Sarah's Roses, Book I: Roses of Blue

Chapter III

You're just another story I can't tell anymore. ~ Iain S. Thomas

Chapter III

I soon became aware of a hand gently stroking my hair. I lifted my head and found myself looking up at another dark-skinned woman. She was much older than Elsie. Her hair, gathered up in a tight bun, was completely grey, and her eyes were filled with hurt and sadness. The hand that stroked my golden head was wrinkled and rough from years of hard work. I stared up at her, wondering where she had come from.

The lady, in the mean, time reached out with her second hand and wiped the tears from my face.

"There, there, Miss Sarah," she spoke in a soothing voice. "Don't cry, Honey Child. Everything's alright."

But I was in no mood to be comforted. Quite the opposite, now that I had a sympathetic ear I cried all the more. "My mother is gone," I sobbed out. "Gone forever! She died. We buried her in the cold, damp earth. She is so far away and will never come back. Alone, I am all alone in the world."

"She's not gone forever." The woman gently persuaded. "She's gone to live with the Good Lord in heaven. One day, Honey Child, you'll go there too. When it is your time. And while you live on earth, you is not alone either. Why, you've got your aunt."

"She...doesn't...want...me. If you had seen...her...face...you would...know."

There was no reply to my words, possibly because the woman knew them to be true. Instead she reached over and pulled me into a tight, motherly embrace.

"You must be strong, Honey Child," she whispered in my ear. "Your Mama would have wanted you to be strong. Dry those tears, be a brave soul. Others have gone through worse and survived."

I allowed myself to cry a bit more, but at last I hearkened to her words and gulped my sobs down.

"Who are you?"I asked.

Glad that I was no longer weeping, the lady flasheda sad smile. "I'm Em. I's the slave in charge of the kitchen."

It wasn't a word I was exactly familiar with. "Slave? My uncle keeps slaves in the house?"

Em let out a sigh. "Not only in the house, my girl. Yous uncle has an entire plantation of them."

"An entire what?"

She knit her eyebrows together and tiled her head a bit. "Honey child, don't you know nothing about your Uncle and Aunt?"

I shook my head. "Mama never told me about them. I didn't know I had relatives until the night before she died. Mama was very secretive about her past."

For some reason hurt flashed all over Em's face. "Honey Child," she implored, gripping both my hands, "how did she die?"

"Mrs. Maguire said it was the factory. She didn't come down with any disease, rather just worked herself into the grave. Care killed her, those were the very words Mrs. Maguire used." I paused and turned towards the window, where the beautiful afternoon sunlight was streaming through. "Everyone dies in those slums," I softly added.

Turning back to Em, I saw my words had affected her badly. Slowly she released her grip on my hands and wiped a tear.

"Did you know my Mama?" I asked.

She nodded her head. "I knew your Mama as she was growin' up. An angel Miss Sarah, she was an angel. Don't let anyone make you believe anything else about her." Taking a deep breath, Em forced another sad smile. "Well, we should unpack your things. Is this your little bag? Can't say you brought a whole lot of worldly possessions with you."