The Secrets of Heavenly (Heavenly Plantation) by Teresa Robison

Author:Teresa Robison [Robison, Teresa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, Historical, Cultural Heritage, United States, African American, Historical Fiction, African
ISBN: 0615765262
Amazon: B00B40B0LI
Publisher: Writing Out Loud Publishing
Published: 2013-12-11T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 34

Over the next several months, Willa’s relationship with the Witherells became less familiar. She avoided Seth altogether, afraid she would give in to his love. Instead, she wanted him to resume a life without her. She convinced herself that it was for his own good; he needed to keep company with girls from his own race, his own social class. Girls who were marriageable. Marianne did not even seem to miss her companionship, as Gerald was the center of her world. Willa was also able to stay clear of Foster. He made no other attempt to assault her, as if that one horrible rape satisfied him, extinguishing his lust. The dark, evil secret they shared would remain buried within her and nobody would know her vast shame.

She was growing into her role as a servant, much as expected in Southern households where young slave children were raised with their white counterparts. There was always a period of delineation, where both sides weaned from their former childish relationships. White children would assume command while their black friends would learn subservience. No longer would they look upon each other as equals. Willa became as dutiful as she could, tending even to the needs of Margaret whenever possible.

In those months following the failed attempt to leave Heavenly, Willa also acquired a ravenous appetite. At first she was grateful, as her hunger effectively replaced the desire for Seth’s love. But while she didn’t seem to gain much weight in proportion to her consumption, there were other changes in her body that caused alarm. She began to realize that something else was at work. Deep within her belly, something craved nutrition, longed for life.

She was pregnant with Foster’s child. The thought, when first it struck her, sent her into spasms of nausea. Her abdomen ached as if she had been poisoned, as indeed she felt she had. She wanted to lash out, seek vengeance, and make Foster pay for this tangible manifestation of his sin. The thing inside her was grotesque, dark, unholy.

As the weeks passed however, the repulsive circumstances of her pregnancy were abated by unmistaken maternal feelings. Reasoning that her offspring was a legacy to her parents, she thought less of it as Foster’s spawn. It would be a part of herself and her family alone. That seemed to give her comfort and a new sense of hope for her future; a future that she knew could not include Seth.

Still, she felt increasingly lonely now that Marianne was so busy and Seth so distant. Feelings of restlessness overtook any resolution she felt, especially when she considered how difficult it was going to be explaining her condition once her belly began to show. There was only one person she could trust with her secret, one who would be willing to offer a sympathetic ear and possibly some advice.

***

“Hello, Mr. Blacksmith,” Willa teased Lazarus as he stopped a hammer mid-swing and looked up at her. “Oh, please don’t stop. You have work to do. I just need a word with you when you have a moment.

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