THe Devil's Luck

The DEVIL’S LUCK

CHAPTER ONE: THE FALLING LEAVES.

It was that time of the year again. The season that left the sky dimly lit for days at a time. The season, which brought with it red-orange to replace the photosynthesized summer petals. The season that sends its breaths of chills across the sleepy lands. This is the season where our story begins. The season of the falling leaves.

It was the young year of 1778, deep within the almost hidden farm lands of Georgia. A small house, constructed of logs sat comfortably in the center of a fairly large parcel of prime farmland. To the east stood miles and miles of trees, to the west of the cabin were miles and miles of grass fields. A few miles in, the fields transitioned into the great dark trees of the woods.

As for the south, there were grass fields as far as you could see and to the north was a narrow track covered by a thicket of tall trees. Which led to a town roughly an hour and a half away by horse. Bears, deer, red wolves and many other livestock were inhabitants of the surrounding woods. The farm consisted of two main areas, at the front of the little log house was the vegetation section: planted in that section was corn. The second section was in the back and it housed the pens for the animals that were raised for food and also a small stable where the horse was kept. All this was partially enclosed by a half way finished log fence.

Subsisting within the small house were the Michaels. Aggy Michael a mid-age blond with blue eyes was married to Bob Michael, a black haired, muscular farmer of the same age, for a decade. Nina Michael was the couple’s only offspring. Nina looked almost as her mother did when she was younger, and she was constantly reminded by her father how much she resembled her mother a few times a week. This would normally prompt laughter, because for some reason, Mrs. Michael didn’t even see a tad bit of resemblance between herself and her daughter.

Nina’s tenth birthday was approaching in a few weeks. Despite her unripened age of only nine, she was very intellectual for the years she had. This made her a very curious and inquisitive young lady even though she never attended a day of school. Mrs. Michael thought her daughter everything she spent her life learning, at age nine, she realized that

Nina not attending school was a waste of her talents and she should be enroll. She had offered all the knowledge she had, and Nina at her young age knew everything her mother knew and probably more. But every time she talked about sending her to school with her husband he dismissed the topic. And ninety-eight percent of the time his response would be “Don’t no woman need school, all a woman need to know is how to please her husband.”

When it comes to the other two percent he ignored her completely as if she didn’t even speak. So after a while Nina’s mom gave up on trying to convince Mr. Michael to send their only daughter to school. But she never gave up on the idea completely because she knew her daughter was meant for much greater things than being just a housewife.

Nina loved to read, she read everything she could get her hand on books, newspapers, calendars anything that had words she read. She was an addict and her dad was her supplier. Mr. Michael would bring materials for her to read back from his journeys to the nearby town market place. Where he went to conduct business, buying products for farming or the household and also selling or trading products harvested from the

farm.

Although Nina loved reading there was nothing more she would rather do all day than play with Elizabeth, in the grass fields to the south of the log fence built by her father. Elizabeth was Nina’s rag doll she got as a present for her ninth birthday from her mother and father. Ever since then she always made sure the doll was everywhere she was. She even talked to it as if it was a real living person.

On a typical fall day, Nina was in the grass fields to the south, trying her utmost best to capture a butterfly but had no success at doing so all day. It was about time for supper and she still had not caught a butterfly. She caught a few grasshoppers and crickets, but couldn’t seem to lay her hands on a single evolved caterpillar. Mrs. Michael stood in the door frame at the back door of the house, watching from a distance as Nina was playing in the fields.

In that instant, she felt a warm feeling running through her entire body. A profound feeling that only being a mother could have bestowed upon an individual. A smile then grew lazily on Aggy Michael’s face as she stretched to her left to get the bell, from the wooden kitchen counter. To alert Nina that it was time for her to immigrate in the direction where she was hearing the bell’s ringing being originated.

“That’s the bell Elizabeth, Ma is calling,” said Nina “It’s probably time for supper. I wonder what we’re having,” she continued as she grabbed her rag doll from on the rock where she’d neatly placed it to sit. Then started off in the direction of the farm as fast as her little legs could carry her. As Nina ran through the fields of grass she used her hands to clear a grass free path.

Nina did this since the grass growing within the fields were just a few inches shorter than herself. If Nina chose not to clear the path while she was running, she wouldn’t have been able to see where she was going and could trip and fall over on a rock. A lesson she learned the hard way from the first time she went playing in the fields, hurting her right arm. From a distance, Nina gliding through the grass looked like a lion or a cheetah chasing after its prey within the grass plains of an African safari.

After this ensued the grass which laid opposing the majority told one which path was taken getting out of the fields, until a strong wind blew and they would return back to normal stance. It was not the first time the Michael girls have ever had supper alone. Nina and her mother sat around the dining table made of white pine wood, evidently hand carved by a specialist, having smoked venison and corn bread along with some buttermilk.

Bob normally left for his journey to the town’s market around sunrise and would return most times after supper. However this time, a few minutes into eating Nina heard the noise of a horse drawn wagon outside on the gravel path, which led from the farm’s main gate to the front door of their house. Nina looked towards the door, then looked at her mother. She swiftly jumped out her chair and sprinted towards the door.

“It’s Pa Ma!” she shouted, from the doorway watching as her father exited his wagon.

“Beautiful Nina, how was your day today?” Mr. Michael asked in a wary tone.

“My day was wonderful, my handsome Knight” Nina replied, after taking a bow. Mr. Michael approached the doorway where his daughter stood. He had both hands behind his back holding something. A broad smile ran across Nina’s face.

“What has thou brought me?” Nina said with excitement.

“For you my princess,” Bob Michael responded as he reduced himself to a knee handing over the book he was concealing.

“Oh, thank you kind sir,” Nina said bursting into laughter.

Followed by her father soon after. The Michael girls duo didn’t have dinner alone that evening after all. The complete family sat and had supper, putting much of the love they shared and laughter on display. Since having supper with Pa was not an event that happen often. Nina was through with the spectacular supper prepared with love by her mother in no time. She sat thinking to herself that her life couldn’t have gotten much better.

She had a few things she wanted yes, like her very own pony, but at that point she was so happy, thoughts of a pony weren’t anywhere close. After the seldom family dinner concluded. Nina helped her mother by wiping the dishes dry. As Aggy was finished with a piece she would pass them on to her. After, it was time for bed. Nina now lay in bed under her comfortable blanket, staring at the ceiling. Mr. Michael was on his knees next to her bed, he was just about to come to the end of the story he was telling Nina.

The young Michael girl imagination was running wild. She was lost within the fictional world that her father had created, listening keenly not uttering a word.

“And that was how the white fox and the brown fox became best of friends THE END!” Pa said. Nina did not respond, after all her father stories would leave even the best authors speechless and lost in thoughts. Nina always told her father, You should be a writer, but Mr. Michael never really deposited any serious thought into the subject.

“Now Good night my little princess,” Bob said as he leaned over and gave his daughter a kiss on the forehead. Mr. Michael then elevated to his feet, took up the oil lamp from the wooden table chest. Then it was lights out.

“I love you Pa,” Nina said in an innocent tone.

“I love you too, now sleep well,” Pa responded. Subsequently, he departed from Nina’s room, closing the door behind him.

Nina was now sound asleep lost in her own wonderland, tailored from her dreams and imagination. On the other hand, the occupants of the second room within the log house were wide awake. The couple, Bob and Aggy lay on their backs staring at the wooden ceiling lost in thoughts preventing them from falling asleep.

Aggy thoughts were centralized around Nina, seeing her in the fields earlier made her realized. She was lucky enough to have such a beautiful family. This emptied into Mrs. Michael thinking of Nina going to school and how should she go about trying to persuade her Husband to agree with the request, of sending her to school.

Bob on the other hand had his head wrapped around some advice a friend of his gave him earlier when he was at the town’s market. Bob was curious about his wife’s opinion upon the subject so therefore he interrupted the silence that cloaked the bedroom.

“Aggy?” Mr. Michael said in a high pitched smooth voice.

“What’s your thoughts about us getting a nigger to help out around the farm? I was told we could get one for very cheap,” he continued as he interlocked his fingers placing them on his chest area. A few minutes flew by, Mr. Michael realized there was no answer to his question from his wife. He found this strange. He knew she wasn’t sleeping because the Michaels made it a custom of saying a prayer together before drifting off into the unconscious state every night.

Bob was confused as to why he did not get an answer, so he rotated his head to the right. What his eyes glanced upon was very out of the ordinary and it left him extremely puzzled. Mrs. Michael was sitting on the edge of the couple’s queen size mattress slightly rocking back and forth, in a sluggish logy rhythm. Then suddenly her motion came to an abrupt stop.

“Bob— what— did you just— say?” Mrs. Michael finally answered in an angry tone.

“Well, I was asking if—”

“Shut it Bob!” Mrs. Michael interjected.

“How dare you utter such a vile unpleasant barbaric sentence out of your mouth how dare you!” she continued. Mr. Michael lay on his side of the bed with a confused look attached to his face. He was at a loss for the words to explain what was happening to his wife.

“Hold me,” Aggy told her husband as she fell back into his arms. Soon after Bob saw a tear broke free from Aggy’s left eye, after the others followed, turning the first into a stream running down his wife’s now beat red blotchy face.

It was painful for Mr. Michael to see his wife in such state. All he could do was embrace her and let the torrent of her tears soak through his nightwear. He felt the intensity of her silently screaming, suffocating with each breath she took. Aggy was fighting her best fight to hold onto her pride. Bob ran his fingers through her hair, time and time again, in an attempt to calm the silent war within her mind. He was lost, he had no idea whether to ask her what was upsetting her, or should he just wait for her to tell him.

After all, he’d done nothing wrong. Bob right there and then was fighting in his own mental war, ask her or don’t ask her, he debated to himself.

“Oh Bob,” Aggy sobbed, looking into her husband’s eyes. Before Bob could open his mouth to ask what was upsetting her, his lips were pinned together by his wife’s index finger. “Shh!” Mrs. Michael said “Let me talk— I have something to tell you Bob,” she carried on. Aggy sat up assuming her previous position, subsequently she released a lengthy sigh.

“I was— raped,” Mrs. Michael said with her voice cracking in between. Mr. Michael blinked then stared at the dorsal view he had of his wife in horror. His hands trembled, his heart was racing wildly and he felt breathless.

“What! Raped? You told me you were pure when we met,” Mr. Michael said.

“It happened years ago, I had just turned sixteen years of age. It was horrible, they took advantage of my innocence because they were older, because they were wealthy. They saw me as trash.” Mrs. Michael continued, ignoring her husband’s comment. “I remember it like it was yesterday, I’ve buried the horrible memories of that day deep inside me. I didn’t even get to ask his name or show my gratitude because he was hung the next morning. For doing the right thing, for stopping those bastards— he was hung like deer hides left out to dry. For what they did to me they should have been hung! But there was nothing the Brown’s money couldn’t buy, even my parent’s silence. My parents disappointed me the most, choosing wealth over me, their only daughter. I wasn’t worth that much, my pride and my innocence they took from me. Then my silence they bought, not with my permission, but a girl’s voice was like a blind marksman on the battlefield, worthless.”