Chapter Ten: Prosperity and the Panic
Everything had been amazing for Will and Flower. Now that he had returned home, Flower found herself happier than she had been in a long time. When the Panic of 1819 hit, they were barely affected.
Flower received an almost endless amount of business, having built a reputation as one of the best, if not the best, seamstresses in America, skillfully fulfilling each customer’s order in an unbelievably fast amount of time. Will, who had been hard at work ever since he returned, kept a farm large enough to feed his entire family. When he had picked his share of the produce to feed the family, he sold the leftovers. Though once the children were older he would not be able to sell as much, he made a remarkable amount of money selling what he produced.
When the Panic hit, Flower dropped the prices and began accepting different forms of payment. The dress she was wearing now was a gift from one of the kind old ladies from the church not far from where she lived. She told Flower that it had been her daughter’s before she died of pneumonia last winter. The dress was beautiful. The fabric was softer and more comfortable than anything Flower had ever worn.
Just last week, one of the town’s teachers brought Flower a pie that his wife had baked. A nurse paid in first-aid supplies. And an old man gave her his cane. Not wanting to be rude, she refused the kind offer and, instead, accepted a piece of cotton he claimed was magic.
Will began donating the extra food to those who were hit the hardest. He could not give everyone three meals a day, and his farm was not extensive enough to share food on a daily basis, but he gave as much as he could.
With the exception of some of the strange forms of payment Flower received, life was normal. A dream. Every day was a constant reminder of the love Will and Flower had for each other. Their children only made their love for each other grow.
One cold night, as the wind and snow whistled vehemently outside, Flower and Will sat in the living room, enjoying conversation about the events of the week. Though the fireplace warmed the house substantially, they sat on the couch, snuggling with a blanket on their laps. Right as Flower was about to fall asleep in Will’s arms, frantic knocking made the couple shoot upward in alarm. Neither knew who could possibly be at their door at such a late hour.
The knocking became faster and harder, from a regular knock to dual-fisted, incessant banging on the door. Grabbing the fire iron, Will swung open the door. A black man fell to the floor, snow clinging to his beard, ice hanging from his nose and eyes.
“I n-need, help, sir. It-it’s my son, s-sir,” the slave said, exiting the house and picking up his son who had been lying on the porch, wrapped in a blanket.
At the mention of a son, Flower ran to the man and helped him bring his son inside, lying him on the floor in front of the fireplace. “What’s wrong with him?” she asked.
“He was shot, ma’am,” the slave said, moving the blanket away from his son’s stomach.
“Oh, no,” Flower gasped. “If only Rosie were here…I would do anything to have her here now.”
Flower retrieved her medical supplies and raced back to the living room, where she disinfected the wound and put a bandage over it. “We will have to get him to a doctor tomorrow. For now, the best I can do is bandage him up and leave him in front of the fire.”
“They ain’t gon’ do nothin’ for us,” the man said sorrowfully.
Though she did not want to admit it, she knew that what he was saying was true. Not many people liked black men. They were considered animals, sub-human. Flower was glad her father had raised her to see and treat everyone equally.
“Gretta,” Will said with an expression that cried Eureka! “She adopted a black boy, and she’s a nurse!”
“It’s our only shot at your son’s survival,” Flower said.
“Thank the Lord fo’ leadin’ me to you! I ain’t never been so fortunate in my life. There ain’t many like you, you know. Helpin’, ‘stead of kickin’ me out in the cold.”
“What happened?” Flower asked.
“’S a long story, ma’am,” he said, and began to tell his story.
February 21st, 1819
Dearest Diana,
I hope you have been faring well in these dark times. Will and I have been blessed with the presence of Job and his son Cain. Job arrived at our house on a stormy winter night in January, fleeing from his master who had shot Cain after he tried to protect a child from being beaten over something that may as well have been nothing.
Gretta, a kind young nurse who adopted a freed slave, helped us fully dress Cain’s wounds, and he is now almost completely recovered. It brings back memories of that night long ago. Back when I longed to be an adventurer as Chadwick was, then I took an arrow to the leg. He is very lucky to be alive. I am not a religious person, but this God that Job brings up frequently is beginning to sound more real with each passing day.
They now live with us. They are only required to help around the house and on the farm. This, of course, is not meant to be slavery. I made sure that he knew that.
Our three children now share one room, and he and his son sleep in our eldest’s old room. They have taught Will many things about his farm. Cain says to expect twice the amount of food that was produced this year!
It amazes me how many people despise black people. I have lost some of my social standing since I brought them into my house. Though I do not mind. We are all human, aren’t we?
If she is still with you, tell Rosie that I needed her when they arrived. Tell Owen I cannot wait to see him once more! I expect he has grown lots since I first saw him all those years ago. I would like to thank you for visiting me with him then. I was in a dark place when you happily handed me your not-quite-year-old son…I digress. I have never been happier!
I do hope you have not been affected by the state of our economy too poorly.
Your loving sister,
Flower
August 3rd, 1819
Dearest Diana,
I have not heard from you in a long while. I do hope that you have been faring well. My wife and I plan to come visit you and Owen, now that our child has been born and I have set up what I believe to be an excellent hierarchy on my farm.
Not many understand my ways, but you would be amazed with how much more gets accomplished when you pay, feed, clothe, and house the black men who work for you. They built their homes, they grow the crops, so they live here and eat here freely. I paid a young woman to teach the children, and any adults who wished to have a better education. She is who I married.
They are a fun bunch, the men who work for me. Happily singing all day long as they labor for long hours under the scorching heat of the Georgia sun. Having a relationship with these men is fantastic. They are some of the kindest, happiest people I know.
When I leave, my farm will be in the magnificent care of my second-in-command, Paul. He is very charismatic, an excellent leader, and his work ethic never ceases to amaze me.
Hoping to see you soon,
Chadwick, Eleanor, and James
**********
Owen raced through the house, playing with his favorite toys. It was October when the letter had finally arrived, and Diana smiled as she heard the news of her brother’s marriage and the birth of her nephew.
“What do you have there?” a man asked, sitting next to her.
“Oh, it is just a letter from my brother.”
“I wish my siblings sent letters as frequently as yours did,” he replied.
Diana kissed her husband, then explained, “When we left home, our parents told us to send letters frequently. We never fell out of the habit, and I am grateful for it.”
Her husband, Tyler, smiled thoughtfully. “Maybe I should write my brother and sisters. We have not spoken in years…”
“That is an outstanding idea, dear,” Diana said.
Diana had met Tyler Wilson at the newspaper company she worked for. He fell in love with her immediately, though she was skeptical at first due to memories of her time in Boston, of Owen’s father.
After months of him trying to woo her, and many letters to and from Rosie concerning him, she eventually caved in and allowed another man to enter her life. They married not long after. At first, she was worried about what Owen would think; but Owen immediately liked who would soon be his step-father.
Out of all the Kincade children, Diana was hit the hardest in the Panic.
Though the paper did not have any less to write about, it made significantly less than it had. With both Tyler and Diana in the newspaper business, Tyler was forced to get a second job. The Panic brought tough times on Diana and Tyler, but with their hard work and love for each other, they managed to make it through.
Diana had not heard from Rosie since telling her of her decision to marry Tyler. She could only hope that her sister was prospering through these difficult times.
Written By: CalebPinnow