Friday Fiction: Manumission

Manumission

by WEGoss2

Background:  Manumission is the act of a slave owner freeing their slaves. This is a retelling of the story based on family stories of my great, great, great grandmother. She was the daughter of a woman from the Talimali band of Apalachee and a French Creole trapper named Pleasant in Louisiana. After the Civil War, Louisiana laws classified the Talimali band of Apalachee people as “colored."  The judge was actually my wife's great, great, grandfather.

Leeze’s father had too many mouths to feed. For twenty dollars, he sold his daughter to Alford. Alford was a successful farmer on the Cane River.  A farmer looking for someone to serve his wife, so that she could be the lady of culture she wanted to be. 

That gangly Talimali servant girl became a beautiful young woman. Now that twenty dollar girl owned Alford’s heart.

Still a young teenager, Leeze had their first child. Alford’s children by his wife were closer to Leeze age and closer match to be a lover, but, she chose him. Alford chose Leeze over his pretentious socialite wife. 

“Just don’t embarrass me,” his wife had said, “keep it in the quarters. I’ll move to Natchitoches,”

In the quarters, he found friends.  Friends that would one day have papers saying, “Freed by the will of their master.”

First were Pierre and Gustina then Ham and Pearl. Speaking with the judge, Alford found papers that would be freedom for him as well. Divorce papers signed and given to the sheriff.

*****

Leeze and Alford’s oldest child played on the floor in the corner. His name was Pleasant, after her father.  Young Pleasant was just under two. His dark complexion witnessed the Creole and Indian blood. Their youngest, named Alford after his father was a little over a month old and with Gustina, the wet nurse.

Leeze’s last memory of Alford was her head on his shoulder. She would hear his last heart beat as a bullet ripped through her and then into him. Behind a kicked in door stood a younger version of Alford with a pistol in his hand. Alford was killed with one shot.

“Just don’t embarrass me,” his wife had said, “keep it in the quarters.” In Alford’s wife eyes, a justified patricide prevents the scandal of divorce.

Bleeding, Leeze ran to save her life and the life of her child. She swam the river carrying the oldest child and ran through the swamp in the darkness of night. The infant was left in the arms of Gustina.  In a year, when it was safe, Pierre would bring young Alford through the woods to the Talimali community. 

Alford who owned only a few slaves, freed them all before the Civil War. They actually were friends. Leeze was never really a slave. Alford was a slave to his life and the culture of the time. Alford’s love freed Leeze, but, did she love him?  

She never loved again.