Chapter 13

The dirt road between the fort and Milton Farm was lined with trees, shielding Adeline from the sun. The shade also gave the walk an otherworldly feel. As she traveled, she would step into a pool of sunlight and then back into shadow. Very much like her thoughts. One moment she was imagining what it was going to be like seeing her mother again. Wondering if they would recognize each other. Michael would be a boy of fifteen, no longer the chubby baby she left behind.

Her eyes smarted at the apology she would give her mother. How she would fall on her knees in front of her and beg for forgiveness. And then she would do everything in her power to get back to Elim and apologize to him. She had bundled all she had and slipped out of the camp before even the cooks rose. She didn’t get a chance to say good-bye. At least she knew his unit. Once she got her mother and Michael safely to Philadelphia, she would write to him.

The farm came into view as the sun began to light the tops of the trees. She heard cows and chickens but no other sounds. There was an open field in front of the house, and she crossed it to reach the front door. It opened before she knocked.

A wiry colored woman stood in the doorway. She had a basket in her hand, probably going to collect eggs. A look of shock formed on her face. “What do you want?”

“I—um …” Adeline faltered at the woman’s abrupt tone. “I am looking for my mother and brother, Florence and Michael.”

The woman’s face softened. “You must be Adeline.”

Tears sprang to Adeline’s eyes. There was only one way this woman could know who she was. “They’re here.”

The woman smiled and stepped out the door. “In the quarters near the barn.”

Adeline thanked the woman as she took off running down the stairs. The quarters were a simple but sturdy-looking log structure. Outside, a woman had a pot hung over a fire. She spotted Adeline and stopped stirring the pot.

Adeline never considered that her mother wouldn’t know who she was. In her mind, time was frozen. Michael was still a baby, Mama’s face was still without the worry lines of age, and Adeline was still twelve. The woman who stood before her had changed, aged, but Adeline recognized her as soon as they made eye contact. “Mama?”

Mama straightened and let the spoon she was holding drop from her hand. “Adeline?”

Tears blurred her vision. “I found you,” she whispered.

She wasn’t sure who moved first, but in seconds they were in each other’s arms, Mama planting kiss after kiss on her face. “Oh Adeline.”

“Mama?”

A voice sounded to their left. Adeline turned to find a tall boy who could have been her father’s younger twin. “Michael?”

Michael took one step back. “Who is this, Mama?”

Mama turned Adeline to face him and led her forward a step. “This is your sister, Adeline.”

Michael’s face went through several phases, first shock and finally amazement. “You came.”

She ran to him and hugged him. “I did.”

After a long moment, he pulled back and looked up at her. “Where’s Papa?”

The way he asked, she suspected he already knew. “He’s gone to heaven. He wanted nothing more than to see you again.”

“Mama told me all about him. I wanted to meet him.” Michael sobbed and returned to her arms. Adeline’s heart broke with each one of his heaving breaths. Mama came and embraced both of them, tears on her cheeks.

Once Michael’s tears slowed, Adeline turned back to her mother. “I’m so sorry, Mama.”

“There are some things we can’t control.”

“I’m sorry for following Papa. I didn’t know.” Fresh tears flowed down her cheeks.

Mama pulled her close. “I know you didn’t. There is no need for forgiveness. I asked God to bring you back to me, and He did.”

Light rippled through Adeline’s heart. As much as she’d tried to do this on her own, God had indeed led her back to her family. No matter how badly she thought she had muddled the situation, God had been working the whole time to reconnect her with her family. She threw her arms around Mama and held on.

After a long while, Mama released her. “Let’s go inside and talk.”

Mama filled her in on how they got from Ashton Place to here. “One night while we was sleepin’ we heard a loud ruckus. It was a battle between some Union soldiers and Confederate ones. We were so scared we hid in the woods on the back of the plantation.”

Michael nodded. “There were cannons boomin’ and men screamin’. It was scarier than when the Confederate soldiers came earlier and took all the horses, food, and menfolk with them. Once the fightin’ stopped, Mama told me to get whatever we had left and that we was goin’ with the Union soldiers.”

Adeline smiled. “I met someone from Westwood who told me the same thing.”

“Before long, I was cooking and doing laundry for the Union soldiers. They told us we was free and even paid us for any work we did.” Mama nodded. “I didn’t much care about the work as long as I didn’t have to go back to the plantation. From there, we traveled here and we met Miss Charlotte, who owns this farm. She offered us work here and we stayed. I hadn’t seen a colored woman own anything. She also taught us to read.”

Adeline’s heart was so full that she felt like she was floating. “I am so happy to hear it.”

Inside Mama’s hut, they sat in chairs at the table. “Now tell me how you and your papa fared in Philadelphia.”

Adeline filled them in on her journey north, her becoming a teacher, and Papa’s death. Mama and Michael sat with amazed looks on their faces. In her mind, all she could think was that God had done what she never could have done.

As the morning drifted to afternoon, Adeline grasped Mama’s and Michael’s hands. “We may need to leave soon.”

Mama frowned. “Leave? What for?”

“There are Union troops passing by to stop Confederate troops from coming north.” Adeline’s mind drifted to Elim. “There may be fighting breaking out soon. We should go back to the Union camp.”

“Is that where you came from?” Mama asked.

“Yes, and there is someone there who can help us.” If he’s not too furious with me for leaving.

Mama stood. “Right. I hate to leave Miss Charlotte, but it would be safer to get further north, ’specially if we can travel with the Union soldiers.”

While Mama went to talk to Miss Charlotte, Adeline and Michael packed up what little belongings he and their mother had. The door opened behind them and they turned to find Mama in the doorway, wearing a worried look. “Looks like them troops done got here sooner than we thought.” She shut the door, flipped a table over, and pushed it against the door. “I saw them from the lane when I was talking to Miss Charlotte. We need to find a place to hide. We’ll wait a bit and then go hide in the trees.”

Adeline’s heart thumped. She’d come all this way only to be captured by the Confederates. No doubt her reunion with Mama and Michael would be short if they were captured.

God, we still need Your help.

Elim gathered his men to start their day’s work.

As he passed the cooks’ stations, he noticed a huge change.

Adeline wasn’t in the line of cooks. The men began forming a line for mess. Elim went to the other end of the line to the cook who had been near Adeline yesterday.

“Ma’am, where is the other young lady who was here?” he asked. He presented the question like an official request, even though his heart was thumping. Adeline, I hope you didn’t do what I think you did.

The woman smiled up at him with a gap-toothed grin. “Your sweetheart?”

Elim blushed. “Uh, yes, Adeline.”

“Ain’t seen her. Her bed was gone when I got up this mornin’.”

“Thank you,” Elim said. He rushed to find Douglas, who had sat down on the grass with his plate of beans and pork. “Douglas, I need to speak to you. What did you tell Miss Barris about her family?”

Douglas looked puzzled. “I told her that someone had seen her brother at a farm near here.”

Elim exhaled. “Do you remember the name of the farm?”

Douglas stared down at his plate of beans for the longest minute of Elim’s life. “I think it was Milton or something like that.” He looked back up at Elim. “Is Miss Barris okay?”

Elim looked back at her empty spot in the cook line. “I hope so.” He turned his feet in that direction, berating himself as he did. He should have known she would go find her family the first chance she got. A part of him was angry, but another part of him understood. The part of him that was going to leave the camp after dark to go find her.

He asked the cook about the farm and she directed him to another woman who knew all about it.

“’Bout an hour’s walk east. Miss Charlotte is colored and owns it. She’s real nice,” the young cook said.

That gave Elim a little peace, but not much. He needed to come up with a plan. He could make the walk to the farm and back before anyone noticed he was gone. He nearly groaned at the thought of getting caught. His military career would be over. But he had to go. If the Confederate troops got to the farm before Adeline got back … He didn’t want to think about it.

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t see that August had moved into his path. “Where’s Adeline?” he asked.

Elim sighed. “She went off to find her family. They may be at a farm near here.”

August frowned. “May?”

“That was the last piece of information she received about them. That they were working on this farm.”

August nodded. “I’m assuming you’re going to get her.”

Elim looked away. The fewer people who knew what he was planning the better.

August laughed. “Still the same Elim. You never were afraid enough for your own good. Some people would call it bravery.”

“August, I don’t have time for this. I need to figure out a way to this farm before nightfall.”

“I’m coming with you.”

Elim folded his arms. “No, you’re not.”

“Either you let me come or …”

“Or what?” This felt like when they were back home. August would threaten Elim, but he never carried through with the threats.

“Or nothing. All right.” August threw his hands up in frustration. “But I am coming with you.”

“I can’t let you do that.”

“You can’t stop me any more than I can stop you.”

Elim stood taller. “That’s an order, Private.”

August gave him an amused look before he grew serious. “You love her, Elim. Let me help you find her so you can have some sort of happiness in all this.”

Elim sighed. “I do love her.”

August still stood in front of him.

Elim groaned. “Be ready by nightfall.”