Yellow Crocus: A Novel by Laila Ibrahim

the fields with his hat on his head. The head covering was his cover for being away from the fields if the overseer caught him. He parted the willow branches and peered around before he left their cool shelter.
    “Stupid boy. Stupid, stupid, stupid,” Mattie mumbled to herself.
    “I am sorry, Mattie,” Lisbeth’s small voice apologized. “I was only trying to teach him. I did not know it was dangerous.”
    “Well, your not knowin’ might get my son killed someday. He can never touch a white girl. Never,” Mattie muttered under her breath. “Never touch a white lady.”

Chapter 10
     
    MARCH 1847
     
    L isbeth sat all alone in the shade of her beloved willow tree reading. Now that she was nearly ten years old, Lisbeth was expected to take care of herself during the day while Mattie attended to other chores. This afternoon Mattie was ironing sheets. Samuel, his reading and writing lessons complete, no longer joined her under the tree either. Those conspiratorial afternoons were a part of the past, though Lisbeth occasionally gave Mattie a book to sneak to Samuel.
    Taking a moment to enjoy the luscious spring day, Lisbeth was surprised to hear the sound of jeering intrude upon her quiet. It was rare that anyone came near her private fortress. She listened as taunting voices got louder and louder. She made her way to the edge of the tree and parted the branches. Her brother and his friends were in the clearing behind the Quarters. Lisbeth was appalled when she realized what she was seeing. Her brother, Jack, was showing off for some of his older friends—Edward Cunningham, Nathaniel Jackson, and William Anderson—by harassing one of the negroes. They made a ring around their victim, taunting and threatening him with a rope that swung from Jack’s hands.
    Lisbeth threw down her book and stormed down the rise to her brother and his friends. She hated the way they tormented the field hands for sport. As she got closer her breath caught. Their victim was Samuel! His head was bowed and he did not see her approaching. Shame and rage poured through her, but she covered her feelings quickly. She knew she must handle this right or she would make things worse, as Jack was not inclined to take directions from his older sister.
    As she walked up to the boys she was careful not to look at Samuel lest she betray that he mattered to her. Mustering as much self-righteous indignation as possible, doing her best to mask her fear, Lisbeth haughtily declared, “You are disturbing my reading. You know you are supposed to let me study.”
    “Study elsewhere,” Jack taunted without taking his eyes off of Samuel.
    “I do not wish to,” Lisbeth stated. “You know this is my preferred place to learn. What are you doing?”
    “Teaching this nigger to show us respect.”
    “Father does not approve when you interfere with the niggers,” she replied.
    “He does not care about this one,” Jack replied with a sneer. “He is to be sold. We do not need another buck around here.” Jack turned his gaze to Lisbeth and stared hard.
    Stunned by the news, but not wanting to reveal anything to her brother, Lisbeth lied, “Well, I do not care about him either. I simply want to study in peace. Now go elsewhere.”
    She stared hard at her brother, not allowing herself to glance at Samuel or avert her eyes. Jack stared back. Lisbeth did not look away. She felt the eyes of the onlookers pass back and forth between the two of them. Her hands were moist but she did not make a move to wipe them dry.
    Finally Jack snorted and looked away. “Come on,” he said to his friends, “there are frogs down at the creek. I bet I catch the biggest one.”
    The tension broke the instant the boys, done playing at being men, walked away without a backwards glance, their minds on their next task. The gang frolicked like a pack of puppies, bumping into one another as they made their way down the path. Lisbeth sighed with relief and wiped her damp hands on her gown.