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Chapters (153)
  1. Beulah Land
  2. Dedication
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. PART TWO
  27. 1
  28. 2
  29. 3
  30. 4
  31. 5
  32. 6
  33. 7
  34. 8
  35. 9
  36. 10
  37. 11
  38. 12
  39. 13
  40. 14
  41. 15
  42. 16
  43. 17
  44. 18
  45. 19
  46. 20
  47. 21
  48. 22
  49. 23
  50. PART THREE
  51. 1
  52. 2
  53. 3
  54. 4
  55. 5
  56. 6
  57. 7
  58. 8
  59. 9
  60. 10
  61. 11
  62. 12
  63. 13
  64. 14
  65. 15
  66. 16
  67. 17
  68. 18
  69. 19
  70. 20
  71. 21
  72. 22
  73. 23
  74. 24
  75. PART FOUR
  76. 1
  77. 2
  78. 3
  79. 4
  80. 5
  81. 6
  82. 7
  83. 8
  84. 9
  85. 10
  86. 11
  87. 12
  88. 13
  89. 14
  90. 15
  91. 16
  92. 17
  93. 18
  94. 19
  95. 20
  96. 21
  97. 22
  98. 23
  99. 24
  100. PART FIVE
  101. 1
  102. 2
  103. 3
  104. 4
  105. 5
  106. 6
  107. 7
  108. 8
  109. 9
  110. 10
  111. 11
  112. 12
  113. 13
  114. 14
  115. 15
  116. 16
  117. 17
  118. 18
  119. 19
  120. 20
  121. 21
  122. 22
  123. PART SIX
  124. 1
  125. 2
  126. 3
  127. 4
  128. 5
  129. 6
  130. 7
  131. 8
  132. 9
  133. 10
  134. 11
  135. 12
  136. 13
  137. 14
  138. 15
  139. 16
  140. 17
  141. 18
  142. 19
  143. PART SEVEN
  144. 1
  145. 2
  146. 3
  147. 4
  148. 5
  149. 6
  150. 7
  151. 8
  152. Copyright
  153. Books by Lonnie Coleman published by Classica Libris (digital editions)

As long as no one else knew, it was all inside him, and if it hurt, no matter; and if now and then it made him happy, no accounting. Alone on his cot at night, eyes opened or closed, he dreamed, and she was there, although not realized at first. If he had been fanciful, he might have admitted her in fantasy or symbols, but he thought and felt in clear images, and there were two taboos he could not transcend, one of color, the other of brother code. She was white and married to his brother. It changed nothing that they had gone their different ways; when they were babies and boys, he and Leon had been brothers, and so they would always be. They had lain in Lovey’s arms side by side and drawn sustenance together from her breasts.

He went farther into the darkening woods, his eyes adjusting to the changing light, and he knowing the way anyhow as well as any creature the woods were home to. He had walked every path a thousand times over, with Ezra, and Leon, and alone. Here he had been happy and unhappy, slow and quick, thought good and bad.

Lovey knew, and that changed it, because she considered what it could mean and do to everybody, whereas he had held it private, so that it affected no one but himself. No good to ask how and when she had seen. She had seen and known, and he would have to go; but he would put it off as long as he could.

15

“Leon?”

He turned, frowning.

“Here I am.”

It was not late, but it was dark. He had just ridden home from town, parting with Bonard at the main road and jogging his horse quietly along the drive. Even so, Sugar, who was Plumboy’s best stable hand, had heard and recognized the sound of the master’s horse and was ready at the steps to lead the animal away to his stall and make him comfortable for the night. Leon had then mounted the steps to the porch and been stopped by Lauretta’s greeting.

“Come and sit with me. I’m all alone. Sarah has gone off with Ezra to tend to one of the ailing hands—Skeeter, she called him. Chills and fever and is ‘sarten sure’ his time has come!” She laughed brightly. “You know how they are—I swanee it’s been an education being here these last few weeks and seeing all she does! I used to think it was the darkies took care of the white folks, but it seems to me to be the other way round!”