what? Liz” Sam said. “This woman is with child, how you like that Liz?”
“Lord e lord,” Liz said. “I’ve got news for you, I’m with child too.”
Sam couldn’t believe it! How long they had tried and now, could it be true? He questioned her. “How do you know?”
“We women know that something has changed.”
Sam was overjoyed, could it be true. A baby on the way! Sam asked again,” How do you know, are you sure Liz?”
“You can be sure I know.” Liz smiled as she spoke.
Sam asked, “When will it happen?”
“Some time in December,” Liz replied.
“When you gonna have yours Maude?” Sam asked
“When it’s ready to come” was her answer.
“Looks like about the same time,” reported Liz. “Maybe hers will be a little earlier.”
No more was said about babies that night.
Sam said, “These folks need some clothes. There’s men and women things in a trunk in the upstairs. Come Maude, let’s go take a look.” Sam started for the stairs.
Liz stopped him and took the lamp saying, “Maude and I will look.” Up the stairs the two women went.
Sam moved to and sat in a chair by the fire. Took his pipe, filled, and lit it with a stick lit from the fireplace. He asked Joe, “Do you smoke?”
“No sur. Tried a grape vine once, didn’t like it.”
Sam laughed, “So did I when I was young boy, burns the heck out-a your tongue, don’t it?”
“Yes sur never tried again.”
Liz and Maude came down the stairs, both had arms loaded with clothes, shirts, trousers, a coat and hat. “These things are yours,” she said as she laid the clothes on Joe’s arms. “There’s some boots up there too, we’ll get them in the morning.”
She turned to Maude saying, “I have a dress or two you can have. Come with me.” Liz took the lamp and went into the bedroom. Maude followed.
Joe asked, “Can I go to the barn now?”
“Sure, I know you must be tired. Wait, I’ll get you a quilt.”
Joe was so loaded down. He could hardly get off the porch. Sam could hear him saying, “Some day we-z had,” as he headed for the barn.
Liz and Maude returned to the kitchen. Maude dressed in a blue dress falling right down to her ankles. “Now all you need is shoes,” said Liz.
“No shoes for me,” Maude replied. “Ain’t ever had none no how.”
Liz told her, “You’ll have some now.”
Sam interjected with his idea. “I’ll make her some Indian shoes out of some buckskin. We have plenty in the barn. I used to wear em all the time.”
Liz stretched and yawned and said, “It’s late, we must get to bed, it’s past my bed time. I’ll make a pallet for Maude by the fire. You go onto bed Sam.”
“Yes Ma’am.” He headed to the bed room, undressed got in bed and went to sleep.
Something woke him up. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and there standing in the moonlight by the window was a naked Liz, with her un-braided blonde hair hanging down over her shoulders, covering her full rounded beautiful breasts. She was more beautiful than he had ever seen her.
“I love you Liz, come to bed,” he called.
“I love you too Sam. We better do it now, it’ll be some time before we can do it again.” She literally melted into his waiting arms.
The sun was streaming into the bed room as Sam came alive. “It must be late?” he said as he stretched and jumped from the bed. “I’ve slept too long.” He could hear Liz’s voice coming from the kitchen. He dressed as fast as he could and went to the kitchen.
Liz asked him, “How’s ham and eggs sound Sam?”
“I need all the energy I can get after last night, sounds good to me.”
“SAM, SAM!” Liz had anger in her voice. “Shut your mouth Sam.”
Sam laughed. Maude looked up from her work at the stove, she was smiling. “Maude knows what married folks do,” Sam said.
Liz frowned and came back with, “I understand Maude and Joe ain’t married, did you know that Sam?”
“I didn’t think about it.” Sam asked, “Does it make any difference?”
“On our place, there’ll be nobody living in adultery. Sam’s we must take them with us to church Sunday and get em hitched. I’m sure our preacher will do it, okay with you?” Liz by the tone of her voice, wouldn’t be denied.
Sam came back, “Okay by me. Yer gonna make the white folks mad, taking our blacks there. They ain’t gonna like it.”
“I don’t care if they don’t.” Liz was positive in her voice.
Sam asked, “Has Joe had his breakfast?”
“Yes,” Liz replied. “I fixed them a table out on the porch, that’s what they wanted.”
“I’m gonna eat and go on down to the barn, see what’s going on,” He told Liz.
He finished and walked to the barn. Inside he saw the stalls were cleaned, fresh straw in place, the whole barn raked cleaned.
“Joe, where are you?” he called.
“I-za out here in tis pen.”
Sam pushed the gate open, went on into the pen. He could see the mules were groomed and eating. Joe was working on the horses.
“Them’s da littlest mules I done see. Where da come from?” Joe asked.
“They’re Spanish mules, smaller than Arkansas mules,” Sam told him.
“Kinda mean ain’t da?”
“No not really, you gotta work slow around em. They’re the best traveling animals you can have. Go all day at a trot, outlast any horse or big mule you’ve ever seen.”
“I see-d they travel really well when we were on da roads. Sure air little ones. They shore fussily. I believe you’s when you’s say go slow. One shore did its best to kick on me.”
Sam laughed. “My wife wants you and Maude to get hitched next Sunday at our church. Okay with you Joe?”
“It shore is.” Joe said with a big grin showing his white teeth.
Sunday morning found the two couples in the spring wagon on the road to church. Half mile from the church Mr. O’Reilly passed them in his buggy, driving his black pacer. Sam could hear Joe remark, “Da- at’s some horse.”
Sam leaned over to Liz and said, “That man has got an eye for horses.” She nodded her approval.
The congregation was gathering as they drove up. All in their Sunday best. Liz could hear one lady saying, “What did they bring them Niggers for? This is white Folks church.”
Liz heard it plain as could be. Her Irish blood boiled over. She turned on the crowd and the lady with fire in her eyes and voiced, “These people are here with me to get married in God’s House, you can like it or lump it, I don’t give a rip whether you give a sh-t or not.”
Liz never cussed before in her whole life. At least where someone could hear her. This was a time she wasn’t ashamed to let her feelings go.
“There’ll be no unmarried couples living on our place, ever. I don’t care if they’re white, black, green or whatever, they have to