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Authors: Tiana Laveen
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filled the room. John quickly swung the door fully open. Master Stewart’s deep, raspy voice reverberated as if amplified a thousand times over.
“John Abraham Stewart, Junior! Damn you!” he yelled. John, without hesitation, walked swiftly up to his father. The two men stared each other down. John grasped the magnitude of the situation at hand.
“I knew it!” Master Stewart bellowed. “I heard you’ve been leaving Gayle alone at night. I went down to the river this evening and witnessed your dirty deeds for myself. I’ve concluded that my son has gone mad! You’re not taking care of home because you’re playing make believe with Hannah. John, you can’t have Hannah, and now you’ve soiled her – you’ve lessened her value. She doesn’t know any better. You, on the other hand, I had more faith in!” Master Stewart’s voice trembled with rage. Hannah raced to her mother’s side, clinging tightly and shaking with fear.
“I was waiting for this,” John said with a crooked grin. “I was waiting for the moment you’d have the nerve to confront me about my private affairs.”
“It’s not a private affair! Hannah is my property! You’re my son! After confirming my worst fears this evening, I’ve made up my mind. I’ve tried to avoid it, but you’ve left me no choice. You’ve neglected your wife, joined the Abolitionist movement, deceived me, and deflowered Hannah. Now you continue to seek her out without my consent. You’ve left me absolutely no choice! I must sell Hannah – tomorrow!” Master Stewart pushed his son aside and grabbed Hannah’s arm. Hannah screamed and twisted, pulling in the opposite direction.
“No! Please, Master Stewart! No! I won’t go to the river no more! Please!” Hannah begged, tears streaming down her face. Mary leaped out of bed, taking her daughter’s other arm.
“John – no – please! John – no!” Mary screamed as tears poured down her cheeks. “John, you promised me you’d never sell my baby!” Several lights came on in the house. Servants slowly stepped out of their rooms and looked up the stairs towards the bedroom. John had disappeared but quickly returned to the room, firing a single shot through the wall. Silence came over the room as everyone cowered.
“Let go of her,” he demanded. “You aren’t sellin’ anybody! She’s my wife – not Gayle. You made me marry Gayle. You never asked me who I loved – who I wanted! You want to make me as miserable as you are! You look at Mama Mary every day and want her but are too damn cowardly to do anything about it. Well, I’m not!” His anger rose from the deepest part of his soul.
“This war is turning Richmond inside out. I won’t be here to witness it to the end. I’ll go further north with my wife where we can be left to live in peace! I refuse to be married to Gayle. I don’t care if her mother, father, grandparents, and the Lord himself come here to tell me otherwise. I won’t be forced into adultery. This isn’t about what you want anymore. This is my life, Father! You’ve already ruined yours – stop trying to ruin mine too! I’d rather be dead than be you!”
Master Stewart lunged towards his son. The two fell to the ground. The warm gun fell out of John’s hands and bounced across the wooden floor. They struggled violently, rolling back and forth. Mary held Hannah closely as the two women looked on. The servants quickly retreated back into their rooms, slamming the doors behind them. John reared his fist back, punching his father in the jaw twice, causing blood to draw on his lower lip.
“Stop!” screamed Hannah. Neither man heard her.
“You – you will do as I say!” Master Stewart said as he climbed on top of his son. “I should’ve always kept you and she separated! I should’ve known history would repeat itself! She has to go!” Master Stewart yelled before taking a few deep breaths. John knocked his father off abruptly. The two men struggled for the gun.
“John Abraham Stewart, Junior! Damn you!” he yelled. John, without hesitation, walked swiftly up to his father. The two men stared each other down. John grasped the magnitude of the situation at hand.
“I knew it!” Master Stewart bellowed. “I heard you’ve been leaving Gayle alone at night. I went down to the river this evening and witnessed your dirty deeds for myself. I’ve concluded that my son has gone mad! You’re not taking care of home because you’re playing make believe with Hannah. John, you can’t have Hannah, and now you’ve soiled her – you’ve lessened her value. She doesn’t know any better. You, on the other hand, I had more faith in!” Master Stewart’s voice trembled with rage. Hannah raced to her mother’s side, clinging tightly and shaking with fear.
“I was waiting for this,” John said with a crooked grin. “I was waiting for the moment you’d have the nerve to confront me about my private affairs.”
“It’s not a private affair! Hannah is my property! You’re my son! After confirming my worst fears this evening, I’ve made up my mind. I’ve tried to avoid it, but you’ve left me no choice. You’ve neglected your wife, joined the Abolitionist movement, deceived me, and deflowered Hannah. Now you continue to seek her out without my consent. You’ve left me absolutely no choice! I must sell Hannah – tomorrow!” Master Stewart pushed his son aside and grabbed Hannah’s arm. Hannah screamed and twisted, pulling in the opposite direction.
“No! Please, Master Stewart! No! I won’t go to the river no more! Please!” Hannah begged, tears streaming down her face. Mary leaped out of bed, taking her daughter’s other arm.
“John – no – please! John – no!” Mary screamed as tears poured down her cheeks. “John, you promised me you’d never sell my baby!” Several lights came on in the house. Servants slowly stepped out of their rooms and looked up the stairs towards the bedroom. John had disappeared but quickly returned to the room, firing a single shot through the wall. Silence came over the room as everyone cowered.
“Let go of her,” he demanded. “You aren’t sellin’ anybody! She’s my wife – not Gayle. You made me marry Gayle. You never asked me who I loved – who I wanted! You want to make me as miserable as you are! You look at Mama Mary every day and want her but are too damn cowardly to do anything about it. Well, I’m not!” His anger rose from the deepest part of his soul.
“This war is turning Richmond inside out. I won’t be here to witness it to the end. I’ll go further north with my wife where we can be left to live in peace! I refuse to be married to Gayle. I don’t care if her mother, father, grandparents, and the Lord himself come here to tell me otherwise. I won’t be forced into adultery. This isn’t about what you want anymore. This is my life, Father! You’ve already ruined yours – stop trying to ruin mine too! I’d rather be dead than be you!”
Master Stewart lunged towards his son. The two fell to the ground. The warm gun fell out of John’s hands and bounced across the wooden floor. They struggled violently, rolling back and forth. Mary held Hannah closely as the two women looked on. The servants quickly retreated back into their rooms, slamming the doors behind them. John reared his fist back, punching his father in the jaw twice, causing blood to draw on his lower lip.
“Stop!” screamed Hannah. Neither man heard her.
“You – you will do as I say!” Master Stewart said as he climbed on top of his son. “I should’ve always kept you and she separated! I should’ve known history would repeat itself! She has to go!” Master Stewart yelled before taking a few deep breaths. John knocked his father off abruptly. The two men struggled for the gun.
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