Chapter 25
Wade arrived early on Friday morning and by that time Scarlett hired a group of freed blacks who were willing to tend to the preparation and serving of the food. They were a mixed bunch of men under one black man who knew how to read and write. Each one looked hungry for work because most of them had run away from former plantation owners and now under the changing government and unsteady political atmosphere, most of them were unhappy and bewildered in their new found freedom. Life at the moment seemed harder for these former slaves but they still held their pride and demanded more wages. Some of them even concealed a look of cunning behind their vacant eyes. It was a strange situation. Scarlett plodded on unperturbed but even she realized that it was better these men were kept a little away from the actual site of the barbeque.
Ashley Wilkes and India decided they would come too. When Scarlett asked Rhett about this, he merely shrugged.
An added surprise was Suellen's growing list of families. She had made several girlfriends on her trips with Will to Johannesburg and now they all had families of their own. They were not from the lineage of big planters. But they were decent folk, struggling to cope with the losses in the war just like any Southern family and they were quite happy to come up to Tara. This time around, there were several children.
Suellen kept badgering Scarlett about the number of children. The last thing she wanted was for everything to look like a nursery but Scarlett worked on this. She somehow changed the idea of a barbeque party. Usually people sat on benches and ate with their beaus. The matrons sat on one side and the men on the other, each attending to their own social circles. But seeing that the newer generation was going to dominate the crowd, Scarlett decided to lay out one common bench surrounded by a ring of trees where everyone could sit, men and women. Those who wished to sit elsewhere had benches by the oak trees. And the children were seated on the sheets spread in the sunny sloping grasses with a view of the river. And apart from this, there were activities which only Scarlett could have thought of. She decided on pony races for the children. Several of the best ponies were hired from the Tarleton farm for the day. And the day before the party, Scarlett ordered some men to build a small, simple, wooden stage with low quality planks from Ashley's mills. She sent up a mule laden with bags of colourful fabrics and old gowns that looked more like pre-war outfits. A servant was posted to watch over everything. When Suellen asked Scarlett about this, the latter said that the stage was for any impromptu recital or play which anyone wished to perform. Just how this would happen, Scarlett did not analyse. But she merely wished to add as much provision for various possibilities in a barbeque party like never before.
Soon a sturdy see-saw was added on the grassy slopes beside the river, a couple of swings on the branches of a muscular tree, hoops and sticks in plenty.
Scarlett flitted in and out of the house, on horseback or on foot, in a coach or carriage meeting people, making arrangements and she was so busy and distracted that no one could hold her down long enough to ask exactly what they must expect to see that the barbeque party.
The day of the barbeque arrived. It was a day of bright sunshine and the warm rays lighted up the pine trees and the white-starred magnolia trees. The guests arrived one by one, slowly and gracefully in their coaches, their children peering out, sensing a general air of excitement and goodwill. Suellen greeted her guests alongside Will. Rhett sat in a shady corner with Wade and Beau beside him, chatting and interrupting each other over the news of their school. Ella was already on the swing, kicking her legs and making herself swing faster.
But Scarlett was nowhere to be seen.