Note: Thanks for the reviews as always guys. If you haven't read the first story (chapter 2) you might wanna for this one. (wink) Without further ado…
"Ok, we have to be next," Angel called out crossing her legs demurely. But all of her friends knew there would be hell to pay if Angel and Collins weren't next.
The woman laughed good naturally. "Of course. However…it is long and hard. And complicated. Are you up for it?"
Collins gulped and nodded. "Yeah I mean…ain't life always hard and complicated?" Angel kissed his cheek in agreement.
Their friends glanced over at them slightly worried. They didn't want their hearts to be broken by unhappy news of their past lives. Mimi started to speak up but paused when Roger patted her hand. They were all jumping to conclusions. Maybe things ended up all right.
Mark looked up at the woman, "What were their names?"
She smiled. "Ty and Anton."
Summer 1833 Virginia
Ty slowly made his way towards the mansion. His spine was slightly bent in pain causing the way to feel more like a journey then a simple visit. Even though he survived the disappearance of his wife and two children, the scars on his back were the consequence. Every night, he would ask another man or woman to put the lotion on his back that the doctor gave him. It would calm the pain and maybe even start to heal the marled skin. But Ty was more often than not, refused. Although Dr. Grey allowed him to survive, Ty was still under heavy watch and scrutiny. His master was just waiting for Ty's broken body to break under the pressure. But as long as Ty could manage, he wouldn't give the man the satisfaction.
"Ty! Ty! Did you hear?" Dr. Grey's little girl asked, still as boisterous and annoying as ever.
"I can't say that I have, little one," Ty said quietly. The look of all children stirred up thousands of feelings in him. Reminders of his own children specifically. He was glad that his children were now safe and free with their Mama. But he regretted the fact that they were growing up without their father.
Bridget grinned. "I was soooo surprised! Even Daddy looked surprised. I think you'll be surprised too!"
Ty raised his brow but then decided to ignore the girl. There was no need to prod her if he was going to figure out what was going on in only a few moments. Then fear gripped him. Did they find Josephine? He knew that with the Fugitive Slave Law…if she wasn't hidden properly she could be returned. The babies as well…just to be pulled apart. Ty held his breath as he walked into Dr. Grey's office. Although he never believed in God, he said a silent prayer under his breath.
A thin and delicate man looked over his shoulder. The stranger gave Ty a genuine smile.
Ty's eyes widened in confusion. "You called for me, master?" He said quietly looking down at the ground before him.
"Yes, I did indeed," Dr. Grey said exuberantly. "I've got some great news for you. You have been sold to this gentleman. At a very good price I might add."
"I…I have?" Ty asked glancing over at the small man next to him.
Dr. Grey stood up and nodded. "While you were in the fields, I had the women gather your things." He motioned towards a pack that was sitting in the corner of the room. "I hope that you will treat Mister Salizar better than you did me. Your new master is aware of your past problems…and yet he still purchased you. You should be grateful."
"I…I am," Ty muttered. There was a time when he would open his mouth. Argue, do anything he could to make Dr. Grey feel like a lesser man. But now that his wife and children ran to the North, Ty didn't dare to push Grey. He worried that if he did, his master would increase the men who were already searching for Josephine. Ty couldn't take the chance.
"Thank you for the…business, Dr. Grey," The thin man said. His first words were gentle and calm.
Ty followed Mr. Salizar out towards the horse drawn carriage that was waiting for them. As he did so, Ty found himself sizing up the new man that he would call master. His size and stance was something curious. Most men in powerful stations who were small tended to make up for their size in aggressiveness and fury. But in the few moments that Ty knew him, he could say with confidence that there was not a furious bone in the man's body.
"Head on up," Mr. Salizar said motioning towards the wagon. Ty nodded and slowly pulled himself up onto the seat. As he heard his bones groan from the strain, Ty had to wonder if Mr. Salizar knew exactly what he was getting himself into. Despite all of his experience, Ty's body had had enough after the last whipping. He still worked in the fields, but he worked slower and produced less. Physical labor was going to be out of the question in a few years time.
Mr. Salizar leaped up to the wagon and took hold of the reigns. With a simple clicking of his tongue, the horses started to slowly move away from the Grey Mansion. Ty looked back at it, not to get sentimental, but to say good riddance. It didn't matter where he was going, it had to be better than the Greys'. The place where he found so much, and lost so much all at the same time.
"Ty," The man whispered. The slave looked over cautiously as he was curious of his lowered voice. But then he understood. Mr. Salizar pealed an envelope slowly out of his side pocket and handed it to him.
"What…" He started to say until he saw the note on the paper. 'Don't speak of this until you are off the property.' His heart skipped a beat. It was her handwriting. Ty's head started to spin. She was alive. Josephine was alive and most likely living well. She had time to write him something didn't she? Maybe there would be news about the twins. Would they be walking yet? Saying Mama? Or wondering where Dada was?
Tears formed in his eyes while wondering about all of the possibilities. Then it dawned on him. This man...what type of slave owner would give their "property" a message from his wife when she was a runaway? He had to be…someone else than he said.
"Who…who are you?" Ty questioned under his breath.
Mr. Salizar smiled gently. "A friend. We're off…you can read it now." He looked over his shoulder and nodded to himself. "We're safe. For the moment."
Ty ripped open the envelope and read quickly. When he finished reading it, he read it again, this time with more understanding. The letter read:
My Dear Ty,
Just the thought of seeing you again has filled my heart with joy. The moment that I left the plantation. I thought for sure that you would be killed. However, fate has smiled upon me and allowed you life. I cannot wait until the day we are reunited, all of us. Molly grows quickly, her head is still in the clouds. Isaac is even more of a handful now than he was as an infant due to his new discovery of crawling. Though they know not the words how to say, they miss you. I know they do. As do I.
My life here is a grand one. I live on my own terms, as my own woman. That feeling of freedom is as amazing as you said it would be. I am living in a city with a group of our friends. They consist of two couples and an additional male and female. The man that you ride with now is that male. In all my life I have never meet a more gentle, giving soul. I know you are in good hands. The woman has become a close companion of mine and I know that the two of you will get along fine. All of them are abolitionists and artists. I admire and love them all. They watch the twins while I work. That is another generosity they have given me. I work at a sewing shop and am paid for it. It is a dream. The only aspect missing of that my best friend and father of my children. I hope you a swift and safe journey home to the twins and me. We'll be waiting patiently for you.
All my love, Josephine
When Ty finished reading it the second time, he read it again. The man beside him stayed silent, only watching the road ahead. After Ty's fifth read, he turned to Mr. Salizar.
"Mr. Salizar, I love Josephine…she likes to talk around things. How…how am I seeing her again? How is all of this happening?" Ty asked his voice shaking. In the darkest part of his mind, he worried that this was all a cruel joke.
The man smiled slowly. "For one…my name isn't Salizar. It's Anton," He held out his hand to Ty for him to shake. Ty stared at the hand for a moment, in shock.
"I…" He closed his mouth and shook Anton's hand. "So…you're not my master?"
"Not at all. The money that I gave Grey was forged. It usually takes the bank three days to notice the difference, if they ever do. But we have to err on the side of caution. If we have been found out, we can't take the chance. We'll ride for another hour or so, then we'll change and then ride on, until we reach our first destination," Anton explained to Ty.
Ty gulped and then got the courage to ask, "You…you're saving me aren't you? Bringing me to freedom?"
"Oh, I didn't do this all on my own, hun," Anton said shaking his head enthusiastically. "A friend had to make the money. Friends had to help with the clothes we're gonna use. Friends had to help with the horses…friends in the Grey's house even."
"What do you mean?" Ty asked. Due to the reaction of all of the other slaves after his numerous whippings, he never thought that any one of them had any thought of running away.
Anton looked over at Ty. His brown eyes meeting another pair of brown. "Would you believe me if I told you that we were actually contacted by Mistress Adelaide Grey?"
"Adel?" Ty asked with shock. The older sister of Bridget has always been a quiet girl. But he thought that she was just like all other southern bells; submissive, unthinking, and unfeeling.
"That is the girl, yes. She was very distressed about the whole situation with you and your wife," Anton said snapping the reigns slightly, which caused the horses to move quicker. "She talked through contacts…and found us. Offered us help. And she did."
Ty sighed deeply. "I misjudged her."
"We all misjudge at times," Anton said quietly. "Just as long as we are able to get beyond that…and learn from it. That is all that matters."
"My wife…had nothing but good words to say about you."
Anton grinned deeply and let out a quiet laugh. It caught Ty off guard. The laugh. It seemed too beautiful to come from a human being. It was the laugh of an angel. "Your wife is too kind. And I know that she likes me solely because I manage to calm down Isaac."
Ty's face fell. "Isaac…you've seen my children...how are they?"
"Molly is beautiful. Already a full head of hair. She was fascinated by a puppy one day…I think she'll be an animal lover. And Isaac…he's busy. Crawling, crying, chewing. Josephine always calls out your name when she is frustrated with him. I believe she blames you…which I think is a silly notion," Anton admitted with that laugh again.
Ty shook off the shiver that moved down his spine. "Josephine always believed that she had nothing to do with Isaac and he was solely my child. I think that she likes to forget how difficult she can be at times."
Anton smiled deeply and nodded. "But a pleasure. She is a nice woman. Your wife."
"Yes, my wife," He replied looking down at his hands. "What…what did you mean when you said that we would change?" The man sitting next to him only grinned.
"Yes, I said. And we will." Anton slowly raised his arm to point out an inn.
Ty looked at himself in a cracked mirror. His stained breeches and tunic were discarded for a pair of well made pants along with a white shirt and a faux velvet vest. It was the type of clothes that he had seen overseers wear. Never a man of his status. Never. And yet, Ty couldn't help but enjoy it.
"Are you decent?" Anton's voice asked through the inn door.
"I am," Ty said with a satisfied nod.
Anton giggled through the door. "I'm sure you are…now just…brace yourself." The door slowly opened to reveal Anton in his disguise. It took Ty a few moments to completely understand who was in front of him. One thing was for sure, it was Anton. Ty was starting to think that he couldn't forget Anton's eyes for anything. But instead of his "master" clothes, he was dressed in a fancy woman's dress. A wig with black curls lay on his head as if it was his true hair. And small trinkets were wrapped around his fingers and wrist naturally. Even powder and pastes colored his face as a woman's face would be. Ty was startled, in more ways than one.
"You look…my."
"Is that a good my or a bad my?" Anton asked biting the corner of his lip.
Ty looked up at the person in front of him. After all that he had done for him…even if he was a horrible looking woman, Ty wouldn't have said it. Luckily, Ty thought that Anton was beautiful. "Good…very good. You'll fool…everyone."
Anton smiled deeply and clapped his hands. "Mallory and I worked on it for hours. Of course, Minnie had to add a few of her own ideas….which we quietly ignored." He giggled at the memory and was surprised to hear Ty giggle with her. It was a nervous laughter. "I'm…I'm sorry…I don't want to make you uncomfortable."
"Oh no, Anton…I'm not. Believe me…I'm not," Ty said standing up and facing Anton.
A slight blush rushed along Anton's face. "I'm glad. It would be too much effort for it to go to waste. The clothes and such I mean. Not that…if you didn't approve…you'd have to live with it."
"I suppose I would," Ty said nodding slowly. "If it means getting back to my children and Josephine…I would do anything. Even follow a magical crocodile."
Anton laughed, a genuine smile lighting up his face. "A magical crocodile? She always said that you were imaginative…" He paused for a moment and then nodded to Ty. "We should be off." The former slave nodded in agreement and followed Anton out of the inn. Luckily, there weren't many patrons who could gawk at the man who turned into a gorgeous woman in only a few minutes.
Ty rushed to help Anton up into the carriage. The smaller man paused for a minute until Ty said, "If we're going to sell the fact that you are…what you seem…"
"Oh, yes. Thank you…Harold," Anton said in a fluttery voice as he hoisted himself up with the help of Ty.
"Harold?" Ty asked sitting next to him.
Anton smirked. "Would you prefer Algie?"
"Harold is fine," He said biting back a smile while he grabbed the reigns. With Anton's click, the horses started off again. Townspeople seemed to fall for the farce. The men would tip their hats at Anton. Some of them would even venture a whistle or a goofy stare of affection. And the women would scan Anton's dress and then either turn up their noses in disapproval or smile in admiration. They were so focused on the beauty of Anton, that Ty only got a few glances from the passerbys. And most of them probably were because they were wondering whom Anton was traveling with. A servant. He breathed a deep sigh of relief. It was working.
"So you love her then?" Anton asked without any warning. His higher pitched voice that he used to greet strangers suddenly turned lower.
Ty blinked and then replied hesitantly, "Yes. I do. She is my wife," He whispered quietly assuming that was who Anton was alluding to.
"Not all married men love their wives…or visa versa," Anton pointed out while waving to a little girl who clapped seeing the fancy dress.
Ty watched Anton's seemingly lack of interest and nodded. "I know…but I do love her. Josephine…in her letter said that you were alone. I mean…not with anyone." Where did that come from? He asked himself. There seemed to be no real origin for that comment…at least that's what he told himself.
Anton didn't seem shaken by the question. He turned to face Ty and replied, "She was right in one way, wrong in another. I am currently with no one…but I'm a widower."
"Oh…I'm…your loss-"
Anton cut him off, waving his hand. "No…no need. I was married when I was fifteen. She died a year later. Sixteen years old…she couldn't stand the sight of me even when we were so young."
"You haven't remarried?" Ty asked licking his lips.
The abolitionist shook his head. "I left that world I was in before. Followed a friend…and I love the life I lead now. It may be dangerous…or seen as off…but I do love it." Then he moved back towards the streets and waved to a man who blew Anton a kiss. "Hello dear."
Ty couldn't help but fell a slight twinge of jealously. But he tried to ignore the feeling and added quietly, "Then you have a right to keep on living it…I do love Josephine…but only as a friend."
"A friend?" Anton asked suddenly interested. "But you had the twins…"
"Yes, it was expected of us. If we refused than we would have been punished. It…wasn't the worst thing. But it was only in the name of what needed to be done. I've never had…intimate feelings for Josephine. Or any other woman," Ty explained. When he finished, he snapped the reigns harder to make their horses pick up the pace.
Ty felt Anton's eyes on him for a time, but refused to look at him. He was afraid of what he would find.
"Here we are…" Anton announced as he pushed open the door to their room for the night.
Ty paused and stared at the sole large bed that lay in the middle of the room. It was quite normal for two men to share a bed. Nothing out of the normal. Ty knew that…he'd shared a bed with other men until he was "married" to Josephine. But…now…
"I know it's not very glamorous…but not much in our life is," Anton said coming over to place his hand on Ty's back.
Ty winced and bolted away from Anton's hand as if it burned him. "Wha…what did I do?"
"My back…" Ty hissed, his spine quickly curling under the pain.
Anton's eyes went wide. "Ty…Ty I'm so sorry. Isn't there…don't you have a cream or something? Here, why don't you go lie down?" Ty didn't argue. He collapsed on the bed and automatically peeled off his shirt before thinking.
"Mi Dios," Anton whispered in reaction to his back. "How…how did you survive?"
"I barely did," Ty managed to mutter. "The cream is in my pack."
Anton nodded and ran to get the balm. He sat down next to Ty still in his dress. "Do I use a lot? Or a little?"
"Enough."
"Ok then…" Anton gently rubbed the balm onto Ty's ruined back. At first, the man grunted between the pain and the cold of the substance. But Anton soon used less pressure and warmed the balm in his hands before applying it. "Your whole back?"
Ty's eyelids were dropping. It was the first time since the origin of the marks. The first time he got the care he was supposed to get every day. "Please…"
"Of course," Anton replied without a sense of hesitation. His hands ran across Ty's worn back. Ty wasn't sure if it was just the relief of pain or the feel of the man's hands, but he imagined that heaven would be something like this. It was one of the few moments in his life where he felt totally at ease and protected. "Better?" Anton asked pulling away his hands.
"Yes…thank you. Thank you for everything," Ty whispered pulling himself up so he could offer Anton more room in the bed.
Anton shook his head and gently pushed Ty back down on his untouched shoulder. "Stay there. I'll fit in fine. Rest your weary bones." Then he moved away, washing his hands and peeling off the dress. Ty wanted to desperately keep his eyes open and…watch. But he closed them in the name of maintaining some sort of courtesy.
Anton's body slipped in along side Ty's and feel asleep almost instantly. Ty on the other hand, stayed awake all night. Watching and studying his savior.
Next Tale: Part 2 of Ty and Anton