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Love in 1860: Part 6

Love in 1860 (An Easy English Story): Part 6

March 28, 1861

Dear reader,

Yesterday, I told David and Elizabeth, “I am going to pick berries in the woods.” I hid rice and meat jerky in my skirt. I began walking. I was going to walk to New York.

I walked for 45 minutes. Then, I heard tree branches cracking. Something was running. It was chasing me.

I found a large bush, and I hid under it. I prayed to God, “Don’t let me die.” Two strong arms pulled back the branches. It was David.

“You’re leaving us?” David asked sadly. His saw the rice that spilled out of my skirt. He looked at me with soft eyes. “You’re leaving us,” he repeated. He took off his shoe. Inside his shoe, there was money. “I have $92,” he said. “I was going to give it to you when I got $100.”

David held my hand and helped me stand up. “Grace, it’s dangerous for you here. I want to help you go north. Mother and I are saving money for you. I want to take you on a train to the north. If you walk, you might get lost. Or you might get hurt.”

I was thankful, but I was also confused. “But I’m black. Can I ride the train from Virginia?”

David sighed. “If I tell them that you are my slave.”

I look up at him angrily.

“But I want you to be my wife.” David’s green eyes looked deeply into mine. “And then we can live together in the north.”

I started to argue, but David stopped me. He said, “I know that some people will hate us. I know that Mother will have to move north with us. I know that the trip will be long. But I want to live my life with you.”

Finally. Finally I have a family. Finally I have a home. Finally I have David. My body shook with happiness. My legs became weak, and I sat on the ground. David sat next to me. He held me close to his chest.

“So?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said. “Let’s get married.”

The future is dangerous. We don’t know who will marry us. We don’t know where we will live.

But we will protect each other.

Yours truly,
Grace Miller

Part 7>

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Love in 1860: Part 5

Love in 1860 (An Easy English Story): Part 5

February 25, 1861

Dear reader,

The snow is melting. I can hear more birds in the morning.

And I am going to leave this house in the spring.

My plan is simple. I don’t want to stay here anymore.

When the weather is warm, I will tell David and Elizabeth, “I am going to pick berries in the woods.” I will hide food under my skirt. I will leave and never come back.

We are living in Virginia. If I walk north, maybe I can go to New York. I think New York did not have slaves in 1861. In movies, some people hide on trains. Maybe I can find a train to New York. I can hide in the back with the animals. I can sleep in the hay.

After David talked with the neighbors in December, I did not talk with him for three weeks. He and Elizabeth were worried. They said, “Don’t be angry. We need to keep you safe. You are not our slave. But if other people know that you are not our slave, they will try to take you. A black woman living with a white family is not normal. Maybe you are from the north. Did any memories come back?”

Not normal.

My mom’s parents were from Nigeria. My dad’s parents were from England and Mexico. Mom and Dad got married in 1997. This life is very normal for me.

I can’t tell this to David and Elizabeth. They can’t know that I am from 2025.

Last week, David gave me a book. It had many pictures in it. “These are pictures of cities in the north. Maybe you can remember your home.”

I looked at the pictures. I pointed to a picture of New York City. “Maybe this was my home…” I lied.

After seeing that picture, I decided to leave after the winter.

Yours truly,
Grace Miller

Part 6>

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Love in 1860: Part 4

Love in 1860 (An Easy English Story): Part 4

December 2, 1860

Dear reader,

I am scared.

Our new neighbors came to our house this morning. I was making breakfast in the kitchen. They knocked on our door. David opened it.

“Can I help you?” David asked.

The new neighbors are a man and a woman. Both of them are about twenty years old. Their voices were friendly. “We’re your new neighbors,” the woman said. “We are building a house near the river. It’s nice to meet you.”

David quickly said, “It’s nice to meet you too.” He added, “Let’s go talk outside. I can show you our barn.”

It was snowing outside, so I turned around. “I just made breakfast,” I said. “Would you like to eat with us? Our kitchen table is small, but it’s warm inside.” I laughed, “David, it’s so cold out! Our new neighbors will freeze.”

The woman looked at me with wide eyes. She whispered to her husband. Then her husband asked David, “Your slave calls you David?”

Slave?!

David looked at the floor. “It’s okay. I asked her to call me David.”

The woman crossed her arms and looked at my clothes. “Her clothes are beautiful.”

“We’re having a party tonight,” David lied. “I want her to look nice for our guests.”

When the neighbors left, David closed the door and sighed. “I hope this war ends soon.”

“I’m not your slave!” I yelled and threw my wooden spoon at him. “Why didn’t you tell them?”

“If they know about our love, they might hurt you,” David said. “Don’t you know that?”

I’m not good at history. But even in 1860, I will not be anyone’s slave.

But I can’t leave David and Elizabeth’s house. Where will I go?

Yours truly,
Grace Miller

Part 5>

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Love in 1860: Part 3

Love in 1860 (An Easy English Story): Part 3

October 3, 1860

Dear reader,

I might like it here. It is so calm. So peaceful.

David, Elizabeth, and I work in the garden and in the barn all day. I feed the chickens, and I take water from the river for the plants. The birds sing in the trees around us. Elizabeth bakes fresh bread for dinner every night. David buys sugar, flour, and butter from the market every week. He makes money by selling furniture.

Last month, I told David, “I want to help you make furniture. You and Elizabeth are so kind. Let me help.” Now, David is teaching me to make a table out of wood. We work together in the barn every night.

Yesterday, David and I were carving flowers into the table. The night was cold. My hand started shaking. David put his hand on mine. His hand was warm and rough.

David asked quietly, “Can I hold you?”

I looked up at him. David looked away. His cheeks were red.

“Yes,” I said.

David pulled me to his chest. He rubbed my back and my arms. “Are you warm yet?” he asked.

I was very warm. My heart was beating fast. But I said, “I’m still cold.” David laughed and hugged me tight.

I felt safe in his arms. I feel safe here. If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up.

Yours truly,
Grace Miller

Part 4>

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Love in 1860: Part 2

Love in 1860 (An Easy English Story): Part 2

July 20, 1860

Dear reader,

I miss my home. I miss my cat, Stripes. I miss my apartment in Boston. I miss riding the subway. I miss my friends. I miss drinking a hot cup of coffee every morning.

The names of the woman and her son are Elizabeth and David. They are very kind. I can’t go back to 2025. Elizabeth asked me, “Where are you from?” I couldn’t explain.

I told her, “I can’t remember.” It was a lie, but I cannot say “from Boston in 2025.”

Elizabeth gave me a hug. She smelled like fresh bread. She said, “You can stay with us in our house. You hit your head, right? Maybe you will remember soon.”

Elizabeth is like a mother. But I miss my own mother. I miss Mom’s big smile. I miss her Jollof rice and fufu. I miss watching America’s Got Talent with her.

Yesterday, David saw me crying behind the barn. I was thinking about home. David walked in, stopped, and left. He came back five minutes later. He was holding a piece of bread and jam. David put the bread in my hands. He opened his mouth. I thought he wanted to say something. But then he left.

How will I get back home?

Yours truly,
Grace Miller

Part 3>

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Love in 1860: Part 1

Love in 1860 (An Easy English Story): Part 1

July 15, 1860

Dear reader,

My name is Grace. I am 28 years old. You may not believe me, but I am from the year 2025.

Last week, I went hiking in the mountains. I fell down. When I woke up, my head hurt. I could not find my phone. It was evening, and the sun was going down. I needed to leave the mountains.

Then I smelled smoke. Maybe someone had a fire. I walked to the smell. I saw a small house in the woods. I knocked on the door. A woman looked out the window. She was surprised, but she opened the door.

“Please help me,” I said. “I fell and hurt my head. I don’t know where the road is. Can I sleep here? Can I use your phone in the morning?”

The woman said, “We don’t have a… phone. But you can sleep here tonight.” She looked around the forest and pulled me inside.

The woman was about 50 years old. She lived with her son. He was about 30 years old. They gave me some bread and a blanket. I slept on the floor. I was tired and went to sleep.

In the morning, I woke up. I looked around. The house had a wood stove. There were blankets on the windows. There were no lights—only candles. The woman and her son were outside in the garden.

I asked, “What is today’s date?”

The son laughed. “It’s July 15, 1860.”

Am I dreaming?

Yours truly,
Grace Miller

Part 2>