The locust tree had been uprooted thirty years ago to make room for the new courthouse, but as she made her way along Creston, Virginia’s Main Street, ninety-three-year old Bessie Hall continually glanced back as if it were still there.  She was bent over and using a cane as she walked slowly up Main Street. Occasionally stopping in one of the stores to make a purchase. 

The face of the five-foot tall woman was covered extensively with a thick, brown foundation.  This was supplemented by heavy, bright red lipstick that saturated her lips; smears of it rested on the top and bottom of her lips.  The mascara used on her eyelids and her false eyelashes were applied in such a fashion as to almost completely obscure her eyes, which were behind thick-lenned eyeglasses.  Perched on her head was a large yellow and blue flowered hat with a small, butterfly-shaped, purple ribbon on the front of it. A flower-print, ankle length dress was worn under a mid-waist wool coat.

On this particular early, warm spring Friday afternoon, Miss Bessie, the name by which most people referred to her, was returning home from buying a few groceries at the MBD Mini-Mart.  She was talking to herself and the few people on Main Street gave her empathetic smiles and nods, as she walked by them. But, they kept a safe distance from her, as they weren’t sure what might trigger a physical reaction from this strange looking, obviously mentally ill woman.  Eventually, Miss Bessie turned down a side street which connected to a narrow dirt and gravel road that went by several houses. 

As she walked, Miss Bessie came upon a group of girls who were jumping Double Dutch in the front yard of one of the houses.

“Hi, Miss Bessie,” the children shouted, almost in unison.

“Hello, little darlin’s,” Miss Bessie responded. 

A weary Miss Bessie sat down upon a three-foot high wall, rested her chin on her embraced hands that now cupped the cane’s handle. and began watching the girls. As she watched the girls, Miss Bessie marveled at how they nimbly jumped in and out of the twirling ropes, while the other girls skillfully rotated it with their hands and wrists.  The rhythmic putt putt of the rope striking the ground put Miss Bessie into a trance-like state, as it made her mind wander to a time when these girls didn’t even exist as thoughts. 

In the spring of 1878, Miss Bessie, a widow who had her only one child, a son, Mark, was hired as a cook and housekeeper by Nathan Brewer. Nathan was a widower with a twenty-year old daughter, Kathleen. At the time, Miss Bessie and twenty-two-year old Mark lived in a house left to her by her late father, Martin Shiflett.  Martin was a former slave who had received the two-story house and seven acres of land from the family of his last owner.

For the most part, Mark’s days were filled with doing an assortment of odd jobs in and around Creston, such as mucking stables at horse farms, and doing yard work and small repair jobs for homeowners.  His nights were usually spent playing dice or cards, and drinking with his friends.  Therefore, when Mr. Brewer mentioned to Miss Bessie that he was looking for a young man to assist Kenner Nickels, another black man who worked for him, she recommended Mark for the job. He was subsequently hired by Mr. Brewer and proved himself to be a hard worker who showed up early and, if the need arose, stayed late. Miss Bessie told Mark she was proud of him and urged him to continue to impress Mr. Brewer with his work habits.

Approximately seven months into Mark’s employment, however, Miss Bessie noticed subtle things happening between Mark and Kathleen.  One day, while gathering eggs, she saw them kissing behind the Brewers’ pony shed.  She warned each of them individually and together about the risks in what they were doing.  She was especially harsh on Mark, because as someone born into slavery and who grew up in the early years after it had ended, she’d witnessed firsthand what happened to black men who disobeyed the written and unwritten rules regarding interracial romantic relationships in America.  Despite her warnings, however, Mark and Kathleen continued their liaison.  Therefore, she wasn’t surprised, but angry and distraught, when just after the New Year, she learned that they had run away together. 

During the four days of their absence, Miss Bessie hardly slept, and prayed that they would make it safely to wherever they were going.  On the other hand, she hoped that perhaps Kathleen would come home alone, while allowing Mark to continue on his journey away from Creston.  She soon learned, however, that both had been found in Maryland and were being returned to Creston. After they arrived in Creston, Kathleen was taken home, while Mark, who in addition to being charged with miscegenation, was also charged with theft, was placed in the town jail.

When Miss Bessie visited Mark the following day, she saw that his face was battered and bruised, and his bottom lip was swollen.

Mark explained to her that after stealing and driving a horse carriage to Bakersville, he and Kathleen had stowed away in one of the baggage cars of a train heading to New York City.  He hoped to get there and apply to be a Pullman porter. He also said he felt that it would be easier for him and Kathleen if they were above the Mason-Dixon Line.

He further explained that when he and Kathleen arrived in Maryland, they stayed with his cousin, Linwood, in Farmersville, a small town just outside of Baltimore for two nights.  Linwood’s wife, Margaret, was friends with a local pastor, who lived next door to them.  The pastor married Kathleen and Mark in his livingroom, with his wife, and Margaret and Linwood the only people in attendance.  Mark intended to use Linwood’s horse and carriage to take backroads as far as we could on their journey north.  Unfortunately, the day before they were going to leave, he and Kathleen saw Mr. Brewer and three other men approaching the house.  The four men put them in separate horse drawn carriages and brought them back to Creston.

When his mother began to cry, Mark told her not worry. “Mama de worse dat cain happen is dat deese white folks will run me outta Creston, an’ tell me nevva ta come back agin,” said a smiling Mark.  Despite his smile, his mother could detect a bit of nervousness and uncertainty in his voice.

Miss Bessie told him she’d be back in the morning with some more food and another change of clothes.  She hugged him and kissed his cheek goodbye. She collected Mark’s personal possessions from the jailer and went home; she prayed for Mark’s safety, as she walked.

Later that night, Miss Bessie was awakened by the sound of loud knocking at her front door. When she opened the door, she saw Mark’s best friend, Floyd Walcott, standing at the door crying.  The visibly upset Floyd’s face was pale and there were tears in his eyes. He hugged Miss Bessie and with his arms around her shoulders, guided her back inside the house. Soon Miss Bessie heard the sound of other people coming onto her front porch.

“What’s de matta, boy?” Miss Bessie asked Floyd.

“It’s bad Miss Bessie,” he replied. “Real bad.”

Miss Bessie’s longtime friend June Sharp came into the house. “You’d better sit, Bessie.”

Miss Bessie did as she was instructed.

June began to explain. “Bessie, summa dem white folks broke into the jail tonight an’ hurt Mark.”

“Whachu mean ‘hurt Mark’?” asked Miss Bessie, her voice quivering.

Tears began forming in June’s eyes and she continued. “Dey hanged him from dat locust tree near de courthouse.”

“Name a God,” said Miss Bessie, as she covered her mouth with her hand.  “Please tell me you lyin’.”

“Ah wish Ah was, Bessie,” said June. “But it’s de trufe.”

Miss Bessie lowered her head onto to her table and began to cry, as other people walked into her house.

A few days after Mark’s death, Kathleen was sent to live with relatives in Richmond; she and Miss Bessie never spoke to nor saw each other again.

In the weeks that followed, Miss Bessie’s two sisters, and several friends, as well as some of Mark’s friends, came by to check on her and bring food and other necessities. Additionally, her nearest neighbors, the Bennets, often assisted her with assorted tasks  

Miss Bessie eventually took a job with another white family, the Barretts.  The Barretts included Mr. and Mrs. Barrett, and five children, ranging in age from seven to sixteen.  The adult and teenaged Barretts were well aware of the events involving Miss Bessie and, out of respect, took great pains never to mention anything related to it in Miss Bessie’s presence. On two separate occasions, Mr. and Mrs. Barrett had walked into the kitchen to find Miss Bessie crying.  Out of respect for her, however, the two had hastily and quietly retreated from the kitchen, giving Miss Bessie sufficient time to compose herself. Additionally, both stood just outside of the kitchen to prevent anyone else from entering.

One day, Fannie Logan, another Barrett employee and a friend of Miss Bessie’s, came to work and told her that Mr. Brewer had died of a heart attack; his funeral had been that previous Tuesday. Moreover, Kathleen didn’t return to Creston for her father’s funeral.  A few years later, Miss Bessie learned that Kathleen had committed suicide. Later that night, Miss Bessie cried herself to sleep with both Mark and Kathleen on her mind.

Miss Bessie was shaken from her thoughts of theses tragic events by the sound of one of the girls falling to the ground. “Are you alright, baby?” shouted Miss Bessie in the loudest voice she could muster.

“Yes, mam,” replied the girl as she patted the palms of her hands together and bent to brush dirt and grass from her knees and shorts.

“Alright now,” said Miss Bessie. “Y’all be careful wif dat rope.”

“Yes, mam,” the girls replied almost in unison.

With the help of her cane, she stood and continued her journey home.

Over the years, Miss Bessie had physical and mental health issues, which were exacerbated by a slight stroke. After coming home from the hospital, her family and friends visited as often as they could. Yet, it was her conversations with God that became more frequent and welcome. Besides that, they happened almost anywhere and at almost anytime.

After reaching her house, Miss Bessie put the groceries away and then went upstairs to remove her make-up and change into one of her housecoats and a pair of slippers. She came back downstairs, grabbed her broom and went outside to the porch and began sweeping away some of the leaves, dust and dirt that had accumulated during her absence. Miss Bessie finished sweeping the porch, went back into the house, washed her hands, put on an apron and began preparing dinner.

After clearing the dinner table and washing the dishes, Miss Bessie went into the livingroom to watch the evening news on her small black and white television. “Same ole crazy nonsense,” she said to herself after the news had gone off. Turning on her porchlight, she went outside to sit in her favorite porch rocking chair. The porchlights of nearby houses were becoming more visible in the ever-growing darkness. She could hear the sounds of crickets chirping in the yard and see a few fireflies floating in the air.

Miss Bessie began to doze off, when the porch swing, moved by an evening breeze, moved back and forth near a back banister. Miss Bessie said, “Oh! You hair. Snuck up on me while Ah was noddin’ out, huh? She laughed.

"As I was tellin' you when we was walking on Main Street earlier taday," she began. Miss Bessie then started talking about some of the recent occurrences in her life. She mentioned the higher prices on certain items in Roper’s Drugstore, “Gittin’ totally outta control if you axe me.”

Miss Bessie remarked how Popeye Garner had graciously offered to give her a ride home from the mini-mart in his nice, new pick-up truck. She declined, explaining to him that she enjoyed her walks, as she liked to get her exercise. “But, de nex’ time he offers, Ah might jus’ take ‘im up on his offa, cause my po’ knees been killin’ me lately.” She laughed aloud.

Lastly, she then began relating her recent encounter with Pastor Knighton at the local Baptist church she attended. He asked her if he might be able to assist her in finding another place to worship.  Pastor Knighton said that some of his congregants had confided to him that they found her appearance, primarily her clothing and make-up, as well as her sometimes talking to herself, a bit disconcerting.

“Yes dat was the word he used, ‘dis-con- cer- ting’,” said Miss Bessie, pronouncing each syllable independently.

Miss Bessie shook her head and continued.

“Ah said ta ‘im, ‘is that so, Pasta Knighton? Well, den Ah ‘ont need ta hear no mo’ of de Word in yo’ church. Ah’ma go ta de new church my fren, Jenny, tole me ‘bout. Said dey don’t make no fuss ‘bout how a person looks. ‘Til den, Ah’ll talkta God whenever an’ wherever Ah feel like it.’”

            She clapped her hands together.

            “Yep. Dat’s ‘zactly what Ah tole ‘im.”

            A cricket chirped.

            “Guess Ah needta turn in, cause Ah’ma trtya do some work in ma garden tommorra,” said Miss Bessie. See if cain git dem ‘maytas ta do anythang.”

            Miss Bessie stood and held one of the porch’s banisters.

            "Hedge Bennett from across de way,” she pointed to a house several yards up the small narrow dirt road from hers, “sposed ta be comin' over ta cut ma grass in de aftanoon. He only charges me a glass o'water or two," Miss Bessie laughed. “He’s a good boy.”

            As she began slowly walking toward the house door using the banister for balance, Miss Bessie said, "Please give Mark and Kathleen my love an' tell 'em Ah'll be seein' 'em as soon as you decide Ah'm ready.”

Finally making it to the door, she turned and said, "See you on Sunday."An' please don't fo'git Ah'ma be atta nuvver church. Good night."

Miss Bessie went into the house, turned to close and lock the screendoor, switched off the porchlight, then locked the house door.

“Be safe,” a voice whispered from the darkness.

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