Horrible Harvest

The business talk was moved to the hearth. Why I can’t say. S’pose it might be ‘cause it’s a kind of symbol of the value of life entire. Folks burn the forest’s dead in its hollow to add warmth to their days.

Mr. Miller and Kenneth took center position between the advance man and Tate. Me and Daddy stood opposite with me just a step behind.

“Can’t hardly figure how my deal with Judge Gadsden concerns you, Cameron.”

Ol’ Mr. Stockton, he let out the tiniest growl this time. He was none too happy.

As for Daddy, he knew exactly what he was doing this time around.

“Because, neighbor, I have taken possession of Judge Gadsden’s plantation. House and livestock are mine. Even the furniture. The deal you held with him you now hold with me.”

Daddy let out chuckle that was absent every bit of levity. “That can’t hardly be true.”

The advance man spoke. “It is.”

“Gadsden family been at the property near 100 year.”

The advance man stepped forward, pulled a folded piece of paper from his jacket pocket and handed it to Daddy. “There won’t be a 101^st year.”

“What’s this?

“The deed. We thought you may deny my claim, so upon advice from my aide, the rather large man who stands before you, we brought proof.”

Daddy unfolded the paper, give it a glance and then handed it to me. He give a tick of time for me to read it. I give it a quick once over and then nodded.

“Makes no difference. A deals a deal.”

Mr. Stockton took the paper back from me.

“I suppose that is true. You’re welcome to hold the judge to his agreement. He departs from the port for Europe. I’ve forgotten. When does the vessel set sail, Mr. Stockton?”

“This morning.”

“Yes, this morning. Can you swim, Horace?”

“I got me a deal. Twelve hands. A dollar a day.”

“That deal is no longer valid.”

“Look here.”

“Before you unleash your temper, I’ve a deal that better serves us both.”

Daddy raised an eyebrow. “Ain’t no better deal than twelve hands at a dollar a day.”

“How about twenty hands? No invalids. All bulls. Sturdy in the heat. Still watered, obedient men. All. Plus, an overseer and foremen. Two foremen.”

“Can’t afford that.”

“I require no money in return.”

Silence. Daddy stroked his chin. “Ain’t nothing like that give out for free.”

“That is true.”

Daddy’s mind spun around so many times I swear I saw his hair move.

“You served in the Mexican war.”

“I did.”

“That wasn’t a question. Under Major Jonathan Galt’s command.”

“You snooped on me, too, did you?”

“I did.”

“I served under the major. Tail end of things. Never made it past the Rio Grande by the time I come along.”

“But you rode with Galt after the war.”

Daddy give his claim some thought “For a time. Not just me. A dozen or so others, too.”

“You were a traveling group of troubadours as I understand it.”

I give a snort and a laugh.

“Trouba-what?”

 “That was an attempt at sarcasm.”

“At what?”

“You were thieves, Horace. You and your major. The others too. What sensationalists and fiction writers would refer to as a gang. Your crimes expanded beyond thievery. Rape. Murder. Any number of vile and brutal acts. Those are the rumors Mr. Stockton uncovered.”

Daddy turned to me, not so much regretting that I’d heard terrible things about him, but that he wasn’t the one who got to tell me. He liked being my nightmare fuel. He turned back to Mr. Miller. “And rumors they were. We got into some trouble. Made poor choices as a youngster. Did a stretch in jail. Got into honest mechanic work after. Saved up and bought this land. Kept my head down and hand fixed to a hoe ever since.”

“And your major bought up some land five miles north of here.”

“He did.”

“Calls it Galtville.”

No reply.

“It is a ramshackle collection of dry tinder and tents full of fat mistress whiskey-bibbers and reprobates. Or so I am told.”

“They’s a bunch of no-account crackers if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“And they are not fond of my industry.”

“Being?”

“The slave trade, Horace.”

“They got no use for coloreds. Ain’t an abolitionist among ‘em.”

“How they feel about negroes doesn’t concern me. How they feel about trading in slaves concerns me. They blame their woes on industrialists like me. They believe their lives are without value because I power a wageless economy. It is not my responsibility to hold my earnings at bay so they may find opportunity to catch up. That is not how the world works.”

“We’re in agreement about that.”

A grin crawled across Mr. Miller’s face. “Then I am confident we can strike a deal today.”

“I ain’t got a thing to do with Galtville.”

“I am told you are a frequent visitor.”

 Daddy’s defense come out in a stammer. “I go. From time to time. It ain’t no frequent thing.”

“To take part in the liquor and whores.”

I don’t know why, exactly, but I was enjoying the hell out of this conversation. Daddy was up against the things he done, and I ain’t never seen nobody put him there before.

“I let off the beating of a day now and then.”

“Then you know of a man named Roland Dillard.”

“I do.”

“He’s a problem.”

“He’s a fool.”

“He’s a fool who runs whiskey on plantations. Trades out for goods the slaves steal from their masters.”

“I’ve heard as much from others. I’m turnt confused as to why it concerns me.”

“Because it concerns me, Horace. It makes me unhappy. I’m not a good neighbor when I’m unhappy.”

“I don’t know what you think I can do about it. I dealt with Roland years back. He don’t make himself a pest around here no more.”

“And that’s what I want from you. I want you to correct what I cannot. Mr. Dillard. Galtville. All of it.”

“Correct?”

“You know Major Galt, do you not?”

“I do.”

“Then you have avenue to intercede. One I do not have.”

“And by correct, what do you mean?”

“I mean correct. In fact, I would find it most helpful if you found a permanent solution to my Galtville problem altogether.”

“Permanent solution?”

“Which brings us to my third gift. You’ll find it in the barn. I ask you to wait until we’ve left to unpack it. Discretely.”

I can’t lie. The non-talk talk was turning me around a bit. I was having trouble deciphering what Mr. Miller wanted. Daddy seemed to know exactly what he wanted.

“And this will get me the twenty hands?”

“It will.”

Daddy looked to Tate. “What’s he got to do with all this?”

“Nothing. He is involved in another matter I wish to discuss.”

“Which is?”

“Unnecessary to get into if we don’t have a deal on the first order of business.”

Daddy scratched at his patchy beard.

“In addition to the material value you would receive in the exchange, you should know you would also have my gratitude, Horace. I think you will find that to be priceless.”

“I ain’t got much in the way of tools for the kind of outcome you’re wanting.”

“I trust God will provide.”

Daddy give a clearing of this throat before he nodded. “I’ll do it with the Devil’s help.”

“Fine. Excellent. It is a deal then?”

“It’s a deal.”

Mr. Miller pushed Kenneth forward. “The boys shall shake on it.”

Daddy looked to me and then back at the foreign boy in his house. Back to me, “Go on then.”

I strolled to the maple-topped boy. Nervous all to hell. Excited out of my mine. I ain’t never been here before. Face to face with another. A boy. Outside my family. We was about to shake hands, and I was about as anxious as I’d ever been.

“I’m Kenneth.”

“I know.”

What played out next just come out in slow sections of time. We reached for one another. Our palms touched. The fleshy collision give me the tiniest startle in my heart. One gripped the other, and we shook.

“I’m Augustus.”

“It’s nice. A pleasure to meet. Make your acquaintance.”

“Deals done,” Mr. Miller said with more menace than nice.

“If you say so.”

We returned to our daddies.