Once We Get on That Train, Nothin' Between Us and Paradise
Author: Lauri
Flavors(Prompts): Chocolate 4 (Frustration); Fudge Ripple 22 (Foolishness)
Word Count: 1049
Rating: PG
Notes: And we're back to Innes and Jefferson again. There are some words that would not be very acceptable today, but in my setting they were used quite often.
"I can not believe he made you prove you could read before he let you sign, when the man before us signed with an X."
"That's just the way it is, Innes. You know that. A mullie like me will always have to work twice as hard to prove himself, to a negro or a white."
"That doesn't make it right, damn it."
"And when has that stopped anyone since Lucifer fell?"
"Sweet Jesus, Jefferson, your patience would try Job himself. Well, I don't care. It ain't right and I don't like it."
"If you did like it, Innes, I'd beat it out of you."
"Yeah, keep dreaming, Jefferson."
"I'm not the dreamer, Innes."
They both chuckled and then headed toward the depot's ticket booth. The two men stopped dead in their tracks. The ticket line was at least fifty people long. Both brothers looked at the line and then back at the other. Innes pulled out a coin first, and called heads. They both watched as it flew high in the air with acrobatic grace. Innes grabbed it and slapped it on his hand with considered practice. He pulled his hands to his face, and peeked a look to see what had come up. Jefferson whooped as he saw his brother wince. Innes nodded and showed the coin tails up.
"Whooo, the coins like me even if people don't."
"So just what are you going to do, while I'm standin' in line?"
"I thought I'd go fill up my tobacco pouch, and get us some lunch. If you're nice to your older brother -"
"Older," Innes snorted, "by about five minutes."
"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, if you're NICE to your OLDER brother, he might fill up your pouch as well."
"I swear, Jefferson, you're about to earn that whippin' we were talkin' about." But he pulled out his pouch, handed it out to his brother, "Dear, sweet, kind, gentle, old as dirt and twice as ugly, brother of mine, will you please fill up this humble man's tobacco pouch?"
"Why certainly, Innes, you simply had to ask." He grinned grabbed the pouch and headed off toward the general store.
Innes shook his head smiled and moved off toward the depot, and that forever line. He moved to the end and got ready for a long wait. A quarter of an hour later it had moved forward about five heads. Innes sighed and noticed a lady two places behind him was tapping her cane. It was a fine carved ivory cane, with an ebony handle. Apparently in mourning as her dress was made of black muslin, and a black veil covered her pinched face, she tapped impatiently then craned her neck around and muttered, apparently to her companion, but she seemed to have no cares about who overheard her.
"And then brazen as you please he doffed his hat, wished me a grand morning, and then stepped aside! As if he thought himself my equal, me who gave both my sons to win his freedom! I swear negroes don't have any respect. I sometimes wonder whether we should have fought the war or not!"
Innes frowned, but the woman wasn't speaking to him, and if it's one lesson he learned well, it was to respect his elders.
Her companion was obviously uncomfortable. "Mother, please. You're making a scene."
"What, by talking to my daughter about what's on my mind?"
"Thomas and Lawrence would be incensed that anyone said such things, they would die again in shame if they heard it coming from their mother's mouth."
"Elizabeth, I will be what I am, and nothing more or less. If anyone, even my dear sainted sons, would think less of me because of it, then they will have to think such."
The young woman sighed, and muttered softly, "Yes, mother."
The line had started to move again, and Innes had to turn forward and move with it. He was relieved when the woman decided to keep the rest of her thoughts to herself, and as luck or providence would have it, the line began to move more quickly. Fifteen minutes later he had two tickets to Poplar Grove in his hands, and was headed back to find Jefferson.
He found him sitting on the wagon they had rented, not far from the train, calmly smoking his pipe, and what appeared to be two wrapped sandwiches beside him. "If you have the tickets, we should probably get our supplies and belongings on board."
"I have them. Let's get started."
It didn't take very long to get their chests and crates loaded and so they soon found themselves seated in a second class passenge car. Sandwiches unwrapped, they took deep breaths and began to relax a bit as they felt they were truely on their way to a new life. Or at least until the porter came up.
"Pardon, me, but several of the passengers have complained, and the conductor would really like - " he began.
Innes looked up. "Complained about what exactly."
"I'm sorry, but your servant," he tried again.
"He's not my servant. He's my brother."
The porter's face already flushed when bright scarlet, "I didn't mean any offense sir, but the conductor wants - "
"He wants me to go back and ride with the other negroes." Jefferson finished for him.
"Yes, sir."
"I am a full citizen of this country, and I paid for my ticket with cash money, but I am not allowed to sit next to my brother in comfort. What right has any man to ask this of me?"
"Please sir, the other passengers are threatening to leave and go to another line."
Jefferson closed his eyes, picked up his hat and his sandwich, opened his eyes once more as he stood and looked at the porter. "Lead the way, please."
"Jefferson, no, they have no right."
"Innes, they'll do it and you know they will and someone will pay for that. I can stand a little discomfort if it will save a man his job." He turned to the porter, "I will insist on a refund of the difference for the fare, however."
Innes stood up, "That goes for me as well, where my brother goes, I go."
Flavors(Prompts): Chocolate 4 (Frustration); Fudge Ripple 22 (Foolishness)
Word Count: 1049
Rating: PG
Notes: And we're back to Innes and Jefferson again. There are some words that would not be very acceptable today, but in my setting they were used quite often.
"I can not believe he made you prove you could read before he let you sign, when the man before us signed with an X."
"That's just the way it is, Innes. You know that. A mullie like me will always have to work twice as hard to prove himself, to a negro or a white."
"That doesn't make it right, damn it."
"And when has that stopped anyone since Lucifer fell?"
"Sweet Jesus, Jefferson, your patience would try Job himself. Well, I don't care. It ain't right and I don't like it."
"If you did like it, Innes, I'd beat it out of you."
"Yeah, keep dreaming, Jefferson."
"I'm not the dreamer, Innes."
They both chuckled and then headed toward the depot's ticket booth. The two men stopped dead in their tracks. The ticket line was at least fifty people long. Both brothers looked at the line and then back at the other. Innes pulled out a coin first, and called heads. They both watched as it flew high in the air with acrobatic grace. Innes grabbed it and slapped it on his hand with considered practice. He pulled his hands to his face, and peeked a look to see what had come up. Jefferson whooped as he saw his brother wince. Innes nodded and showed the coin tails up.
"Whooo, the coins like me even if people don't."
"So just what are you going to do, while I'm standin' in line?"
"I thought I'd go fill up my tobacco pouch, and get us some lunch. If you're nice to your older brother -"
"Older," Innes snorted, "by about five minutes."
"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, if you're NICE to your OLDER brother, he might fill up your pouch as well."
"I swear, Jefferson, you're about to earn that whippin' we were talkin' about." But he pulled out his pouch, handed it out to his brother, "Dear, sweet, kind, gentle, old as dirt and twice as ugly, brother of mine, will you please fill up this humble man's tobacco pouch?"
"Why certainly, Innes, you simply had to ask." He grinned grabbed the pouch and headed off toward the general store.
Innes shook his head smiled and moved off toward the depot, and that forever line. He moved to the end and got ready for a long wait. A quarter of an hour later it had moved forward about five heads. Innes sighed and noticed a lady two places behind him was tapping her cane. It was a fine carved ivory cane, with an ebony handle. Apparently in mourning as her dress was made of black muslin, and a black veil covered her pinched face, she tapped impatiently then craned her neck around and muttered, apparently to her companion, but she seemed to have no cares about who overheard her.
"And then brazen as you please he doffed his hat, wished me a grand morning, and then stepped aside! As if he thought himself my equal, me who gave both my sons to win his freedom! I swear negroes don't have any respect. I sometimes wonder whether we should have fought the war or not!"
Innes frowned, but the woman wasn't speaking to him, and if it's one lesson he learned well, it was to respect his elders.
Her companion was obviously uncomfortable. "Mother, please. You're making a scene."
"What, by talking to my daughter about what's on my mind?"
"Thomas and Lawrence would be incensed that anyone said such things, they would die again in shame if they heard it coming from their mother's mouth."
"Elizabeth, I will be what I am, and nothing more or less. If anyone, even my dear sainted sons, would think less of me because of it, then they will have to think such."
The young woman sighed, and muttered softly, "Yes, mother."
The line had started to move again, and Innes had to turn forward and move with it. He was relieved when the woman decided to keep the rest of her thoughts to herself, and as luck or providence would have it, the line began to move more quickly. Fifteen minutes later he had two tickets to Poplar Grove in his hands, and was headed back to find Jefferson.
He found him sitting on the wagon they had rented, not far from the train, calmly smoking his pipe, and what appeared to be two wrapped sandwiches beside him. "If you have the tickets, we should probably get our supplies and belongings on board."
"I have them. Let's get started."
It didn't take very long to get their chests and crates loaded and so they soon found themselves seated in a second class passenge car. Sandwiches unwrapped, they took deep breaths and began to relax a bit as they felt they were truely on their way to a new life. Or at least until the porter came up.
"Pardon, me, but several of the passengers have complained, and the conductor would really like - " he began.
Innes looked up. "Complained about what exactly."
"I'm sorry, but your servant," he tried again.
"He's not my servant. He's my brother."
The porter's face already flushed when bright scarlet, "I didn't mean any offense sir, but the conductor wants - "
"He wants me to go back and ride with the other negroes." Jefferson finished for him.
"Yes, sir."
"I am a full citizen of this country, and I paid for my ticket with cash money, but I am not allowed to sit next to my brother in comfort. What right has any man to ask this of me?"
"Please sir, the other passengers are threatening to leave and go to another line."
Jefferson closed his eyes, picked up his hat and his sandwich, opened his eyes once more as he stood and looked at the porter. "Lead the way, please."
"Jefferson, no, they have no right."
"Innes, they'll do it and you know they will and someone will pay for that. I can stand a little discomfort if it will save a man his job." He turned to the porter, "I will insist on a refund of the difference for the fare, however."
Innes stood up, "That goes for me as well, where my brother goes, I go."