Now that our contract is near completion with JW, it is decision-making time. My brothers and I now have increasing responsibilities in Asante. Because of this we all have mixed emotions about what to do, well, all except Bear, he was pretty certain he was done.
“Well, JW, a week from today will be the final day of our agreement.”
“That very fact has been on my mind for quite some time, Buck. What will it take to get you boys to stay on for another year?”
Before I could respond, Bear spoke up, “I have to decline any offer you make. I have too much going on at my shop, and if I intend on completing the jobs that I have, I will need to give them more of my time and attention.”
“So does this go for you too, Buck? How about you, Joshua? I know you both have obligations back in your little Negro town, but you haven’t even heard my offer yet.”
I didn’t like the “little Negro town” remark, so just as I was about to bow out as Bear had done, he must have noticed my irritation and decided to entice me with his offer before I declined.
“I will give you one hundred acres of land for another year of service. And, Joshua, I will double the original agreed upon salary. Since Bear has already said no, I will just give you the money I had anticipated giving him.”
“In that case quadruple it!” Joshua shouted, realizing that his offer wasn’t much of a deal considering JW hadn’t intended on giving my brothers any incentive to stay on.
“I forgot you were the educated one! Well, triple pay won’t break me, so I’m game if Buck stays on as well.”
At that moment, all eyes were on me. I had been trying to speak for what seemed like the last hour but kept being beat to the punch by everyone else. Now it seemed that my words were the only words to be heard at this moment.
“JW, that is an amazing offer. I must admit it is so tempting that I would almost say I would be a fool to turn it down. However, I would be a fool to accept it and make such a monumental decision without first consulting the love of my life. Although she gives me her full support and empowers me to be a man, I take that power to treat her like a queen. Her opinion is important to me, so I am sure you won’t mind if I hold off on giving you an answer until we can discuss this and weigh all of our options.”
“Sure, Buck. Nothing wrong with a man being respectful to the one he loves.”
“Mr. Asher, I want to think about my offer as well.” Joshua nervously managed to get out.
“I figured as much, son. I anticipated your loyalty to your brother would weigh heavily on your decision. Let’s say you both have until a week from Friday to give me your answer.”
It was true Joshua wanted to hear my thoughts on the matter before he made his decision, but there was a reason JW was not aware of that also wore heavily on his mind. Secretly, Joshua had become real fond of JW’s daughter, Chloe, and she of him. The end of slavery did not include giving black men a free pass to date and marry white women nor would JW be too thrilled about the idea of his perfect daughter being in love with a Negro. Joshua knew that the two of them were getting very serious and with that a lot more careless of who knew. So he toiled over the fact that they were sneaking around right under JW’s nose, and he was bound to catch wind of it eventually.
“Yes, sir, Mr. Asher,” Joshua said, agreeing to the deadline. I just nodded my confirmation.
We departed the house and started our preparation for the trip home through the mountain gorge. Bear repeatedly reamed us about not considering staying on to work for JW. Bear swore JW was the devil in disguise. He never really liked him from day one. Although JW had never outwardly crossed Bear, he couldn’t shake the gut feeling he had about him. Everyone knew he was self-centered, self-serving, and self-righteous. Hell, he would even announce it given the opportunity, but Bear said he didn’t like the way he looked at us. He described it as somewhere between the disdain of a slave master and the jealousy of a competitor. I never understood what he meant because JW had everything any man could dream of. He proved that there was very little money couldn’t buy. Bear summed it all up as only he can by saying, “It’s a man’s own mind, not his enemy’s or foe’s, that lure him to evil ways, that man’s mind is as twisted as braided rope.”
He had a point. JW was definitely working an angle. Why would he make such a sweet offer, more than doubling our original land agreement and paying Joshua four times more all without putting up much of a fight at all? I decided to put it out of my mind. No need in trying to figure it out until I first decide what I was going to do. That decision won’t be made until I let my guiding star have her say.
Those boys better not piss away a chance of a lifetime. Hell, I made them an offer no one could refuse, especially some former slaves. I made them who they are today. They should be grateful for the generosity I have shown them. I know they are feeling high and mighty because of their status in that little Negro town they are building, but if it weren’t for me, none of that would be possible. Hell, they should be willing to stay on another year for no compensation at all considering all that I have made possible for them. If I hadn’t already signed the land over and paid them, I would hold it over their heads and leverage them into a new agreement. As it stands, I have to attract flies with honey. In the end if they agree, I am most certain whatever I have to pay will be more than worth it.
I have been trying for the past three years to strike it rich in gold mining, but the truth is I have spent more money looking for gold than I have made in the little I’ve found. I have poured enormous amounts of cash into mining along with countless amounts of man power and I still haven’t turned a profit worth mentioning. Damn it all! I am starting to think those stories about the Dutchman and all the gold he found were all a hoax to get me to come here. I’ve been too persistent for too long to think that it’s out there, but I have not managed to locate it yet. I have men working around the clock, and they only manage a weekly production of a pound or two of gold, sometimes less. In the next six months, I will have to seriously consider pulling the plug on the whole operation.
The silver lining in this little venture is the work those boys have done on my ranch. Now the only reason I have the ranch in the first place is because ranching is in my blood. I wanted something here that reminded me of home. But since those boys come along, they have grown my ranching enterprise exponentially. Not only has my numbers grown in cattle and horses but I have the most sought-after stock of animals in the country. Even in Texas, the capital of beef, I get large request for my cattle. I don’t know what their secret is, but I aim to cash in on it as long as I can, so if I have to offer them all the gold I find on top of my standing offer, I will do it. There are those who talk about how Buck has a unique connection with the animals. Some even hint that he may have an ability to communicate with them like no other. Sounds like a lot of jungle nonsense to me, but I don’t care if he puts dresses on them and dances the tango as long as he keeps producing the healthiest beast around, I’m all for it. The same can be said with their handling of the horses. They have bred some of the strongest, smartest, and most obedient Thoroughbreds I have ever seen. One was even the stud of a Kentucky Derby winner. So all of these facts are why I just can’t let them just walk away. Unbeknownst to them, they have made me a fortune this past year. They have single-handedly allowed me to throw away money mining because they have generated such a revenue stream with my ranch. Demand and being in Arizona allows me to drive my prices up to balloon my profits. I get to charge extra for transport, tacking on fees for caretaking, safeguarding, storage, and labor. Yes, indeed, I found a gold mine in Arizona, all right, but it ain’t in them mountains, it’s the magic touch of my Negro ranchers.
I wasn’t kidding when I said that I would do whatever it took to keep them on. I have also devised a plan with a little more subterfuge involved if kindness doesn’t win them over. All I have to do is give the word to my number one henchman Abraham McCarthy and my plan will be set in motion. The way I see it is like this, they don’t seem to need me anymore because of the success of their town and their increasing responsibilities in it, so why not just burn it down and have them come crawling back to me for another handout. One that I will be more than happy to give, of course with more favorable terms for me this time. It would be a shame to have to stoop so low, but in the name of good business, sometimes one may have to resort to desperate measures. Besides, I am a firm believer that sometimes one must take a step back before they can achieve true progress. Maybe burning the town down will allow them to build bigger and better and incorporate some of the lessons learned from the first build. Either way, it makes no never mind to me because when it is all said and done, I will get what I want.