Birth Rite Yea Right

CHAPTER THREE: A NEW HOME AND A FAMILIAR FACE




We were placed in a slave house and I found an empty bed. Out of respect of the other slaves that had been there longer I asked if it was ok for me to sleep there. Permission was granted and I told the boys where they could by the oldest slave’s instructions. I crawled into bed and fell asleep instantly.


All too soon I heard the morning bell to wake up the slaves. I sat up in my bed to find a few people staring at me and I didn’t care. I went outside and stretched. A Few other slaves came out of their chambers to stare at me. I tried to ignore them as best as I could. Finally I asked aloud what was so awkward that they needed to gape openly at me.


“Your tattoo.”


“What about it?” I had left my hair in the bun that it was in so my tattoo was clearly seen.


“It is the sign of the bringer of freedom.”


“Well I am no bringer of freedom... I am a slave like all of you…”


“But your tattoo…”


“Was the sign of my boss to recognize I am a slave.” Just then a well-built man came by with a whip
and cracked it once in the air. Instantly the others went into a line and I followed and pulled the James and Jonathan in line. “Just do what he says, no questions, ok?” they nodded and stood nervously in line. He checked up and down the line twice and stopped and looked at me with a wicked smile.


“You work in the fields ‘ey?” I nodded once and stood my ground. “Let’s see your back.” I turned around and lifted up my shirt to reveal my back covered in scars. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jonathan flinch. “You have a hard time listening or obeying?”


“Neither”


“Then why do you have more stripes on your back than a tiger?


“I stole food for some families in our village and did other slaves work when they were sick.”


“Have you learned your lesson?”


“No sir I still show kindness.” My face stayed the same through it all. He stared me in the eye and clenched his jaw. Did he think he could scare me?


“You’ll work in the house along with the rest of the women if you cannot pull this wagon filled with sod.” I looked at it and it was the type oxen pull and it takes two. I looked at him and then walked over to the wagon and strapped myself in. I dug my feet into the dirt and leaned forward. I pulled with all my might and moved the wagon and inch. “Fine you can work out here.” He gave an exasperated sigh and went to check on the other slaves. I took off my shirt and worked in my undershirt that allowed others to see my scars and tattoo.


Just then an elder slave fell to her knees in exhaustion. The slave watcher saw her at the same time as me. He raised his whip and I ran to her. The whip cracked against my arm causing it to sting and bleed. I looked the watcher in the eyes and he looked at me.


“She is an old lady lay off.” My voice filled with malice. “I’ll take her whippings.” The others slaves looked at me with shock and awe. He took my arm and dragged me toward two dangling ropes. He tied me to the two ropes so I was standing. He raised the whip.


“Charlie! What is going on?”


“Your highness!” he bowed, “I was just about discipline this slave for disobedience and interfering with the discipline of another slave.”


“Who was the other slave?” My back was turned to them but I knew that voice. Who was that voice?


“The slave there.” He pointed to the elder woman who was being helped to the bunks by two able bodies.


“Her?”


“Yea”


“Let her go.”


“But your highness I need to set an example...”


“I said let her go” He sounded serious


“Yes sir” I felt the ropes leave my wrists and I went toward the fields when the voice stopped me.



“You there, what is your name?”


“Shauni.”


“Samuel,”


“You are shitting me right…” I looked him in the face. I looked into that face of the man from the fields. “You are a liar… you are a prince not a worker! I got whipped for you!”


“Come with me,” he led me to the castle and I passed several maids who bowed before him. He showed me to a tower that overlooked the fields.


“Why am I here?”


“I look out into the fields and I see my people unhappy and I wanted to see if all kingdoms were like that so I looked through the fields and I could not tell you I am a prince otherwise that would have blown my cover.”


“But you lied.”


“And I am sorry. May I ask you something?”


“Sure.”


“Do you like being a slave?”


“I don’t know any other life.”


“You were born into slavery?”


“No my mother was a worker and my father was an assassin for the kingdom.”


“What happened to them?”


“My father was hung and my mother died of the plague.”


“That… That is horrible… How old were you?”


“Eight” Samuel’s eyes opened wide and stared at me. “It is rude to stare.”


“Sorry,” He looked down.


“Am I through here? I need to go back to the fields.”


“Yes you may go.” I walked through the castle and then realized I had no fucking idea on how to get out.
“Great.” I searched for one of the servants and found one of the butlers. “Excuse me? Can you show me the way out?”


“It is right over there, ma’am.” He pointed to a door two feet in front of me. Wow I am stupid.


“Thanks and it is Shauni.” I walked out the door and saw the fields. I walked over to the head slave.

“Where you want me?”


“The corn fields need weeding”


“Fine.” I walked over to the fields and began weeding. I worked until the end of the field and finished the entire field.


That night I heard a knocking at the door and when I opened it I met a white cloth and smelled funny.

Blackness.