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1: The Cosmos in Motion-1888

Thirteen year old Pleasant Day raced up the pathway between the great oaks with her younger sister May behind her. Their tin buckets swung on their handles as their feet carried them to County Down mansion. Other children, black and white, flocked the road as well. Some came with sacks and others planed to attempt to use their hats or maybe a sock. It was muscadine season in Dixie and each wanted a taste of the sweet product of the vine.

"Come on, May," Pleasant called to the eleven year old. "Boon Turner is going to get there afore us all and eat all the grapes for himself."

May laughed and caught up to her sister. "Boon Turner may be big but not even he can eat all them grapes. Mama says the vines are breaking with them."

"Oh I wish she could set some aside for us," Pleasant said.

"She says she'll do no such a thing and we'll all have to wait our turn," May said.

"I know," Pleasant said.

Soon the great white house came into view, and as they raced around back the girls waved to the carriage driver who was waiting with the horses. Around the back of the house was Mrs. Braxton's garden which she forbade anyone to touch, save for herself. In September all the flowers were sweetly blooming and yellow butterflies greeted them with kisses.

The vineyard at County Down stretched all the way back to the wood. It was beyond the old slave shacks and farther than Mrs. Braxton ever took the carriage on their property. It had been a source of survival during the War and Reconstruction and now the children of tomorrow harvested the grapes for sheer pleasure.

Pleasant and May quickly attached themselves to a row far out in the vineyard. The older children had gotten a head start on the younger ones and even some of the boys who apprenticed in town had come. Some children filled their mouths more than their buckets and the mischievous ones ran around spitting seeds at each other.

The grapes first hit the bottom of the pail until it was covered and they began to stack atop one another.

May ducked under the vine to pick the grapes that were slightly hidden while Pleasant stretched on her toes to reach the ones toward the top. A girl and a boy chased each other, their mostly empty buckets swinging in their hands. Pleasant sighed at the beautiful day and looked up into the clear sky wondering if the night would be as clear and beautiful.

"My bucket is full," May said at her side. "I can hardly carry it."

Pleasant added another handful to her bucket and laughed when she struggled to lift it. "Mine too," she said. "I think we have enough." Using both hands and her knees she brought the bucket up to her chest and supported it at the bottom with her hands. "It's going to be a long walk back."

"But the grapes are worth it," May said popping one into her mouth. She chewed carefully so she would have to taste the bitter seeds.

"Come on, May, we can carry some to Pa at the lumber yard if we hurry."

May grabbed her bucket and followed after her sister. Most of the children were still picking and playing in the vineyard as the sisters made their way back toward the house and garden. May was dreaming about eating the grapes every day for the rest of the week as they rounded the corner of the house. She suddenly felt herself collide with someone and almost fell to her bottom. Getting her bearings she found herself looking into the face of a young man.

"May," Pleasant shook her head at her little sister's carelessness.

"I'm sorry," May said keeping her head down and stepping out of the man's path. As he walked on she watched him go down toward the vineyard.

"He looked angry," Pleasant said.

"That, that, was George Braxton. Mama says- Mama says- Mama says-"

"Speak slowly, May," Pleasant pleaded.

May took a deep breath to quell her tongue. "Mama says he's awfully wicked and he don't like his papa none."

"And you walked right into him," Pleasant said.

"I know," May said as they walked on. "It's usually you who day dreams, but I just love muscadine grapes and couldn't put them out of my mind."

Pleasant couldn't dispute May's words. She loved gazing at the heavens, especially the stars. Mr. Braxton had been throwing out some old things one day when she was small and the people from the nearby horses raided the piles. She and May had gone. Her sister chose a pull along but among the "junk" she had found a box of constellation cards and had been in love with them ever since.

The girls stopped by their home and separated some grapes for their father. He would have long eaten lunch but they thought he would love the grapes for a treat since he would be home very late. They tied the bundle off, with May insisting that she carry it, then set off toward the lumber yard since it wasn't too far.

They saw their father from afar loading wood onto the back of a wagon while the customer kept strict count. Pleasant knew her father hated that. He felt the people didn't trust him with their orders, as though he was going to run off with their lumber.

Shep Day finished loading the wagon and saw the customer off then waved to his daughters. The girls hurried over to him and hugged him.

"We brought you grapes!" May declared holding up the napkin.

"My favorite kind," Mr. Day said, taking the napkin. "You girls see your mama?"

"No sir," Pleasant said. "She didn't come out and we're not allowed to go inside, right?"

"That's right," Mr. Day said.

"Papa what happens to all of this wood?" May asked. "Where does it go?"

Mr. Day laughed. "It goes to build houses and stores and fences," he said. "There's a brand new building going up in town. Word is its going to sell clothes readymade."

"How does that work?" Pleasant asked. "They don't know our measurements."

Mr. Day laughed. "It's all too fancy for my knowing and understanding," he said.

"I doubt they can make clothes as good as Mama," May said twirling her dress skirts.

Pleasant didn't care much for sewing. She liked to read and cooking was fun but May was the one always making dolls out of scraps. Lately she and their mother had been working on a quilt. Pleasant thought it looked very nice but she never wanted to join in on those nights. She'd rather be looking at her star plates.

"You girls had best get home," Mr. Day said. "I'll be a little late. And mind your mama you hear? Mrs. Braxton is having one of her spells again and has got your mama all sorts of tired."

"We will," Pleasant said. "Bye, Papa." The girls hurried off toward home, walking down by the river as they went.

"Pleasant?"

"Yes?"

"Why does it seem like the Braxtons own everything?" May asked. "Thy lumber yard and biggest house, the vineyard..."

Pleasant shrugged. "Everyone says they are awfully rich," she said. "Rachel from the corner says they are old money."

"What is that?" May asked. "What is old money?"

Again Pleasant shrugged. "Money with cobwebs I guess," she said, as she picked her nails. The afternoon sun was shining right at them as it went down to peek into the yonder woods.

"Mama says I will be making my own quilts soon," May said, as she frowned at the sun. "I want to make them extra special. Maybe people would buy them and I'd own a vineyard one day. Maybe I'll even have time to learn to paint beautiful pictures like Mama."

Pleasant thought May could easily learn to paint. Mrs. Day's paintings were indeed beautiful as many would attest to. Some of them even covered the walls of rich folks in the delta. One very special one she had always kept, however. It depicted a girl standing in an open window releasing a bird from her hands. Pleasant loved to spend nights looking at the white bird through the darkness of their bedroom.

Pleasant giggled. "I know what comes next," she said. "Pleasant." She put her hands on her hips and imitated her sister. "I'm gonna marry me a right smart man and he'll move me into a lovely house with a big garden where I can spend my time. And, Pleasant you may come visit...but no star gazing, young lady!"

May crossed her arms. "Don't make fun of me," she said. "And what will you do? Find a star and go live there?"

Pleasant laughed. "As nice as that sounds that won't be it," she said. "I want to teach."

"Teach?" May frowned. "About stars and things?"

"Well sometimes," Pleasant said. "But I mean teach like Miss Clerk. She's so clever and all the students like her. I want to be a teacher just like her."

"Mrs. Brown says Miss Clerk sticks her nose where it don't belong," May said.

"Poo to Mrs. Brown," May said. "She's just angry she ain't so clever. Miss Clerk is towered and teaching is noble. Why I think it one of the noblest things a woman can do."

"What about getting married?" May asked.

"Teachers can't be married," Pleasant said. "And I'd much rather teach. There is so much to learn...so much to know and I want to know it all."

May snickered. "You already pretend you do," she said then ran before her sister could get her. Pleasant charged after her sister, chasing her all the way home.

***

George Braxton got up from the hay bale when his father came into the stabling. He had thought that doing chores was an injustice now that his brother had gone. William had been smart to leave and not come back and now George wished he had followed. It had been seven years gone since anyone in Mississippi had seen or heard from William since it came to blows with his father. George imagined him living west somewhere by now, making his fortune while he fetched for their father.

"What did I do now?"

"You didn't brush down your horse," Mr. Braxton said. "You get that saddle off of that animal and put him away."

"Need I remind you, Pa that I'm the one who paid for that horse?" George said. "There for I'll do to it as I please."

"You'll run it into the ground," Mr. Braxton said. "Just like you did the last one, and the one before that."

George turned his back and went over to a stall. "Even if I treated that animal like a king you'd criticize me," he said.

Mr. Braxton sighed. "A horse performs how you treat it," he said. "I've always told you boys that." He reached into a stall and petted the black colt that greeted him.

"When did you get that one?" George asked joining his father.

"Came off the steamer on Monday," Mr. Braxton said. "He'll be a champion."

George scoffed at the white starred colt. "Sure, Pa," he said. "Just don't expect me to train him."

"I wouldn't trust you to raise such a fine animal," Mr. Braxton said. "This here is a Marwari."

"I know that."

"He's a very rare horse and he cost a pretty penny. I'm not taking the chance that you'll get him killed."

"And if I were killed?" George asked with a narrowing of his blue eyes.

"Your type lives long," Mr. Braxton said. "You have much to learn still at your eighteen years, George. Your mother and I want to teach you a lesson."

George scoffed and leaned against the wall. "You can't ship me off to boarding school."

"No," Mr. Braxton said. "I rewrote my will..."

"What?"

"I'll change your inheritance back when you've grown up and I know I can trust you with everything."

"William ran off!"

"What William gets is no concern of yours," Mr. Braxton said. "You worry about yourself; it's what you are good at."

"You can't do that!"

"My lawyer was by this morning," Mr. Braxton said and turned back to the colt. "You need to grow up son. County Down depends on you."

"I'm the one who stayed! I'm the one who worked hard, the one who puts up with your impossible personality! I am your son and this is how you treat me!"

"The workers will hear you."

"So let them hear!" George shouted. "You don't get to pretend to be this wonderful man to your workers and neighbors while you do this to me."

"You'll have it back when you prove to be responsible," Mr. Braxton said. "For now County Down goes to your uncle."

"Uncle David agreed to this?"

"We want to make a man out of you."

George shook his head. "Well you chose the perfect way to do it," he said and turned his back to his father. Pausing, he turned back around and scoffed at the colt. "A black Marwari. You'd better be careful, they're bad luck."

Mr. Braxton turned his attention back to the horse as his son stormed away. 

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