Joseph smiled as big as a boy could.
“Yes, yes, I cannot wait,” he said, nodding his head in 100 percent agreement.
He quickly forgot that she could not see that nod and dashing smile, but this made no difference to him. Sarah leaned over and lightly kissed him on his cheek. His entire body turned red, and he felt hot all over. He was as giddy as could be. He thanked her and told her he would never forget this moment. Sarah smiled, then took off, hurrying back down the path from which she had appeared. This was the greatest moment of his life up to this point, and he swore to himself that he would never forget this feeling.
Joseph was very sad as he started to pack up his bag, preparing for the last stretch of his journey. He stopped and reminded himself that today he was going to meet his mother. This shifted his mood and lifted his spirits. As he was placing his things in the duffel bag, he noticed that, miraculously, his water had refilled itself. Sometime in the night, Sarah had sneaked up to her house carrying his water canister. There at the water spigot right outside her father’s bedroom window, she’d filled Joseph’s water. If her father had awakened, all horror would have occurred. Joseph might have never seen her again. Sarah had risked all this for him. She knew he was special. He felt now that he would no longer thirst for water or unconditional love.
11
The Dragon’s Lair
Joseph picked up his brown duffel bag, threw it over his shoulder, and headed back out to the old dirt road that led straight to his mother. He looked back and took a deep breath. He wanted to savor this feeling. He did not want it to become dim and fade off slowly into the depths of his mind like a distant, forgotten memory. He scuffed his worn, dusty shoes along the rocks to slow down his walking and linger a little longer. He was continuously looking back, wishing to relive the whole experience or just to see Sarah one more time. There was nothing there but his shadow staring back at him in the morning sun.
He said to himself, as if he were talking to another person, “Get it together. Today is the day you go meet your mama.”
This helped him return to the present and focus on what was ahead of him. He turned forward, leaving Sarah and his shadow behind him. He was left with only the faith that, one day, Sarah would be in his forefront again, but for today, he must continue his journey as he walked down the road toward Doddsdale.
For the first several hours, he walked like a zombie, steadily heading south with his head slumped slightly, staring at the ground, deeply entrenched in thought. There were just miles and miles of mindless walking in front of him. The path was straightforward with no obstacles blocking his way. This had allowed his thoughts to absorb him. He then heard the faint sound of a dog barking in the distance. This quickly snapped him out of his nearly trance-like state. He noticed how far he had gone. It seemed like he had been walking for mere minutes because his mind was overflowing. He had become so engaged in his thoughts and dreams while also planning details of a variety of situations.
Oh, yes, Joseph had planned out the meeting with his mother and their time together. He also had a new preoccupation: planning out his desired future with Sarah. Ahhh, Sarah: his new love. Over the past several hours, he had mapped out their lives together, which would have humiliated him if anyone were ever to find out. He had planned their wedding, what their home would look like, and the children they would have. He even threw in a family pet. He dreamed of them having a dog, even though he was slightly allergic. He was indeed a giddy young fellow who felt the sensation of being in love. He envisioned his future laid out in front of him. Now that he was on his own, the possibilities were endless.
Around the time his dreaming and planning finally subsided, he looked up, and there it was—the greatly anticipated grand sign for Doddsdale. He could not believe he had made it. The exhilaration of this moment flowed through his veins. He noticed that the sign was way smaller and less impressive than it had appeared in his mind, but no matter; the excitement and joy overtook him. Oh, Doddsdale. This was the place where all the dreams he had been visualizing for years could start to become reality.
There was not a whole lot to the town of Doddsdale. It appeared as if an iron had flattened the whole area. It was easy to see clear across town. However, to see across town would not have been difficult even if it had been located in twisting and winding hills, for Doddsdale was a tiny place. He’d thought Clarksville was a small town. Clarksville felt like a booming metropolis compared to Doddsdale. This would surely make his feat of finding the senator’s place a whole lot easier. No time to linger. It was time to find and meet his mother.
Joseph had dreamed of having a real mother his entire life. He yearned for that warm embrace, the unconditional love, and the guidance that he had missed out on for so many years. The only guidance he had had since Berta’s passing was the guidance he heard from within. Thankfully, his intuition and internal guidance were sound and normally steered him in the right direction. Soon, oh so soon, he believed he could have all that he had dreamed of for years. It was right at the tip of his rough fingertips.
Joseph was so close. He sensed his mother’s presence gently caressing his mocha skin. It did not matter to him that they had not laid eyes on each other since his birth. The bond between a parent and a child can be very strong, even if they have lived apart for the child’s entire life. Sometimes in life, you find that you just have that special connection with someone, and you can sense when they are near. This was how Joseph felt about his mother, and he believed that the feeling was mutual.
Even though Joseph sensed his mother’s nearness, it provided no compass. He was not certain which direction to go to find the senator’s plantation. It was a small, rural town with a population of just 190. It was not much of an actual town. It was mostly country land without the convenience of directional signs, so Joseph was confused on which way he should go. Straight ahead, backward, left, right? He could spend hours wandering around trying to find the right home. That was assuming there was more than one large home to choose from, but Joseph didn’t know. He could leave the Doddsdale town limit without even knowing it and end up searching all over the Delta.
It was Joseph’s first time to ever leave the confines of Clarksville, so he was confused to begin with. He was also beginning to tire from his full day of walking. Frustration with his predicament set in. Joseph knew not to ask any of the white folk for directions for fear of repercussions. The rule of the land was not to speak to someone white unless spoken to. However, Joseph had not yet passed anyone, which in his situation could have been a very good thing. There were those certain people, the horrendous variety, who might have treated him maliciously.
Just as Joseph’s frustration peaked, a boy around the same age as him happened to walk by. He was slightly excited to see someone. Plus, Joseph took into account that the boy was alone, black, and close to his same size. There seemingly was no threat present. This could be his answer to which direction he should explore to find the coveted home of the senator.
He thought, Surely this boy would know where the senator lives. I should ask him.
We all experience times when we want to say something but freeze and then repeat to ourselves the same words over and over, wishing we could just spit them out until it becomes almost impossible to say a word. It makes us nervous, and it feels absolutely ridiculous for no good reason. Joseph was doing this to himself and simultaneously telling himself to shut up and spit it out already. Joseph finally blurted it out as if he were shoving something out of his chest through his mouth.
“Excuse me? Do you know where Senator Westridge lives?”
See, that wasn’t so hard, he thought in a mocking and scolding manner.
“Yeah, he lives up the road, where the big flag is hanging,” the boy said.
“Thank you,” Joseph responded.
The boy crouched his head and shoulders real low while leaning in toward Joseph. “Pssst—you don’t wanna go there,” he whispered. “People that go there never leave.”