Page 23 of Under the Tulip Tree
“What is going on here?” Miz Sadie’s screech made us both jump.
Fear flowed through me as I bounded to my feet, looking for a place to hide from the mistress. I didn’t know what had her riled, but I didn’t want another smack from a poker. As Miz Sadie stormed into the room, I cowered behind the chair Charlotte vacated.
“Mama.” Charlotte hurried over to Miz Sadie, a proud smile on her face as she held up the book. “I’m reading to Frances.”
Miz Sadie yanked the book from Charlotte’s hand. “Slaves are not permitted to read.” Her glare moved from her daughter to me, and I slunk further behind the chair.
Charlotte’s bottom lip trembled. “But I’m reading, Mama. Frances just looked at the pictures.” She sniffled in much the same way I did when Mammy was cross. “I thought you’d be happy with me.”
The ploy worked.
Miz Sadie’s angry face eased some, and she reached to smooth Charlotte’s curls. “Of course I am, my darling girl. I’m pleased you’re practicing your reading.” She cast a hard look to me. “But slaves are not allowed books.”
Charlotte glanced at me, then at the book in her mother’s hands as though she too was confused by the conversation.
“Put the book away, dear, and let me comb your hair.”
Miz Sadie sent me one last glare, then seemed to forget I was in the room. She brushed Charlotte’s yellow curls till they shone, all the while chatting about the day, Master Burton’s new horse, and other topics I neither cared about norunderstood. I simply stood where I’d been since she entered the nursery, fearful of moving lest I draw her attention.
When she at last exited the room without a glance toward me, I nearly collapsed on the carpet. My hand ached, and I suddenly felt tired, as though I’d walked a mile instead of standing perfectly still for nearly an hour.
“Let’s go outside and play.” Charlotte smiled with excitement shining in her eyes.
I nodded in agreement, even as a sudden thought occurred to me. “Where’s Pauline?” I realized I hadn’t seen the young woman charged with caring for Charlotte today.
“Papa sent her to the fields since I’m too old for a mammy now.”
As we made our way to the door, I wondered if Pauline was glad she didn’t have to work in the big house anymore. Even though Miz Sadie had been mean to me the previous day, I’d already begun to enjoy being Charlotte’s companion. Not only had I eaten a fine meal and had the promise of playing with pretty dollies later, I’d been introduced to a treasure more wonderful than I could have imagined.
With one last longing look at the shelf of books, I followed Charlotte down the grand staircase, eager to return to the nursery later.
I knew one thing for certain, and I didn’t care what Miz Sadie said about it.
I was going to learn to read.
CHAPTERNINE
Frankie’s eyes closed. I wondered if she’d nodded off to sleep again. It was after lunch but not quite time for me to leave. I’d wait to see if she awoke before packing up my things for the day.
After a few ticks from the clock on the wall, her eyes opened and she looked at me, with no hint of drowsiness to be found. “Mammy always told me I was stubborn. She was right. I knew I shouldn’t touch Miss Charlotte’s books, but I couldn’t help myself. They seemed to draw me to ’em when I was left alone in the nursery while Charlotte went off with her mama or pappy.”
She heaved a sigh. “Some months passed. Miz Sadie still didn’t like me much, but she tolerated my presence when I accompanied Charlotte into the parlor. One day she tookCharlotte to town, which meant they wouldn’t arrive back home until nearly dark. Aunt Liza put me to work cleaning the nursery, but once she left me alone, I took a book off the shelf and hurried outside with it. I had a good spot under a big ol’ tulip tree that I liked, out of sight of the house and fields. No one would bother me there.”
The room grew silent while Frankie stared out the window.
“Were you caught?” I asked, hoping to prompt her to finish the tale.
Her gaze met mine. “Not that day. I hid the book in a hollow spot at the base of the tree trunk. I snuck down there every chance I could to look at my treasure. I remembered some of the words Charlotte read to me that first day, and I tried to figure out the letters and what sounds they made. One day Miz Sadie said she was going visiting and wanted Charlotte to go with her. Soon as they left, I ran to my tree and book. The afternoon was warm, and I fell asleep. Next thing I knew, the overseer yanked me up and hauled me into the big house. Miz Sadie and Master Hall was there. She looked like a barn cat who’d caught a fat mouse when the overseer showed her the book.”
I swallowed hard. Poor little Frankie. “Did she beat you again?” I whispered.
Frankie slowly shook her head. “I wish she had. I’d have taken a dozen beatings rather than what she planned. She ordered the overseer to chain me up in the barn until the slave trader could come an’ fetch me.”
I stared at her. A slave trader could mean only one thing. “You were sold because you looked at a book?”
“Yes’m.” She took a shaky breath and turned away. “Mammy wasn’t allowed to come see me, not even to say goodbye. I’ve often wondered what that day was like for her. A white man in a wagon come the next morning. He had two men and a woman chained in the back already. I’ll never forget the look of despair on their faces. I screamed and fought when the overseer dragged me from the barn toward the wagon. Master Hall stood on the steps of the porch watching, that same troubled look on his face. I called for him to let me stay with Mammy, promising I’d behave. When his eyes met mine, I thought he might save me, but he didn’t. He turned and went back into the house.”
She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “That was the day I finally understood about slavery.”
