River Queen

Chapter 2

JUNE 1858

After the first 2 or 3 days of being at Ida’s house Giselle and Zurie were ready to leave and get back onto the boat. They felt that they had already seen all of the sights and shops, now they were just bored. “Why are you so restless?” Estel finally asked Giselle. “I’m so bored mère(mother)! On the boat I have more things to do.” She had become tired of sitting around watching her mother, Ida and sometimes Alvita gossiping with other women they knew. “You and Zurie could take another walk?” her mother tired to suggest. “I feel like we’ve walked a thousand miles….” Zurie entered the room and plopped down on the sofa besides Giselle.

“Giselle……I could always introduce you to some charming young men in the city. Since you are 18 now.” Ida of course was not going to extend this invitation to Zurie. The wheels in Ida’s head began to turn. Maybe, she thought, if I find a man to marry Giselle off to and she moves away. Estel will come back here heartbroken to be with me…..

“When is père(father) coming back?” Giselle rolled her eyes in response to Ida’s suggestion and addressed her mother. Zurie tried to a hide a giggle when Giselle rolled her eyes. This did not go unnoticed by Ida who huffed and left the room.

“You should be much nicer to your aunt…..” Estel tried to scold her daughter.  Giselle looked around for her aunt, “Je ne pense même pas qu’elle m’aime bien mère(I don’t even think she likes me mother).”  Ida doesn’t speak French. Bastien had taught Estel and Giselle. “Don’t say such things of course she loves you!” The girls made eye contact across the room, neither really believing it. “The boat returns late tonight.” This made the girls smile. They could barely sleep that night.

Giselle snuck into Zurie’s room. “Scoot over.” She crawled into bed next to her, “I can’t sleep. I’m so ready to be home.”

“What are we going to do about Isaac and Henry when they get back?”

“That’s if they make it here, I wouldn’t be shocked if our fathers pushed them overboard.” They both laughed.

“You do understand that one day we will get married. Then what will we do?” Zurie asked seriously.

“What will we do? Nothing will change, your still my best friend, and you will always be my best friend. My husband will have to understand that and we will be next door neighbors.” Giselle was very matter of fact about the whole thought.

“You’re my best friend too….Good night Elle.” both girls eventually drifted off to sleep. They didn’t hear the boat whistle as it came into port.

Late the next morning Alvita came in to wake them up. “Girls it’s time to get up,” she threw open the curtains, “Eat and pack your bags.”

They both yawned and jumped out of bed. While eating breakfast their mothers came into the room with their bags. “Good news and bad news,” Estel said and the girls frowned. “Bad news is the boiler on the boat wasn’t working properly and they had to limp the ship into port last night.”

“The good news is,” Alvita finished, “They were able to get it fixed this morning. We are taking our bags now so come down when you’re finished.” They hastily finished eating. As Giselle was following Zurie back up the stairs she could hear Ida telling her mother goodbye. She was trying to get Estel to stay like she always did and putting on a pity party. Giselle rolled her eyes and went upstairs. The girl’s washed and changed before braiding their hair. They met in the hallway with their bags.

“Ready?” Giselle asked. “Absolutely.” Zurie beamed and followed her down the stairs. At the door Ida gave Giselle a reluctant hug. “Don’t forget my offer Giselle……….I can find you a nice man here….” Giselle gave her a short hug before saying goodbye. They walked away from Ida’s as fast as they could.

The closer they walked to the dock they could see the boat being loaded. Then they heard a loud whistling noise. They stopped. “What is that?” Giselle asked looking around. “I have no idea…….” Zurie answered. Suddenly the whistling was replaced with a loud boom. It seemed louder than thunder. The girls screamed. The boiler on the boat had exploded, it all seemed to happen in slow motion. Parts of the dock exploded also throwing people into the river, everyone was screaming and running. Dust, debris and ash were falling everywhere. They reached out and held each other’s hand and ran towards the boat screaming out for their parents. The boat and everyone on it were gone, all within a matter of seconds. They dropped to their knees at the edge of the dock and held each other crying. Ida was suddenly there screaming for her sister. Men in small boats searched the river for any signs of life but none where found. Policemen were soon there to take statements about what happened. One of them lead the women back to Ida’s house.

After taking their statements the policeman left. Ida had stopped crying and was now so angry her face was turning red. Giselle and Zurie sat on the sofa, still holding each other’s hand. Ida glared and Giselle. “NONE of this would of ever happened if not for your father! This is all his fault! He’s killed my sister! I told her not to marry him!”  

Giselle stood up, still holding Zurie’s hand. She stood so close to her aunt that their noses were almost touching. “DON’T YOU DARE! NONE of this is my père’s(father’s) fault! How dare you! They loved each other! And in case you haven’t noticed it wasn’t just my parent’s on that boat!” she squeezed Zurie’s hand.  Ida slapped Giselle and Zurie yelled, “Don’t touch her! Just because you don’t like hearing the truth.” Ida was about to slap Zurie too when there was a knock at the door.

“You two, upstairs!” she hissed. The girl’s ran into Giselle’s room and closed the door. It was another policeman that wanted statements from the girls about who could have been aboard the ship. Ida saw this as an opportunity. Upstairs Giselle and Zurie couldn’t hear the lies Ida was telling the police about some of the people who worked and lived on the boat. They laid in bed holding each other and sobbing.

For the next two days while Ida was getting her plan into motion she kept the girls locked in Giselle’s room. One of Ida’s servants named Molly would bring them food to their room. “Why do you think she’s keeping us in here?” Zurie asked Giselle. She was staring out the window. “She’s trying to figure out what to do with us I’m sure, and not in a good way…” Giselle became annoyed. Early the next morning the girls were sleeping in their bed when the door was slammed opened and two large men walked in. They both screamed and grabbed ahold of each other. The men pried them apart, one of them held Giselle down as the other dragged Zurie kicking and screaming out of the room.

“NO! YOU CAN’T TAKE HER! YOU CAN’T TAKE HER!” Giselle screamed, trying to get the large man off of her. He jumped up and ran after the other man and Zurie. Giselle tried to run after them and the door was slammed in her face. She could hear the door being locked again. “Ida! Ida please! You can’t take her!” Giselle pleaded with her aunt.

Ida stood outside the door. “She is of no use to me Giselle, except the money I will receive for her.” She quickly walked away as Giselle could be heard beating on the door and crying. “DON’T DO THIS PLEASE! I’LL DO ANYTHING DON’T TAKE HER FROM ME!” Giselle’s screams could be heard through the house. She sank down to the floor with her back against the door.  The sun started to peek through the window. It seemed to Giselle like she had been sitting there forever, but in reality it had only been a short time. Suddenly she heard the door being unlocked. She jumped up and flung open the door prepared to yell in her aunt’s face, but instead she found Molly. She’s a short older woman who normally worked in Ida’s kitchen, her face had red streaks that Giselle assumed were from tears. “You have to go after her miss!,” she pleaded, “this is wrong!”  Giselle bolted out of the door and down the stairs. “St Ann Street! They are on St Ann Street!!” she heard Molly yell after her. Giselle was still only in her nightgown, she hadn’t brushed her hair or washed in days. People were staring at her wild looks as she ran.

In New Orleans there are many slave auction houses, but there are just as many pop up slave auctions. These are one day events that can take place in churches, schools, empty houses or lots, business and sometimes city parks. St Ann street has what is called a city park but it really just looks like an empty lot with some benches and trees. Giselle could see a crowd of people gathering as she ran and hear an announcer. Standing on a makeshift stage barely above the crowd she could see several slaves. Names and prices were being called out, none of the people on stage were Zurie. Scanning the crowd looking for her she could see other slaves in a line off to the right of the stage. That’s where she saw Zurie. The two men were still holding on to her, she wasn’t struggling against them anymore but they weren’t going to take the chance of her getting away. Zurie was in complete shock, understandably, she just stared blankly ahead watching the others be sold. “Zurie!!” Giselle cried out and pushed through the crowd. People were cursing at her as she pushed past them. When she reached Zurie she felt another man grab her from behind and try to hold her arms down. Giselle was able to elbow him in the nose. He yelled letting her go and grabbing his face. She threw her arms tightly around Zurie, who’s arms were still being held. She couldn’t hold onto Giselle. They both started to cry again. “You can’t do this! She’s a free woman!” Giselle screamed in the men’s faces loud enough for everyone to hear. Some in the crowd turned to watch the commotion and others turned a blind eye.

“If that were true…..then where are her papers?” Giselle turned and was face to face with Ida. “You and I both know it’s true! She is a free woman and has no business being here!” Giselle pointed to Zurie.  “No,” Ida jabbed Giselle in the chest, “you don’t have business being here.”  Ida then raised her voice for everyone to hear and asked, “If she is a free woman then where are her papers proving that she is? Because I have papers that state otherwise….” Ida held up a small piece of paper. Giselle snatched it from her hand. To her horror Ida’s paper was a ‘receipt of sale’ listing that she had bought Zurie at a slave auction. She shook her head in disbelief, she knew this was a forgery but had no way to prove it, and no one to believe her. The three women knew that Zurie’s papers were destroyed when the boat exploded. Alvita had always carried Zurie’s papers.  No one was going to take their word over Ida’s. Suddenly the announcer yelled, “NEXT!” The men started to carrying Zurie towards the stage. “NO!” Giselle grabbed onto Zurie again. “What do I do? I can’t lose you…” she cried onto Zurie’s shoulder.

“You’ll have to let me go Giselle….there’s nothing we can do……I promise I’ll be ok…..”Zurie whispered to her, trying to calm both her friend and herself.  “I’ll come find you,” Giselle said firmly, “I promise I’ll come after you.” She was pulled off and Zurie was lead towards the stairs.

Giselle stood in her aunt’s face again, “You are the most vile person I have ever met. I’m ashamed to be your family.”  Ida replied coldly, “As am I.” She slapped Giselle across the face. Before Giselle had to chance to do anything two men grabbed her arms and started to carry her back towards the house kicking and screaming. They threw her into her bedroom and locked the door again. She crawled under the covers of her bed and curled up into a ball. I’ve got to get away from here, she thought. But, she had no where to go. Ida is the only living family from Estel’s side and Giselle has never known Bastien’s family. She laid in the bed for hours trying to come up with a plan. I’m going to need a lot of money if I need to travel to find Zurie and then get her freedom back. The thought of having to possibly ‘buy’ Zurie made Giselle sick to her stomach.

Soon the door to her bedroom opened again. It wasn’t Molly this time, Giselle worried what Ida might do to her for letting her out. “Miss your aunt requests that you come downstairs for dinner.” The servant quickly turned and walked downstairs, Giselle followed after. Ida was sitting at her dinning table and a place had ben set to her left for Giselle. When she sat down the food was brought out and placed front of them. Giselle’s stare could of bore holes into Ida, she knew Ida would never tell her where Zurie had went. True to her nature Ida only continued to eat her food as if nothing had happened. “I would be more concerned with myself if I were you….”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You are 18 now Giselle.” Ida looked at her, “I know I had offered trying to find you a husband…”

“I have no interest in you of all people to find me a husband…” Giselle cut her off.

Ida continued, “but the problem with that now is that you don’t have a good name, your parents left you no inheritance so therefore you have no money. I believe I would have a hard time trying to find a gentleman to marry you with so little prospects. They only thing you have going for you is that you are young and healthy to bear children.”

Giselle gaped at her. Although Giselle knew she would one day want children, the last thing she wanted was to be a baby factory for someone. “I’m sure my parent’s left me something?”

Ida raised her eyebrows, “Not that I could find.” She went back to eating her food, “I will search for you a husband, but in the meantime you will need to find a job. If you’re going to be living here you will be paying me back.”

“You just said it will be hard finding me a husband,” Giselle said through gritted teeth.

“Yes……..I just have to find the right one…..” She had an evil smile on her face. Giselle understood that Ida just wanted to find her a rich husband who wanted a lot of children. Probably some old man, she thought, this made her sick to her stomach again. She pushed her plate away. “If you won’t eat then you’ll be going back to your bedroom.” Ida pointed at her. Giselle rose from her chair. “You will be bathing tomorrow morning, I have a possible job offer for you and you need to look presentable.” Giselle went into her room and slammed the door shut. She went and laid back in her bed. Soon the sun went down and she heard Ida walk past Giselle’s room to her own room.

After they were sure Ida was asleep one of the servants came and knocked on the door. “Miss? Miss are you awake?” she whispered through Giselle’s door. She quietly tip toed to the door, “I’m awake.” The door unlocked and opened. Another servant girl was standing there, “please follow me miss.” Giselle quietly followed her into the kitchen. Several of the staff were eating in the kitchen when they walked in. Everyone turned to look at Giselle. The chef motioned for Giselle to sit and handed her a plate of food. “Merci (thank you),”Giselle started to eat quickly, she had gotten hungry after returning to her room. Suddenly Giselle felt rude that she couldn’t remember some of their names. “What are your names?” she asked.

The chef introduced everyone, “I’m Fredrick.” He pointed to the girl who let Giselle in the kitchen, “this is Emma.” A few other names were thrown at Giselle and she hoped she could remember them all. “Where is Molly?” she asked. Emma’s face became sad, “She was punished for letting you out.”  “Punished how?” Giselle became worried.  “She got lashings,” Fredrick chimed in, “she’s resting in her room. She will be better by morning.” Giselle pushed her food away. “I’m sorry Fredrick this food is wonderful and I know you all could be in trouble for feeding me but, everything that has happened is making me sick to my stomach.” Emma came and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Please don’t worry about Molly,” she insisted, “she knew what she was doing when she let you out, we all did.” Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. “I couldn’t stop them though,” Giselle looked at their faces, “she still sold Zurie and I promised her I’d find her. I can’t find her if I get married off to some old rich man.”

“We will help you…” Fredrick told her. “How can you help me?” she asked. “You will work like your aunt says, sneak away some of the money to keep for yourself. We have ears all over the city, surely someone might know who bought Zurie. When we find out who, you will leave to find her.”  Everyone in the room seemed to agree with Fredrick. Giselle smiled, “You are risking a lot helping me. Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”

“It’s the right thing to do,” Emma told her, “Now we have to get you to bed, we have a big day ahead tomorrow.”