From now know, I'll make sure such encounter never happened again, as long as I can help it.°°°°°°°°°°°°°°That was unfortunately, not what happened. After that day, he seemed to always be everywhere, almost. He was soon a regular visitor, I don't know if I can call him a visitor still, to the baron's household.What was it with this man? I grumbled after another, recent taunting from him. Was it that he had done all the work for his life time when he was much younger? And now he was as free as any man could wish. He should take his free time some places else like play chess or checkers with some older men or whatever it was. Although I was not the brunt of his availability. No, that is not correct. Although I was the brunt of his sudden free time with which he used frequenting the baron's home, Abigail was suffering a similar plight. 'Can you believe'! She exclaimed, as she was once again pacing around her room while I sat on a stool, studiously sewing. A lot of unbelievable thing
'Have you spoken to lord Montclair'? This was the first thing I asked Abigail after I knocked on her door in a low scratch and she called me in.'Yes', she smiled, she was writing on her table and I sat on the stool just like I used to when we were younger. 'Can you believe'? She swerved around to face me, her writing forgotten at the moment. 'As rumors go, lord Montclair never says sorry. He did though, to me, apologizing for calling me a country bumpkin'. She smiled, pleased that he'd only ever apologized to her and also apologized for calling her names.'Oh I'm sure that's not the case, surely. He does apologize...when it is necessary'.'Then the necessity of it must be very sparse between'. She retorted back.'Do you think his apologizing to you means something'?'I think the frequent visit he pays to my grandfather's home means something'. Abigail sounded very confident from her reply and I suspected she was softening towards him.'Do you think he means to court you'? Abigail succ
'What is this'? Lord Montclair was fingering the gift I had given him, wrapped in an old newspaper and a ribbon -that I had sniffed from Abigail's collection, knowing she wouldn't miss it- tied around it.'It's your birthday present '. I said.'But my birthday is-''Is tomorrow, February 29th, I know, which now makes me feel like laughing. Lord Montclair, if your birthday is on every leapyear; how old are you really'?. He grinned. 'That's a secret'.'You're 10 years old, perhaps'.'Ha'! He scoffed. ' I celebrate my birthdays on the 28th of February of the 1st of May if it's not a leap year. So I am allegedly an adult'.'Hmm. Mhm'. I smiled, unconvinced. 'You wouldn't understand' he said, shaking his head at me.'What did you get me'?'Its a-''You know people won't normally tell you what they got for your birthday'. He interrupted looking slightly surprised.'Bible'. I finished. He sat up straighter and stared wide-eyed at me, mouth slightly agape.'You got me a bible for my birthday
in an era of time where slavery was an approved trade, Naomi and her family were constrained to the Stanley's family, noble, respected. That is, until the fiftieth year. The fiftieth year was symbolic for freedom and every slave was free to leave if they wanted.But can Naomi and her family last till that year without things changing drastically.She tells her story, from some time where things took a different turn from the normalcy of her life. 22years into the fifty years, 8 years to the fiftieth year.I was running, hard. My feet crunched heavily into the snow as I maneuvered my way around the trees, clothed now in snow. I made a pause to catch my breath, Abigail had gotten it into her fair head to chase me around the forest and had instigated the snow ball fight. I let out a breathy laugh, puff of vapour billowing around my face, I couldn't say I didn't enjoy the freedom, I just needed to catch my breath.I stood up straight from my bended position
The countryside's clouds were grey, they almost always were, and even then, I remember I was still not used to that, although I was 10. It was different from my real home, my father's home, my mother's, my ancestors.Everything was different from it. Back at home, the sun was always shining, beating warmly, down our backs and when it wasn't shinning, it was night and if it wasn't night, then it was a rainy day. In the countryside, the weather was fairly okay but it was not like home and it was sometimes unpredictable, I dislike unpredictable.Although, the land was vast. A person or family could own several aces or land and you could not see another neighbor for several miles away. Some of the lands and the houses were even passed down from generation to generation, like the Stanley's household.But as the years went by, I grew to love the countryside. Not only for it's vastness and mellow animals; sheep, cattle, pig donkeys, horses and the Meadows! But
I took a shaky breath, my mama placed a hand on my shoulder. 'Did he tell you why '? Mary looked at her incredulously, mama sighed and shook her head at her. 'Never mind that. Naomi -' I turned around, ' I didn't do anything mama ', she raised her brow at me, ' I never said you did'. ' But -', she shook her head at me. 'Just go. But remember, answer them with a yes sir or no sir. Never say anything that might be used against you. Never ever look at them straight in the eye for long '!I stepped into the main house to the parlour through the servant section. The sun was streaming through the open window and Mr Stanley Jr was sitting backing it, his blond hair shinning golden against the setting sun. His green eyes so dark against the sun, I couldn't be sure what he was thinking. Beside him was his father, Mr Stanley, in all his white haired glory. He'd taken off his hat, and it was probably hanging on the cap hook - when Mrs Stanley had been alive, she couldn't cond
She nodded, her eyes trained on the scratched surface of the box. ' They called for me this morning, your daddy and I. I was so scared '. And I was surprised, this was the first time my mama had ever told me in plain words, exactly how she felt.' I thought they were going to take you away from us and we'll be unable to stop them.That's why you must be careful when you go to live with them. The Stanley's are different but be careful '. She turned and stared me deep in the eye. ' Never forget who you are and where you came fromRemember that it's just few more years to reach the 50th year, to be free. Know your place among them but know who you are '. She softly jabbed her finger against my chest. Then she smiled, retracing her hand away and pushing the box back under the bed. ' Now let's get you to bed, to -'' But can me not stay up to see daddy'? I protested as she tugged me unto my bed and Drew up my things blanket up to my chin. ' Not tonight Naomi, you
'Say, winter is just around the corner'. Abigail lay on her bed on her stomach, her feet raised up and her dress falling to pool around her, altogether looking very unlady-like.'Mm hm', I murmured, concentrating on stitching a tear on her silk stockings, the type her mother liked and the ones Abigail was frequently destroying, only because they were more in number than her cotton ones. So there I sat, trying to stitch it carefully and neatly - which is rather difficult since the tear was not running along the seams but right through the middle, not very conspicuous you see-, so Mrs Stanly does not start a row with Abigail and somehow include all innocent and wary bystanders into it.'Well, i wish we could go outside you see, while the weather is still warm. I'm so bored, can we not go outside'? She had my attention now and i raised my head to watch her, her gaze directed to the open window, chin resting on her palms, looking forlorn. She sigh