Two years ago...
Ellana sat at her father's bedside when he became ill. She sat there almost constant for the last two months of his life. Dabbing is head with a cool cloth, comforting him when the bad dreams shook his body.
In the beginning the doctors came once or twice a week. Towards the end they came once or twice a day...with a priest. They knew it would only be days until his departure from earth. Ellana denied it at first, hoping and praying for a cure. She soon realized that it was the old age that wouldn't let his body heal.
Then one night it happened. "Ellana," a deep raspy voice called out into the darkness. "Ellana," the old wrinkled hand reached out into the air grasping for some one to have with him as he was released from the pain. He found her.
"Yes father," she gripped his hand and went to her knees by his bed. The lantern gave soft lighting so they could see the other one's face. "I'm here father."
"You...you are the heir of Montgomery Plantation," he spoke softly. He had saved up his strength for the end to say these things to Ellana; and every word took more than he thought. "I know...you are a non-believer in the slave world," a warm smile pulled at his dry, cracked lips, and love filled his dark brown eyes. "I wish I had had the courage...in me...to run it that way all these years," he coughed. The rattling in his chest became louder with each convulsion of his body. "I know you follow your heart and do what is right. Don't let anyone break your dreams."
"I won't father." Ellana watched as his eyes closed slowly as the grip on her hand became weak, and then naught. She laid his hand over on his chest and smiled as best she could. She had known this day would come and she'd prepared herself as best she could; it was never enough.
Moments later she appeared out side of his room and nodded softly to the doctors who had taken up residence at the Montgomery Home. The doctors and the priest stayed with the body for hours.
Two days later there was a burial.
After the funeral there was a meeting of her father's advisors. Ellana, of course, was present and received many questionable looks and whispered behind her back as she entered and approached the men whom were like brothers to her father...when he was alive. As she got closer they shushed each other and watched her. Ellana stopped in the midst of them. "Shall we continue?" She smiled warmly looking to every face.
Mr. Belinde, the short pumpkin shaped man who her father had in charge of accounting, cleared his throat. "Ellana...my dear," he stammered. "What may we help you with?" He spoke with a small lisp that wouldn't be too noticeable expect for spraying the lapel's of his suit jacket as he spoke.
"I'm here to look after my father's," she paused a moment wetting her lips, "my...plantation, Montgomery Plantation." She had to get used to calling it hers now. No one would have taken her seriously if she kept calling it "my father's plantation.
The men chuckled amongst themselves. "My dear Ellana," Mr. Belinde took her arm, turning her away from the other's. He started leading her towards the door, "I know how much you loved your father. I also know that the fate of the plantation should be decided by...well...men who know how to deal with matters that may come about."
Ellana jerked her arm free and faced him. "You think I don't know how to run this plantation' I know better than all of you." She looked to the other men. "My father taught me everything he knew, and I learned some he didn't." Her faced went red with angry and some embarrassment. "I don't know of anyone else here to bares the name Montgomery."
"You are the only one Ellana. We are just here to...to offer our services to you." He looked to the other men nodding, "As we did your father."
"You insult my father! You are only here for yourselves. Bickering over who gets what and how things should be done now that he's gone." She turned heading towards the door, "I won't have it." She opened both doors and stood next to them point out. "You're all fired. I want you out now."
Everyone exchanged glances and whispers. They all turned beat red and left. Mr. Belinde was last to leave. "Ellana, you won't be able to make it without us. You'll lose everything!" He stormed out.
Present...
Ellana sat in the swing on the front porch sipping on a glass of iced tea. Smiling she looked out over her plantation. Everything was right; everything was perfect. She'd freed the slaves and they worked for her with pay, and of their own freewill. Some stayed because they had nowhere else to go; others because her father was a good man and they had grown to love Ellana.
Yes there had been the plantation owners who said she'd caused a rift in their farms, the slaves wanting their freedom as well. There had been the night fires set to her fields from others who hated that a woman should be in charge of a plantation, and without a man present. Most of those events had died down. Instead of every night, it was maybe twice a month.
"Look at me," she thought watching the workers. "I've done it."
Ellana sat at her father's bedside when he became ill. She sat there almost constant for the last two months of his life. Dabbing is head with a cool cloth, comforting him when the bad dreams shook his body.
In the beginning the doctors came once or twice a week. Towards the end they came once or twice a day...with a priest. They knew it would only be days until his departure from earth. Ellana denied it at first, hoping and praying for a cure. She soon realized that it was the old age that wouldn't let his body heal.
Then one night it happened. "Ellana," a deep raspy voice called out into the darkness. "Ellana," the old wrinkled hand reached out into the air grasping for some one to have with him as he was released from the pain. He found her.
"Yes father," she gripped his hand and went to her knees by his bed. The lantern gave soft lighting so they could see the other one's face. "I'm here father."
"You...you are the heir of Montgomery Plantation," he spoke softly. He had saved up his strength for the end to say these things to Ellana; and every word took more than he thought. "I know...you are a non-believer in the slave world," a warm smile pulled at his dry, cracked lips, and love filled his dark brown eyes. "I wish I had had the courage...in me...to run it that way all these years," he coughed. The rattling in his chest became louder with each convulsion of his body. "I know you follow your heart and do what is right. Don't let anyone break your dreams."
"I won't father." Ellana watched as his eyes closed slowly as the grip on her hand became weak, and then naught. She laid his hand over on his chest and smiled as best she could. She had known this day would come and she'd prepared herself as best she could; it was never enough.
Moments later she appeared out side of his room and nodded softly to the doctors who had taken up residence at the Montgomery Home. The doctors and the priest stayed with the body for hours.
Two days later there was a burial.
After the funeral there was a meeting of her father's advisors. Ellana, of course, was present and received many questionable looks and whispered behind her back as she entered and approached the men whom were like brothers to her father...when he was alive. As she got closer they shushed each other and watched her. Ellana stopped in the midst of them. "Shall we continue?" She smiled warmly looking to every face.
Mr. Belinde, the short pumpkin shaped man who her father had in charge of accounting, cleared his throat. "Ellana...my dear," he stammered. "What may we help you with?" He spoke with a small lisp that wouldn't be too noticeable expect for spraying the lapel's of his suit jacket as he spoke.
"I'm here to look after my father's," she paused a moment wetting her lips, "my...plantation, Montgomery Plantation." She had to get used to calling it hers now. No one would have taken her seriously if she kept calling it "my father's plantation.
The men chuckled amongst themselves. "My dear Ellana," Mr. Belinde took her arm, turning her away from the other's. He started leading her towards the door, "I know how much you loved your father. I also know that the fate of the plantation should be decided by...well...men who know how to deal with matters that may come about."
Ellana jerked her arm free and faced him. "You think I don't know how to run this plantation' I know better than all of you." She looked to the other men. "My father taught me everything he knew, and I learned some he didn't." Her faced went red with angry and some embarrassment. "I don't know of anyone else here to bares the name Montgomery."
"You are the only one Ellana. We are just here to...to offer our services to you." He looked to the other men nodding, "As we did your father."
"You insult my father! You are only here for yourselves. Bickering over who gets what and how things should be done now that he's gone." She turned heading towards the door, "I won't have it." She opened both doors and stood next to them point out. "You're all fired. I want you out now."
Everyone exchanged glances and whispers. They all turned beat red and left. Mr. Belinde was last to leave. "Ellana, you won't be able to make it without us. You'll lose everything!" He stormed out.
Present...
Ellana sat in the swing on the front porch sipping on a glass of iced tea. Smiling she looked out over her plantation. Everything was right; everything was perfect. She'd freed the slaves and they worked for her with pay, and of their own freewill. Some stayed because they had nowhere else to go; others because her father was a good man and they had grown to love Ellana.
Yes there had been the plantation owners who said she'd caused a rift in their farms, the slaves wanting their freedom as well. There had been the night fires set to her fields from others who hated that a woman should be in charge of a plantation, and without a man present. Most of those events had died down. Instead of every night, it was maybe twice a month.
"Look at me," she thought watching the workers. "I've done it."