“What a fine, glorious morning it is,” Robert said while holding the reins of his horse and guiding it down the long winding hill.
Louella was seated next to Robert. After years of struggling, the two had finally come to terms with each other. The Happy Land had grown to over four hundred people. Louella couldn’t meet the needs of all those people by herself, and neither could Robert. Working together had been good for the kingdom.
They were headed to the Henderson Courthouse to file papers for the hundred and eighty acres of land they’d purchased from John Goodwin, by way of Serepta Davis, a few years back.
Sarah’s husband, John, handled all property matters for Serepta. The day they approached him to purchase more land, he’d said, “I was skeptical about you people when you first arrived here, but except for that king and queen business, you’ve been no trouble at’tal.” He signed over the land without further complaint.
“It’s a right fine day, I must agree.” Louella wore a bonnet and white gloves. The crisp March air was ripe for the shawl the women had gifted her at Christmas.
“Thankfully, we’ve already cleared the land we purchased.”
Louella nodded. “We’ve got the lumber and the bricks. We’ll start building again shortly.”
The last few years had been good for the Happy Land. The waggoners carried dried fruit, meat, lard, potatoes, and other vegetables tilled and produced in the Happy Land to the farther parts of North and South Carolina. They sold all the produce, lard, and meat to stores and stagecoach stops. They even set up their own farmers’ market from time to time, purchased needed supplies, and then brought the remainder of the profits back to the kingdom. Robert held the money in their treasury, and he and Louella doled it out to the residents as needed.
Times were good, and Louella had to admit that having Robert help her lead their people hadn’t been so bad. He had settled into life in the Happy Land and wasn’t gone for months on end anymore—more like a week every month. While he was gone, she didn’t have to discuss any decisions that needed to be made with him, and that was fine with Louella.
Toot-toot.
“Oh my Lord, here we go again. I get caught by this train at least once a week.” Robert pulled on the reins and stopped the progression of the horse as the train went by.
“Serepta said they’re losing business at her depot. The stagecoach isn’t coming through as much anymore.”
“They’re talking about stopping the stagecoach altogether since they laid down the tracks for this railroad from Spartanburg to Hendersonville,” Robert told her as the caboose rolled by. Then he shook the reins to get the horse moving again.
Louella looked back at the railroad tracks. “There’s still places where the railroad hasn’t been built yet, like Asheville. Those places can still use a stagecoach.”
“Face it, Louella, the old way of doing things is gone. This railroad is the way of the future.”
If the railroad was the way of the future, Louella wondered what that meant for their way of life. Most of the money earned in the Happy Land came by way of the waggoners. Would their customers abandon them as the railroad was built throughout Asheville and beyond?
As they continued to travel down the sandy clay road headed for the court building, Louella wondered about the changes coming to the Appalachian town she had lived in for almost fifteen years.
She was so deep in thought, she didn’t notice that Robert had pulled the wagon in front of the courthouse until Reverend Walter Allen approached her. “Good day to you, Queen Louella.” He tipped his hat.
Louella smiled. The reverend was a good man and lived near Hendersonville. He served the surrounding Negro communities by opening a school so Negro children could receive their lessons like children of white folks. Several of the older kids in the Happy Land attended his school in Possum Hollow. It was a distance from the Happy Land but well worth it since the kids received a good education.
A wagon packed full of kids left the Happy Land each morning and returned with them in the evening. Her Waties and Joshua were now on that wagon also. Her boys were growing up, fifteen and thirteen now. Louella was thankful for the education they were receiving.
“Good day to you as well, Reverend. I’m surprised to see you by the courthouse this early in the day.”
He helped Louella down from the wagon and then turned to Robert. “Good day to you, King Robert.”
Robert came over to Louella’s side and shook Reverend Allen’s hand. “I hope the Happy Land children haven’t run you away from the schoolhouse today.”
“No, no, not at all. I’m picking up a few supplies before I head back. But rest assured, I left the children in capable hands.”
“Isn’t Abigail helping you today?” Louella asked.
“She sure is. And I thank you for allowing her to assist me from time to time.”
“Abigail loves teaching the older kids, so I’m thankful you’ve been able to use her skills.”
Reverend Allen tipped his hat again. “Well, I best be getting those supplies.” He then headed down the street.
“Such a nice man,” Louella said as he walked away.
“I’m sure you wish I was as nice and refined as the good reverend, but I am who I am.”
Louella nodded and then let Robert lead the way into the courthouse. He was who he was, but she had come to appreciate the things that he had been able to do for the Happy Land through the years. Like what he was about to do right now.
When she and William had purchased the first twenty-five acres of land, they didn’t bring the signed documents to the courthouse for fear of what might happen to a Black man owning property in these parts.
However, the Klan had found out about their purchase and the building of their community anyway, so they had held off on buying more land. Once she and Robert did purchase more land, they held on to the deeds until Louella was comfortable with the filing. Today was the day.
Robert handed the signed agreement they’d received from John Goodwin to the clerk of courts. “I’d like to file these documents with the court.”
“Yes, sir. I’m here to help with that.” The clerk put on his glasses and reviewed the document, then glanced back up. “I presume you are Robert Montgomery?”
“That’s correct.”
The man’s forehead crinkled as he glanced back at the document. He looked back up at Robert. “There’s also a Louella Montgomery?”
“I’m Louella.” She raised a hand as if indicating her presence.
The man sputtered as he turned back to Robert. “But she’s a . . . a . . . You can’t be owning property with these people. They’re not like us.”
Louella wanted to give this man a good dose of what she was thinking at the moment, but she and Robert had already rehearsed what he would say if they had any trouble with the good white folks at the Henderson Courthouse. So she clamped her mouth shut and waited on Robert to speak.
“My people were good and loyal to me before and after the war. It’s only fitting that I share my land with them. So, yes, Louella Montgomery’s name will be on the deed as well.”
The man’s lip twitched upward as he glared at Louella. “It’s your funeral. If they kill you in your sleep to get their hands on your property, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Louella recoiled at the words that came out of this stranger’s mouth. She was queen to the people in the Happy Land but still a nothing to those outside her kingdom. She would be fine with shutting herself inside her place of peace and never coming back to Hendersonville to deal with those who thought of people who looked like her as less than.
When the papers were processed, Louella smiled sweetly. “Thank you very kindly.” She then turned and walked out of the courthouse without so much as a backward glance.
“You handled yourself well in there,” Robert said as they got back on the road, heading home.
Louella tossed her shawl over her shoulders, leaned back in her seat, and got comfortable. “I’m getting older.” She would be forty this year. “I don’t have time to deal with the stupidity of others anymore. Let the rest of the world think what they may. All that matters is what our people think of us in the Happy Land.”
It stung to have that man treat her as if she didn’t deserve anything good in this life. And if she got something good, then she would be stealing it from Robert, which was a hoot. Although he looked as white as that man in the courthouse, Robert wouldn’t have anything if it hadn’t been for her and William.
“What are you laughing about?” Robert asked.
Louella put her hand to her mouth. She hadn’t realized her laugh had seeped out. “Oh, just thinking about the injustices outside of the Happy Land.”
“And there are no injustices inside our land? Is that the way you see it?” Robert arched an eyebrow.
“That’s exactly the way I see it. We treat our people as equals.” Louella nodded as if approving her own words. “We aren’t called the Happy Land for no reason, Robert. Our people have joy that they didn’t have when so-called masters took advantage of us.”
“And you don’t think we take advantage of our people . . . I mean, all the money they earn comes right back to us. How different than a master are we?”
Rolling her eyes, Louella glared at Robert. Of course he would see it that way. He was probably happy to receive the money and play the role of Mr. Big and Grand, but he had it all wrong. “You will never understand, will you?”
Robert shrugged and whipped the reins to have the horse move faster as they made their climb up the hill toward the Happy Land. “What is it that I don’t understand? Please enlighten me. Better yet, tell me again how I’m a poor substitute for your beloved William.”
She wasn’t going to feel bad for saying that or thinking it. It was true. Sighing deeply, she turned to her brother-in-law. “When William and I decided to set out on our own and then others decided to follow us, we knew then that we had to set up a system that would help all of us succeed.
“You see, William had a heart for people, even those who couldn’t do for themselves, so we told the people they all had to give into one pot. But it was never for the enrichment of ourselves. It was so we could also lift the heads of the elderly and sickly in our community.”
“‘All for one and one for all,’” Robert quoted.
“That’s exactly it. One day I pray you understand all that entails and the responsibility we have to our people.”
He pulled the wagon in front of her door, then got out and walked to the other side. He helped Louella down. “And one day I hope you come to see that I am not your enemy.”