It took three weeks to get from Jackson, Mississippi, to Mobile, Alabama. They mostly traveled by night and rested during the heat of the day, staying close to the Tombigbee and Mobile River so they could fill their water jugs and wash some of the road off them.
It would be a while before they reached the Appalachian trails. So when they passed by city areas, they spent some days selling what Louella touted as the cure for rheumatism in little tin cases they had purchased at a general store along the way.
The women cooked whatever the men were able to pull in with their fishing rods or raccoons and rabbits they caught. Most of the cooking was done in the early afternoon once the men came back to camp with their bounty.
The swelling of Louella’s feet was troublesome. She tried drinking water during the day, but depending on which part of the river they camped at, sometimes the water was cloudy and made her sick to her stomach.
“I’m worried ’bout you,” Mama Sue said as Louella sat on the ground next to the fire. Embers from the fire sparked as they floated away on air currents. Mama Sue was cooking the last of the rice they’d brought with them along with a pot of beans.
“I’ll be fine. Just need more water.”
“No, you need to be on that wagon more.” Her grandmother stirred the beans, then shook her head. “All us appreciate you giving up your riding time to some of us older women, but we see how your feet swelling and how low that baby is hanging.”
Placing her hands on the ground behind her, Louella leaned back to stretch out as the baby moved around. “This child laying on my bladder. Can’t hardly rest my feet, I got to get up to relieve myself so often.”
William and Larry helped her stand up. Louella held on to the bottom of her swollen belly as she wobbled up the hill and found a spot in front of one of the wagons to squat while trying not to wet her dress.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Louella righted herself and began the trek back down the hill. Her swollen feet ached something terrible.
She saw William standing next to Mama Sue. Louella almost yelled for him. She needed to lean on him to safely maneuver the rest of this hill. But his and Mama Sue’s heads were huddled together, Mama Sue talking and pointing in Louella’s direction. Louella stopped walking, took a deep breath. Hands on either side of her hips, she contemplated taking a seat in the very spot she stood.
But then William walked away from Mama Sue and lifted his arms, waving them in the air to get everyone’s attention. “We’ve been on the road for several weeks now. Walking at night and selling our products during the day.”
William took his handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the sweat from his brow. “We need a rest. Let’s stay close to the Mobile River for one more night before we make our way toward Georgia, where we will then find the trail for the Appalachian Mountains.”
“William!” Louella yelled for him. She would’ve rushed over to him, but her feet felt heavy, like the chains of slavery were holding them in the spot she stood.
William trotted up the hill to Louella’s side. “You okay, beloved? You need my help?”
“Why are we staying put another night? We’re still far from our destination.” Louella shook her head. “I don’t think that’s the right decision.”
“Well.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I reckon you’ve been overruled by your husband.”
“I don’t like that. You should listen to me.”
“And you should listen to your body.” William put an arm around Louella’s waist and slowly walked with her down the hill. “You’d keep walking on those swollen feet until they bust wide open. You need rest, and from what Mama Sue tells me, you haven’t been drinking enough water.”
“The water’s been turning my stomach. I can’t drink it.”
William helped her sit down. “I’ll go foraging with the men in the morning. I’ll find a creek with some fresh water and bring it back to you.”
Louella lifted her hand and gently ran it down the side of William’s face. “Thank you.” Their eyes locked, but then Louella turned away.
They made camp that night, and Louella rested her feet. The next morning, William took Ambrose foraging. Mama Sue sat down next to Louella and rubbed her feet. “Why didn’t you say anything? I could’ve given up my ride on the wagon the night before.”
Louella shrugged. “We have so far to travel. I didn’t want to be a burden by slowing us down.”
“Stop talking foolish. If it wasn’t for you, we’d still be on the Montgomery Plantation with empty bellies.” Mama Sue stood back up and reheated the beans. A crisp, earthy smell wafted up from the bean pot with the steam of the salt meat.
Abigail was standing a little ways behind Mama Sue, helping Tommy chop wood. Abigail’s eyelashes fluttered so many times as she laughed at whatever Tommy was saying, Louella felt like she was dipping into private matters, so she averted her eyes from the two of them.
“Abigail,” Robert called out to her. “Get over here. Since we’re just sitting around, you can keep me company.”
Abigail’s shoulders slumped, and her cheeks reddened with embarrassment. Louella was outraged for the girl. She swung around and glared at Robert. He had a grin on his face that she used to see on old Montgomery’s face when he came sniffing around the women in the field. Grins like that stripped dignity from women who could do nothing but relent.
Louella wished he had stayed back in Mississippi. If she had anything to say about it, nobody was going to be “Massa” to her or anyone in this camp ever again.
Putting her hands to the ground, she tried to push herself up, but her belly was in the way and almost caused her to flop back onto the ground. It would have, if Clara hadn’t run over and held on to her right arm while Mirabel grabbed her left.
“Girl, what you doing?” Mama Sue put her hands on her ample hips.
“I need to stand up, but this baby isn’t making things easy on me.” Louella grabbed hold of Clara and awkwardly stood on her swollen feet.
“Sit back down. You need to rest,” Mama Sue told her.
“In a minute, Mama. Something needs fixing, and I can’t be still.” Louella then wobbled as she tried to walk gracefully over to Robert to give him a mouthful. She looked ridiculous, knew it, but didn’t care. When she reached Robert, she got close and leaned into him as she said, “You need to leave Abigail alone. She don’t belong to you no more.”
Robert’s head swiveled as if he’d been struck. Venom danced in his eyes. “How dare you speak to me with such insolence.”
“Insolence?” She’d heard that word enough during slavery when white folks put her in her place for speaking her mind. But Louella would never allow anyone to shut her mouth again. Not when she was right about a matter.
Robert stood. “I’m not going to put up with this from you.”
“Just letting you know that the people on this journey no longer wish to be ruled by a massa, so Abigail won’t be keeping you company tonight.”
Sputtering, Robert turned toward the girl he’d once owned and yelled, “Abigail, get over here!”
Abigail put the log down and scurried over to Robert like a scared rat. Her head was lowered as she placed her feet next to his. “I was helping with the logs in case we get a chill tonight,” she told him as if she needed to account for her time.
“You weren’t doing anything wrong, Abigail. Raise your head,” Louella told her.
Robert’s hands tightened as he blew out a puff of air. “You don’t tell her what to do.”
Putting her hands on her hips, Louella harrumphed. “And neither do you. Abigail is a free woman. She don’t answer to you no more.”
Face red, Robert turned to Abigail. “Will you tell this meddling woman that I’m not forcing you to do anything?”
Inch by inch, Abigail lifted her head. She hesitated for a moment, stepped back, then told her former master, “You right as rain, Mr. Robert. You can’t force me to do nothing.”
“That’s right,” Robert agreed as he jutted a finger in Louella’s direction. “Now tell her that you want to be with me.”
Tommy stepped over to them. His eyes questioned Abigail. “Is it true, Abbey?”
Robert swung around, glaring at Tommy. “Why do you call her Abbey? Her name is Abigail.” His voice rose with every word.
“I like when he calls me Abbey.” Robert swung back in Abigail’s direction. As her voice took on strength, she added, “And I don’t want to keep company with you.”
“Finally!” Louella hugged Abigail. “I knew you had it in you.”
Smiling, Abigail said, “It’s time for me to start acting like I’m free, right?”
Louella nodded. “For sure and true.”
Tommy took Abigail’s hand and walked away with her.
Robert turned his anger back to Louella. “Who do you think you are? I’ve looked out for my people all these years. Abigail and I have always been friendly. I haven’t harmed her.”
“And I’m sure your mama never complained about keeping company with Massa Montgomery either.”
Robert raised his hand, getting ready to slap Louella, when William shouted, “What in the devil’s going on?”
Robert’s hand limped back down as William advanced on them. “Your wife is interfering in my business.”
“You okay, sis?” Ambrose asked Louella while eyeing Robert.
“I’m fine.” Louella lifted a hand, stopping Ambrose from advancing farther.
William pulled his wife close to him. “I don’t care what she was doing. Don’t you ever raise a hand to her again.”
“William, now listen to me . . . ,” Robert began.
But William shushed him and pointed toward a man, a woman, and two boys who were standing with Gary. “We have company.”
“How we gon’ have company, and we’re basically sleeping outdoors?” Robert rolled his eyes.
William brought Louella back over to her seat. When she sat down, Mama Sue smiled at her but didn’t say anything. William then handed her a ladle full of the water he’d brought back to the camp. She drank several ladles of water that tasted so fresh she wondered if God Himself had directed her husband to the stream.
William raised a hand to the group. “Gather around, everyone. I want to introduce you to some good people we met while hunting today.”
The group pressed in. William had the newcomers stand next to him. “This here is Marshal Johnson and his wife, Sooni Johnson.” William extended a hand toward the children. “Their two boys are MJ and Mark. They come from the Johnson Plantation here in Mobile.”
“Nice to meet y’all,” Clara said as she shook Sooni’s hand.
“The thing is,” William began again, “the Johnsons have been hiding out from the Night Riders after they burned down their home.”
All at once, the crowd seemed to groan at the mention of Night Riders. Since the war, they’d heard stories about ghosts chasing Negroes off their land. Many of the ghosts turned out to be the overseers or former slave owners, scaring colored folks into submission.
Gary stepped forward. “Marshal informed us that it’s not safe to travel during the night while we’re in Alabama. They’ve got night patrols looking to cause trouble and claim that our travels are unauthorized.”
Louella was listening from her spot on the ground. Glancing down at her feet, she grinned. Dirty and swollen as they were, they might have kept them out of harm’s way.
William lifted a hand to get everyone’s attention again. “I suggest that we spend one more night at this camp and then head out in the morning.”
Louella turned to the newcomers. “Thank you so much for delivering this important information to us.”
“The Johnson family would like to take the journey north with us. I’d like a show of hands.” William raised his first. “Can the Johnsons join us?”
Louella asked Marshal, “What was your trade on the Johnson Plantation?”
“I was a farmer, ma’am. You got crops need growing, I’m your man.” He then pointed toward his wife. “Sooni be the best seamstress in all of Alabama.”
“You all’ll fit right in.” Louella raised her hand. Mama Sue and Clara raised their hands. Then one hand after another went up.
William turned to the family. “Well, Marshal, looks like you’re one of us now.”
Marshal took his hat off as he looked upon the group. “From the bottom of my heart, I truly thank you.”
“Now let’s eat.” Mama Sue opened her pot and let the smell of butter beans mingle with the air.
Once everyone had eaten, William sat down next to Louella and stretched out his legs.
“Are you full?” she asked.
He nodded, then leaned close and whispered in her ear, “Now, what was Robert so steaming mad about?”
Louella’s eyes rolled heavenward. “Your brother thinks he’s still massa around here.”
William’s head jolted backward. His face scrunched. “No, he doesn’t. Robert is just as happy that slavery is over as we are.”
“If that man could sell us right now and regain his wealth, he’d do it in a heartbeat.”
“You’re talking foolish, woman.” William stood up and walked over to his brother.
Louella wished that William could see what she saw in Robert. She worried that Robert’s behavior would disturb the happy union William wanted to build among the people.
Mama Sue took the empty spot William left. She rubbed Louella’s shoulder. “You did the right thing, my girl. I’m proud of you.”
“Oh, Mama.” Louella laid her head on her grandmother’s shoulder. “William’s upset with me, but I couldn’t let Robert treat Abigail like she still belonged to him.”
Mama Sue patted Louella’s shoulder. “It used to scare me the way you speak your mind, but lately I’ve been thinking that the good Lord must’ve put you on this earth to help those who can’t help themselves.”
Her grandmother then lay down on her pallet on the opposite side of the fire, as if she hadn’t said anything out of the ordinary, but she’d said a mouthful. All her life Louella had been told to shut her mouth, mind her manners, and stop being so insolent. When all she ever wanted was to be heard. To be seen as more than some no-count enslaved girl. Her grandmother’s words blessed her very soul.