decided to bring school to him,” Carla explained as if there were nothing spectacular about what she had done.
Rose just stared at her. At eight years old, Carla had taught her six-year-old brother how to read. She shook her head in amazement. “I’m so proud of you,” she finally murmured. She wished all the people who thought blacks were inferior to whites could meet the little girl cavorting in front of her.
Carla stopped dancing and snuggled up to her again. “You think I’ll make a good teacher, Miss Rose? You think I’ll be as good as you?”
Rose hugged her warmly. “I’ll think you’ll be incredible at whatever you decide to do, Carla.” A sudden thought struck her. “I have an idea.” She smiled at the expectant look on the girl’s face. “How about if you help me with the younger children? Sometimes there just aren’t enough teachers to go around. You could help them the same way you helped Andrew.”
“Really?” Carla breathed in disbelief. She drew her slender frame up importantly and spoke quickly. “I’d be most obliged to help you, Miss Rose.”
Just then a call from the porch of the school drew Rose’s attention. She stood awkwardly, swaying a little as another wave of fatigue washed over her.
“You okay, Miss Rose?” Carla asked anxiously. Her little face grew serious. “My mama said last night that she reckoned you would be having your baby anytime. You reckon your baby is coming?”
Rose took a deep breath, trying to fight off the dizziness sweeping through her. She had over a hundred women and children waiting in the school house for her. As close as she could tell, she still had two weeks before her baby was due. “I’m okay, Carla,” she replied weakly.
“You want me to get my mama?” Carla persisted. “You’re looking real sick, Miss Rose.”
Rose shook her head, straightened, and began to walk toward the schoolhouse. A sharp pain ripped through her body. She doubled over, gasping in agony.
“Miss Rose!” Carla cried. “Miss Rose!”
“Get your mama,” Rose managed to whisper.
Then she collapsed.
The sun was sinking low on the horizon when Rose regained consciousness and fought her way through the dark cloud enveloping her.
“Take it easy, Rose.”
Rose turned her head toward the soothing voice. “Diedre... What happened...?”
Diedre squeezed her hand reassuringly. “My little Carla came runnin’ to get me as soon as you done collapsed on that road. I sent her to the fort to get some men to carry you here. We been waitin’ a right long time for you to come to.”
Rose studied her face. Diedre’s eyes betrayed the calm way she was speaking. “What’s wrong with me?”
“I’d say you done wore yourself right out, young lady,” Diedre said sharply. “I done been tellin’ you for months that you needs to take care of yourself better, but you didn’t heed nothing I said.”
“So much to do,” Rose murmured tiredly.
“Ain’t nothing gonna get done if you kill yourself in the doin’,” Diedre rejoined sharply. Then her voice softened. “Everybody in this here camp knows you’d give the very last drop of yourself. That don’t mean you have to do it.”
“My baby?” Rose whispered anxiously. “Will my baby be all right?” Diedre hesitated, obviously not knowing how to respond. Rose’s
Rose just stared at her. At eight years old, Carla had taught her six-year-old brother how to read. She shook her head in amazement. “I’m so proud of you,” she finally murmured. She wished all the people who thought blacks were inferior to whites could meet the little girl cavorting in front of her.
Carla stopped dancing and snuggled up to her again. “You think I’ll make a good teacher, Miss Rose? You think I’ll be as good as you?”
Rose hugged her warmly. “I’ll think you’ll be incredible at whatever you decide to do, Carla.” A sudden thought struck her. “I have an idea.” She smiled at the expectant look on the girl’s face. “How about if you help me with the younger children? Sometimes there just aren’t enough teachers to go around. You could help them the same way you helped Andrew.”
“Really?” Carla breathed in disbelief. She drew her slender frame up importantly and spoke quickly. “I’d be most obliged to help you, Miss Rose.”
Just then a call from the porch of the school drew Rose’s attention. She stood awkwardly, swaying a little as another wave of fatigue washed over her.
“You okay, Miss Rose?” Carla asked anxiously. Her little face grew serious. “My mama said last night that she reckoned you would be having your baby anytime. You reckon your baby is coming?”
Rose took a deep breath, trying to fight off the dizziness sweeping through her. She had over a hundred women and children waiting in the school house for her. As close as she could tell, she still had two weeks before her baby was due. “I’m okay, Carla,” she replied weakly.
“You want me to get my mama?” Carla persisted. “You’re looking real sick, Miss Rose.”
Rose shook her head, straightened, and began to walk toward the schoolhouse. A sharp pain ripped through her body. She doubled over, gasping in agony.
“Miss Rose!” Carla cried. “Miss Rose!”
“Get your mama,” Rose managed to whisper.
Then she collapsed.
The sun was sinking low on the horizon when Rose regained consciousness and fought her way through the dark cloud enveloping her.
“Take it easy, Rose.”
Rose turned her head toward the soothing voice. “Diedre... What happened...?”
Diedre squeezed her hand reassuringly. “My little Carla came runnin’ to get me as soon as you done collapsed on that road. I sent her to the fort to get some men to carry you here. We been waitin’ a right long time for you to come to.”
Rose studied her face. Diedre’s eyes betrayed the calm way she was speaking. “What’s wrong with me?”
“I’d say you done wore yourself right out, young lady,” Diedre said sharply. “I done been tellin’ you for months that you needs to take care of yourself better, but you didn’t heed nothing I said.”
“So much to do,” Rose murmured tiredly.
“Ain’t nothing gonna get done if you kill yourself in the doin’,” Diedre rejoined sharply. Then her voice softened. “Everybody in this here camp knows you’d give the very last drop of yourself. That don’t mean you have to do it.”
“My baby?” Rose whispered anxiously. “Will my baby be all right?” Diedre hesitated, obviously not knowing how to respond. Rose’s
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