The Trees Remember
A Trilogy of Historical Novels by Joyce L. Kieffer
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Excerpt
CHAPTER 44 . . .
Jane came into her room and sat on the bed next to her daughter. “Honey, you’ve been very quiet this whole evening. I suppose you’re nervous about going away.”
"Yes, I am,” she said, turning away so her mother wouldn’t see her red eyes. But not soon enough.
"Oh, you’ve been crying. Are you upset about leaving the farm?”
Not wanting to reveal what had happened earlier that day, Rebecca lied. “No, just a little jittery. . . not sure I’m doing the right thing. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone, especially Ben. He didn’t take it well.”
"That’s understandable. He’s very fond of you. . . and he’s probably worried you’ll be gone so long.”
"Back So Straight, too. She gave me this beautiful stone to take with me.”
"Yes, I’ve seen it before. She often carries it in her little bag of fetishes.” Jane grew quiet and had a faraway look in her eyes. Then she said “Here, let me help you pack. There’s a lot to remember. . . make sure you have your papers.”
Rebecca began to arrange her clothing and toiletries on top of her suitcase, ready to pack inside early the next day. Gathering her papers and placing the black stone from Back So Straight in her small drawstring purse, she continued to act as if nothing had happened earlier that day. However, inside, her stomach was churning.
Maybe she was making the biggest mistake of her life. But all was in place. There was no turning back now.
CHAPTER 45
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Baltimore was unlike anything Rebecca could possibly imagine. More people than she had ever seen milled about. Rows of beautiful brownstone houses. Carriages, wagons, and surreys crisscrossed the cobblestone streets. Pedestrians maneuvered around all types of horse-drawn vehicles. One young boy barely missed reaching the other side of the street when a Hansom cab pulled by a gigantic colored man crossed in front of him.
The carriage continued through the narrow streets until it reached a busy intersection and turned left, almost hitting a small ornate carriage that looked like the front half had been cut away. It was empty, allowing Rebecca to glimpse inside at the diamond pleated burgundy walls and leather seats. Ben could fashion a carriage exactly like this.
Her thoughts were jarred by a screeching noise so loud she held her hands over her ears. Streetcars moving on metal tracks with wires attached to their roofs passed by. Passengers sat on benches facing the street and stood on the back platform. Rebecca marveled that there weren’t any horses pulling the ornate structures that looked like they were floating on the cobblestones.
The ride through the city seemed endless. Despite the interesting things she encountered, she was hot and tired. Looking ahead she saw massive gray buildings with smokestacks belching dark, thick smoke. Intersecting the main streets were narrow alleys with little, unpainted wooden houses—colored people standing on the sidewalks and sitting on the steps leading up to their porches.
Rebecca closed her eyes, half drifting into sleep. She had been riding in the rickety wagon for over an hour. Sweat rolled down her neck and back of her high-collared blouse. Baltimore was loud and stinky. She missed the farm already.
The sudden stop of the carriage bolted her awake. “Here we are Miss. Johns Hopkins Hospital Nurses’ Building.”
“Are you sure this is the right place?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Brought a few other young women here this morning.”
Rebecca felt slightly reassured. “No turning back now.”
“No, Ma’am. Guess there ain’t.”
The driver opened the door and Rebecca climbed over the man seated next to her, holding her breath and moving carefully to avoid bumping his legs. As she stood hesitating, the driver gave her one last look. Rebecca returned his stare, thinking maybe she should get back in the carriage and go home to McAlisterville. A moment later the carriage pulled away.
Rebecca looked up at the massive four-story brick building. She counted the chimneys: eight. In the center of the roof was another smaller story with a tall, multi-roofed copula. She took a deep breath before climbing the steps to the front landing and knocked on the massive, ornately-carved door. No one answered. A feeling of dread came over her. Maybe she was too late. Maybe this was the wrong building after all. Just as she reached up to knock a second time, the door opened wide. A slight woman in a high-necked black dress with a small, white collar stood smiling at her. She wore a white gauze cap over the top of her brown hair that was pulled back into a loose chignon.