We ran in the field with each other, and it never felt so good. We laughed because I had fallen into dandilions. She ran up to me and smiled "You blow one out, and a dream comes true."
"Then I wish for friends forever." I had told her. She smiled and closed her eyes. I stared at her in an awe "What are you thinking about Uni?" She opened up her eyes, and she then told me "Just wishing that we'd both be friends forever no matter what we have to go through." She smiled at me for the first time in ages. I hugged her so tightly that she even complained that she couldn't breathe. This moment could've lasted forever if it wanted to. Only if we wanted to.
"You know what?" She had asked me. I looked at her while with a small rose in my hand "What is it?"
"Can you tell me a story about the angel again..please?" She looked at me teary eyed. I stared back at her. I wonder why she was asking me this. I sat down, as so did she and I put the rose down. "Well.." I began then I stoped right in my tracks "Why do you want to know this?"
"So I could have a sense of reality that my mother will forever be with me."
"Oh but Uni, she will always be with you forever. She's sitting next to you right now, as the light breeze hits your face. She doesn't want you to feel sad and mourn over her. She's happy here spending the rest of your life with you and every waking moment of it too. She has the pure silver- toned wings made out of the best silk you've ever felt..also along with her silver gown with gold platted on it. Oh Uni, she's flying with her halo on her head, smiling down at you. She's never felt so happy. She's on a cloud singing a song about how great you are, and how happy she is..but she isn't fully happy..and do you know why?"
She got closer to me and stared "Why?"
"Because you keep crying because you miss her. SHe doesn't want you to miss her..she's here with you and your father everyday."
"Are you sure its everyday? I haven't even seen her once!"
"Of course she's there with you at every moment, but you don't know it. She loves you so much Uni..she misses you too because of the lack of talking to each other." We both laughed at that. She looked up and put the dandilion towards the sky "Okay, here's how it goes.." she began "Mom, if you grab this from my hand, I will know that you're here with me everyday and forever. " I looked at her and made a small face. Suddenly, a great gust made us move foward as the dandilion was let go of her hand untouched and into the sky. She looked at her hands in astonishment and started to cry. She threw herself into my arms, and I just stared at the sky with a smile. Then I looked at her "Why are you crying? You're mom's here with you."
"I know..but I never knew that was going to happen..I know my mom's here with me." She smiled as tears flowed down her cheek. I smiled then got up "We should be heading over to my house now. Its getting dark." She looked at me "Law, why are you so wise?"
"I'm not wise, I just learn these from my mother."
"But she's dead as well."
I stared at her and nodded "Yeah, I know. Her death made me believe all these new things. They gave me so many reasons that I shouldn't cry at night just for her. I should cry at night because she's with me, and she's keeping me protected."
We walked several minutes until we reached my house. Uni had broke the silence when she told me that everytime she comes here, she needs to take a second glance at its beauty. It always made me smile how she's just the greatest human on earth right now. "Law, is your dad home?"
"No, he's out working again, like always. He's a busy man, that Mr.Hendricks him." I said. She giggled as I opened the door to the plantation. Mary was there at the door "I saws you all coming, so I reckoned I should've opened the door for ye."
See, Mary is one of our slaves here, and she's also my friend and my mother when my dad isn't here. Its bad to be friends with the different colored ones because it might get you killed here. I stared at her and smiled "Mary, how about you take the day off just for today. Daddy won't be coming back for another day or two. You don't deserve to be working all day and all night. That just isn't fair. Just don't leave the grounds here okay? Look hows about this; I'll make us some dinner, but just tells me what you want, and I'll make it."
"Oh no Ma'am. I cannot let you do that here ma'am. Its strict orders that I be the one who's be the cook, the cleaner, the nanny and alls of that."
"No, I insist Mary. And don't call me Ma'am for these two days. Call me Law."
"Ms. Laurie, I can't..thats prohibited here Ma'am."
"Well then, I order you to take two days off until Daddy comes home, and I order you to let me cook dinner for tonight, and for you to call me Law." I smiled. She had a small smile of relief and nodded "Yes Ma'am...Oops, I means Law." She walked off into the recreation hall and put on some classical music. They were Daddy's favorite songs on the talking box in which Mary grown use to hearing and had a love for them. Uni just stared at me "Law, you aren't suppose to let a slave just mope around your house all day, its ruled by the state!"
"I ordered her to do it, so really, it isn't against the law." We both walked up the long path of stairs, me and uni. We walked into my room and saw that it was picked up after us. We both ran over to the cubboard and stared at it for a couple of seconds. I looked at her "What do you want to do?"
"We should keep up with the book studies."
"So we'll read!" I said, and she giggled again. Then I looked at the cubboard again and I grabbed a book "This one looks interesting. My mother bought it for me when I was little, and I haven't gotten the chance to read it."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm always never home because of you. It feels good running in the field and wishing about how best friends means forever."
She smiled and nodded "Then, we'll read this book. Are you going to read it?"
"Of course. I wanted to all this time since my mothers death." I replied. We both sat down on my bed indian style and I opened the book, and I began, "This is to my lovely daughter Ms.Laurie Marlen Hendricks- Applebee. this is a book about me and your father and how we met each other during these times.
"Would you just look at that right there? Thats some fine work." A workerman said to a man. The man smiled back and nodded "Wouldn't you like to get some of her?"
Both of them laughed and the second workerman stared at her. "Oh Jeffery, what makes you think you'll get a fine piece of art that not even the greatest painter painted?"
"I believe I could. Remember, women love the men when they're sweet and generous." He smiled and jumped off the small stairway that the two men were on. He walked over and grabbed some dandilions from his path and tapped her shoulder "Excuse me, love, but you look like a gift from the gods, a secret angel."
The lady looked at him for a while "And who are you?"
"Well dear lady, my name is Jeffery Hendricks, and you look like the love of my life." He responded and handed her the flowers. She stared and started to laugh "Oh do you really think that's going to get you somewhere like on a date with me?!"
"It would be an honor if you did." He smiled. She laughed again "You're killing me here, but you seem nice enough. I'll take it Mr.Hendricks."
"Please, call me Jeff."
"Okay.." She tried not to laugh "Jeff." He stared at her for a while and said "Go ahead and laugh. Just go ahead and do anything you want to me. I really wouldn't mind."
"Oh, could you believe anything you're saying to me? Could you believe it yourself? I'm certainly not buying this." She said and laughed some more. He nodded "Every one bit of this is true, my love." She stared at him and shook her head "Don't call me that. You don't even know who I am."
"You learn something new everyday."
"And whats that suppose to mean?"
"You know. You learned something new today. That I may be your love forever until the end of us. You learned who I am."
"Fine, fine. Just pick me up today at a quarter past 8, and we'll go to a diner."
"I didn't catch your name." Jeff said. The lady turned around and smiled "My name is Jenna Applebee." and walked off. Jeff smiled and softly said the name of the woman he fell in love with ever since he lay an eye on her. "Jenna." he said again and walked to his spot."
I looked at my book once more and at Uni to see a reaction. She had a tear in her eye "Tell me more about Jenna and Jeff." I smiled back "I want to know too, but I've got to make dinner for me and mary. Care to join us?"
"No thanks Law. I've got to get home to my own parents, but I will see you tomorrow so we could read more of your parents journies." She waved her goodbyes and I waited until the door slammed indicating that she had gone. I ran out of my bed and into Mary's room. She was dancing with her slave friends until they all stopped when I walked in. I laughed and I ran up to Mary and threw myself in her arms "Mary! Mary! Mary! Look what I found!"
"My dear child whats the matter?" She held the book in her hands. They were so dark compared to mine. She looked at me "Yes, your mum gave this to you. Oh your parents were so in love when they be smaller. I was a young girl about their age, and I saw how happy they be together. I wanted to be like them, oh how wonderful it be. Then they wedding night came and it was the most happiest moment of me life when I was just a small girl. Just about younger then ye mom and daddy, but a year older than you be."
"Mary, tell me more about my mom."
"It says all in this here book. I suggest you read it."
"Oh I have, its so wonderful."
"Have you gotten to the part where--"
"Don't tell me yet! I want to learn it all! Okay, thank you Mary. I'm going to make some dinner, and for everyone in here, I'm going to make one of Mary's favorite foods. Nothing like chicken and greenbeans with mashpotatoes and gravy with some pecan pie at the side."
"Oh Laurie, thank ye so much."
"It was me pleasure."
"Then I wish for friends forever." I had told her. She smiled and closed her eyes. I stared at her in an awe "What are you thinking about Uni?" She opened up her eyes, and she then told me "Just wishing that we'd both be friends forever no matter what we have to go through." She smiled at me for the first time in ages. I hugged her so tightly that she even complained that she couldn't breathe. This moment could've lasted forever if it wanted to. Only if we wanted to.
"You know what?" She had asked me. I looked at her while with a small rose in my hand "What is it?"
"Can you tell me a story about the angel again..please?" She looked at me teary eyed. I stared back at her. I wonder why she was asking me this. I sat down, as so did she and I put the rose down. "Well.." I began then I stoped right in my tracks "Why do you want to know this?"
"So I could have a sense of reality that my mother will forever be with me."
"Oh but Uni, she will always be with you forever. She's sitting next to you right now, as the light breeze hits your face. She doesn't want you to feel sad and mourn over her. She's happy here spending the rest of your life with you and every waking moment of it too. She has the pure silver- toned wings made out of the best silk you've ever felt..also along with her silver gown with gold platted on it. Oh Uni, she's flying with her halo on her head, smiling down at you. She's never felt so happy. She's on a cloud singing a song about how great you are, and how happy she is..but she isn't fully happy..and do you know why?"
She got closer to me and stared "Why?"
"Because you keep crying because you miss her. SHe doesn't want you to miss her..she's here with you and your father everyday."
"Are you sure its everyday? I haven't even seen her once!"
"Of course she's there with you at every moment, but you don't know it. She loves you so much Uni..she misses you too because of the lack of talking to each other." We both laughed at that. She looked up and put the dandilion towards the sky "Okay, here's how it goes.." she began "Mom, if you grab this from my hand, I will know that you're here with me everyday and forever. " I looked at her and made a small face. Suddenly, a great gust made us move foward as the dandilion was let go of her hand untouched and into the sky. She looked at her hands in astonishment and started to cry. She threw herself into my arms, and I just stared at the sky with a smile. Then I looked at her "Why are you crying? You're mom's here with you."
"I know..but I never knew that was going to happen..I know my mom's here with me." She smiled as tears flowed down her cheek. I smiled then got up "We should be heading over to my house now. Its getting dark." She looked at me "Law, why are you so wise?"
"I'm not wise, I just learn these from my mother."
"But she's dead as well."
I stared at her and nodded "Yeah, I know. Her death made me believe all these new things. They gave me so many reasons that I shouldn't cry at night just for her. I should cry at night because she's with me, and she's keeping me protected."
We walked several minutes until we reached my house. Uni had broke the silence when she told me that everytime she comes here, she needs to take a second glance at its beauty. It always made me smile how she's just the greatest human on earth right now. "Law, is your dad home?"
"No, he's out working again, like always. He's a busy man, that Mr.Hendricks him." I said. She giggled as I opened the door to the plantation. Mary was there at the door "I saws you all coming, so I reckoned I should've opened the door for ye."
See, Mary is one of our slaves here, and she's also my friend and my mother when my dad isn't here. Its bad to be friends with the different colored ones because it might get you killed here. I stared at her and smiled "Mary, how about you take the day off just for today. Daddy won't be coming back for another day or two. You don't deserve to be working all day and all night. That just isn't fair. Just don't leave the grounds here okay? Look hows about this; I'll make us some dinner, but just tells me what you want, and I'll make it."
"Oh no Ma'am. I cannot let you do that here ma'am. Its strict orders that I be the one who's be the cook, the cleaner, the nanny and alls of that."
"No, I insist Mary. And don't call me Ma'am for these two days. Call me Law."
"Ms. Laurie, I can't..thats prohibited here Ma'am."
"Well then, I order you to take two days off until Daddy comes home, and I order you to let me cook dinner for tonight, and for you to call me Law." I smiled. She had a small smile of relief and nodded "Yes Ma'am...Oops, I means Law." She walked off into the recreation hall and put on some classical music. They were Daddy's favorite songs on the talking box in which Mary grown use to hearing and had a love for them. Uni just stared at me "Law, you aren't suppose to let a slave just mope around your house all day, its ruled by the state!"
"I ordered her to do it, so really, it isn't against the law." We both walked up the long path of stairs, me and uni. We walked into my room and saw that it was picked up after us. We both ran over to the cubboard and stared at it for a couple of seconds. I looked at her "What do you want to do?"
"We should keep up with the book studies."
"So we'll read!" I said, and she giggled again. Then I looked at the cubboard again and I grabbed a book "This one looks interesting. My mother bought it for me when I was little, and I haven't gotten the chance to read it."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm always never home because of you. It feels good running in the field and wishing about how best friends means forever."
She smiled and nodded "Then, we'll read this book. Are you going to read it?"
"Of course. I wanted to all this time since my mothers death." I replied. We both sat down on my bed indian style and I opened the book, and I began, "This is to my lovely daughter Ms.Laurie Marlen Hendricks- Applebee. this is a book about me and your father and how we met each other during these times.
"Would you just look at that right there? Thats some fine work." A workerman said to a man. The man smiled back and nodded "Wouldn't you like to get some of her?"
Both of them laughed and the second workerman stared at her. "Oh Jeffery, what makes you think you'll get a fine piece of art that not even the greatest painter painted?"
"I believe I could. Remember, women love the men when they're sweet and generous." He smiled and jumped off the small stairway that the two men were on. He walked over and grabbed some dandilions from his path and tapped her shoulder "Excuse me, love, but you look like a gift from the gods, a secret angel."
The lady looked at him for a while "And who are you?"
"Well dear lady, my name is Jeffery Hendricks, and you look like the love of my life." He responded and handed her the flowers. She stared and started to laugh "Oh do you really think that's going to get you somewhere like on a date with me?!"
"It would be an honor if you did." He smiled. She laughed again "You're killing me here, but you seem nice enough. I'll take it Mr.Hendricks."
"Please, call me Jeff."
"Okay.." She tried not to laugh "Jeff." He stared at her for a while and said "Go ahead and laugh. Just go ahead and do anything you want to me. I really wouldn't mind."
"Oh, could you believe anything you're saying to me? Could you believe it yourself? I'm certainly not buying this." She said and laughed some more. He nodded "Every one bit of this is true, my love." She stared at him and shook her head "Don't call me that. You don't even know who I am."
"You learn something new everyday."
"And whats that suppose to mean?"
"You know. You learned something new today. That I may be your love forever until the end of us. You learned who I am."
"Fine, fine. Just pick me up today at a quarter past 8, and we'll go to a diner."
"I didn't catch your name." Jeff said. The lady turned around and smiled "My name is Jenna Applebee." and walked off. Jeff smiled and softly said the name of the woman he fell in love with ever since he lay an eye on her. "Jenna." he said again and walked to his spot."
I looked at my book once more and at Uni to see a reaction. She had a tear in her eye "Tell me more about Jenna and Jeff." I smiled back "I want to know too, but I've got to make dinner for me and mary. Care to join us?"
"No thanks Law. I've got to get home to my own parents, but I will see you tomorrow so we could read more of your parents journies." She waved her goodbyes and I waited until the door slammed indicating that she had gone. I ran out of my bed and into Mary's room. She was dancing with her slave friends until they all stopped when I walked in. I laughed and I ran up to Mary and threw myself in her arms "Mary! Mary! Mary! Look what I found!"
"My dear child whats the matter?" She held the book in her hands. They were so dark compared to mine. She looked at me "Yes, your mum gave this to you. Oh your parents were so in love when they be smaller. I was a young girl about their age, and I saw how happy they be together. I wanted to be like them, oh how wonderful it be. Then they wedding night came and it was the most happiest moment of me life when I was just a small girl. Just about younger then ye mom and daddy, but a year older than you be."
"Mary, tell me more about my mom."
"It says all in this here book. I suggest you read it."
"Oh I have, its so wonderful."
"Have you gotten to the part where--"
"Don't tell me yet! I want to learn it all! Okay, thank you Mary. I'm going to make some dinner, and for everyone in here, I'm going to make one of Mary's favorite foods. Nothing like chicken and greenbeans with mashpotatoes and gravy with some pecan pie at the side."
"Oh Laurie, thank ye so much."
"It was me pleasure."