Slave

I apologize for my story not being very well written for as my education is slim. I taught myself how to read and write. My masters and Mistress' would beat me if they found out I was teaching myself an education.

I remember one time I stole, well I didn't steal it, I was simply borrowing the newspaper from the kitchen. A picture of a beautiful woman was on the front cover. There were some huge words over her picture, but I didn't understand them. She must have done something for my massah to read it. He didn't care about anything but slaves. So I then slipped the newspaper into my dress so no one could see what I was doing. I got back to my tent and I was so excited that I hadn't been caught. So I looked at the blur of words tryin to understand them. It was dark and my massah saw a light coming from my tent. Before I knew it I was being dragged out of my tent by my wrist. I was dragged through the mud, water, and rocks all the way into the fields.

The next day after I was severely beaten my massah took me to a auction. I thought it was a yard sale then I was being sold. It just so happens that my brothers and sisters were there. We all got sold to the same mistress. Her name was Grace and she was very nice. I was assigned not much. I simple orders. I think this is because my skin light. My bro's and sis's ain't light skinned though. They work in the fields and did dirty house work. I would follow my family into the fields and would start to plow or pick but I would always get called to the house by Joe, my mistress' boyfriend. When I got to the house he whip me.

"I was just helping my fellow slaves!" I would think to myself, "Why am I getting beat?" Once being beat I would return to Grace and ask her what I could do. She usually wanted me to walk into town with her so we could get food. The conversations we had were usually very pleasant. We would talk about life, family, troubles. Grace never treated me like I was dark skinned. She treated me like a little sister or daughter. I'm not too sure which one because I ain't ever had a relationship like that but I am sure that she was treated me well. We would always skip to town holding hands swinging the baskets in our other hand and giggle. When I was with Grace everything seemed to place. I didn't understand why she was so nice.

One night after I had cleaned the dishes and swept the floors Grace came into my room and turned my light on. The look on her face was a look I had never seen before. I didn't know what to think. I was very scared. Grace asked me to come into her room. So I did as I was told. The walk to her room wasn't as pleasant as the walks to town. This walk was very short, but it seemed like the longest walk I had ever taken. It was awkward. I don't even remember walking into her room. Joe had grabbed me and shut the door shut. He tore my clothes off and got on top of me. I was struggling but he was to big and I couldn't fight back.

That was that. My stomach got big. I wore big clothes to hide it. I couldn't ever see my brothers or sisters. They been sold after that night. I never got to say good-bye to them neither. My outgoing personality changed. I wasn't the same no more. I no understand why Grace let this happen. She was always so nice to me. It also seemed like she loved Joe so I didn't get it. After listening threw the door, I heard Grace on talkin to a friend. All I remember hearing was, "I am unable to have a child. That is why I bought Jemima. She is light in the skin and very pretty in the face. It's just too bad I got so close to her. I feel horrible." I ran to my room in tears after that. My whole relationship with Grace had changed. She would walk ahead of me when we went into town and we didn't talk anymore.