The Private Scrapbook

by Cadabra

Chapter 22: The Plan

Chapter 22: The Plan

Because of her pregnancy, Stinking Rich would not allow Smithy to do the farm work that she loved so much for fear of hurting the baby. Her parents saw this order from her husband as an endearing sign of concern, but Smithy knew that this was an excuse for him to get her family used to the convenience of using slaves to work the fields of Sweet Apple Acres. She had to admit, it was a subtle yet effective way for him to gain control.

It killed her to have to watch Stinking Rich’s zebra slaves buck at the apple trees around Sweet Apple Acres, especially since farm work was one of the few joys she had left. She also hated the clothes she was told to wear and the way her husband liked her to wear her hair. It was just another outward display of the control he held over her.

Stinking Rich had everything at Sweet Apple Acres just as he liked it in a matter of weeks after the wedding, using Smithy's pregnancy to his advantage by telling her parents how moving her out right now would be too much of a shock to her system. Sew 'n Sow's fears about her daughter losing a baby like she had in the past was enough of a fear factor for her to insist they stay at Sweet Apple Acres.

Smithy’s parents were convinced that Stinking Rich was so perfect for their little girl that they began arrangements for him to take over their family business after the baby was born, giving him the complete control he craved while catering to his in-laws desire to be near and dear to their grandchild. He played the good boy act like it came natural to him, bucking trees and selling the produce from them at market right beside his in-laws whenever he had free time. He even had them convinced that he was distributing the Seed family's product Equestria wide, using this as a distribution for illegal substance for the Faction of the Stud. Not that Sew 'n Sow or Pokey Oaks knew that the extra profits came from money laundering.

Smithy sat back and watched her parents get swindled on a regular basis, knowing that there was nothing she could do to stop it. There were times when she wanted to talk to her parents about the facade the farm had become or the dirty deeds she had committed while in the farce of a relationship with her husband, but each time she tried, her guilt would seal her mouth shut like a glued box. The very idea of seeing her family get crushed again under the law was heartbreaking after all they had been through. The only possible escape she could see for them is their nieve lack of what was going on. This way they could avoid the burden of truth and get off innocent.

Keeping secrets at Sweet Apple Acres was torture for Smithy, especially knowing that she would be bringing a child into this web of lies. It was a life she knew she didn't want to live herself, let alone have a child live. The more she saw of her husband's illegal lifestyle, the more she ran to Bladire to escape the realization of her marriage. She knew that her affair with him was shameful for a married woman, more so a pregnant one, but the moments that they shared in hidden privacy were the only times she could be herself.

During these adulterous meet ups, Smithy and Bladire would plan their escape from Sweet Apple Acres, choosing to run away from the false pretensions of their lives rather than accept them. Their situation was beyond the point of fixing, and starting fresh together in Zebrica was the most beautiful idea they could dream up together. It was easier than Smithy expected to meet up with Bladire because of Stinking Rich’s time consuming, irrationally scheduled work with the gang. There were some days when she wouldn’t see Stinking Rich at all due to his crime work with the Faction of the Stud, which suited her just fine. She was tired of being an accessory to his crimes, and the idea of being rid of the Faction was becoming more and more inciting as her pregnancy progressed.

Due to her pregnancy, she hadn’t been assigned very many odd jobs from the Faction as she had before she was showing. While she was grateful for the lack of odd jobs, she knew this break couldn’t last. She had less than a month left in her pregnancy, which meant that she would soon have to go back to favors for her husband and for the gang. It was now a high priority for her and Bladire to find a way to escape before the baby was born, because if they waited too long they would run the risk of losing everything.

Smithy thought about how she and Bladire would meet that night to hammer out the final escape plans as she watched Stinking Rich rushing around the bedroom, ordering Lizza to pack whatever he was pointing to at the time for his business trip. “We got a real strong lead in Baltimare,” he explained as his slave held up two different ties for him to choose from. “If we nail them boys in the Brotherhood of Steeds, we could get control of the whole supply chain of cinnamon from Saddle Arabia. That supply route’s a gold mine!”

Lizza stood near the suitcase holding up three bottles of her master’s cologne, listening to the frustration in her master’s voice. “Lizza, ya idiot! Gimme the musky one!” Stinking Rich hollered, watching his slave bow in apology.

Smithy tensed up as Lizza received a swat to the muzzle with a rolled up map. The fact that he would hit a pregnant woman, even though she was a slave, was just another reason for her to want to leave Sweet Apple Acres and never look back. She hated the idea of leaving her family behind, but knew for the safety of the family she would have that she needed to be gone from there.

Stinking Rich ordered Lizza to grab some sweaters for him to choose from. Though winter had just been wrapped up over a week ago, Baltimare was known to get wild coastal snow storms during this time of year that even the best teams of pegasus ponies found difficult to control. "That should do it," he grunted as he pushed down on the over full suitcase. “We’ll be back in a couple weeks anyhow, hopefully in time fer that baby of ours to be born. How long has he been brewin' in yer belly there, baby girl?"

Smithy rested her hoof on her stomach, not wanting to think about it. "Long enough," she answered, her face stiffening from the feeling of her husband kissing her on the cheek.

While she was unhappy being cooped up inside waiting for her baby to be born, it gave Smithy time to get to know her husband's slaves. She and Lizza would sometimes swap pregnancy stories to comfort each other. It was good for them to share a common bond, knowing that they could lean on each other when their unfortunate circumstance would get the better of them.

Another great comfort to her was getting to know Tess, the oldest of her husband's female slaves. Tess was very knowledgeable in the ways of natural remedies, a skill that often helped set Smithy’s upset stomach to rest. Having lost her children to slave sales, Tess was sympathetic to the two women needing her motherly assistance. Her comforting advice and medical care helped Smithy rest easier.

The youngest of the female slaves was a girl named Polly, a pretty girl younger than Smithy. Polly was a bright, nieve child just blossoming into her womanhood. Knowing what happened to Lizza, Smithy felt a need to protect her from whatever perversions the Faction of the Stud might try to put on her.

Admittedly, she knew less about the men than she wanted to. From her bedroom window, she watched the biggest of the zebras working the fields, a hulk of a slave known as Tiny. Despite his slave name and large stature, Tiny was very gentle and observant of his surroundings, often pausing to make sure not to accidentally buck a butterfly or step on a bunny while he worked. Smithy liked to watch him being gentle with her land, wondering what he would do with his life if he were free.

Tiny was at his gentlest when he was working with Charlie, a zebra colt who did not yet have his cutie mark. Charlie was Amos's son, a man who lost his wife to being sold to a different master. Amos often liked working with Tiny and Charlie, sometimes hollering at Tiny for being too soft on his boy and spoiling him.

Amos also seemed to be close to another slave around his age called Homer. Homer's past was still a mystery to Smithy and to several of the other slaves. He tended to keep to himself most of the time, only seeming to want to talk with Amos.

Smithy knew from Tess's stories that there was an old man in the group who went by the name of Old Pete. Old Pete was once a great tracker before time took that gift away from him. Now that he was old, his tracking skills were taught in secret to Bladire, who used what he had learned to plan for the slaves to escape.

Granny Smith pulled out the map from her scrapbook, pointing to the spot where her husband would be for the next few days. “Me and Bladire had a route of our own all planned out fer while he was gone,” she explained, pointing to the route that lead through Froggy Bottom Bog, coming out into the castle ruins, heading down river to Baltimare, and lastly catching a boat at Horse Shoe Bay. “I gotta admit, we were awful worried 'bout gettin’ there since the Faction of the Stud would be up in them parts fer days with that cinnamon racket. I was sure glad Bladire was makin’ so many plans to get us up there safely. We met up that very night to discuss how we were gonna make it to freedom…”

The two lovers meet up in the cellar to enjoy each others comforts and finalize their escape plans. After the sweet release of a brief adulterous interlude, Smithy and Bladire hunkered down over a worn old map with nothing but a firefly lap to see by.

With a pencil in his mouth, Bladire marked the spot in the Everfree Forest where he felt it best that they should enter. “It is covered in a plant known as poison joke,” he explained. “We will make heavy tracks here so that any followers are forced to track us through it, infecting themselves. Lizza, Polly, and Tess know the remedy to cure it quickly so that we will not suffer long, while those who follow us will have to wait the weeks it takes for poison joke to run its course. The infection alone will buy us time.”

Smithy let out an impressed noise as she thought about the clever idea. “I’d never thought of that one,” she said while looking over the planned route. “That time is gonna be useful fer the trip through Froggy Bottom Bog. I hear nasty things 'bout that place, and seein’ as we got two women with babies in ‘em we gotta be extra careful.”

The very thought of the baby made Smithy feel insecure about their carefully laid plans. She looked down at the enormous lump in her stomach, cradling it in her arms as she realized how much was at stake.

Bladire noticed the emotional shift, and rested his hoof upon his lover’s stomach to show his support. “You and Lizza will be well taken care of, on that you can be sure,” he explained softly as they held hooves over the unborn child.

Though the gesture and kind words were comforting, Smithy had an entirely different concern on her mind. “I know we’re both worried ‘bout the trip and all,” she explained as her lover scooted in closer for her to lay her cheek upon his shoulder. “I just worry what this lil’ fella’s gonna be like is all. Considerin’ we had somethin’ special in the Everfree Forest, I’m really hopin’ it’s yers instead of Stinkin’ Rich's. If it ain’t, I… I just don’t know if…”

Bladire held the crying pony as her tears fell upon the lump that housed the baby. “This child has no fault for being alive, nor fault for who gave it life,” he said, adding a few of his own tears to the conversation. “It will be an honor to love it as my own, be it mine or my masters. I give you my word that I will be the father it needs, loving it for the life that it is and for the life that it has ahead of it. So long as we are together on this earth, you have my promise.”

The tender moment was cut short at the sound of the cellar door being opened. Thinking fast, Smithy rushed for the map, sitting on it with her wide dress to conceal it. "Don't just stand there like an idiot with yer mouth all gapin'," she hollered to a very confused looking Bladire. “I said I wanted pickles! Now do what yer told."

It did not take long for Bladire to understand what Smithy was doing. He smiled broadly as he galloped up to a barrel of pickles. “Oh yes, misses," he exclaimed, the grin of an obedient slave plastered across his face to please his watching master standing on the cellar steps. “You want pickles, misses? I will give you pickles! We have salty pickles, sweet pickles, bread and butter pickles..."

Seeing the curiosity rising in her husband's face, Smithy began to panic. She knew that Bladire was putting on the good slave act, but knew that she had to find a way to get Stinking Rich out of the cellar so that they could hide the map. “Pickles! Just pickles!" she exclaimed, acting the part of an unrealistic pregnant woman with killer cravings.

Stinking Rich pushed his slave aside from the barrels. “Step aside, boy," he declared like a hero. “Mah baby's hungry fer somethin' real good."

Smithy held her breath as her husband rolled the barrel of pickles towards her. She watched him stand it in front of her with an elaborate flourish. “Open it fer me," she demanded, watching him roll his eyes at her childlike behavior.

Doing as he was told, Stinking Rich bucked the barrel to loosen the lid. “How many does the baby want?" he teased, lifting the lid to reveal the scent of fresh pickles. “We can take some up with us. Besides, we gotta discuss final plans fer while I'm gone in Baltimare. Iffn ya end up havin' the baby while I'm gone, we gotta put ourselves together a backup plan."

Smithy knew she couldn't get up from the map or else her and Bladire’s plans would be revealed and they would be in a world of trouble. As a final last ditch resort, Smithy grabbed the barrel, pulled it down in front of her, and dug into the pickles inside, spilling pickle juice all over the place.

Stinking Rich stood back from the glutinous display before him. “Come on now, baby girl," he coaxed, "yer gonna ruin that purdy dress I just bought ya."

Smithy continued to slurp and grunt as grossly as she could as she ate what turned out to be a very refreshing treat. “Buy me another one!" came her echoed response from inside the barrel, her voice gurgling between a mouthful of pickles.

Stinking Rich let out a good natured laugh at his wife. He playfully elbowed Bladire in the shoulder as he heard Smithy burp loudly before going for more. “Oh boy, women and their mood swings," he joked meanly. “Clean this here up when she's done, will ya, Toby? And make sure mah wife gets upstairs when she's finished. I gotta lotta plannin' to get through before mah business trip."

Bladire bowed in response to his master’s orders. “Oh yes sir, Master Rich," he said obediently, that slave grin on his face to hide how he felt. "I'm gonna make sure it gets done good now, Master Rich. You got nothing to worry about, no sir Master Rich!"

Pleased with the response, Stinking Rich turned back to the cellar door. “Good boy, Toby," he said as he pushed the door open. "Just don’t keep me waitin' now. I gotta be up early tomorrow."

As soon as the door was closed and Stinking Rich’s hoofsteps disappeared, Bladire burst out laughing. "You are brilliant!" he exclaimed as he gave his love a pickle flavored kiss. “Your skills will be an asset to our lives together in Zebrica. My sister, Kizzy, will love you when we get there."

Smithy swallowed her mouthful of pickles with a big smile on her face. “Ya want one?" she offered, holding out an offering of a pickle.

Smiling genuinely, Bladire accepted the salty treat. “To our freedom," he said, raising the pickle like he was raising a toast.

Smithy repeated the gesture with a half eaten pickle. “To us," she said, her toast ending with a loud hiccup.

Being the sentimental grandson that he was, Big Macintosh let a tear of his own splash down upon the old map. “Sounds to me like y’all were gonna be together forever,” he said as he dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief.

Granny Smithy sighed heavily as the sting of never knowing what could have been fell heavy upon her thoughts. “I sure wish I coulda known fer mahself,” she regretted as she rested her hoof longingly upon the path they had so carefully planned out on the map. “Poison joke sure has a sense of humor none of us was expectin’.”

Comments

[Lovinlife]

Things I Liked:
1. The explanation of how close to baby is to being born and how that was to affect Granny was well played.

Things I Think Need Work:
1. I want to know what Granny was feeling in her “adulterous interlude” because I want to know more about how she feels when in the arms of Bladire. It would make so much more chemistry between the two as well.

All-In-All:
A well put together chapter. It had the sadness and the happiness with the hope for a better life for the two lovers. I want to hear more about the other slaves on the farm and get to learn their stories more, it would make the world you’re creating in this fiction seem more realistic. I think there are a couple of missed opportunities here to get your readers invested even more with Smith’s plight, but what you do have here is enough to interest me.

Score:
Without a second thought, I’m giving this chapter a 9/10.