Date: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 08:41:43 +0000
From: Chris Johns <chris-johns@hotmail.com>
Subject: Gabriel's Hope Plantation. Ch.4

Gabriel's Hope Plantation

Chapter 4

Gabriel was in town one day and at a local tavern he heard about a woman
who had been thrown out of all the places she had worked because she was an
abolitionist. She was a child's governess and that sparked interest in
Gabriel. He sought her out and asked if she would come to the plantation
with him to discuss a position.

On the ride back she pounded Gabriel's ears about the evils of slavery
making Gabriel laugh. She couldn't understand why.

"Miss Hathaway, please keep your ranting to yourself until we have talked,
or I might end up throwing you out of this carriage. I understand that you
are now effectively destitute so I am sure the job I am thinking of
offering you has a double benefit, the chance to help a large number of
blacks, and a roof over your head."

She shut up. Sat in Gabriel's study, the first thing she noticed was how
relaxed and friendly the atmosphere.

"Blaine, be so kind as to ask Molly to bring some refreshments for myself
and Miss Hathaway."

The slave looked relaxed and was dressed casually instead of the silly
overdressed staff that she saw in other great houses.

They were just settling down when the study doors burst open and three
little black urchins burst in and the eldest jumped into Gabriel's lap and
gushed out.

"Is the lady going to be our new teacher Gabe?"

Gabriel laughed and pulled the two smallest onto his lap as well.

"If you are very good, and if I am very persuasive she might be. Now why
don't you go to her and introduce yourselves. Tell the lady your name and
how old you are."

Ann Hathaway noted that they were clean and clothed properly.

"I'm called Jason and I'm seven."

"I'm called Missy and I'm five.

"I'm called Matthew and I'm five as well, but I'm the eldest."

He looked at Gabriel who nodded, and Matthew continued. "By five minutes."

Gabriel could hardly speak he was laughing so hard, "And if you come to
work here Miss Hathaway, don't ever forget that. Now, you three, off you
go. Say hello to Miss Sarah and tell her I said you could have some short
cake."

Squeals of delight and they were gone.

"I don't understand Mr. Sinclair, you allow slave children to treat you
like one of their own and you dress them decently."

"Well, Miss Hathaway, those three are more like my brothers and sister, and
they aren't slaves. Their elder brother is my lifetime best friend and my
accounts clerk here on the plantation, their mother is the senior
housekeeper and my mother's friend, their father works for my blacksmith
and is the closest I've ever had to a real father. Also, they are all
free. Yes I have slaves, but any of them will tell you they are treated
like family or workers. I pay my freemen the rate for the job, and my
slaves I make sure live a good life as well. I employ no white overseers
and my mother and I are the only white's on this plantation. I know your
political leanings, but if you have a look at my slave village I hope you
will realise I am doing better for my slaves than they could expect as free
men. Since I came here no slave has been beaten, and in all truth, none of
them have deserved it anyway."

That little speech finished and there was a tap on the door. A pretty young
woman dressed in a fresh brightly coloured dress walked in with a tray of
refreshments and lemonade.

"Miss Sarah said to pile the plate high with cookies Mr. Gabriel because
she didn't think there would be any left by the time Jason had fed the
whole village."

They both laughed and Gabriel thanked Molly.

"Your staff treat you more like an equal than the master of this plantation
Mr. Sinclair."

"Well, we are almost. We all have to work hard to enjoy the pleasure of
this place."

Another interruption then as Joshua entered. Ann saw a young black man
similar in build to Gabriel dressed casually in a white shirt and black
trousers with soft deerskin boots on.

"Oh, sorry Gabriel, I didn't know you had company."

Gabriel laughed and replied.

"You had better keep your brother with you then. He knew Miss Hathaway was
a schoolteacher within about two minutes of us arriving here. Miss
Hathaway, this is Joshua Lake, my best friend, partner in crime and
bookkeeper for Gabriel's Hope, also the brother of the three urchins that
have just left."

"Josh, if Miss Hathaway and I can overcome a few hurdles, she will be
teaching the children.

Miss Hathaway was startled by the look of love that passed between the two
men.

"You didn't need to do that Gabriel, you have already done so much for my
family."

"Tosh, you are worth it. Now what was it you wanted?"

"Sorry, I need these requisitions signed. Abe and his gang have run out of
timber and the carpenter needs some more for furniture for the new
cottages. I'm sorry Gabriel, our own sawmill can't keep up with demand. The
timber bill this month is going to be quite large."

Gabriel shrugged, signed them without checking them and said, "We have to
make up for the lack of investment in the village because of those crooks I
sacked. I doubt it will bankrupt us Josh," and Joshua left.

"Do you never check his work Mr. Sinclair?"

"Of course I do, when we go through the accounts each week. I'm afraid
timber is eating up a lot of money at the moment, but I promised my
overseers that I would house families together and for that we need a lot
more cottages."

Ann Hathaway found this man difficult to fathom. He was a slave owning
plantation owner, but treated his staff like free men.

"Please, let's have a drink and then come with me, I'm sure a lot of your
questions concerning this plantation will be answered then.

Ann spent the next hour mouth agape. The slave village was like nothing she
had seen before.

The first surprise was the tower with the huge tub on top.

"What's that Mr. Sinclair?"

"Oh, that's our new water tower. We pump water from the river to this tower
and the one for the house so that there is always plenty of water for the
people to bathe every day after they finish work. We have a village shop
where they can get essentials like soap and their food is issued from there
as well. My mother, along with Joshua's mother handle clothing, but any
seamstresses can ask mother for cloth and make their own clothes and the
children's. I encourage the men to keep a clean set for socialising in the
evenings and on Sunday when we don't work. I have dammed the creek so that
we have a swim hole and the families use that extensively on Sundays. We
usually have a party on the lawns for the young men and women on the same
day.

"You appear to treat your slaves like free men."

"Not quite, I don't pay them."

Back in the study, Gabriel put forward his proposal.

"It's against the law to teach slaves to read and write. But, I would like
you to teach the three children you have met, because they are free men. I
don't think it is against the law for slave children to listen to what you
say, and I'm sure we could find lots of slate and chalk for them to play
with while they listen to you. I don't put the men to field work until they
are sixteen, but up to that age they understudy artisans, they could also
watch some of your lessons where appropriate. I know that having more
workers that can read and write would make this plantation even more
efficient and allow more luxuries for the workers. You and I can't achieve
that legally, but we can bend the law a little if you would like the
job. There is a cottage available for you and I can find one of the women
that would look after you."

Ann didn't know what to say, and they hadn't even discussed a salary.

"One last thing before you make a decision. I won't tolerate any
abolitionist talk on this plantation. My slaves are better treated than
freed blacks are so I don't want their minds working on being worse off
than they are now. Slavery can't last forever, I can see that, and when it
is legal to free all my slaves I will do so, but I'm not going to agitate
for something that mine do not want."

Ann, reluctantly had to agree with Gabriel and accepted the position.

"I'll send you back to town in a carriage and you can collect your
things. Come back to the house and ask for Jess, I'll make sure he takes
you to your cottage which is all ready for occupancy."

"Thank you Mr. Sinclair." and she was gone.

Gabriel was feeling pleased with himself. Most governesses would not have
entertained the idea of teaching Negroes, free or not, so Ann was a major
find.

This must have been his day for unscheduled visitors. Gabriel was using
horses more and needed a young buck to help his stableman. The word had
gone out that he was looking for one and a local slave agent called without
an appointment.

Blaine showed him in.

"Mr. Sinclair, please accept my apology, calling unannounced, but I have a
young man who I think fits your requirements, and he won't be available for
long when other owners know his experience. He is an excellent horseman and
has been trained as a farrier. I could send him to auction but I'm not
asking an unreasonable price for him so you can buy him direct if he suits
you."

"Well, bring him in then Mr. Symes, let's have a look at him."

"Here, in the house, Sir."

"Yes Mr. Symes, I haven't time to go wandering."

Symes left and was back in a few minutes trailed by a boy, probably 20
years old. Well put together and very attractive to look at.

"Shuck down boy and let me have a look at you."

The boy did and Gabriel felt a tingle in his groin. He walked up to the boy
and stroked him, made him bend and spread his legs before licking a finger
and just easing it over his sphincter. The boy didn't move. Stood again and
Gabriel took hold of his cock and balls, played with them for a minute and
watched the cock come to an erection. At the same time Gabriel's did as
well.

`Oh, God, I hope the boy is good at his job, I want him in my bed.' was
Gabriel's thought.

"He looks healthy enough, Mr. Symes, could be a good stud for
breeding. What's his name and his history?"

Symes blushed. "His name is Fernando, Sir. He is being sold because he is
no good as a breeder, he only gets erections for other boys."

Gabriel had never heard of a black that was like him and he could hardly
cover his joy.

"Well, Fernando, you`d better get dressed and show me that you love horses
as well as boys."

Symes was amazed and both were pleased.

At the stables, Gabriel told Isaiah that this boy was to have a freehand
with the horses for half an hour. He watched as the boy checked all over
the horses in the paddock, not making them nervous, the reverse in fact,
they were all calmer when he was inspecting them than they were
normally. Gabriel listened to him as he talked gently to them. They were
like putty in his hands.

"What do you think, Isaiah?"

"The boy is a natural, Sir. I know there are four shoes to be replaced,
let's see if he picks them up."

Fernando came back to the three men and spoke to Gabriel.

"Four shoes need replacing, Master, and the brown mare is pregnant."

Gabriel was amazed, "Did you know that Isaiah?"

Isaiah looked embarrassed, "No, Master, I'm sorry"

Gabriel put an arm around the older man's shoulder, "Don't worry about it,
I'm sure you would have found out soon. Would you like Fernando to come and
work for you?"

"Yes, Mr. Gabriel, I think I would."

"Good, take him down to the village, bathe him and get him new clothes from
the store, find him a bed in the bachelor house and then bring him back to
the house for me. If Mr. Symes and I have reached a satisfactory conclusion
to our business he'll be yours, if not well, we'll just have to keep
looking."

Mr. Symes had heard that the new owner of Gabriel's hope was liberal with
his treatment of slaves but seeing him treat the stableman so easily really
surprised him. The surprise increased when they entered the main house
again and Gabriel took the shoulder of his major domo and said.

"You'll need to keep an eye on our new farrier, Blaine, when he sees what
you are packing he'll want to be between your legs all day."

Master and slave laughed conspiratorially before once again the study
became the centre of their world.

"I don't want to get into a barter with you Mr. Symes, just give me your
bottom line and I'll tell you if I want it. I don't suppose many owners
will be interested in a stud that isn't."

"No, Mr. Sinclair, I'll have difficulty shifting him as anything other than
a field hand I expect, farriers aren't in much demand at the moment. I
would be happy at $500 more than a field hand, Sir, considering his
skills."

"I think that is fair, Mr. Symes. I can pay you that in cash now if you
have the paperwork."

Business concluded and Symes felt he had to say something more.

"You're very young to be a plantation owner, Mr. Sinclair, but it has been
a pleasure to do business with a gentleman. If you ever need my services
again, Sir, I will be delighted to help if I can."

Gabriel was pleased, he might well call on that word sometime.

Symes got up to leave as the door opened and Blaine brought Fernando in.

"Show Mr. Symes out Blaine, and I'll call you when I want you to collect
Fernando."

Fernando looked a little nervous.

"Relax Boy, you and I are going to have lots of fun when you aren't
working, starting now. I want you to shuck down again and sit in that
chair."

"That's marvellous, Fernando. After supper tonight I want you to come to
the house and ask for Blaine, he will show you to my bedroom. You are to
bathe thoroughly again making very sure your groin and anus are clean, I
want my tongue to enjoy them."

Fernando almost bounced out of the house, and Gabriel went about his work
with a huge anticipatory grin on his face.

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