Chapter Fifteen
Valinda drove onto Drake’s land for the first day of school and past the plowed-over spot where the house once stood. Her disagreement with Drake aside, the sight always tugged at her heartstrings and she guessed it always would, at least until a new house filled the space. She was soon distracted by the throngs of people milling around the boxcars and stopped Penelope and stared agape. Small children and gangly limbed adolescents stood with their parents, along with adult men and women, young, middle-aged, and elderly. Some in the crowd were outfitted in their Sunday best, others in well-worn homespun. In talking with students at her old classroom, she remembered them saying they only wanted three things from Freedom: their families no longer forcibly separated, no more working under the lash, and being allowed to educate themselves and their children.
Drake rode up and she whispered emotionally, “Oh my goodness! Look at all the people!”
“They started arriving at first light,” he said. “It’s quite a gathering.”
It was indeed. The newspapers had been reporting on freedmen flocking to schools all over the South, not only to the few still run by the Freedmen’s Bureau but those being sponsored by churches, Black Civil War veterans, and even groups of former slaves.
As she urged Penelope forward, a voice called, “Are you the teacher?”
“Yes!” she called back.
As soon as she parked and stepped down, she was surrounded by people wanting to shake her hand and learn her name. She was peppered with questioning about where she was from, if she was born free, and if she could really teach them to read. One man even asked if she was married.
In the end, she gently asked for silence so she could be heard. She gave them her name and asked that everyone form two lines: one for children and their parents, the other for adults.
As they began sorting themselves, Drake said, “Looks like you’ll need help. What can I do?”
“Can you handle the adults? I’ll take the parents and children. Write down their names, ages, where they live, if they can read, and what days and times they can attend classes.” She quickly retrieved a writing tablet and pencils from her supplies in the wagon. “You can record everything in here.”
He headed over to the classroom he’d built for the adults and she sat on the step that led into the one for the children.
At the end of two hours, they had the names of twenty-five children, fourteen parents, nine adult women, and twelve adult men, including two who offered Valinda marriage proposals. Of the sixty names on the list, three could read. Valinda made a note to get in touch with Eb. She hoped his daughter, Melinda, still needed a position because if everyone in the crowd attended classes with any regularity, the school would need another teacher. And there was no reason to think they wouldn’t. Every person thanked her, some with tears in their eyes. In response, she fought back tears of her own.
She made a tentative decision to hold classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the day for the children, and evening classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the adults. If any adults needed to bring their children with them, they’d be allowed.
Since today was Friday she announced that there’d be no teaching until Monday because she needed to look over the lists of names, ages, and preferred days of attendance to determine how large each class might be. Many people expressed their disappointment. But so as not to send them home with nothing, she and Drake took the time to write everyone’s name on a piece of paper. She asked that when they came to class, they pin the names to the front of their clothing until she learned their faces. Most had never seen their names written down. She watched many of them study the words silently before reverently placing the paper in their pockets.
After everyone departed, Val and Drake took seats in the grass to catch their breath. “Thank you, Drake. I couldn’t have done this without your help.”
“You’re welcome. It was exciting. You’re going to be eternally blessed for taking this on, Valinda.”
She noted that he no longer referred to her ascheri. It was a small thing but pierced her feelings like a thorn just the same. “I hope that blessing comes with a large helping of added strength because this is going to be hard work.” She told him about Eb’s daughter.
“I’ll take care of her salary, if you need me to,” he said.
“Some of the parents said they’ll be able to pay. I know they can’t afford much, but I’m hoping to use those funds to pay her. I’ve also been thinking about a fund-raiser?”
“Such as?”
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“Okay, but I can help if needed. I’d like to contribute in some way.”
Val wondered if there was a more generous family than the LeVeqs. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
“You’re welcome. Where are you off to now?”
“Back to your mother’s for lunch, then to the Quarter to talk with Eb about his daughter.”
“Mind if I ride with you?”
She searched his features for evidence of his intent. His assistance had been a godsend, so to deny such a simple request would be mean-spirited and unworthy of her, so she said, “No, I don’t mind.”
“Thank you,cheri.”
She froze. Searching his face again, she wondered what he was about. The eyes holding hers appeared innocent enough, but she sensed something had changed. She couldn’t put her finger on it but decided to remain on her side of the fence they’d erected between each other, because her feelings stayed safer that way.