The day the Carters finished loading up their wagon, Mourning sneaked into
Killion’s General and hid behind the bolts of fabric in the storeroom. Seven-year-old Olivia watched as Goody Carter picked him up and dragged him out to
the wagon. Mourning fought hard, kicking wildly and yelling, “I ain’t gonna go,
I ain’t gonna. You can’t make me. I ain’t yours. I ain’t none a your business.”
The white customers stepped aside in dismay, the women’s bonnets bobbing, but
no one felt inclined to interfere.
A few days later Olivia walked down to the bank of the Saugauta River. It
was a warm day in May, the sky a startling blue, the fields dotted with yellow and purple wildflowers. She spread a red and white checkered tablecloth over a
patch of clover and knelt on one corner of it. A gentle breeze played with the cloth, so she anchored two other corners with her rag doll and picnic basket. She
was humming “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary” to her doll when she heard
someone slosh out of the river. She looked up, amazed to see Mourning Free
climbing up the bank, his scrawny chest bare and his trousers dripping. He was
carrying his shoes in one hand and a brown shirt and blue cloth bag in the other.
“Hullo, Mourning,” Olivia said, eyes wide.
“Hullo to you, Livia.” He walked over and tossed his belongings to the
ground.
“Did you fall into the river?”
“Nah. Been gettin’ cleaned up. Heard someone come and thought I’m a have
to hide down there. Then I hear it just be you, talkin’ to your stupid doll.”
“Do you want to have a tea party with us?” She reached for her doll and
pulled it back to her lap, making room for him to join her on the tablecloth.
“You got any food ain’t make-believe?”
She opened the picnic basket and arranged chunks of cheese, a few slices of
bread, and two apples on a white linen napkin. Mourning sank to his knees,
making large wet circles on the cloth, grabbed some cheese and bread, and filled
his mouth.
“Ain’t et nothing for two days,” he mumbled, cheeks bulging.
“Who were you hiding from?”
“Everybody.” He swallowed and reached for more bread and cheese, but
hesitated, glancing at his hostess.
“It’s okay,” Olivia said and leaned away from the food. “You can have it all. I
thought they took you away.”
He bit into a chunk of cheese and sat back on his heels. “That right. But I run
away from ’em. Been walkin’ for three days.”
This announcement left Olivia frowning. She watched him eat for a few
moments before asking, “But who’s going to take care of you?”
“Me.” He jerked his thumb at his bare chest. “I can take as good care a myself
as them Carters ever done.”
“Why, were they mean to you?”
He tilted his head back and grinned. “That what Goody think folks gonna
