Indomitable by J.D. Edwards
Blurb:
When Black voices are stifled, the reality is transformed into fiction, history is twisted into folklore, and heroes are turned into myths. Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom's Cabin, holding a brief account of Eliza Harris, in 1853. Now, 170 years later, learn the actual tale of Eliza's harrowing escape from slavery and her unwavering bravery to live a life of freedom. Eliza risked everything to cross the semi-frozen Ohio River in the dead of night and save her baby from a slave's life.
Indomitable is a work of historical fiction based on real events and Eliza's firsthand narrative. While one branch of the author's family owned Eliza, the other branch risked their lives to rescue her. We cannot undo the past, but we can recount the tales of those who fought for liberty and assure that their sacrifice was not in vain.
Chapter 1
Cries of ‘Happy New Year!’ filled the air, but
Eliza kept her eyes downcast while cleaning. New Year parties be for the White folk, but we ain’t ne’er got no party
in 1837. Why should 1838 be different? It just be another day.
Eliza’s mind drifted as a drunk guest tripped
over the area rug and plunged into her, covering her dress in champagne. “Whoa!
Watch what you’re doin’, you lazy crow! Clean up this mess and get me another
drink! You’re as useless as your mother!”
“Yes, Mista Wood! Right away, sir!” Eliza turned
and glowered as she hastened to the bar to refill her former master’s drink. It just be once a year. Keep your mouth shut
and bite your tongue. Tomorrow, you can clean the house and forget ‘bout Mista
Wood. At least you ain’t cuttin’ timber or workin’ the fields like George.
Elias Wood jerked his thumb toward Eliza and
spoke in a carrying voice. “You’ve got to learn how to handle these Negroes,
m’boy! Don’t give them an inch and always maintain strict discipline. Take this
one, for instance! I may have sired her, but I never considered her my
daughter. She was my property, pure and simple.”
Reason Downing wrinkled his nose in disgust. “You
mated with your slave? Have you no shame, sir? They’re animals!”
A burst of laughter filled the room, and Elias
clapped Reason on the shoulder. “My dear boy, they may be soulless, sub-human
creatures, but they’re not animals! They descend from Cain, and as such,
they’re inferior to decent folks, like you and me.”
Scowling, Reason lowered his voice to avoid
eavesdroppers. “Sub-human or animal, I can’t believe you’d mate with them. It
goes against nature, and all that’s holy!”
Elias tapped the side of his nose and leaned in
closer to share his wisdom. “That’s where you’re wrong, m’boy. I get no
pleasure from the deed itself, mind you, but when I make my own slaves, I
triple my profit!”
A moment later, Eliza returned with Elias’s drink
and set it on the table, next to where they were seated. “Took you long
enough!” Elias grabbed the drink and emptied the glass in a single gulp. Before
she could leave, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the floor, causing her
to cry out in pain. “Do you see that Mulatta skin, m’boy? You can make a
fortune breeding domesticated slaves.” Flinging her arm away, Elias chortled as
Eliza scrambled to her feet, rubbing her sore wrist. “Remember how much you paid
for Annie? I gave you Eliza as a wedding gift. Imagine how much that gift
would’ve cost you otherwise!”
“Youse a bad man, Mista Wood. We is human, and we
do got souls!”
The force of Elias’s backhand broke open Eliza’s
lip and sent her careening to the floor. Spittle flew from his mouth as he
leaped to his feet, swaying where he stood. “You filthy animal! How dare you
speak to your superiors with such disrespect?”
Reason caught Elias’s hand in mid-swing. “That’s
enough, sir. Eliza is my property now, not yours, and I’d thank you to not
damage my property any further.”
Elias puffed out his chest in indignation.
“Humph! Well, I never! Discipline, m’boy! Your slaves need discipline! Yessir,
they do!”
“Perhaps they do, but not from you, Mr. Wood.
I’ll thank you to leave my slaves alone or leave my property.”
Glowering at Reason’s reprimand, Elias stumbled
to the bar to refill his drink. Bending down, Reason helped a shaken Eliza to
her feet. “It’ll be alright. Go see Hannah, and she’ll get you patched up. When
you’re done, you can change and come back down.”
“Thank you, Massa!” Lowering her eyes, she rushed
outside to find the resident healer. Reaching the entrance of the healer’s
shack, she flung open the door and plowed into a plump, elderly woman.
“Lord almighty, child! Where you off to in such a
hurry?” Noticing Eliza’s bleeding lip, Hannah clucked her tongue. “Good
gracious, child! What happened to you? Did you go talkin’ back to Massa
Downing? You know he ain’t ne’er laid a hand to us, so don’t go givin’ him a
reason to start now!”
Eliza shook her head and sat across the table
from Hannah. “No, ma’am! Ain’t nothin’ like that be happenin’. It was my old
Massa what done this to me!” Eliza relayed the situation between gasps of pain
while the healer doctored her lip.
“When you gonna learn your place, girl?” Hannah
scowled as she finished administering first aid. “You ain’t to be speakin’ to
White folk like that—even Massa Downing. You got a family to care for, and you
can’t be doin’ that if you let your mouth run afore your brain. Go on now… you
best be gettin’ back afore they send the hounds out for you.” She scolded, then
gave Eliza a tight hug and handed her a handkerchief.
“Thank you, Miss Hannah!” Clutching the
handkerchief to her lip, Eliza sprinted across the yard, rounded the corner of
the estate, and plowed into a muscular man, almost knocking her down.
“Whoa there!” The man gripped Eliza’s forearms,
holding her in place. “What’cha doin’ out here at this time of night?”
Eliza paled as she dapped her bleeding lip. “I
got permission to see Miss Hannah, and she fixed me up proper.”
The man turned his smoldering eyes on the bloody
handkerchief and caressed her lip. “Who did this to you? Was it Massa Downing
or Miss Lizzy? Ain’t nobody gonna lay a hand to my woman!”
“Let it be, George.” Eliza rested a calming hand
on her husband’s chest. “It weren’t Massa Downing, but ol’ Mista Wood. And
Massa sent me to Miss Hannah, but I gotta change my dress and return to the
party.”
“Alright, but you just watch yourself, you hear?
Ol’ Mista Wood ain’t like Massa Downing. He’s got the Devil in him, I reckon.”
Giving George a quick kiss, Eliza returned to the
estate to find her mistress in the kitchen, tapping her foot. “It’s about time
you returned! Why are you still wearing that soiled dress? Get changed and get
back down here. The party is almost over, and our guests are thirsty!”
“Yes, Miss Lizzy!” Tearing up the servant’s
stairwell, She reached the second floor and changed into a new dress. Moments
later, the boisterous melody of Auld Lang Syne filled the air as she entered
the foyer. “I got the drinks, Miss Lizzy!”
Her mistress flipped a hand toward the men
clustered around the piano. “I doubt they’ll even notice, but see if they want
any more to drink before they leave.”
Crossing the room, Eliza served drinks to the men
as they swayed in a drunken stupor. “Thank you, darlin'!” Reason Downing gulped
down his first drink and grabbed another, slapping Eliza’s posterior. “Go see
to my other guests… there’s a good lass.”
Blushing, Eliza carried the tray to Elias Wood,
who, despite his drunkenness, eyed her with contempt. “You’re still here, are
you? Well, give me my drinks and get outta my sight!” Averting her eyes, Eliza
bit her tongue and proffered the tray of drinks to her former master.
She returned the tray to the kitchen after
serving the last guest and stood along the wall. When the final party guest
staggered from the house, Eliza breathed a sigh of relief that this night was
over, and returned to her room humming Auld Lang Syne while she changed for
bed.
As her dress dropped to the floor, the bedroom
door opened, and Reason Downing staggered through the doorway. Eliza gasped and
quickly snatched her dress from the floor. “Massa Downing! I’s changin’ my
clothes!” A sense of dread filled her heart as her master leered at her nude
body.
Reason hiccupped and swayed on his feet as he
stumbled against the bedpost. “So? This is my house, and you’re my property. I
can do whatever I want with my own property.”
“But Massa, I ain’t decent!” An uneasiness
settled in the pit of her stomach.
The stench of bourbon filled the air as her
master stumbled forward, grabbing Eliza’s bare shoulder for support. “You
Negroes aren’t decent, clothed or otherwise! You’re no different than a cow or
a horse, except you can speak. Elias was right… Negroes are sub-human
descendants of Cain condemned by God to serve decent, God-fearing White
people.”
Reason twisted Eliza’s forearm behind her back,
causing her to cry out. “The Bible says God gave men dominion over all the wild
beasts that walk the Earth, which includes Negroes.”
She writhed to free herself from Reason’s grasp.
“Massa, you ain’t in your right mind! Youse drunk! Your room be down the hall.”
She reached for the door, but Reason jerked her arm backward, causing her to
drop the dress to the floor. Tears stung her eyes as her master’s fingernails
dug into her arm. Then panic rose within her as her master’s intentions became
clear.
“Don’t you turn away from me!” Reason pinched
Eliza’s cheeks together, eying her body with lustful intent. “I’m not finished
with you yet!”
Tears streamed down her cheeks as an unstoppable
flood of emotions washed over her. Raising
her voice, Eliza retrieved her dress to cover herself. “Please, Massa! Have
mercy! I ain’t done nothin’ wrong!”
His tone softened as he stroked the side of her
face. “Don’t resist, and you won’t get hurt. You’re my property, and you’re
gonna obey my commands!” Then he ripped the dress from Eliza’s hands, leaving
her shivering and sobbing. “Now, are you ready to make more property for me?”
Screaming, Eliza bolted for the door but received
a blow to the back of her head, causing her to pitch forward into the dresser.
When she awoke at dawn, the stench of hay and manure assaulted her nostrils.
She peered into the darkness but found one eye swollen shut.
Eliza’s frail voice shook as she called for her
husband. “Hello? George?” Pulling herself to her feet, she cupped her hands to
her mouth. “George! Where you at!” Her body ached all over.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the yard moments
before the barn door swung open. “There you is! I’s been lookin’ all over...”
George’s voice trailed off as he took in her bloodied lip, torn dress, and
swollen eye. His eyes flashed, and his nostrils flared as he shook with rage.
“Who did this to you? They gonna pay! Was it Mista Wood?”
Eliza buried her face in her hands and sobbed,
shaking her head. “Massa… it was Massa Downing what done this to me. He weren’t
in his right mind! The Devil took hold of him.”
George’s mouth hung open. “Massa Downing, done
this to you? He ain’t ne’er laid a hand on us, sober or otherwise!” He wrapped
his arms around Eliza and pulled her to him as she sobbed. “Don’t worry, none.
He’s gonna answer for what he done, and if the law don’t make him pay, I will.”
She gasped and pulled herself free. “No, George!
Don’t go doin’ nothin’ stupid. You’d be whipped or lynched for sure!”
He gripped her shoulders and lifted Eliza’s chin
to find her eyes. “I’d fight the Devil himself to protect you.”
Wrapping an arm around his neck, she pressed her
lips against his. “I know you would, but our children need a daddy too. Massa
Downing was drunk, and I don’t want you hurt on my account!”
“Eliza!”
George turned to face the estate and shook his
head. “You best be gettin’ back to Miss Lizzy right away! I can hear her
yellin’ for you across the yard.”
Kissing her husband once more, she raced from the
barn, picking straw from her hair as she ran. Chest heaving, she opened the
back door and washed up at the sink as the kitchen door opened. “There you are!
I’ve been calling for you!” Lizzy paused and clucked her tongue in disgust.
“Where the blazes have you been, anyway? Rolling with the pigs? Go upstairs and
get some fresh clothes on before you serve break...”
Lizzy gasped as Eliza turned to face her. “Good
Lord! What happened to you? Were you attacked?”
Eliza nodded and lowered her eyes, but remained
silent.
“You were? Who attacked you? Was it one of the
party guests?” Lizzy’s temper flared as Eliza shook her head in silence.
“Speak, girl! Who was it? Someone had to attack you! Was it one of the slaves?”
Again, Eliza shook her head, not daring herself
to speak. Lizzy marched across the kitchen and shook her by the shoulders. “I
demand you answer me! Tell me the truth! Who attacked you?”
“It was Massa...” Eliza’s voice broke, then a
tear rolled down her bruised and swollen cheek. “It was Massa Downing, Miss
Lizzy. He was drinkin’, and Mista Wood told him...”
Eliza’s head snapped to the side from the force
of Lizzy’s hard slap across her face, splitting open her lip a second time.
“You filthy whore! How dare you stand there and accuse my husband of attacking
you? He’s been nothing but decent and respectful to the whole lot of you. How
can you repay his kindness by besmirching his good name? My husband is a good,
Christian man. He’d never sully himself by mating with an animal. It’s unseemly
and goes against nature itself.”
“But Miss Lizzy, I ain’t lyin’ ‘bout what
happened! Ol’ Mista Wood poisoned Massa Downing’s mind with money. He want
Massa to breed new slaves. He done put the Devil in him, I tell you!” Another
stinging slap brought Eliza to tears, and she stopped speaking at once.
Mistress Downing stood fuming, her chest heaving
with rage. When she spoke, her voice was low and cold. “Get out… go live in the
slave shacks until I figure out what to do with you and send Annie to take over
your duties. I won’t have you spreading any more lies about my husband.” She
pointed to the back door, her face reddening with the effort to control her
temper. “Go! Get out of my sight!”
Bolting out the back door, Eliza tore across the
yard to the shacks to find Annie hanging laundry on the clothesline. “Quick,
Annie! Miss Lizzy needs you to take over for me in the house.”
“Oh, Eliza! Your poor face! What happened to
you?”
Eliza brushed aside her question, pointing back
to the house. “Don’t be worryin’ ‘bout me. Just be gettin’ back to Miss Lizzy
afore she puts us both in chains!”
Annie’s face paled, and she nodded, handing a
bedsheet to Eliza. “Just the pigs and chickens left after the sheets.” Biting
her lip, Annie raced back to the estate, leaving Eliza to finish her chores.
The winter sun warmed the air as Eliza lost
herself in the monotony of her work. Minutes later, a resonating crack echoed
in the distance, and a piercing scream filled the air. Dropping the laundry in
the basket, Eliza rushed toward the estate to find a throng of people gathering
at the front porch. Not wasting any time, Eliza tore across the yard as Annie
exited the back door.
Grabbing Eliza’s hand, Annie pulled her back into
the kitchen. “You best be gettin’ to the sittin’ room! You gotta stop George
afore he gets himself killed.”
Eliza’s eyes bulged as she ripped through the house to the sitting room. She opened the door to find Lizzy applying pressure to her husband’s bleeding shoulder and George standing over them with a gun. “Go on now, Miss Lizzy. Move out the way… ain’t no one else need to die today except Massa Downing!”
Website/ Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook/ Amazon
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave your comments here...