Malinda is driving the lead wagon, and Sary is driving the second. Sary has to take William’s place since his drowning in the river crossing. Slapping the leather reins, “Gittaup Joe git Little Bob,” Malinda urges the mules on. She must get away from this Tallulah River, this terrible, muddy river that took the lives of her beloved William and Lizzie. They have camped on the riverbank for over a month. Hoping against hope that some news would come from someone coming up the river, news about William and Lizzie, but not a word do they hear. In fact, in over a month no one has even come up the river.
With tears in her eyes, she slapped the leather reins against the mule’s flanks again. She must leave this dreadful river of death! She slows momentarily to glance back, what an awful place she thinks. “If I have to drive a wagon a thousand miles to go around, I will never cross this cursed body of water again, this I make as a solemn promise,” said Malinda quietly out loud.
Behind the lead wagon, Isaac is sitting beside Sary, for miles neither speak. Finally, “Sary do you suppose they suffered?” Sary knew to whom Isaac was referring, but she wanted to delay the answer.
“Who boy, who’s you talkin’ bout?”
“William and Lizzie, you know Lizzie couldn’t even swim. Mama had told me and Stephen Ingram that we was goin’ to have to learn her next summer. Don’t guess we are goin’ to get the chance now. I ‘member how mad me and Stephen got when Mama told us that, boy I sure wish I had that to do over again.”
“Listen boy,” said Sary, “don’t do that to yerself. There is gonna been many times in yer live that youse gonna look back and wish that you’d made a different choice of thangs. God only gives you one chance and remember this effen you doesn’t ‘member nothin’ else: God knows best, and he don’t make mistakes. It ain’t made fer you or me to know the reasons, but believe in yer heart God know what he is doin’, and most times we never know the why of it all.”
“Sary, what you say is hard! Why would God drown William and Lizzie, they ain’t never done nothing bad to nobody.”
“Hush, child don’t thank about it anymore,” and she begins to hum and then softly sing the old spiritual ‘What a Friend we Have in Jesus’:
‘What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bare. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.’
At the second verse, Isaac joined in:
Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bare,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged - Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer.’
They did not sing loud, it was more like a prayer than a song. When they finished Sary looks at Isaac, “Boy, I’m not a smart person like yore Mammy, but I know one thang, you jest remember that last verse every time you thank of William and little Lizzie: “Take it to the Lord in prayer,” and every thang will work itself out. Be strong, not for yerself but fer yore Mammy, she’s gonna need yer help.”
“Yes ’em”
“In less than a weeks time, we’s gonna be at Scarlett, or what’s left of it. You is the man of the family now, so be strong fer yore Mammy, help her and don’t give her yer exter burdens. And remember too, Christmas is a comin’. Remember the good thangs, not the bad.”