Chapter 49

Sarah

Seems like everybody got an idea about Henry and me. From the ones that can’t believe he came back for me, to the ones who say he should have known better than to try. All their talking makes me want to plug up my ears. Fact is, I’m still here and he can’t get me out.

When Sunday comes, I go out to the church tree wanting to just get Master’s sermoning over with so I can go down to the river. I need to get away from all the staring. And I can’t stop myself from hoping Henry might be there.

“I hear he tried to buy you free,” Jim says. It’s the first thing he’s said to me since I fixed his back.

I nod, but I move away from him.

I’ve had enough of the questions. It’s like I’m walking around with my insides hanging open for anybody to come by and pick through.

Master steps outside, fanning himself with his hat. It’s only morning but the heat’s coming on strong. He walks over to us under the church tree. Standing in front of his forced congregation, he looks at each face till his eyes get to the back row and rest on me.

Then he starts.

“Babylon was an evil place with a lot of sin.”

I flick my eyes past him and on to the house. I got too much hate in me to look at him.

“The people thought they knew better than God. You see, God made some people to be servants and some people to be masters, but in Babylon they tried to mix the people together.”

I hate his face and his voice and the way he stands with his feet planted wide. I hate how he uses God against us and tries to make us think this is all we deserve.

“So, what did God do? He destroyed what they built up and made it so the races couldn’t talk to each other, so they’d stay apart.”

He slaps his brown leather book in his hand. “Stay apart. That’s what God wants.”

I hate him.

We all stand still, waiting for it. There’s not one of us that don’t know what’s coming. My muscles draw in tight bracing for whatever he’s going to say. But, no matter what comes, I know me and Henry ain’t wrong.

In my mind, I leave him standing there waving his Bible at me. I pick my feet up and go. Through the woods, to the stream. I get on the door and float across and go to our butterfly clearing where Henry’s waiting for me. He takes my hand and we walk all the way to Missouri. Maybe when we get there we just keep on walking.

“That blacksmith,” I hear him say, and I’m listening in spite of myself. “Tempted one of my sheep into sin.” He waves his brown book at us. “He caused Sarah to break God’s law, and man’s law.”