Storm Clouds Rolling In & On To Richmond (Books 1 & 2 in the Bregdan Chronicles) by Ginny Dye - HTML preview

Chapter Thirty

Eddie had a worried look on his face when he strode in the door and threw a quick glance back over his shoulder as if he were afraid someone was watching him.

Fannie glanced up from her sewing and frowned.

“Something wrong?”

Eddie shook his head. “I don’t know. I guess I’m a little spooked. This city be making me more and more nervous.”

Opal looked up from her own sewing to watch the exchange. Once again, she was trying to patch the only other dress she owned. For a brief moment, she longed for the plantation. Their clothes hadn’t been fancy, but they were always in good condition. She was ashamed of the two dresses she owned now. Of course, things might be as scarce on the plantation as they were becoming in Richmond. She could have made herself a new dress if the material that could be found was not so exorbitant in price. She finished her last stitch, tied a knot, and broke the thread.

Fannie’s face had grown more anxious. “Do you think they know what we’re doing?” Her tone was furtive, and she kept her voice low, even though the windows in the house were closed, and no one was home but them.

Opal understood. You couldn’t be too careful right now. Martial law had been declared in Richmond. It was impossible to enter the city without a pass. Alcohol and firearms had been outlawed. The city had become desperate to find a way to stop the lawlessness sweeping its streets. At first Opal had been glad. At least she was sleeping without sporadic gunfire jolting her from her bed all hours of the night. But it was the crackdown on Union sympathizers that had them all worried. People were being taken from their homes and put in jail for not avowing wholehearted loyalty to the Confederate cause.

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Eddie shook his head. “I don’t know how they could.

We’ve been so careful, but I don’t know.” He sighed. “I can’t get out of my head how that policeman watched me walk away after I stopped to help Spencer and Miss Carrie. I knowed I shouldn’t have stopped, but I couldn’t see Miss Carrie getting hurt.” He shook his head firmly.

“No sir, I couldn’t see her getting hurt. I done the right thing.”

“Of course you did,” Opal said quickly. “That policeman couldn’t have known anything. I think everybody is just nervous right now.”

Fannie nodded, looking at Opal in gratitude. Opal knew her cousin lived in constant fear something was going to happen to one of them. Because of their activities, much information had been smuggled out to the Union authorities, but so far, it seemed the crackdowns were concentrated on white people.

Eddie took a quick glance at Fannie’s face and tried to reassure her. “I’m sure there ain’t nobody be knowing about what we’re doing. I’m being extra careful, I guess.

Anyway, we seem to keep getting by with things.”

“Like not having Miss Carrie walk right into the middle of one of our meetings?” Fannie asked with a glimmer of her normal humor.

Opal laughed. “I would have so loved to see her, but not that Sunday. Not with the house full of people supposedly here for lunch. We wouldn’t have gotten any planning done.”

Eddie nodded. “I felt sorry for that little lady the soldier tried to have his way with, but I sure was glad I had a chance to tell Miss Carrie you wasn’t at home.”

Opal nodded. Seeing Carrie would have been wonderful, but what they were doing was much more important.

Fannie nodded, her face once more composed as she picked up the dress she was mending for Sadie. “I guess the good Lord done be looking after us.”

Eddie dropped his voice low. “He’ll get another chance tomorrow.”

Fannie looked up sharply. “A delivery?”

Eddie nodded, his eyes bright with excitement. “Mrs.

Hamilton done bribed one of those prison guards. I guess

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he needed the money real bad. Anyway, she says she has some information the Union will find real helpful.”

“When?” Fannie asked.

Eddie shrugged. “I have to go downtown to one of the drops tomorrow morning sometime. They’ll put the sign out when the way is clear.”

Fannie merely nodded, but the worried look had returned to her face.

Opal searched for the other hole in her dress she wanted to mend, wondering how long they would be able to get away with what they were doing.

Just then the back door opened and shut quickly. The children had been told in no uncertain terms not to let any precious heat out of the house. Spring was on the way, but winter was still teasing them. Opal pulled her coat closer around her as a draft of cold air whirled past.

Firewood had become scarce in the city, and there had been many days when there was no heat in the house at all.

“Mama, I’m hungry,” nine-year-old Amber announced.

Fannie looked even more anxious as she got up and headed to the kitchen. Minutes later, Amber walked into the room holding a piece of cornbread.

Opal frowned at the pinched look on the little girl’s face. There simply was not enough food to keep them all satisfied. At first, Opal had felt guilty for being another mouth to feed, but Eddie reminded her they would have even less than they did now without her paycheck to help.

Prices had skyrocketed, and the staple items could oftentimes not be found. The food from the garden had run out about a month or so ago. It would be several more months before the garden would produce again. Thin, watery soup and cornbread had become the mainstays of their diet. All of them were feeling it, but Opal felt worse for the children. She thought longingly of the stocked cellar and smokehouses of the plantation. What she wouldn’t give to see the children well fed.

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Opal waved goodbye to Fannie as she made the turn that would take her to the State Armory building where she worked. Fannie returned the wave and continued on her way to the Tredegar Iron Works perched on the banks of the James River.

Opal sighed when she entered the building. She didn’t miss working in the tobacco fields, but she did miss being outdoors in the sunshine. Coming in to work at seven o’clock in the morning and not leaving until seven o’clock at night made it seem as if the whole world were shrouded in perpetual darkness—especially during the long winter she had just endured. At least now, with spring right around the corner, she could enjoy a little light while she walked to work.

She nodded pleasantly to the other women around her before she moved to her place on the sorting bench. The work of sorting shells was tedious, but at least it wasn’t dangerous. Fannie’s job of packing shells with gunpowder had already injured more than one careless worker.

“Howdy, Opal. You goin’ to the meetin’ at church tonight?”

Opal smiled at Mabel, the cheerful old woman who worked next to her. They had become friends during all the hours they worked side by side. “Why, I suppose I am,” she said absently. Her mind was with Eddie, wherever he was. They had talked at home again this morning about how important the message was that he was trying to send on. She had been worried about the anxious look in his eyes. Was he not telling them something? Was there a reason for people to suspect him? Was he hiding something to keep Fannie from worrying?

The questions twirled in her brain as her fingers nimbly sorted the shells in front of her. As soon as one container was done, she rose to get another one, grateful for the brief respite to stretch her back and flex her hands. She smiled at the women who glanced up, then carried her new box back to her place and settled down to sort more shells. She was only on her second box of

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the ten she usually made it through before the day was over. She sighed heavily and let her thoughts carry her out of the Armory. It was going to be a long day.

She was on her fourth box when she heard a commotion at the door. Her supervisor, Mrs. Whiteside, strode into the room and looked around.

“Is there someone in here by the name of Opal?” she called.

Opal stared at her with a sick feeling in her stomach.

Something was wrong.

“I say, is there an Opal in here?” she called again. “I was told I would find her here.”

Opal stood slowly and walked over to her. “I’m Opal,”

she said, her voice trembling.

Mrs. Whiteside looked at her closely. “You got a cousin named Fannie?”

Opal nodded, her eyes wide with fear. She waited silently, too frightened to speak.

Mrs. Whiteside’s rough face softened a little with compassion. “You’re needed over at the Iron Works.

Fannie is asking for you.”

Opal finally found her voice. “Fannie...is she all right?

Has something happened?”

“There has been an accident. An explosion. Fannie is asking for you,” she said grimly.

Opal swayed, but Fannie needed her. At least she was alive. Her voice was firm when she spoke this time. “May I go right over?”

Her supervisor nodded, her voice strangely soft for one who was so hard and demanding. “You may take the rest of the day off.” Then her voice became rough again. “Just today, though. I will expect you back here tomorrow.”

Opal ran back to her place to grab her coat, squeezed the hand Mabel reached out, and ran from the room.

Unmindful of what people thought, she ran all the way down the hill to the Iron Works. Her first look reassured her somewhat. All the buildings were still standing, and there were no flames. The explosion must not have been a bad one. Fannie could not be too seriously injured.

Then she remembered the look of compassionate pity on Mrs. Whiteside’s face, and she ran faster.

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She was gasping for breath when she broke through the door into the office of Fannie’s building. A young lady behind the front desk looked up immediately.

“You’re Opal?”

Opal nodded, her fears increasing as she saw the serious look on the lady’s face.

“Come with me, please.”

“What happened?” Opal pleaded.

“There was an explosion. Some of the gunpowder went off. We’re still not sure why.”

“How many people were hurt?”

“Just Fannie. She was carrying a box of shells to be stored.”

Opal stopped in her tracks. “Fannie was carrying a box that exploded?” she whispered. The young lady kept walking. Opal stuffed down her feeling of horror and ran to catch up with her.

They rounded a bend, and Opal caught sight of a figure on the floor. With a moan, she dashed forward and knelt down next to her cousin.

“Fannie...” she said softly, trying to control the tears rolling down her face. Her cousin lay on the ground where she had fallen. Opal fought the nausea crowding her throat. She had to be strong. Fannie needed her.

At the sound of her name, Fannie managed to open her eyes a tiny bit, in spite of the swollen, charred condition of her face. She struggled to raise a hand, and Opal bit her lip to keep from crying out. Both of Fannie’s hands were missing.

Opal groaned at the confused pain on her cousin’s face. Choking back her sobs, she rested her hands on Fannie’s shoulders. “I’m here, Fannie. I’m here.” That was all she could think of to say. She knew there was nothing she could do. There was nothing anyone could do.

Fannie managed to nod. Her lips opened, and Opal leaned closer to hear what she was trying to say.

“My children... My children...” The words were slurred and gargled, but Opal understood. Fannie’s lips continued to move, but nothing else would come out.

Tears edged down her charred face as it twisted in agony.

Opal moved back far enough to gaze into Fannie’s eyes. “I’ll take care of your children, Fannie. I’ll take care

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of them. I’ll treat them like they were my own.” Her voice broke as she choked back her sobs. “I promise you. I’ll take care of your children.”

A measure of peace settled over Fannie’s face, and she opened her lips again. Opal could barely hear the words she struggled to say.

“Ed...Eddie... Love...him...” she managed.

Opal nodded. “I’ll tell Eddie. I’ll tell him you love him.”

She could no longer control the sobs racking her body. “I love you, Fannie. I love you!”

Fannie gave one last faint nod, and then her eyes closed. Moments later, Opal felt her go slack beneath her hands. She didn’t know how long she knelt next to her cousin, sobbing hysterically, before she felt hands reach for her.

“It’s me, Opal. Jamilla.”

Opal gazed up, the words barely registering in her mind. Jamilla... Fannie’s closest friend at the Works.

“She went quick, Opal. It’s best this way. There would have been too much suffering.”

Opal stared at her. She heard the words, but they weren’t penetrating. Fannie... Fannie, her only family, was gone. One minute she had been laughing, waving at her. The next minute she was dead.

Eventually, Opal let Jamilla lead her back to the two-story home she had shared with her cousin. Numbness had begun to set in. Along with the numbness, was the realization she would have to be the one to tell Eddie and the children what had happened to their beautiful mother. Her grief thickened as she thought of the children.

“When is Daddy coming home, Opal?” Amber asked in a lost voice.

Opal shook her head, drawing the little girl closer.

None of the children had left her side since she had

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gathered them together and broken the horrible news.

Amber had refused to leave her lap all day. Susie was holding Carl close, soothing the little boy’s broken cries.

Opal exchanged a long look with Susie. “I don’t know, Amber. I’m sure he’ll be home soon.” Actually she wasn’t sure of any such thing. Where was Eddie? He was always home by five o’clock in the evening. It had been dark for at least an hour. It had to be close to seven o’clock. Where was he?

Opal tried to swallow her fears. She had to be strong for the children. In the midst of their grief, they were looking to her for strength and comfort. She had to control her desire to scream out her own pain and anguish.

Little Carl had begun sobbing immediately when Opal had carefully told them of the accident. She had left out the details that would have haunted them the rest of their lives—the details she knew would never leave her mind.

Carl simply knew his mama was never coming home again.

Amber had said not a word. She’d listened wide-eyed, and then walked quietly to Opal and snuggled close. The question about her daddy was the first words she had uttered.

Sadie had asked a few careful questions and then withdrawn into her own shell. Opal was most worried about her. Sadie’s look of sorrow had gradually turned into a gaze of hardened defiance. What was she thinking?

Susie had cried when Opal told her. She had told Susie first, and they had clung together for a long time as Opal tried to answer her questions. There hadn’t been many, but Opal expected more later. Then they had gone to find the rest of the children.

Outside, a slashing rain beat at the house. Opal shuddered and drew Amber closer to her side. She would have to get the children something to eat soon. She was sure no one would feel like eating, but they must keep their strength up.

Again, Opal gazed at the windows. Come home, Eddie.

The rain will hide your movements in the night. We need you, Eddie. Please come home, she pleaded silently.

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None of them heard the back door open. Opal almost screamed when she heard a noise and looked up to see a man standing in the doorway. She gasped and clutched Amber to her side. “Frank! What are you doing here? You scared me near to death.”

Frank, a friend of Eddie’s who had often been at their meetings, moved forward. “I’m sorry, Opal. I had to make sure no one saw me come in here.”

Opal looked at him more closely. There was stark fear in his widened eyes. She turned to Susie. “Why don’t you take the children in the kitchen and fix them a bite to eat?” She tried to keep her trembling voice casual. “Frank and I will join you in a minute.”

Susie stared long and hard at Frank with knowing in her eyes. Then she rose and took Carl by the hand.

“Come, everyone. We’ll fix something hot.” Woodenly, the children followed her.

Opal turned to Frank as soon as they were out of the room. “Eddie?” she whispered.

Frank frowned, his face a mixture of pain and worry.

He shook his head. “I’m afraid Eddie won’t be coming home, Opal.”

“Why not?” she asked quietly, amazed at her own control.

“They been watching him, Opal. Somehow they got wind of what we was doing.”

“The police?” Opal breathed.

Frank nodded. “They were waiting when he left the shop this morning. They took him to jail. Him and the owner of that shop.”

Opal lowered her face in her hands. She heard a slight noise and looked up. Susie was standing in the doorway, staring at Frank with a hard, set face.

“How long?” Susie asked.

Frank started at the sound of her voice and shook his head. “I don’t know. It could be a right long time. Once they put us niggers in jail, they ain’t in no hurry to let us out.” He looked around quickly. “Fannie. Where is Fannie? I need to tell her. I promised Eddie a long time ago I would be the one to tell Fannie if something happened.”

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Tears filled Opal’s eyes. “I’m afraid you won’t be telling Fannie, Frank.”

Frank stared around. “Why not?”

“My mama is dead,” Susie announced. “Killed in an explosion at the Works today.” Tears filled her eyes, but her voice was even.

Frank shook his head in disbelief, tears filling his own eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he moaned.

Silence filled the room for several long minutes.

Frank looked up. “The children...? What is going to happen to the children?”

“I’m going to take care of them,” Opal said firmly.

“But how?” Frank asked.

Up until that moment, Opal had no idea. Suddenly, the answer was there. Her voice was strong as she spoke.

“I’m taking them back to the plantation. They will be safe there.” The plan began to take shape in her mind as she spoke.

Then she thought of something. “Am I safe here for now? Are they coming for me, too?” Suddenly she was seized with a new fear. What if they came and put her in jail, too? Who would take care of the children? Would she have enough time to get them out of Richmond?

Frank shook his head. “I heard the men talking from where I was hiding in the shadows of some of the buildings. They are just after the men. Don’t think the women can do much.”

Any other time, Opal would have laughed. They had no idea how much women could do. Now, she was simply grateful. It would give her time to contact Carrie.

“Can you send someone to Cromwell Plantation with a message? Can they get back into the city?”

Frank nodded. “It’s risky, but yes, there are still ways to get past the military blocks. I’ll send someone tonight.

The rain will help them.”

Opal nodded and moved over to where she kept her paper and pen. Quickly, she wrote a letter, folded it, and handed it to Frank. “Thank you,” she said.

Right now, she was under control, thinking clearly.

Later, she knew she would grieve. Right now, she had four children to care for.

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