this boy when the rest of your congregation told you to send him off to an orphanage in Dale city.”“Mother, I refuse to bring this war to the pulpit, I want no part of this war, blessed are the peacemakers and our congregation has seen loved ones perish on both sides.” “They can stay in the barn.”“What”? “Father what kind of a man are you to deny this poor soul the comfort of our home”!? “Mother!” “Norville Clarence Harrington, I will pray for you on this night and every lost soul in your congregation!” I never knew the preacher’s given name until that night, people would call him preacher and his family called him father.

I missed my father, he had left over a year ago and to that day we had not heard a single word of his fortune or misfortune. I would check the telegraph office every day for any word that would bring a smile to mammas face of his homecoming. Then slowly I would make my way to the center of town to read the list of the dead. By name rank and unit they were listed and would only be updated about once a month. I would see widow”s cryin touching the list and thought of the pain my mamma would endure if the misfortune of war had come to our home.

One day shortly after Mr. Albert dropped me off in the town square I was about to make my way to the telegraph office when I heard a loud mourning cry and looked to see. A woman with a dark blue bonnet was standing touching the list of dead crying and pleading. She was surrounded by seven children who were cryin right along. It stood me dead in my tracks as I felt a loss so deep an unconsoling my stomach churned up and my breath grew deeper. I had refused to face the thought of my father’s possible death and now it was growin on me faster than moss and thicker than ivy.

I sat down on the steps at Weeters General Store to collect my emotions and wait for the widow to move along.I later checked the telegraph office but refused to check the list of the dead as I had promised mamma. I helped Mr. Albert load his cart and was none too happy to be makin my way outta town that day. I could not say a word on the trip back but did tell Mr. Albert I would be on the road waitin for him tomorrow.

The preacher and his wife came back down the hallway and could not look Anna Belle in the eye.The preacher said, “I am sorry to be wordy but I think it”s best if”... Anna Belle didn’t muster the time and interrupted with the most convincing smile, “The barn will do just fine sir, may I trouble you for the use of a lantern?” Without hesitation the preacher nodded. I picked up the bags and followed Anna Belle out to the barn. We could hear loud whispering fade out as we made our way through the big double doors to the steps of the loft. Anna Belle set the lantern on the flat of a large guidepost and slowly removed every bag from her person, last only to her hat that came off without a single hat pin. Anna Belle pulled a large candle from her bag and lit it off the lantern then handed me the lantern and said,”Mind your father Jesus Elijah, tend to them horses.”“Yes mam.”

I didn’t feel like tendin to horses we just got kicked to the barn. Every fence I mended, every shingle I put in place to keep the rain from filling the house, and tendin to them animals, we deserved better than this and I was hungry too. Fresh water and hey I brushed the sweat from both mares and put them in clean stalls. I made my way back to the steps of the loft and found Ms. Natalie and Anna Belle talking. Ms. Natalie was holding a large wicker basket full of fried chicken corn bread and black eyed peas.

I pulled an empty water barrel next to the steps and turned it upside down for a table. Ms. Natalie put the basket on the makeshift table and continued to talk to Anna Belle. I reached my hand in the basket under the towel and found a piece of warm cornbread my mouth was jumpin with life the taste of sweet honey cornbread was everything I could smell. Without a glance Anna Belle evoked the next psalm to be written. “Child until the river has covered you over, and the stars fall at your feet with the sound of the trumpets blarin, You will give thanks unto the lord for every blessing you receive, and I will see too it with my every last breath.!” I put the cornbread back and became fearful of the situation.

I looked up with the biggest sorrowfull eyes I could muster only to feel her hand swiftly snatch my arm. I realized her strength and became more fearful of the situation. She lifted me up with one hand and sat me down on the step of the loft gently. She faced me and laid her hands on the top of my shoulders and bowed her head on mine,”Thank you lord Jesus for this blessing of food we are about to receive, bless the preacher and his wife and their daughter and help them in all ways. Bless Elijah with great understandin in your ways as we take this trip together.” “In your blessed name Jesus we pray.” “Amen.” “I yelled out “Amen” quietly thanking God for quilling the wrath.