This Redeemed Girl

I thought I'd post the 2nd chapter of my book!

~Beth

#unashamed

Chapter 2

 Shenandoah Valley, Virginia

"Joe, Joe, where are ya, man?" 

 The night was still and dark, not a movement or a sound to be seen or heard. An howl hooted in the distance, and the crickets were firing up a storm but there was no sign of his friend.

 Willie Smith stood and took a long stretch, the night was fading out and Joe still hadn't come. Maybe Mr. Umps had found Joe sneaking away and punished him.  Maybe Joe was dead.

 Willie shrugged off those thoughts, he had to think positive for the sake of not riding over to Mr. Umps ranch and squeezing the life right out of him.

That low-down slave owner.

 Willie shook his head, after all Mr. Umps wasn't doing anything against the law. But oh, how Willie wanted to do something to make it illegal. But he was at loss of how he could help.

 He took another look around, no sign of his friend anywhere.

 "Willie." Willie froze at his name being called. He slowly turned around and pulled his gun out.

 "Joe, is thet ya?"

  His black friend stepped out from behind a tree and flashed a toothy smile.

 "Sorry, I'm late. Mr. Umps had a poker game going and it would have been too risky to sneak out."

 Willie sighed in relief and holstered his gun.

 "Come on Joe, let me help ya git out of there."

 Joe looked off into the distance.

 "Willie, I wouldn't be free. It would be a life on the run, beside's you know the most important reason why I won't go."

  Willie knew all too well, Joe had a knack for sneaking around and he had used that gift to help slaves escape to freedom. Willie believed that that was a wonderful thing, but it made him killing mad that Joe had to endure the hardships of being a slave.

 But Joe was unselfish and that made him respect him even more.

  "Well, um, anythin' good happen today?" Willie knew that wasn't likely, Joe never had anything good, but always was flashing his toothy grin.

He flashed his toothy grin. Willie smiled.

 "Well, I was kind of able to give this big shot what for."

 Willie smiled, he liked the sound of that.

 "This young banker was at the ranch doing business with Mr. Umps. Well, the young man was fixing to leave, and I was nearby unloading some feed. The man made a crud remark about how I was a good piece of livestock-"

 "Livestock!" Willie almost yelled, his blood boiling. "How could anyone call a humanbein' livestock?"

 Joe sighed and answered.

" That's just the way it is, I wish it wasn't."

  Willie remained silent trying to control his temper, finally he asked.

 "So, how'd ya give him what fer?"

 Joe grinned. He was always brushing off a bad moment with a little cheer.

 "Well, I said 'Sir, if us black folk weren't your livestock, than you poor white folks wouldn't have much. So we'll go on being your livestock, after all if it wasn't for us ya'll wouldn't have anything.' He was so mad." Joe laughed at his last word's.

  Willie chuckled dryly.

 "Well, at least ya told th' sod-buster what fer."

 Joe laid a dark hand on Willie's shoulder.

 "Don't let hate consume you, hate has been the reason for many of man's down fall. You're a good man, so don't let hate change that."

 Willie looked deep into Joe's eyes, in all his pain and suffering, he cared more about Willie's well-being than his own.

 He prayed a silent pray that God would help him to be more like Joe.

 "Joe, with God's help I won't hate, I feel him helpin' me with thet  daily."

 Joe smiled.

 "He will help you."

 Willie knew God would, he just had to trust him.

 "I Know."

 Joe jerked his chin in agreement and Willie looked around for signs of danger.

 "So, how was your day at the ranch?"

 Willie scratched the back of his head, he loved ranching, but some days.

 "Well, I was up at 4:00 fer round-up. Spent most of th' day at thet, than I branded at least a four hundred cows."

 Joe cocked head and questioned.

 "Four hundred?" 

 Willie arched his eye brows, well, he literally didn't do four hundred himself.

"Um..."

 Joe laughed his loud laugh and went to say something when a shot rang out, and tore through Joe's chest.

 He fell with a groan.

 Willie wiped out his gun and looked around for the person who had fired the shot. All the time praying Joe was alright. He peered his eyes into the dark night, than he saw him. A devil if he had ever seen one, he had piercing dark eyes and a devilish smirk on his face. Willie raised his gun, but the man was gone in a flash-vanished into thin air.

 Willie holstered his gun and ran to Joe's side, thick, dark blood was pouring out of his chest. He took Joe's hand and Joe gripped it with so much force, Willie was startled. This black man never used such force, Willie gripped it back just as hard.

 "Ya'l be okay, Joe, I'll git ya to a doctor."

   Joe open his now hollow eyes. He choked out the words.

 "Will-ie, no its-its-" His voice was cut off as he let out a deafly cough.  Willie's chest was pounding and his thoughts ran wild, think-stay calm. God help my friend!

 Joe's eyes started to close, Willie shook him."

 "Joe, Joe, stay with me, man. I'll help ya. Joe!"

 Joe opened his eyes, and said in a voice so low, Willie barely heard him.

 "Willie, I'm dyin-g. Ya got to be strong, ju-st promise me one thing."

 Willie couldn't stand to hear those words coming out of Joes mouth. It pained him, but he had to face reality, Joe was dying. He was losing his friend forever.   God help him!

 "Sure, Joe, anythin'."

 "Promise me, if the chan-ce ever comes. Plea-se try and help the slaves. Prom-ise me."

  Willie choked out the words.

 "Yes, I promise Joe."

 Joe smiled and said.

 "You've been a good friend."

 Willie gave a half smile, a tear dropped down his cheek.

"Thanks, and ya've been-" Joe's eyes fell shut as he took his last breath.  More tears fell down Willie's cheeks-"a good friend too."

 Willie held Joe in his arms and let the tears fall harder.

    I git who did this, I swear it.

 Than Joe's words came back to him-'don't let hate consume you'.

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

 Her Ma had always told her not to hate. But truth was, Becky never listened to Ma on that subject and right now she hated Bill more than ever.

 All the thoughts of the ugly ways Becky could kill her Pa, came to her mind as she marched into the saloon to settle this with the drunk lunatic. She wasn't marring Jed Mitchell and that was that. Brian looked to be a good man, but she didn't want Sally marring a stranger. It might be a good way to get Sally out of this mess, but marring into the Mitchell family could be worse. No, she would just get Sally and her out of this mess.

  As she stepped into the room, and her eyes watered, the smoke was so thick it could make you cry. She rubbed her eyes and looked around to see if she could spot Bill. And there he was, drinking and playing poker, with Jed Mitchell. Well, they certainly wasted no time meeting again, maybe now that they were going  to related.

   Not happening.

 She stood up straight and let out a tight cough, after she did she wished she hadn't because every man in the room turned and looked her way. Some smiled and looked her up and down, others were whistling and motion for her to come sit with them. 

 She gave them all a cold glare and headed toward Bill, who was now staring in disbelief, he probably thought she was too ugly to draw smiles and whistles. She reckoned most  girls would be flattered to get so much attention, but she was ready to go over and bury her gun butt in their dumb sculls.

  She reached Bill and that's when she noticed Jed's ugly smile looking her up and down. Someone had to be an idiot if they thought she was going to marry him.

  That was about the size of it.

 "Bill, Sally tells me yer plannin' on some weddin's soon."

  Bill looked down at his cards.

 "Yeah, ain't it nice, ain't every girl thet git's a banker fer a husband."

 Becky glared and Jed flashed his evil smile, still looking her over.

 "Bill, I don't want to git married."

 Bill looked a little hurt, as he took a big drink of whiskey.

 "Becky, Jed don't seem like a bad fella."

Jed nodded and leaned back, Becky fought on.

 "Well, I don't think too much of him, 'sides I don't even know him and Sally don't want to marry a stranger either."

 Jed leaned forward.

 "I can help ya git to know me."

 Becky flashed an angry look at the devil, Bill too was staring at him coldly.

 "Hey, buster, why'd ya come to Rainsville, Texas, anyway?" She demanded.

 He looked down at the table and answered.

 "My reasons, the town I was living in before, well, I lost taste for the bank I was working in. Why do you ask?"

 She shrugged, she was hoping he'd tell her he was on the run or some such. But he would've been stupid to do that, so that hope was dumb.

 "Well, I'm not marrin' ya Jed, and Sally's not marrin' yer brother. So I'll be goin'"

 She turned to leave when Jed Mitchell grabbed her by her lower waist. She froze and her heart beat sounded in her own ears. She was fixing to demand for him to release her, when a fist smashed into Jed's face.

   He fell with a groan .

 She spun around to see who had defended her, and was shocked to see Bill shaking his fist from the punch.

 Bill looked down at the fuming Jed.

 "Ya might be marrin' her, but ya got no call to lay yer hand's on her in such a way 'fore yer married."

  Jed glared and Becky stared; why had Bill defended her?

  Bill turned and headed for the door, and Becky fallowed fast. Leaving behind dozen's of staring eyes. 

 Bill went for his horse but she stopped him.

 "Why, Bill?"

  He looked over at her.

 "No, man should touch a women like thet 'fore he's married to her."

Becky was still confused.

 "Ya see he's no decent man, why don't ya call it off?"

 He mounted his horse and looked down at her.

 "I wanted ya girls to have good husbands who could provide fer ya. I met th'  Mitchell brothers and it looked like they had a bright future. I know it was rotten fer him to touch ya like thet, but ya are might pretty. I want ya girls to be comfortable, unlike ya've been all yer life. "

  Becky was shocked at his last words.

 "Why, do ya care if we're comfortable?"

  He stared at her a long time before answering.

 "I might be th' worst man thet ever lived, but yer still my flesh and blood and I can't fergit thet."

 With that he turned his horse and rode out of town, leaving a very confused Becky standing in swirling dust.