In a Heartbeat
"Echoes of Yesterday"
A/N Language might be offensive. Sorry it took me so long to write.
Disclaimer: Don't own IAHB….
* * *
Chapter 6- Hank Part III
North Carolina, 1864
I still believe,
We shall overcome someday.
Hank was working in the tobacco fields when it happened.
An instinct told him to look up and in the distance he saw Henry, along with twenty or so other slaves bound and gagged, shacked hand and foot. It took all of Hank's self-control not to run over and free Henry himself. But the overseer was standing right above him, waiting for any mistake, the slightest slip up. He now felt the rage he had seen in Ben and Henry's eyes so many times before.
Hank's head jerked up. He heard the soft crumple of the grass as Sarah ran towards Henry.
"Sarah!" he called. "Wait!" he stood up to stop her, but the overseer pushed him down roughly. "Get back to work!" he barked.
"Back girl!" Mas' Freedman yelled as Sarah flung herself on Henry. Mas' Freedman raised his hand and Hank heard the whip crack against his younger sister's back, over and over, again. Hank knelt in the tobacco fields, for all he could do was watch and remain helpless.
* * *
"You, Ben a' Sarah still goin'." His mother said. It was dark in the cabin that night. No fire in the hearth after hours of dressing Sarah's wounds.
"Shouldn't we wait for Henry to come back?"
"You and I both know he ain't never coming back. But your Papa and me we plan for the rest of you to go to Philadelphia. Then hopefully the war will end soon and we'll join you."
Hank looked into his mother's thin face. There were fine lines of worry and sadness around her brown eyes.
He sighed, "When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow. Otherwise I know Ben will run off on his own." she gently stroked his hair as if he was still a little boy. "It's hard watchin' you 'all to leave, but I can't deny your freedom."
* * *
It was well after the last streak of day had left the sky, when they prepared to leave. Sarah dressed as a boy. Hank and Ben in their disguises, the well worn baggy clothes on them.
"Go fast as you can at night and hide during the day. Every time you see water, go through it. A creek, a river- don't matter if it a puddle, go through it. That way you won't hardly leave no scent for the dogs to pick up on. And watch out for them Confederate soldiers. They can be mean as snakes, and if they catch you, they gonna bring you back into slavery." Papa said, patting he and Ben on the back affectingly and hugging Sarah.
"Be good, Ruthie." Hank said lifting her over his shoulders as she giggled.
"God be with you." Mama said tearfully as the three slipped out the cabin wondering if they would ever see them again.
* * *
The moon shone in the eastern sky as they moved deeper into the woods, only a small glimmer of moonlight made its way through the thick branches of the trees. There were dark, eerie shadows everywhere, and it was hard to see. But they kept moving, hurrying along, stumbling over vines and stumps hidden by the darkness.
They traveled all night, wading through swamps, clawing through vines that snatched onto their clothes and dug into his hands until they bled. Suddenly the sky began to lighten. 'We better stop soon Ben." Hank said quietly.
"No we should keep goin'."
Hank grabbed his arm. "It's getting light out and someone might see us."
"Fine." he answered stiffly as he crept towards the opening of a nearby cave.
Inside the cave they talked of unimportant things, spoken merely to outdo the quiet. Finally night came and they started out again.
"You okay?" Hank whispered to Sarah. She had never talked much, just followed you with her big, thinking, brown eyes, but every since the whipping, and Hank supposed before, she had become almost mute only uttering responses when spoken to.
"I be fine. Just holdin' my breath." she said almost grinning. He wanted to ask her what she meant, but Ben interrupted, "This must be the river Papa talked about."
They stood at the back on the river, it looked wild and dangerous each barley knowing how to swim. "Come on." Ben whispered. Slowly they made their way to the center of the river, the current pulling at them. It lifted them off the bottom and dragged them sideways. Finally, miraculously, the three made it across.
* * *
It was hours later when Ben spotted the train tracks. They followed in silence , because if anyone heard or saw them there would be barley anywhere to hide. Night was soon fading into day when they reached the house.
"It's the house Hank. The safe house near the train that Papa told us about." Sarah said excitedly.
"Hush!" Ben said sharply. "There be Johnny Rebs all over."
So, she quieted and they walked further and further down the tracks un till two sets of tracks met. With caution Ben, Hank, and Sarah walked to the house. He rapped on the door. He held his breath praying it wasn't a soldier, that they hadn't been mistaken and this was the wrong house. The door open and a woman stood before them.
"Mrs. Beecham?"
"Yes?"
"My brother, sister, and me ran away from the Freedman plantation. My Papa, David, said you would help us." Ben said.
"Come in." the woman said kindly. "You'all must be tired and hungry. I ain't got much but you're welcome to it."
They sat down as she woman busied herself ,heating the fire. "You weren't born when I left," she started looking at Sarah, "But, I think Ben and Hank might remember me."
He didn't and wondered how she knew his name.
"I'm Alex Freedman's older daughter, you're master. I was good friends with you're Mama and Papa, we grew up together. When I got older I fell in love with a abolitionist, my father threw me out, disowned me. But I've kept in touch with you're father."
She got up again and then returned with a bundle of clothes in her arms. "I save these for runaways. Take a bath, rest, then tomorrow I'll take you to the coast tomorrow. You can get a ship to Philadelphia from there."
"Thank you , ma'am." Hank said.
She waved him off. "No need. You're Papa would do the same for me."
* * *
When Hank he had looked unto the busy streets. He had never been in a city before, and Philadelphia seemed to be busting at the seams. He suddenly felt homesick for his mother, father, Henry and Ruthie.
But, months later, Hank had gotten used to the noisy, busy city. He worked at a blacksmiths and in time he would be able to join Sarah at school. Ben had left only a few week after they had arrived to join the war. Hank suspected that even when the war ended Ben would not be back.
Sarah sighed loudly and he turned to her. "What's wrong?"
"We're free."
Hank laughed slightly. They were.
* * *
Slaves Resisted
They resisted the practice of slavery and the trade in slaves from inception in the U.S. in the early 1600s to its end in the middle 1800s.
The resisted it on the ships from Africa.
They resisted in the fields and in the big house; they resisted by organized rebellion; and they resisted by direct, spontaneous acts of courage.
For their freedom, they killed and were killed. They poisoned and committed infanticide and suicide.
They always ran away. And some master was always hunting for them.
Their will set apart against the master's will, they fought back and died. They also survived.
They took the lash and the burn. They lost but they won.
By the strength of their determination, led by the North star and set abroad the box cars of the Underground Railroad- by their resistance- slaves won in the cause of Human Freedom.
http://www.afroam.org/history/slavery/main.html
* * *
Well Hank's part is finally finished. Only 3 more parts to go. What do you think? It may take awhile before the next part( Jamie and Caitie) because I have to do research on a few things for it as well as Val's part. However we're reading "Night" now and that will help.
