“You mean the arm? Actually Joe, I’m still as good as ever, you’ll see. You don’t have to be sorry about me. It’s life. It’s the way it is.” Lee nodded, besides nothing he could say could make it better. “Ever since the war, things have been changin’.”
“This ain’t no fittin’ homecomin’ is it?”
Lee smiled sardonically and shook his head. “I think I need some more sleep.”
“Yes sir.” Joe left quietly. “I’ll leave you alone with your sorrow, but if you needs me, just holler out the door.”
“Where you goin’?” Lee asked.
“I’ll sleep outside. I feel like you need a little privacy.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You won’t sleep outside. You’ll stay in here with me. I’m sorry I make you uncomfortable, but it is a lot to take at once,” Lee explained weary from the news and not knowing exactly what he’d do about the woman.
“I knowed that’s right.” Joe nodded.
“So, tell me about Hattie and Sam. Do you like her, I mean them?” Lee asked, slipping out of his worn out boots and tossing them in a corner.
Joe eyed the boots, then dropped his head. He fidgeted for a minute then replied, “Like any other woman, I guess. Well, no sir, she ain’t like anybody I ever knowed. She’s quiet and gentle and caring.”
“So what do you think of her?” Lee chuckled.
“Yes sir, she’s a good woman. She’s more than good. But she don’t dress up much. She came here with practically nothing, the clothes on her back and a few fer the kids, that was all. She acts like she is happy here. She never complains about all the work, just happy to have it. But if she was a mind to, she’d be one of the prettiest ladies this side of Alabama.” Joe smiled.
“Well, at least that fits. Now tell me about the important things. What kind of person is she?”
“Nice, well sir, she’s polite, she’s got manners, she makes her kids mind and don’t spoil them rotten. She teaches them stuff. And she really don’t want no troubles. But she’s got ‘em,” Joe said sadly.
Lee frowned. He didn’t want any trouble either. He’s seen enough to last a lifetime. He’d have to see after her.
After a lot of thought Lee asked, “Why did they burn the house? Trying to scare her out?”
Joe hung his head as though he didn’t want to talk any more but felt compelled to answer.
“Yes sir, they did want to scare her out. But she didn’t budge. She got out there and fought that fire and put it out before it did too much damage. She couldn’t get no help to rebuild, so she left it. But things need some repairs around here, Mr. Lee. That old house is gonna fall down without it some repairs. I’m glad you are home so we can take care of it. The Jeffries made it even harder for her when they got the dry goods place to not sell her any feed for the animals. ‘Course we can find a place on down the road that will sell us some supplies, if need be.”
Lee nodded, his frown growing with every word. “And this Frank wants her for himself?”
“It seems so.”
“Well, he won’t get her, not by a long shot. Not unless that’s what she wants.”
“No sir, she don’t want that at all, I can tell you. I hate to say it, ‘cause it will just make things harder for you, but she acts like your widow.”
Then it hit him. Lee sat up and stared at Joe. “I’ve got to tell you Joe, I want no lies between us. I want you to know how I met her and Sam. I want you to know everything. It all began before I went to war. I ran into Sam one day, cryin’ over a man hanging in a tree: his pa. So I buried the man, and was gonna take him to town when Hattie came out of the bushes. She couldn’t have been over fifteen at the time. Now I had two kids and didn’t know what to do with them. So I took them into town, and ran into Gloria Newcomb who offered to take care of them for me. I left her some money and left the kids there. Through the years I thought about Hattie and Sam. When I thought I was dyin’ I signed over that deed to Gloria, thinkin’ they would all be taken care of. Gloria wrote me a letter back sayin’ she got the deed, and thanked me, that they would be on their way soon. I figured even if I lived, I could come back and work the place for her. When I got into town, I saw Hattie, wasn’t sure it was her, it had been a long time and she sure filled out as a woman since I seen her. Anyway, I saw Sam and knew it had to be them. On the way out here, I saw her again, they were picnicin’ and then someone shot at them. I took the kid that was hurt to the wagon and she told me to come here.”
“They fired on her and them kids?” Joe asked as his brow shot upward. “She didn’t even tell me about it. But then, she don’t speak of her troubles. It’s like she don’t want to put nobody out.”
“I brought her back to the house, but I didn’t ask no questions. I thought it would be best to learn about it from you first. I needed to know all you could tell me.” Lee shook his head and smiled. “I had no idea that I was supposed to be dead. I heard Jeffries talking to her in town and telling her the land wouldn’t be hers long.”
Joe scratched his head. “Well sir…lovin’ a black lady ain’t gonna be easy, you know…”
“No, but I know that, and for both our sakes I don’t intend telling her how I feel,” Lee admitted.
“That ain’t very fair to her, is it?”
“No, but at least it won’t give her any more trouble than she’s already got.”
Joe nodded. “Lord, Lord, there’s gonna be trouble no matter what, Mr. Lee.”