The Colored Help

 

 

By Jay Lucas

 

Copyright 2022

 

 

Historical Interracial Romance

 

 

 

Thomas Childs walked up the steps to his aunt's house with an anxious feeling. The last time he saw his aunt was 2 years ago in 1884 and it was when his father scolded her for spending money on frivolous things. Now he was experiencing the nervousness of seeing his aunt, knowing that his father treated her like a child and not an adult. The summer had not yet begun, and he was now at the top doorstep ready to stay with her until his college rooming assignments were straightened out.

It wasn't his choice to stay at the family house, but it did make things easier with the logistics of moving and traveling around the city. His father demanded that he get a graduate degree from the College of Charleston. The family donated money there and he was told it was his duty to graduate from the college. With his father still paying for most of the things in his life, there was no choice but to attend.

The fond memories of the city and the house his aunt lived in came back the moment he knocked on the door to announce his presence. The house had been owned by the family since before the Revolution and now it was home to his aunt who lived there just so someone in the Childs name could be seen as occupying the house.

The door opened and he saw his aunt staring at him like she was experiencing a surprise birthday party. "Good gracious...come in. Come in. Heavens, it's been so long, and you have grown so much too."

He staggered in, holding his two bags as he saw his aunt all dressed up like usual. High society always was her specialty and living in the city and being a member of the all the social circles was her strong point. Her dress looked elegant as did her hair and makeup as she looked him over not breaking her wide smile.

His aunt Laura was petite in her stature only reaching five foot four. What she lacked in height was easily made up for in appearance and charm. He had not seen his aunt in years but still heard stories of her stringing along men like she was a puppeteer too. He always knew her as the fun outgoing aunt, but she was aloof at serious commitment and anything dealing with financial matters.

"Hi Aunt Laura. Father sends his greetings."

"We best not be speaking of him. He knows my financial needs, but we have more important things to discuss other than my brother. I reckon you're tired from your trip and I will not pester you with boring details. I do beg your pardon, but I do have a prior arrangement. I trust you can get settled in and then later tonight we will talk about everything else."

Thomas knew that his aunt was one to spend the family money like it was water and he often heard his father complain about how his younger sister spent money to keep up on the social scene. Charleston was known for its society and his aunt Laura was one of the top women who lived a lavish lifestyle and yet had no real money of her own.

He walked with his aunt to one of the many bedrooms and then saw one of the maids walk out. She was different as he always remembered Miss Harriet. The difference was immediate as Miss Harriet was an older, larger woman and this colored maid was very slim. He instantly looked at his aunt. "Where is Miss Harriet?"

She turned to him with a somber look. "I am sorry to tell you. She passed just last winter. I am so sorry your father did not tell you. I will be speaking with him about this."

When he walked in the room, first he got a better look at the new maid. He remembered that his grandparents had three maids but when they passed his father only kept one for there was no need for more with his grandparents gone. Thomas liked Miss Harriet as she would always sneak him candy and would not inform on him when he did something wrong.

Thomas instantly could see that the new maid was much younger, but he thought she had to be older than him since he was only eighteen. She had a thin neck and high cheek bones that highlighted her very beautiful face. Thomas never saw the colored help as anything other than help, but he could not stop thinking that she was one of the prettiest colored girls he had ever seen.

Her gray dress was plain in all features, but he did see that her chest bulged out showing that her slim features were only located in her waist and not her chest. She gave a quick smile and nod as he felt a chill run through him. He felt guilty that he looked at her in a perverse way as he knew he never looked at a colored girl in such a way before.

"This is Miss Elle. Your father let me pick out the new help and she was the only one I liked from the bunch. She is the only help I have now that your father lowered my expenses. But she is adequate and can tend to your needs."

"Hello, Miss Elle."

She gave a more welcoming smile and nodded her head. "Nice to meet you Mister Thomas. Do you need me to fetch you something to eat?"

"Oh, no thank you," he answered, thinking that her smile showed off her perfect jawline and that she was sweet in her generosity.

"I do hope you will forgive me, but I must be off."

He looked at his aunt and gave her a small hug and kiss on the cheek and then watched her leave. He knew that her group of friends had some little party everyday where they gossiped. He heard his father complain about it among the other things she did to get on her nerves. He never really gave it too much attention as he liked that his aunt was younger and a bit fuller of life compared to his father.

As she left, he then looked at Elle as she had her hair covered in a blue wrap like most of the other colored help did. He then saw in her eyes a glint of something else but couldn't figure out what it was. He then just figured he would relax from the trip and then settle in.

"I will let you be. If you needs anything, just holler and I will fetch it," she commented as she walked out of the room leaving him alone once more.

It was two years since he last visited, and the memories of running through the house came back to him. Thomas always did love visiting his aunt and her playful spirit always provided entertainment when he was younger. Thomas always thought of her as a big sister more than an older aunt. He still could not get the new maid out of his head. He never looked at a colored girl in a way that he looked at a white girl.

Getting his things unpacked didn't take long and he decided to look around the house to see what his aunt changed. The house was in his father's name, and he was the only child and he knew that it would be his in time. He just figured that he would see what new things she bought and hold judgment about her style unless she made some serious modifications to the house.

When his hunger got the best of him, he walked downstairs to see Elle in the kitchen preparing food. She instantly looked at him. "Be wantin' some food? I can make you just about anything."

"Oh, whatever is hot," he replied, not caring about what it was so long as it was warm.

He sat down as she smiled and turned to open the oven. He watched her put in cornbread and some chicken which made him happy that he was eating something he really did like. When she bent over, he felt his eyes getting the better of him and looking at her backside and how her figure was quite nice to look at.

She then turned around once the food was in the oven. "Miss Laura tells me all about you going to college here."

"Wanted to go to West Point, but I couldn't get in. Now I am here. I will try to get away once I am done though."

"Not so bad here. Glad you came to stay. I like the company when the Miss not around."

He couldn't place her smile as she looked at him briefly before leaving the room. It was a nice change from the stiff high society people that his aunt brought around too. She walked back with a shirt and a sewing kit. She sat at the table across from him in what he assumed was her sewing a shirt.

She then looked up at him. "Miss Laura says you courting a fine nice girl."

Thomas then remembered Sarah, but he only danced at her recital and nothing more. He knew his aunt wanted him to court her more since she was from a wealthy family, but he knew he didn't see her as a person he wanted to spend his life with.

"It was only a dance. I am not courting anyone," he admitted to her.

She rocked in her chair as he watched her sew. "Be nice to dance at a big party like that. You be all dressed up and the music be playing. Miss Laura wants to throw a party this year."

He watched her sew and noticed that she wasn't doing repairs but trying to actually sew something new. He was around his mother before she passed and watched her makes dresses and knit blankets. He also knew his aunt had a new sewing machine as his father made a big deal about her asking for the money to buy it.

Not mentioning the sewing machine, he just talked about the party as he watched her eyes light up at the details he gave. He explained what he wore and how he danced with the girls at the party. She seemed genuinely interested and then he went into account about the party and what he studied in college too. She made comments about him being smart and he just recited more to impress her.

Elle got the food out of the oven and prepared it for him. He motioned for her to sit with him as she was about to leave. She sat and he insisted on her eating with him. It was not a normal thing to eat with the maid or even a colored person who was a maid, but he liked her company. She seemed at ease as they ate, and he talked about poetry and the philosophers he studied in his last semester. She asked questions and he enjoyed spending time with her.

The whole time he couldn't get over how when she smiled it sent shivers through him like he was looking at a girl that did something to his inner core. It was like something inside of him screamed when she smiled and when he studied the way her face was in its slender features, he knew that her features would be perfect for any artist to paint. He then wished he was some old master painter so he could capture her and her at look in this moment forever.

When there was a pause, she stood up. "Well, I best be cleaning up. I can get you something else if you be needin' it."

"Oh, I am good, thank you," he answered back and left her to clean up.

He was in his room and still could not get her out of his head. The way she looked, smiled was wearing on him as he knew it was wrong to think about a colored girl that way. He knew that messing around with the help did nobody any good as it was a sin. He remembered his mother telling him over and over not to mess with the colored girls and that they brought shame with them and caused more problems for white people. He even recalled how his mother would speak under her breath to his father about his uncle and the problems he got into with a negro girl.

The night passed as the start of summer brought with it the heat. The window was open, but the heat always made him sweat at night during this time of year. It was always a cool break in the morning before the real heat came in. Not wanting to fester in his room, he ventured down just as the front door closed. He then saw Elle walk to the landing of the stairs looking up at him.

"The Misses left early. I can make you somethin'. You hungry?"

Her smile at him made his heart beat fast as he knew it wasn't just a fluke yesterday and that her looks at him were having an effect. He just thought to himself how whites should not have such sinful thoughts about negros and that his father would never forgive him. The only thought that he felt at peace with was the idea she was probably with another man and that she was just being friendly.

He nodded his head and then followed her into the kitchen to see food already prepared for him. He instantly took a seat to have her put a plate right in front of him. He thanked her and then began eating and loving that he was having a good home-cooked meal done by someone who could cook.

She walked in with her sewing equipment and a long piece of fabric as he knew she was sewing a dress. He then decided to offer the information about the sewing machine. "You know my aunt has a Singer sewing machine. Did she not tell you?"

She gave him a surprised look. "She didn't say a word about it."

"You should use it."

"She be getting all mad if I go through her things without her know how. Best do it by hand," she responded with a tone that she was upset that she didn't know about the machine.

"You will be fine. I will tell her that I said you can use it. I will handle my aunt."

She nodded her head and then went back to sewing for a moment while he began eating. After a few moments she looked back at him. "You know your aunt be wanting to set you up with one of the daughters of her friends. She be talking about it for days now."

He smiled thinking about how his aunt was trying to find someone who could further her social station in her elite society. He also knew that he wanted to travel more before thinking about having a family. He didn't want to tell Elle that much because he knew that she might tell his aunt. He then thought that it was a good way to stop his aunt too.

"I am not looking for anyone. I want to travel first and then in a few years find a girl that makes me smile." He offered the information to her hoping it would get back to his aunt.

She smiled at him as he felt the tingling sensation of having her smile. "Be liking a man who knows what he wants."