I don't find out 'till the day before Holy Day that the slave didn't run. The week'd gone by slow, the only star bein' Miss. Lizabeth's distaste for the mistress. I and her got along real nice. The mistress on the other hand, had nothin' better to do than jus' follow me, and Mary 'round all day, even sittin' in on our lessons. She don't know how to read no book, so she jus' sits there makin' awful comments on are posture. She don't have a favorite between us like most, she hates both of us the same.
The week was rather normal, 'cept Cecile not speakin' one word to me. It made me all sad and by mid week I stopped tryin'. But what was even worse, was in a part of my brain that don't act like a lady I kept thinkin' of them dogs. I heard stories, when daddy told the slaves, that them dogs don't take no mercy. They'll find the scent and you'll get ripped right to pieces.
I saw Samuel in my mind, his blood runnin' down the rivers that he thought were safe. I saw daddy laughin' at him as they pull his shreds back to the farm and make 'em work. I saw me laughin' with 'em.
It wasn't 'till today that those awful daydreams were put to rest. Samuel was sittin' in the kitchen, talkin' with the mute Cecile. He was sayin' somethin' in a voice so low I couldn't hear it at all. She was noddin' as she strained the porridge, laughin' at something I couldn't catch.
I felt great relief in the fact that he don't have half of him in a dog's belly. I let myself be happy for a moment, thankin' God and then I went back to pretendin' I didn't care. He's a slave and don't matter.
"Mornin' Cecile," I say, walkin' into the kitchen, concentratin' only on not turnin' and runnin', "I see you're talkin' today."
She nods, sendin' a wary look to Samuel. It makes me squirm, 'cause before he came, Cecile and I was super close. I'm glad he ain't dead but I wish he hadn't even come here at all.
"Mary ain't comin' down for breakfast, she was sent to Mr. Smith's last night," I inform her, tryin' to make her feel better. Mary always hated Cecile and in return the slave never liked my sister.
"Is the mistress comin' down then?" Cecile asks, her first words to me in days. I resist a smile and shake my head.
"She ain't feelin' well," I say, "Daddy is gonna sit with her 'till the doctor comes. He won't be join' us neither."
The week was rather normal, 'cept Cecile not speakin' one word to me. It made me all sad and by mid week I stopped tryin'. But what was even worse, was in a part of my brain that don't act like a lady I kept thinkin' of them dogs. I heard stories, when daddy told the slaves, that them dogs don't take no mercy. They'll find the scent and you'll get ripped right to pieces.
I saw Samuel in my mind, his blood runnin' down the rivers that he thought were safe. I saw daddy laughin' at him as they pull his shreds back to the farm and make 'em work. I saw me laughin' with 'em.
It wasn't 'till today that those awful daydreams were put to rest. Samuel was sittin' in the kitchen, talkin' with the mute Cecile. He was sayin' somethin' in a voice so low I couldn't hear it at all. She was noddin' as she strained the porridge, laughin' at something I couldn't catch.
I felt great relief in the fact that he don't have half of him in a dog's belly. I let myself be happy for a moment, thankin' God and then I went back to pretendin' I didn't care. He's a slave and don't matter.
"Mornin' Cecile," I say, walkin' into the kitchen, concentratin' only on not turnin' and runnin', "I see you're talkin' today."
She nods, sendin' a wary look to Samuel. It makes me squirm, 'cause before he came, Cecile and I was super close. I'm glad he ain't dead but I wish he hadn't even come here at all.
"Mary ain't comin' down for breakfast, she was sent to Mr. Smith's last night," I inform her, tryin' to make her feel better. Mary always hated Cecile and in return the slave never liked my sister.
"Is the mistress comin' down then?" Cecile asks, her first words to me in days. I resist a smile and shake my head.
"She ain't feelin' well," I say, "Daddy is gonna sit with her 'till the doctor comes. He won't be join' us neither."
