Horrible Harvest

Trigger Warning: Depictions of Domestic Violence

Momma stepped out the front door of the house, and I could feel her woe from the muck of the paddy. She come off the porch and it looked as if she was walking on broken glass with hell at her back.

Charles followed, giving the ground all his attention. He didn’t have no desire to look up and meet the mad gaze of Daddy.

Daddy stepped back from Tate. “Well, well, my loving wife has arrived.” He turnt to the fieldhands. “Everyone, hold your labors. Bow to the queen. Show your respect.”

The fieldhands give up their playacting that they didn’t have interest in the goings on around them and done as Daddy commanded.

“Bow, you dogs. Your queen approaches.”

Momma slowed to a snail’s pace as she watched with a fright at the sight of a paddy full of slaves bowing to her.

Daddy stepped to her and give her a smile before grabbing her by the back of her neck. “Greet your subjects, woman.” He give her a shove forward.

She stumbled and tripped, falling to her knees. When she went to stand, Daddy give her a push back down to the ground.

I turnt to fire and smoke and stepped past the fieldhand in front of me but stopped when I seen Tate glaring at me. He give a small shake of his head, and I would’ve done as he instructed if not for the whimpering coming from Momma. I took another step, and a hand fell on my shoulder. The slave who’d stood next to me the entire day long spoke in a whisper. “You’ll extend the sting, young’un. Let the mad flood out. This will pass with speed enough.”

The monster give a roar. He was full of fresh vigor and venom. “My woman took liberties in my absence. She sullied the standing of my name and reputation by letting a slave rule over white men on my property. That is a sin that must be washed away.”

Momma tried to stand again, but Daddy kicked at the small of her back, knocking her back to her knees.

“You were dragged from here by the law, and I was left without instruction. I’ve no interest or knowledge in the management of your farm. Tate has more knowledge than I, so I engaged his services. He did not rule over white men. He acted on my instruction. On your behalf.”

“You’ve spent more than twelve-year working this farm with me. You know what’s to be done, and how it’s to be done. You meant to provoke by employing the services of this nigger.”

“I meant for things to be done properly and nothing more. You’re a fool if you cannot see that.”

He give her a kick full of fury to the stomach, and she grabbed her belly and screeched in high pain.

“Shut your mouth, woman.”

Charles shrunk to near pea-size. He wanted gone from where he stood. He wanted gone from the farm and Charleston. He wanted far from every stitch of memory owed to this place and to the monster.

I moved forward with intent on doing my damndest to turn Daddy to dust, but the fieldhand lay his meaty paw on my shoulder again and pulled me back gentle.

“Settle, young sir. Settle.”

Daddy turnt to the advance man. “Fetch me a whip.”

“I don’t believe I will.”

“Goddamn it. This is my farm. You work for me.”

“That I do, but a man don’t beat a woman with a whip. You got hands. Get’em dirty.”

The monster eyed a riding crop sticking out the advance man’s boot. “That ain’t a whip.”

Mr. Stockton give his boot a look. “No. It’s not.”

“You got objection to me beating my woman like you beat your horse?”

“I don’t suppose I do.”

Daddy held out his hand.

The advance man pulled the riding crop from his boot and give it over to Daddy.

“Fable Jake Tatum.”

The servant king wept. He was uncorked – Anger – Fear – Misery – Worry – His nerves was singed raw by it all and it turnt him bootless. Wasn’t a goddamn thing he could do to save himself, to save Momma, to save the next minute from becoming the next.

“Strike my wife with this riding crop for her impropriety.”

Tate’s eyes opened wide, and he grew so tense, his muscles rippled from his skull to his feet. He didn’t make no attempt to take the riding crop from Daddy.

“Grab hold of it, boy.”

Tate stood taller and clinched his teeth.

“Take it.”

“No, sir. I won’t.”

“What did you say, boy?”

“The whip is made for me. I am the offender. Give me my lashes.”

Daddy grabbed Tate up by the collar.

Mr. Stockton wrapped his giant hand around the monster’s claw and pulled it free from Tate’s shirt. “He’s on loan, Tennyson. Belongs to Mr. Miller. I can’t allow you to damage the boss man’s property. He’s high-dollar chattel. If you’ve got $2,500 you want to hand over, he’s yours to do with what you want. Outside of that, it’s hands off.”

“He give me lip. I’m to just take it?”

“You’re to take proper care of Mr. Miller’s belongings. If discipline is to be meted out, it’ll be under my charge.”

Daddy near spit fire. I wouldn’t have been surprised if his body entire just lit up like a torch.

Charles had found more distance. It was just a foot or two, but he’d drifted away from the chaos unseen by everyone but me, until his boot come to lay on a stick that pop-cracked and drew Daddy’s eyes on him.

“Charles, come here.”

Momma stood. “Leave him be.”

“Woman, I am his father.”

“You are a coward too afraid to correct your wife with your own hand.”

The foremen laughed.

The fire in Daddy was made hotter. “Charles. Step to. Now.”

Charles didn’t move. Couldn’t move.

“Son, if I have to come to you, this will be your last day standing on your feet. You’ll be pig feed before sundown.”

I struggled like the devil to free myself from the fieldhand’s grip, but I had a better chance of growing wings and taking flight.

Charles looked to Momma. He know’d she couldn’t do a thing for him, but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted her to work a spell or divine lightning to strike the monster dead.

“Don’t look to your momma, boy. She can’t help you. Tell him, Grace. Tell him to come to me. You wanna save him a whooping? You tell him.”

Momma held her breath and nodded to Charles. Even she didn’t know what it was she was trying to say in that nod. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him to do as Daddy said or to tell him that everything was gonna be fine or that it’d all be over soon, so she just give him a meek, small nod.

“How about this, Charles? You and me, we’re gonna bury your mother under the moonlight tonight if you don’t step to me quick as your feet can carry you.”

It was what Charles had to hear to get him moving. He come to Daddy in wee-steps.

The monster placed his hands around his boy’s shoulder and patted him on the chest. “There you go. Don’t you worry about a thing. Daddy’s got you.” He looked to Tate and held out the riding crop. “Take it.”

Tate looked to Charles’s fright-filled face but still made no effort to take hold of the riding crop.

Daddy’s patience run dry. He give Charles a good whack on top the head with the riding crop.

“Stop.” Momma clasped her hands together. “Please.”

“That ain’t up to me. That there is a decision your aide has to make.” He give Charles another strike. Harder.

Momma cried out to Mr. Stockton. “Are you just going to stand there? You’re just going to let him beat my child with your riding crop?”

The advance man give a shrug. “Ain’t our business. It’s family business. We’re here to work the paddies and look after Mr. Miller’s interests. We got no authority to do anything else.”

“You see there, Grace. This is family business. Tennyson business.” He yanked Charles by the back of the collar and slammed his boy to the ground. “Let’s get a good eye on what’s doing in the paddies, boy.” The monster dragged his son face first to the muck.

“Stop.”

“Take the switch, boy, or I will drown this useless child.” He held it out once again.

Tate froze.

Momma stepped forward. “Take it. Please. Do it.”

Tate give one last pause before snatching it from Daddy. I could see the thought run through his mind. He could give the monster a good and right beat down ‘fore Mr. Stockton and the foremen come down on him, but them consequences he’d told Momma about before set heavy in his heart.

“Get yourself next to your queen. Face to face.”

He done as Daddy said.

“Commence.”

Not a twitch of movement.

“Do it.”

Nothing.

“Strike the whore, boy. On the cheek. Give her a good welt. For all the world to see.”

“I cannot, sir. I’m begging you. Let this madness end.”

The monster didn’t give no hesitation. He shoved Charles’s face into the slosh of the paddy. I watched my brother struggle and buck, but it wasn’t much in the way of resistance against the demon who had hold of him.

Momma begged. “Stop.”

“Tell your aide. Don’t tell me.”

She turnt to Tate. “Do it. Please. Hit me. Now.”

He tightened his grip ‘round the crop’s handle.

“Now.”

“I can’t.”

“Do it.”

He squeezed the crop tighter still and then give a snarl before raising it high in the air.

Mr. Stockton give a grumble. “Think on it, boy. That’ll cost you. You strike a white woman, that’s hell to pay.”

“Do it. He’s killing my boy.”

Tate let loose the blow, and the switch cracked against her cheek.

Momma didn’t cry nor give ground.

I growled like a rabid dog and twisted and kicked like mad, trying to work myself free from the fieldhand’s grip.

Daddy lifted his son out the muck.

Charles gasped and flailed about.

“Give her another.”

“Sir? No, sir. Please.”

Daddy held his son under the sludge of the field again, and Charles was give energy from panic and fear. The monster held his boy ‘til he settled from weakness and then pulled him back up out the water. Charles choked on spit and mud.

“Again.”

Another strike.

“Again. Again. Again.”

Crack. Crack. Crack.

The skin below Momma’s eye tore. Blood streamed.

I finally broke free and rushed the monster, plowing into him with my frame entire. I had fire in my belly, but not near the strength required to break the sumbitch in half like I wanted to. Still, it was an unexpected attack that knocked Daddy off balance. He lost grip of his near-drowned boy and come close to falling into the muck his ownself.

I threw myself across my brother and waited for the monster to beat hell out of me.

Daddy was mad as a hatter, and he grabbed me at the back of my collar, ready to drown me all the way dead.

“That’s enough.”

The voice come in a soft boom and the advance man delivered it with a scowl.

“I say when it’s enough.”

“Then I suggest you say it. You’re wasting labor. These fieldhands are bred for work. They aren’t meant to stand around watching you show your ass.”

Momma was crippled by the beating applied to her body and spirit. She fought mightily to compose herself and rush to me and Charles

But the monster caught hold of her hair ‘fore she reached us and yanked her head back, tilting her eyes skyward. “Come woman. I am fit for your wifely duties, in the bedroom and in the kitchen.”

She clawed at his wrist. Scratching. Twisting. She was made wild with dread and burning despair.

He give a laugh and drug her to the house.

I tended to Charles best I could, but I couldn’t offer no more than a tender hand on his back while he cried himself desert dry.