"When I saw the fort, even at night, nobody was there. Honestly! I
can see clearly at night. I think your father is fine," said
Cassius.
"Punishment is a punishment, Lina. Even though they teased me, my
father did that, because of me. But, my dad is too overprotective
to me. Sometimes, being overprotective is ... annoying,"
eavesdropped Cassius to Evangelina.
"That's because my allies won the battle, doesn't mean my allies
won the civil war," said Cassius. "The civil war is just started,
Lina." Cassius began to be serious again.
"Say, can I ask you a question? What is your life in the North? I
want to know more about the North. Yes, I'm from South, but can you
just... please answer my question," eavesdropped Cassius to
Evangelina. Cassius turned around and sneezes. "ACHOO!" Then,
Cassius sniffed and turned to Evangelina.
She smiled at him sadly, then blessed him again for the sneeze.
"Well, I lived on a beautiful farm in Michigan before the tension
of war got too bad. I got to swim in the clear blue lakes. Then we
had to move to Kentucky. We run a farm there too. Escaped slaves
can come and work there. Work meaning they are paid and fed for
their service," she gave him a hard look. "And my best friend,
Sera, helps me get out at night so I can help others."
"You came from Michigan and moved to Kentucky? ... Oh, so you have
a best friend slave? But how she could managed to escaped from our
nation?" eavesdropped Cassius to Evangelina.
"I helped her," Evangelina smiled proudly. "We are close to the
border so we help move poor ex-slaves farther into the union. I had
my mare and I took her and her mother by wagon into the North. But
her mother had been shot...I couldn't help her...she died."
Her face had fallen to look at her hands. Evangelina took a deep
breath and looked back up at him.
"But her last breaths were as a free woman! She knew Sera was safe
and she died with a smile on her lips," Evangelina said proudly.
"Oh! My mother is fine. It was Sera's mother who was killed...Poor
Sera. But she is like a sister to me. My mother and father have all
but legally adopted her," Evangelina smiled.
"Why is that so funny?" She asked, starting to laugh along with his
infectious laughter.
If she hadn't learned just how oblivious he was to girls, she would
have slapped him. She would have thought he was being smart or
insulting her. But she smiled and laughed with him, knowing the
root of that comment was innocent.
"And just what kind of girl am I?" she asked curiously. She wanted
to know what her thought of her. Did he think her silly? Funny?
...Intresting? Lovely? She looked at him shyly.
"Lina, you're a beautiful girl. Not just a beautiful girl, but also
a skillful nurse and a brave one. You treated many patients from
time to time. It's more like I know you more than a year," Cassius
chuckled.
"I think I might fall for you," Cassius laughed, but suddenly,
Cassius stopped from laughing and Cassius feels awkward and turns
around, when he said that he might fall for her. Then, Cassius
turned to Evangelina and said, "Sorry, Lina. I didn't have to say
that. I know it's a joke, but... I feel kind of, ... you know, ...
awkward?"
"...you...really think that?" She asked, awe coloring her voice.
"I..um...I..."
She was looking up at him, shifting her feet nervously when she
suddenly slipped in the mud. Unable to stop herself, Evangelina
toppled right into Cassius, making him loose his balance and fall
to the ground, too.
Evangelina stared down at Cassius. She was too stunned and
embarrassed to speak! And then she got lost looking at his soft
lips.
"Oh!" she gasped, trying to get off of him. She had landed on top
of him in the fall. "I think I'm okay. I just can't get up. Am I
hurting you? I think I can roll off."
Evangelina's heart was racing! She couldn't believe he didn't hear
it. Her face was red and she noticed laughter coming from some of
the men. She didn't like being a source of entertainment for them.
After he had helped her up, Evangelina buried her head in Cassius'
chest. She didn't care at that moment whether or not he could ever
like her like she liked him. She just wanted to have someone to
held her threw this nightmare.
After a moment, she realized he might be uncomfortable with her
being there.
"I'm sorry," She said, hoarsely, "I...I didn't mean to make you
uncomfortable..."