Chapter 25

Lucy stitched the final mismatched fabric patch to the combination of patches, smiling at her finished product. She held the newly-sewn quilt in her hands and imagined how her sleeping baby would look swaddled in it.

April had finally arrived and the snow had completely melted. Small buds started blooming on the bare tree branches, birds were chirping and building their nests, and animals were feeding on the growing grass. Although she loved the sights, sounds, and smells of spring, Lucy was anticipating summer's arrival. By the time summer blew in, there would be a suckling baby, wrapped up in the quilt and nestled in her arms.

She folded the quilt up and placed it in a basket filled with cloth diapers and 2 other quilts. Lucy refrained from sewing any clothing. She thought it would be funny, not to mention a waste of fabric, if she had sewn so many dresses and gave birth to a boy. She, also, knew that the baby couldn't wear that type of clothing if they were to stay in Koi's tribe; the baby would stick out in the tribe, just like her. She hoped the baby wouldn't be as dark as her, just to make his or her life just a little bit easier.

Lucy leaned back in the rocking chair and looked down at her visible belly. As she rubbed it, she received a kick in response.

"I see someone's up." She smiled down at her stomach and received another kick.

"I ain't even got a name fa ya. My mind's been all ova da place fa da longes' time. It ain't been so easy dese pas' monts, but, God willin', it'll all be fine when ya get here. But, let's get ya a name. If ya a girl, I like da names, Daisy, Clementine, or Jubilee. I read 'bout jubilee in da bible once. It means happiness. Just like ya are. Ya my bundle o' happiness, even if ya ain't here yet. But, if ya a boy, I like Zion, Cain, or Elias. Doze were in da bible, too, an' I liked dem. Do ya like any o' doze names, baby?" The baby kicked twice in a row.

"I guess dat's a yes, den." Lucy laughed.

"Ya papa's gonna give ya a middle name from his tribe. He want ya ta know dat ya come from a strong tribe, dat ya have da blood o' fighters in ya. Ya papa's a strong man. He tall, strong, hansome, an' fearless. I hope you're like him. I ain't like him. I ain't even like ma mama. She was a strong woman. She was strong, determined, wise, an' anything else ya can think of. She used ta say ma papa was good man. She say he never let da massah or any white man break him. She say he was a strong negro who worked hard and fought til da day he died. Ma brothas were like dat, too. When Mama died, dey did deir best ta raise me and keep me outta harm's way. Everybody I know's strong. But, not me," Lucy sighed, "I ain't nothin' like dat." She contined rubbing her stomach and looked into the empty fireplace.

She stood up from the rocking chair and walked over to the chest of old clothes in the corner. She had been using the dingy clothes to sew the quilts and diapers. She opened up the chest in search of more scrap clothing to use. She reached down into the chest until she was scraping the bottom. In the midst of her search, her fingers glided across some worn leather. She reached further down and picked up the object. In front of her, she held a leather-bound book. Her eyes lit up in excitement as she held the aging book in her small hands.

Her eyes scanned across the title as she sounded out the words in her head, before putting it all together after a few seconds. "Gulliver's Travels." She placed the book down and began fishing for more books in the chest. "Frankenstein. Pride and Prejudice." The last book she picked up caught her eye more than the others. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."

"Do ya want mama to read ta ya, baby?" A kick hit her hand. She smiled and stacked all of the books up and carried them over to the rocking chair.

Blue peered up at the young black girl from the corner to see what she was doing and why she was making so much noise. When he saw her sit down, he went back to sleep.

Lucy picked up The Hunchback of Notre Dame, flipped open the book to the first page, and began reading the translated words printed on the page.

"Three hundred and forty eight years, six months, and nineteen days ago today, the Parisians awoke to the sound of all the bells in the triple circuit of the city, the university, and the town ringing a full peal." Her eyes stayed glued to the book and within an hour, she was practically standing in 1482 France.

~~~

Lucy wasn't sure how much time had passed since she had started the book, but when she closed the book with an accomplished sigh of completion, crickets were chirping outside. She looked up to see Cora cleaning around the kitchen area while Boone was downing a glass of scotch.

"I didn't even hear y'all come in. Excuse ma rudeness." Lucy apologized.

"Don't you worry about that, sweetheart. I saw that you were enjoying that book and we didn't want to disturb you. I saved you some dinner." Cora asked.

She moved towards the table ate the food Cora had saved for her, and then, against Boone and Cora's words, went to the creek to get water to fill the metal bath tube outside so she could wash up before bed. After Boone told her to rush in if she heard any strange sounds, she grabbed the soap, a towel, and the bucket by the door and made her way outside.

The creek was a few feet behind the shed, so it was pretty close. She walked to the creek, filled the bucket up with water, and made her way back to the cabin where the tub sat against its back wall. She repeated the routine until the tub was halfway full. She took off her dress and stepped into the cool water. She grabbed the soap bar and began lathering herself up. As she cleaned herself up,  she heard the slight rustle of the bushes. She looked up into the darkness, but saw nothing. When she continued with the task at hand, the water in the tub became disturbed and she felt a familiar warmth radiating onto the skin on her back.

"You were 'sposed to come earlier." She muttered, not even bothering to look back.

"I did. I was watching you read to our unborn." Koi placed his large hands on her growing stomach and received a kick. "He is awake."

"Or she." She peered over her shoulder.

"Yes, or she." He placed a kiss at the meeting point of her neck and shoulder. "I heard what you were saying to our unborn when you were talking about your family. Why do you believe you are not like them? Why do you not think you are strong?"

"'Cause I ain't. I ain't strong, fearless, a fighter, nothin'. I ain't special. Da baby ain't gettin' nothin' from me but milk."

Koi turned her around and, out of reflex, she covered her exposed breasts. He pulled her arms down and drew her closer to him, with his legs on both sides of her. He grabbed her chin between his thumb and index finger and lifted her head up, both of them staring into each other's eyes.

"You are strong, small one. You are strong, fearless, a fighter, beautiful, intelligent, and loving. You are everything. You ran away from a cruel white man who beat you. You made a life for yourself in my tribe. You kept your head high when my father was determined to do away with you. You are holding life that you and I created within you. The white man does not allow his slaves to read, yet you know how to read. You will give our child much more than just milk. You will give our child so much more."

Koi stroked her cheek as he stared into her eyes. Lucy moved a strand of his long onyx hair from in front of his face to behind his ear. She wrapped her legs around his waist to her best ability, with her stomach in her way, and laid her head on his chest. Koi wrapped his arms around her torso and laid his head on top of hers. Despite her shivering from the cold water, Lucy felt warm from Koi's body heat.

"I love you, Koi." She spoke softly.

"I love you, too, Lucy." He said back.

He placed a firm sensual kiss on her lips, which she gladly returned. Lucy wrapped her arms around Koi's neck, bringing him closer to her. He, coyly, slipped his tongue into her mouth, letting them wrap around each other. Despite the cool water, Koi could feel blood rushing down to the area between his legs. He groaned into her mouth as his manhood throbbed with need.

He had not felt her warm folds since the first and last time they came together. He still smiles at the fact that Lucy had never been penetrated before that, and the first time she was penetrated resulted in the conception of a child: their child. Before meeting Lucy, he was no stranger to the female body. In fact, there were very few women in his tribe that could say Koi was a coital stranger to them. Although he had been with numerous women, sometimes two or three times, he had never planted his seed in them, much to the women's dismay. But, upon first invasion of Lucy, a child was created. Mother Earth worked in wondrous ways.

Without a second thought, Koi took his fully attentive member and invaded her. Lucy pulled away from his lips as she released a soft moan. He grabbed her hips and guided her motions. Water sloshed around and out of the tub because of their abrupt movements. His fingers gripped her hips in need as his teeth clenched together and his jaw locked. Groans and grunts seethed out between his teeth, mingling in the air with her delicate cries and moans. Both of their eyes were squeezed shut. She raked her fingers down his back, leaving red welts. The noises leaving their mouths became louder and more jagged as they reached their released. Their pace picked up and, the moment they hit their releasing point, a light appeared.

They caught their breaths and opened their eyes to see what the light was. Lucy let out a shriek, while Koi looked up with a stoic face. Lucy's face burned in embarassment, as Koi felt no shame that someone had caught him showing his love to his small one.

"Lucy, come on inside now, you're plenty clean." Cora said, a lantern in her hand and a smirk on her face.