The night took its sweet time . . . seemed like it went on for hours longer than it used to when William lay beside her. Most things took more effort now that William had gone home to glory.
But when the night released its hold, Louella jumped out of bed ready to tackle the new day. To see if it would bring sweetness or sorrow. But no matter what, her boys brought her joy every day.
Joshua took the wagon over to Possum Hollow so he could attend his last year of school. Waties went to the field to harvest the potatoes. If nothing else, they would all have some potato soup and mashed potatoes with their meals. They would have to wait another six months to harvest the corn. But Louella would make sure that everyone in the Happy Land received their fair share of that harvest.
“Good morning, Mama Sue. How are you doing?” The sun had cracked the sky. Her grandmother could have slept in if she pleased. But she’d gotten up early for so many mornings that her internal clock wouldn’t let her sleep too late.
“I’m doing much better this morning. These old bones get tired sometimes is all.”
“That’s why I want you to rest more.”
Mama Sue waved that off. “I’ll have plenty time for resting when they bury me. But as long as I’m able, I’m gon’ keep getting out of that bed and taking care of you and these chillun.”
“Okay, but don’t talk about being buried. I don’t want to hear that.”
“I’m sorry, chile, but I’m getting older. The good Lord is going to call me home sooner rather than later, and I don’t want you crying over me when you’ve got this whole kingdom to run.”
Her grandmother was eighty-seven years old. She’d lived a good, long life. But Louella wanted more and couldn’t bear to think about losing another person. Yet she understood the cycle of life, so she said, “I pray that you’ve known peace these last few years.”
Mama Sue put scrambled eggs on a plate and handed it to Louella. “Don’t you ever doubt it. You have lifted my head, sweet girl. There’s only one thing left for me to see in this world and then I can die a happy woman.”
Louella knew the one thing her grandmother desired. It was also her desire. She didn’t know if it would ever come to pass, so she didn’t entertain it with further conversation. She ate her eggs, then washed off her plate. “I’m heading over to the school. I’ll see you for lunch.”
Louella worked on vowel sounds with the children on the right side of the room while Abigail worked on handwriting drills on the left side of the room. When their session was over, Louella sent the children home. Then she turned to Abigail. “What’s going on with you? You’ve been kind of quiet today.”
“Thinking over some things.”
While taking papers off the kids’ desks, Louella asked, “Like what?”
“For one thing,” Abigail said with a grin, “Femi told me how you shut down King Robert’s moonshine operation.”
“You knew about that?”
Abigail shook her head. “They kept everything they were doing in that barn hush-hush. Femi didn’t even know. But last night while on patrol, Larry told Femi what had been going on and how you put a stop to it.”
“I told him to stop. I’m not sure if he actually stopped, but he won’t be stealing any more corn from us for his moonshine. I can promise you that.”
“Oh no, he stopped. Larry told Femi that you put the fear of God in King Robert. He had the whole contraption taken down. Said something about not wanting to spend his last days in prison.”
Louella sat down in her chair at the front of the classroom and took her pencil out to review the paperwork. “He made the right decision.”
“I wish I could’ve been there to see his face when you threatened him.” Abigail laughed.
“It’s not funny. I didn’t want to do that in front of his men, but he left me no choice. But I’m glad I could put a smile on your face.”
Abigail sighed. She walked over to Louella and leaned against one of the kid’s desks. “I do have something to tell you.”
Louella put the papers down. “Nothing’s wrong with the kids, is there?”
Abigail shook her head. “The boys are fine, but I have an interview for a teaching position in Greenville.”
Louella let out a whoosh of air, like she’d been punched in the gut. Others had left the Happy Land, and she was okay with that. Her people were free to do whatever was best for them. Losing Abigail was different.
But no matter how much it hurt, she wouldn’t take this moment from Abigail with her own selfish desires. Forcing herself to smile, Louella said, “This the moment you’ve been dreaming about. You’ve helped me and Reverend Allen teach for years.”
“Thanks to you, I was able to receive my teaching certificate. So when I heard about the position in Greenville . . .”
Silence mingled with missing-you-already sighs. Louella got out of her seat and came around to Abigail. She pulled the woman into her arms. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I don’t have the job yet,” Abigail told her as they ended their embrace.
“They would be fools not to hire you. I’ll give you a reference, and I’m sure Reverend Allen will do the same.”
Abigail sniffed as a tear rolled down her face. “If I get the job, we’ll have to move to Greenville.”
Louella started crying as well. She wiped the tears from her face. “I know.”
“I’ll miss you terribly.”
“Me too,” Louella told her. But then a glimmer of a smile crept across her face. “But you know what . . . Clara moved to Hendersonville. She and I have promised to visit each other, so now I’ll also have a friend in Greenville to visit.”
“I’m not only a friend, Queen Louella. We’re sisters. No bit of distance will ever change that.”
“No, it won’t change that.” But that didn’t stop Louella’s heart from hurting. She was losing her sister . . . her best friend. Even as her heart hurt, she thought back to the day she first offered to teach Abigail how to read.
Abigail was about to make something of herself, and Louella couldn’t wait to see her sister shine. They parted ways. Louella was headed home with a heavy heart when Larry ran over to her with frantic and fear-struck eyes.
“Queen Louella, we need you. Come quick.”
“Who needs me? What’s got you out of sorts?”
“It’s King Robert. Something’s wrong with him.” Larry took off running toward Robert’s house. Louella followed him, walking as fast as she could. Then when Larry stood on Robert’s porch, waving her on, she ran the rest of the way.
“We got him to his bed, but he don’t look good,” Larry told her.
Louella opened the door and walked into Robert’s house. She took note of the Elizabethan sofa and chair and found herself wondering if he’d had that furniture shipped in or if Joe had made them.
Louella held her breath as she stepped inside Robert’s room. She didn’t know what she would do if she saw him unconscious in the same way William had been brought home to her the day before he died.
His eyes were open and he was alert, but he reached out to her. “Help me, Louella. Death is upon me.”