Cotton

“

  “Fifteen. How many girls work for him? “ I’ve got the feeling I’m asking too much but she kindly answered: “With you, we were five. We are Pru, Nelly, Rose and me. “

  “How old are Nelly and Rose?”

  “Fifteen as are we.”

  “So the oldest is Pru.”

  “Yes, she really is. Come on let's go downstairs to see if the lord found us an appropriate job. “

  I thought it was just nice that I came here. Everything seems more like at home. Although I know this is only first impression, however, the very first impression makes me a lot calmer. It was lunch time. We all gathered around the table, Pru has served us and then eat with us. Of course, the master was not there.

  “Hi, hi, look at her. She’s so strange. “ Laughed one of the girls that I haven’t managed to get to know.

  “Leave her alone.” Pru said. I was just watching them. It was obvious that they don’t understand each other. I basically don’t even know am I good or evil. I belong somewhere. And I must say I really like Pru and Sally. I soon realized that Nelly and Rose, are "the evil ones". Sally told me they love machinate. I somehow survived the first day but I was more interested in what happens next. It looked like it was nice, but ... Too good to be true. I think.

  The next day I held tight to Pru. Together we cleaned dust and prepared the table and served. The work was not even hard. In the evening, when I lay down in bed, I felt as if someone shouted.

  “Someone shouted?” I asked Pru and Sally.

  “Oh no, you probably heard something from the forest.” Pru answered.

  But I know that it was a woman. She was already on the ground. It seemed as if I already know these cries, but I was so foreign. Why? However, Sally and Pru said nothing, although it seems to me that even Sally doesn’t know everything.

  After one week I know the truth. Even John is similar to Jake. He also abused his servants. He didn’t get to Sally because she’s white, but he abused the black ones. Are all men equal? How I became aware of his doing? I saw their signs. They weren’t just natural, they were psychic. I felt it, because I went through this myself. Slowly John came after me. I think I was even the first to resisted not so loud.

  Pru and I had our free day. We decided to go into town. It was twenty minutes away. We came into town. There were all sorts of races. Blacks were begging for money. I would have given them, if I had one. We went to her friend.

  “Hi Pru. You finally got here,” he said.

  “Yes I did. This is Kate, our new maid. “Pru introduced me.

  “Hi, I'm Rusty,” he said and handed me his hand. This time I was hugged by a strange feeling. As if I was afraid of something, but I don’t know what. Perhaps convergence? Was this even possible? However, I presented to him and handed him my hand. Together we went to stroll around town. Suddenly, I saw a poster. On it was my picture.

  “Anyone who see this girl please tell that to address written below (below the picture was Jake’s address).” I get very scared. I see he is already looking for me.

  It wasn’t even a month that Jake found me.

  “So, you came here to hide. Is it better here? "Jake said with his severe look in his eyes.

  “No, sir” I replied. I know it's very silly and strange, but I was scared as ever. A lot of things happen to me, but I’m still scared in this moment.

  “Come on let's go home.” Jake said.

  “No, she’ll stay here!” Said Pru, who just entered to offer him a drink.

  “No, she’s coming with me and she can say anything but it won’t make any difference. And don’t think you will escape from punishment. “I shook my head. I knew that severe punishment awaits me. He took me. On the way he told me that today new neighbors come and join the territory, so I should serve them as well. Finally we came to the old territory.

  “You see what you did, and now this year we are late with cotton. You should have never ran away! “

  “Sorry,” I said.

  We walked into the house.

  “Kate,” Mary cried immediately. All stood up but three people calmly sat down. I saw these people for the first time. He was an old man about the same as Paul, in addition to the woman about the same age as Jane, maybe year old, and boy Ray's years.

  “These are our new neighbors.” Said Mary, whispered in my ear: "Isn’t Matt good looking?” I laughed at her. Apparently the guy’s name is Matt.

  “Hello.” I said.

  “If you want you can eat with us. Stash eats too. “Jane offered me.

  "I don’t know. Can I?” I asked, and looked at Jake.

  “Sit down already.” Jake said.

  So far, I have a feeling like after my escape something changed. We had lunch together and then they told me that I will probably work more hours in the neighbor's home, but here only in the field.

  I thought a lot about today. Is it good that I came back? John and Jake treated me about the same. But other people here are friendlier. And I really hope I will see less Jake since I’m going to work with neighbors. I’m also hoping my escape opened his eyes and he changed. I think I deserve at least a better treatment. If I’m punished for something I could at least know what I did wrong. Don’t I deserve a little more? Is there really no justice to us – black people? Is it our fault that the world became so rude? I should just kill myself. No one would miss me anyway. Unfortunately, it was already summer and cotton was not seeded yet. I had it seed it. I worked the entire next day and neighbor’s son Matt helped me. I found out that the neighbors are not so rich and that’s why Mat will also help on field.

  “You see, Kate, how nice we will complement. Even in winter we will sew together. “Matt told me.

  “Don’t you go to school?”

  “Last year I was the last year.”

  A week later I found out that Mary and Matt are together. She sounded really happy so I was happy for her too.

  Mary was forced to go to a summer school over the summer, while others will be working on field. Matt and I were still watering the cotton field. It lacks about one day before ripening, and then it will be picked up. Matt and I got closer and become friends. Even at night we were outside and made little “stupid” things. We really enjoyed having each other's company.

  It was a day when we should be picking up cotton. All villagers came to help. In the evening, when the work was done everyone stayed outside to have a party, but me and Matt went to his place to talk. But this time I felt something different. In fact, I don’t know what exactly it could be. We talked normally. I think I was just interrupted by his eyes. It didn’t feel like a normal look. I told him about Rusty whom I met in Mexico. He wasn’t really happy about this, and I didn’t know why. Did I say too much? Did I trust him too much?

  The next day Mary returned. She asked me if watched over Matt well, and I said yes.

  Matt and I haven’t been talking for a week. I hope everything is still OK. We were sewing cotton into fabric. In quiet of course. Sometimes he looked at me. With that ugly look. I don’t know why he would give me that look. Maybe it was something else. Or maybe he said all he wanted to say to me. Time by time Jane came in to check on us. She was surprised she found us in silence but didn’t say anything. Finally he spoke to me. Different random things but still. That day came a counselor to Mary. Something was obviously wrong, since she was a bit tight lately, and I couldn’t say if she was happy or sad. Then a social worker wanted to speak to me. What would it be?

  “Hi Kate. I am a counselor Susan. “She said kindly. I can’t remember that anyone was ever so kind to me as she.

  “Hi. You wanted to see me. “I asked.

  “Yes I did. In fact, I’ve been interested in you for two years. Or I should say I was interested on the way you live. You’re sixteen years old now, right?”

  “Yes .”

  “If you want, I can send you away from this life. It won’t be lot further but it will be more to the north.”

  “More to the no
rth? Is there even more to the north than this?”

  “Oh of course it is.”

  “And how can you save me, without Jake finding out where I am?”

  “Simply, I can make certain securities that are talking about how Jake work with their slaves, and because you are one of them, I thought that you’d interested.”

  “Yes of course I'm interested. In fact, I even ran away once, but unfortunately without success. “

  “Yes, I heard. Has anything changed since then? “

  “He’s still very strict, but thank goodness some things omitted.”

  “So he doesn’t hit you anymore?”

  “Hit me? Well, he did one or twice, but this time he has at least better and smarter reasons. “

  “So nothing has changed.”

  “I would say that it has a lot.”

  “Do you know it is wrong hitting someone, sometimes for no matter?”

  “Of course I know, but I don’t deserve better. Take a good look at me. I have no future. “

  “The future waits for you. A nice one. And never more, you won’t need to work in the field anymore.”

  “Oh well, I think it would be wonderful to give up that work.”

  “Well, you said that some things has changed, although he is still hitting you. What exactly did he do to you before you ran away?”

  “Well ... it difficult to talk about this ... Well you know what young people shouldn’t do before the wedding ...” I tried explaining.

  “Yes, I understand what you want to say. Now I’m in hurry, I'll come to pick you up tomorrow and be ready, okay? “

  “All right. Where exactly you