belong to him anymore. I belong to Aunt Sophie, remember?" Sis Goose asked.
Only then did Mercy Love look at me; a long, haunting look. And in that instant it was as if I could hear her speaking inside my head. "So, you ain't told her she's free yet, is that it?"
Then she broke into insane laughter. But there were tears in her eyes.
"This war be over soon," she said. "An' then you all be free."
"And you?" I dared ask it. "What will you do when you're free, Mercy Love?"
She shook her head and sighed. "I's free now, little girl. And when they say I am I won't ever be." More laughter. "You go on and figure that out."
She gave us gifts. She came forward with two pennies, each wrapped in tissue paper. "Put these in your left shoes," she ordered.
We each took off our left shoe and put the pennies in. "What will they do?" Sis Goose asked.
"Wear them for three days, then throw them in the
creek. Keep you from the cholera or the bilious fever or typhoid."
We dared not disbelieve her.
Then she brought to the table a bowl of clear water and some soap. "Wash your hands together," she said, "so you can be friends for life."
We did so, gladly. Then she gave us each a conjure bag, with goofer dust from the graveyard in it. For good luck.
As we turned to leave she patted my shoulder. "You should know that Gabriel brother of yours will be home soon," she said, "though he have a wound in his leg from the Indians."
Before I could say anything, she laughed. "But he ain't your Gabriel brother anymore. He's this one's lover." And she laughed quietly. Then, "You bring me a piece of his clothing," she said to Sis Goose, "an' I keep him safe for you."
I drew in my breath, wondering why, when the war was almost over, I had feelings that worse times were yet to come.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
S IS G OOSE'S LOVER.
Sometimes Mercy Love teased. Most times likely not. The thing is you have to remember that that Christmas of '64, Sis Goose was sixteen already and I still a child of thirteen. Sure, she sometimes acted younger than me. Sometimes Gabe told me to look after her when he was gone, and I did. But when it came to falling in love, when it came to Gabe, she was somehow looking like twenty.
There were days she wanted nothing to do with me because of the age difference, days she considered herself older than the stars and full of secrets I'd never be privy to. These days she'd hurt me and I'd secretly cry. And there were days she shared with me her dreams and some of those secrets and I needed nothing else to keep going.
T HE HOUSE was all decorated with garlands on the banisters and fruit on the mantels, and the tree in the parlor glowed with candles and smiled with cut-out paper decorations and strung popcorn and berries. With both my brothers
home, the house took on another life, the way it did when there were men around. Their hound dogs lounged in front of the hearths, dirty paws and all. There wasn't much Ma could say about it. The dogs were usually confined to the front hall, but the boys loved them too much.
Mama said we were starting to look like a book by Charles Dickens. She looked at me in my ruffled skirts, my polished boots, my high lace-collared blouse, and my dark hair drawn back with a ribbon, when she said it.
"Go upstairs and get your brothers down, Luli," she said. "Mr. Smith and your pa haven't got all morning."
Mr. Smith was Sis Goose's father, the ship's captain, come to visit. A surprise visit, though Sis Goose and I had been forewarned by Mercy Love. He was in Pa's study, having a wake-up toddy and talking.
Sis Goose hadn't met him yet. She was just about champing at the bit, helping Ma see over last-minute details of the table.
I went upstairs, sneaked down the hall, and stood silently outside the door of Gabe's room.
"Mr. Gabriel, sir." It was Arnold, Granville's "man," who went everywhere in attendance with him. He was helping Gabe with his cravat. Gabe was an utter failure with that particular piece of
Only then did Mercy Love look at me; a long, haunting look. And in that instant it was as if I could hear her speaking inside my head. "So, you ain't told her she's free yet, is that it?"
Then she broke into insane laughter. But there were tears in her eyes.
"This war be over soon," she said. "An' then you all be free."
"And you?" I dared ask it. "What will you do when you're free, Mercy Love?"
She shook her head and sighed. "I's free now, little girl. And when they say I am I won't ever be." More laughter. "You go on and figure that out."
She gave us gifts. She came forward with two pennies, each wrapped in tissue paper. "Put these in your left shoes," she ordered.
We each took off our left shoe and put the pennies in. "What will they do?" Sis Goose asked.
"Wear them for three days, then throw them in the
creek. Keep you from the cholera or the bilious fever or typhoid."
We dared not disbelieve her.
Then she brought to the table a bowl of clear water and some soap. "Wash your hands together," she said, "so you can be friends for life."
We did so, gladly. Then she gave us each a conjure bag, with goofer dust from the graveyard in it. For good luck.
As we turned to leave she patted my shoulder. "You should know that Gabriel brother of yours will be home soon," she said, "though he have a wound in his leg from the Indians."
Before I could say anything, she laughed. "But he ain't your Gabriel brother anymore. He's this one's lover." And she laughed quietly. Then, "You bring me a piece of his clothing," she said to Sis Goose, "an' I keep him safe for you."
I drew in my breath, wondering why, when the war was almost over, I had feelings that worse times were yet to come.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
S IS G OOSE'S LOVER.
Sometimes Mercy Love teased. Most times likely not. The thing is you have to remember that that Christmas of '64, Sis Goose was sixteen already and I still a child of thirteen. Sure, she sometimes acted younger than me. Sometimes Gabe told me to look after her when he was gone, and I did. But when it came to falling in love, when it came to Gabe, she was somehow looking like twenty.
There were days she wanted nothing to do with me because of the age difference, days she considered herself older than the stars and full of secrets I'd never be privy to. These days she'd hurt me and I'd secretly cry. And there were days she shared with me her dreams and some of those secrets and I needed nothing else to keep going.
T HE HOUSE was all decorated with garlands on the banisters and fruit on the mantels, and the tree in the parlor glowed with candles and smiled with cut-out paper decorations and strung popcorn and berries. With both my brothers
home, the house took on another life, the way it did when there were men around. Their hound dogs lounged in front of the hearths, dirty paws and all. There wasn't much Ma could say about it. The dogs were usually confined to the front hall, but the boys loved them too much.
Mama said we were starting to look like a book by Charles Dickens. She looked at me in my ruffled skirts, my polished boots, my high lace-collared blouse, and my dark hair drawn back with a ribbon, when she said it.
"Go upstairs and get your brothers down, Luli," she said. "Mr. Smith and your pa haven't got all morning."
Mr. Smith was Sis Goose's father, the ship's captain, come to visit. A surprise visit, though Sis Goose and I had been forewarned by Mercy Love. He was in Pa's study, having a wake-up toddy and talking.
Sis Goose hadn't met him yet. She was just about champing at the bit, helping Ma see over last-minute details of the table.
I went upstairs, sneaked down the hall, and stood silently outside the door of Gabe's room.
"Mr. Gabriel, sir." It was Arnold, Granville's "man," who went everywhere in attendance with him. He was helping Gabe with his cravat. Gabe was an utter failure with that particular piece of
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