Simmon Tree Bottom

By Raye

It was forbidden for Samantha to love Kilani in those days. It was deadly for Kilani to love
her back. But they both took the risk that could have cost them their lives. Th eir aff air left
a legacy of despair that lasted for over 100 years. Th e evidence of their love was completely
obscured; except for the love letters that were passed on to Grandpapa. Th ese letters were
the door to Grandpapas tumultuous past. A door he couldnt openuntil he met Lizzy.
Running from her failed marriage and sabotaged career, a very insecure and wounded
Lizzy decides to join Grandpapa at his home in the country. Lizzy realizes that she and
Grandpapa share a prison that transcends all of the barriers that stood between them.
Together, they take a fearless journey that causes them both to heal.
Th rough the unveiling of some disturbing secrets, traditions and taboos, they discover that
prejudice is never about a group; it starts with one individual and grows to infect a family;
a generation or two or six. But for this family, Simmon Tree Bottom is where it ends.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 28, 2013
• ISBN: 9781479793693

Raye

none

Book preview

PROLOGUE

It was the summer of 1870 in West Moreland County, Virginia. Some ways down from the birthplace of George Washington himself lay the Danford Plantation. Things had been very quiet on the plantation, until then. It was the day when Master Danford caught Sellie with his daughter, Samantha, in the barn.

Master Danford held Samantha as she came from the barn wearing nothing but a potato sack. This got the attention of everyone. Everyone waited to see what or who would come out of the barn next. With the look on Master Danford’s face, they were either dead or going to die.

Four men came from the barn carrying Sellie. Two slaves held his arms and two held his feet. He had already been beaten, his clothes were dripping with blood. If it wasn’t for a moan or two, everyone would have thought that Master had killed him already. Sellie was fully clothed, the people took notice, and that’s what made the whole thing seem so strange.

Master instructed the men to take Sellie to Old Simmon Tree Bottom. This was a stretch of land down the road a bit. Master Danford owned this land and didn’t use it for much but dumping. So the men, puzzled, headed in the direction of Simmon Tree Bottom.

Master was a good man and everybody said it. The slaves felt lucky to have him as their owner. He was slow to anger and a God-fearing man. His only weakness was for the wenches. His weakness was passed down to his little girl, Samantha. She had a curiosity about being with the bucks, especially Sellie.

Sellie was a good nigger and everybody said it. He was about twenty-one. Nobody really knew how old they were. Slaves couldn’t count. They were as old as Master said they were. Sellie had been there on the land since he was just a small boy. He was kept in the house because Master said that he had thin skin. He was lighter than most niggers because his mama, Cattie, was Master Whitten’s bed wench. Master Whitten took really good care of Sellie and his mama until the Misses finally poisoned her. Master sent Sellie to the Danfords before the Misses got a chance to kill him too. But this time Sellie was not able to escape the calamity that awaited him.

The four men walked slowly as the weight of the wounded body became almost unbearable. They stopped to rest, but Master Danford told them that if they didn’t keep moving there would be hell to pay. Two more men came up from the group of people that followed, and they stepped in to help carry Sellie.

When they had finally reached their destination, everybody looked on and wondered why there wasn’t a rope anywhere in sight. This was obviously going to be an execution. Master told the six tired slaves to lay the body on top of the waste pile. Sellie lay there with his bones nearly broken and his body full of blood from the whipping he had taken in the barn. The pain seemed to subside and he realized a slight relief. The waste that supported his body gave some subtle comfort.

Master Danford disappeared behind the old house there and then he came back with a can of kerosene. He poured it around the trash pile and then all over Sellie. He struck a match and the people were horrified as they witnessed the worst execution ever. The women wailed in despair and the men looked on with tears in their eyes. They had a new image of Master Danford. They had a new image about themselves. No one could see this black cloud coming, but it came and left so fast and took poor Sellie with it.

CHAPTER ONE

Lizzy listened as Grandpapa poured out his heart at the family reunion. He was a humble looking old guy. His skin was dark and his head was fully gray, matching his nappy-bearded face. His clothes seemed to hang off of his frail body. Lizzy didn’t know Grandpapa’s name at the time. Nobody did, everyone called him Grandpapa. This was common for black folks. Even though slavery was long over, everyone was still just black folks. No one minded, because that was a far cry from being Niggas. Sellie was the name given to Grandpapa. He didn’t like that name. He didn’t like it at all after he found out that he was named after some dead buck. The story of how he got his name would turn your stomach, but he told it with strength and conviction. The story was prompted when cousin James came to the family reunion with his new wife, Greta, who was white. That upset Grandpapa so much and no one understood, but to see this old man cry would have made anyone pay close attention. Grandpapa had been elected, being the senior member of the family, to be a keynote speaker. He was supposed to tell his family how it was during his time, back when slavery was just ending, and also what the old folks had passed on to him about slavery. No one was ready for what he told them, but he didn’t care about acceptance. He was the elder of the family and they owed him his chance to speak. He told James that day that his wife could never stop being master and that he could never stop being the slave. James soon left with his new bride, but not Lizzy. She wanted to hear every word. It seemed like she had a special interest—especially since her husband had recently left her for a white lady. Grandpapa’s say gave her some sick sort of relief. He explained that this had gone on for generations, the white women and the black men, but black men today were acting like white women were some new breed. As he advised on the subject, the women in the family were beginning to understand and the men shook their heads and agreed.

Grandpapa was over 100 years old and his memory could put most to shame. He never learned to read and write, but his reasoning was impeccable. He knew the Bible back and forth. He had memorized the verses. It made people wonder if he was lying about not being able to read. Anyway, Lizzy was amazed with him and she wanted to hear every word. Being a journalist, she could just see his words pouring out onto the paper. His words went well beyond the family reunion; it seemed like his ancestors were telling their life stories from the grave. She imagined that, if Grandpapa did know how to write, he would have written a fantastic book. So Lizzy, a journalist with no kids and no real family commitments to speak of, left her job and moved to Virginia to take good care of Grandpapa. He lived on a small piece of land that had been passed down to him by his great-grandfather, Master Danford. Grandpapa was actually Lizzy’s great-grandfather.

When Lizzy arrived at the bus station, she panicked. There was no one there to meet her because no one knew she was coming. Lizzy figured that she could catch a cab. But to her surprise, cabs were a convenience of the big city that she left behind. Lizzy was a young career-minded woman. Her dress was almost as sharp as her mind. She stood about five feet and weighed almost 120 pounds. She was admired by most of the women that she came in contact with. Everyone admired her beauty, her perfect curvy figure, her flawless, medium-brown skin, and her sexy short hair cut that spelled class. Even though Lizzy was humble, she knew that her beauty worked in her favor. But she was in a place where it couldn’t make a difference. When she sat down, an older lady sat beside her and she introduced herself. Anne Marie. Lizzy, Ma’am, she replied. What are you doing around these parts, who you here to see? She answered the lady, I’m here to see my grand . . . well, my great-grandfather, Grandpapa. She realized how strange it sounded when it rolled out of her mouth, since everyone had a grandfather. Anne Marie replied, Oh, Grandpapa over on the Danford land. Yes, yes, Ma’am.

Anne Marie seemed to be about the same age as Lizzy’s grandmother and she was beautiful. She had long flowing hair, blue eyes, and her skin was cinnamon brown. She said, I’m waiting on my ride and we’re going that way. Would you like for us to drop you off? Yes, Ma’am. Do you think they’ll mind? Naw, child, we can’t afford to be proud in these parts. She knew the family, she knew all about them. She wanted to talk about them the whole time and she enlightened Lizzy. But Lizzy didn’t want to hear it from some stranger. She wanted to hear it all from Grandpapa.

When the car pulled up on the land, Lizzy was surprised. She thought that she would see a great mansion with little slave shacks all around. But what she saw was a big piece of beautiful land with a lonely old trailer sitting all the way in the back. It was not pretty. She went to knock on the door and the door just opened. She entered the trailer and looked around. There was a gloom about the place. Not a light on anywhere. Lizzy walked through and shouted Hello! But no one responded. She got this scary feeling in her gut. She felt as though she may have been too late. She walked toward a tiny room near the back and pushed the door gently. There was Grandpapa. He was asleep. Some sort of peace came over her. She felt that everything was going to be alright. Grandpapa was snoring as if this was the rest he’d been longing for. So she just let him sleep. She dropped her bags in the living room and went into the kitchen just a few feet away.

Lizzy looked into the refrigerator and there was nothing to eat. She had never seen a fridge so empty. She looked out of the kitchen window and as far as she could see there was land. She walked out of the door and around the trailer. There was no back door. She took off her shoes and began to dance. Sand was all in her toes. She danced right into a patch of greenery, which was Grandpapa’s garden. It was full of peas, cabbage, collards, tomatoes, and corn. Oh, she said to herself aloud. This is what he eats. There was a little shack off to the right, and as she made her way to it, she smelled the animals. Lizzy looked inside of the shack and there were three pigs, six chickens, and two ducks. She had never seen any of these things alive. That was the benefit of my family going North, she guessed. The animals ran to her as if they knew she was the stranger. They ran her off like she was intruding on their busy little lives. Maybe it was the fact that every time they saw a stranger, it meant that they were about to be slaughtered. She really didn’t know what they were thinking, because Lizzy was thinking about how fast she could run. She went back into the trailer and into Grandpapa’s room. He was still asleep in the same position. He was curled up in blankets even though it was rather hot in his house. Lizzy kneeled over him on the bed and he jumped. Great God!

Grandpapa, please don’t be alarmed.

Who is you?

It’s me, Grandpapa, Lizzy. Carlos’s daughter. I met you at the reunion.

You sho’? I can’t have no anybody up on my bed like that, not in my house. Who you is again?

Lizzy, Grandpapa. My name is Lizzy.

CHAPTER TWO

Lord, if this is my answer, then you quick. Grandpapa had just prayed and asked the Lord to take him on home. "I heard God speak to me and He told me that He wasn’t finished. Then I told the Lord that I’ve been running a long time. I told the Lord that I’m not tired. It just seems that my time here is useless. I would like to go to heaven. I want to see Jesus, who died for sinners. I want to see who made it into heaven. I want to see my daddy and talk to him some more. I’m just useless here. And when God told me that I had more to do, I couldn’t imagine what that was.

I haven’t heard from my kids for years, except for that family ’union. I watched those children play their loud music and worship the devil. I seen them all up on each other and they be cousins. I saw them talk about each other and cut each other down. And I saw that James boy with that white girl. I don’t mean no harm, Lord, but those folk ain’t my kin. In the spirit, Lord, my heart don’t know these folk. Then this young pretty thing comes to my door, naw, to my bed. Looking just like my daughter Charlotte. Pretty as anything. I didn’t mean to scare her or come off wrong, Lord, but you know I can’t have the devil in my house. Finally rid this land of evil, Lord. And I can’t have these folks ’round here speaking evil of me. Grandpapa was speaking to God as if Lizzy wasn’t even there. This was great. She had left home, where only the walls would listen to her, and come here to see her Grandpapa and he was talking to God. Not only was he old and mean, Grandpapa was crazy, Lizzy thought.

When Pastor Whitten come by, he could take you to the motel. She didn’t like that much, but then Grandpapa explained as best he could and she agreed. She was actually relieved. There is really nothing around here for young people. Just you and me, Lord, and sometimes that gets to be crowded, he joked. Silly kids, running around here like they own the world. All them that went up North came back corrupted and I run them off. I may as well be dead, I don’t do no wrong and no good to anyone either. But when he looked into Lizzy’s eyes they filled up with water. He started to feel bad. She just wanted to stay awhile and learn from Grandpapa. What could I teach you? He asked her flat out. Are you saved? Do you know the Lord, Jesus Christ? She mumbled to him with such uncertainty. Yeah, I guess so. Well, I guess that’s what I should do. I should teach you about Jesus. I should make sure that if no one else in my family knows the Lord, you will.

Lizzy stayed up at the motel. Grandpapa walked up the road to the church, met the pastor each day after doing his chores, and asked him to pick up his great-granddaughter. He took her to church every day. He wasn’t just a Sunday Christian. He needed Jesus more than most and he wanted to make sure that if Jesus came by the church on a Mundy, Tuesdy, or Winsdy, He’d find Grandpapa there. He could tell that Lizzy didn’t like church much. But he didn’t care. If she was going to hang out with him, she would learn to like it. As much as she didn’t like the house of God, Grandpapa was sure that she would like hell much less.

When Grandpapa went by the motel on Thursday, she told him that, whenever he had some free time, he should come and sit a spell. She told him that she wanted to learn about their family, about their history. She seemed so eager to know the things that Grandpapa had promised himself that he would never talk about: his daddy, his momma, and his grandma. He didn’t want the past to get in the way of his purpose, which was to lead Lizzy to Christ. Nobody knew why, but this was redemption to Grandpapa. He told her that he would let her know. She looked a little faint, hair all messy, even a little red about her eyes, and he was concerned. He asked, Are you alright? Lizzy just nodded. That girl has Annie’s eyes for sho’, Grandpapa thought to himself. He could always look into Annie’s beautiful eyes and tell when something was wrong. When he looked into those eyes, it seemed like you could see right through to her soul. He loved himself some Annie.

Grandpapa didn’t push Lizzy to come with him to the church, but right after, he had the pastor take him to her motel room. He tapped at the door and it seemed he heard some crying from inside