“They don’t have to like it. There’s nothing they can do about it. They don’t
have to know we’re partners or anything. You’re my hired man. What’s wrong
with that? I don’t plan to live there on the farm with you. I’ll get a room in town
and buy a horse to ride out to the farm every day. There won’t be anything for
them to talk –”
“Never mind, Livia.” He waved his hand at her again, sounding weary. “Stop
wastin’ all that air. I can’t go to no Michigan, not with you and not with nobody.
I gotta stay here in Five Rocks.”
“Why? What’s so wonderful about Five Rocks?”
“I got Mr. Carmichael here.”
She looked at him blankly. “All right, so it’s very nice of him to let you sleep
in his office –”
“It ain’t that.” He moved his chair a bit closer to hers. “You know my parents
been slaves?”
She nodded her head.
“So that mean, by the law, I be a slave too.”
“That can’t be so. You were born here. There’s no slavery here.”
“Don’t matter. By the law, I belong to the man what owned my parents.
Slave-chasers ’llowed to come into free states, take back property.”
“But that was so long ago. If there was ever anyone chasing after your mother
and father they’re probably dead by now. And even if they’re not, they have no
idea you exist. Don’t know your name or where you live. How could anyone
come looking for you?”
“You don’t understand. It don’t matter none to them slave-catchers. They
come lookin’ for a nigger they can’t find, they just as glad to take one they can find. Truth is, it ain’t no mind to them if I be free by the law or not. If I got nobody to stand up for me, anyone what want to can tie me up and throw me in
his wagon. I do him just fine. One nigger as good as another. Out in Michigan,
ain’t nobody gonna stand up for me.”
“And here Mr. Carmichael will.”
Mourning nodded. “First night I go to sleep in his office after that town
meeting he come in, say he think he gonna keep me company till I fall asleep.
When I wake up the next day he still sittin’ there in that chair. He give me a piece of paper say I been born to free parents, say I be a Free Man of Color. Got
a stamp and his mark on it. He tell me that any time I need, he gonna stand up
with me in front of a judge, swear it be so. And folks here ain’t gonna call Mr.
Carmichael no liar, even if they know he ain’t talkin’ the truth. So I don’t got something to lose. I got everything to lose.”
“Don’t you think I’d stand up for you? I can lie as good as him. Probably better.”
At least Mourning didn’t say what she knew he must be thinking: “Ain’t
nobody gonna pay no mind to no girl.” What he did say was, “Maybe so, but you
ain’t got no ’fficial stamp.” Then he rose and opened the door for her to leave.
Chapter Five
Olivia trudged home, back to wondering if there wasn’t some way she could
