Evangeline's Heart

A Mothers Love

" ahhhh mama I can't it hurts so much " " Yes baby you can do it..push baby you got it" mama says as she helps me push my baby out. " c'mon one more big push baby" " you got this vangie" Mary says as she holds my hand "It hurts mama" I say as I get ready to push and all of a sudden I hear a baby's cry. "It's a boy" mama says over the baby crying. " You wanna see yo son" " No I don't want it take it away from me mama." I say as I cry as the tournament I went through."Alright then c'mon Mary" "Where you going "To get more blankets" .We conversed as I closed my eyes to sleep ."but mama the baby"Mary says "c'mon girl". I heard cries " Mama come get this baby'" I scream out "Mama come shut this thing up please." I began to get up out of bed and come to the baby. I pick it up and rock it a little bit. " It's okay mama's baby " I Say to this beautiful honey colored boy. '" Aww it's okay momma got you ..I love you..I love you so much " I say as I cry over my beautiful baby "mommy so sorry baby." Mama and Mary walked in on me holding my beautiful honey covered child. " He was crying... I couldn't let my baby cry and not love him" I said as I hugged, kissed,and rocked my baby. "Well thank you Jesus" Mama said as she clapped her hands together laughing and Mary started to cry with happiness. Master opens the door and says " Where my boy huh... Where's my son '''' My son is right here ''I answer back with a quick wit "let me see him" the Master says as he takes his hat off. "No my child shall have nothing to do's witcha" I say as I hold my baby away from this demon "I own him and you give em here" Master says reaching to snatch my boy outta my hands. " I said.." " Alright.....Alright" "I gave him my baby, my beautiful baby boy who looks familiar now that I think about it. He reminded me of my father. "Look at daddy's boy hey there little one" he says as he walks back and forth while rocking his half-breed son. I ain't ganna let him work my son I ain't I thought to myself as I leave ones at Master Johnson like he was a poor man with a terrible stench. " So what are we gonna name him" Mary says as she goes to take the baby from Master Hands. "George...Tom...James" Mary suggested "uhh mama no aint gonna be any those names" " What about Charles" "Charles Johnson" For once me and John Johnson the man who lust me on the boat the man who took me and made me his Slave the man who tortured me agreed on something. Our beautiful baby boy Charles Johnson is the most handsomest baby I've ever seen. As my baby boy grew into himself he began to help me around Master Johnson house. I was still very iffy with my son around his father I didn't want my boy to forget who he was and what he came from so I reminded him that he mixed half white half black ad that that meant he was apart of two different worlds and that no matter who his daddy is to white folk he nothing but another ni***. I was so fearful for my son Master Johnson now has a wife, miss Jane and two daughters, Elle and Lucy Charkes love playing with his little sisters. One time had seen Lucy kiss her brother on the check and order thirteen lashes on my son, my baby boy he was only seven. I ran and begged her to stop her knowing who my son was and what her husband does to me every night she ordered the slave hand to keep going until white meat started to show theni ran to master Johnson as fast as I could . I pleaded with him and I said please please he's your son John. He's your blood, he is a part of you I say as I'm crying, grabbing and tugging him. He runs to Charles graves the whip before it snaps back punches the slave hand and slaps his wife he then says don't you ever beat my son again this is my son I own him he's nothing to you . That man wasn't John Johnson son of Johnson Oil Inc he was Johnny the father of my child ....our son Charles I started to wonder why ... why does he care so much...what changed his heart over the years. He didn't call me as much. He was much nicer to the rest of the slaves and me . Miss Jane was the one she's the one who treated us mean and the slave handlers started to question John now and his judgment on the slaves. One afternoon I heard them talking about how "..Johnny boy is gettin soft now letting the slaves run all over him." one of the handlers with red hair and green eyes said to Miss Jane . "Well that's none of your business now is that John ,,," she says as she looks at the man with cold eyes " don't target homyou work for and dit forget your still irish scum." she finished as he looked at her with discomfort and confusion. I didn't care about his change of heart or mind. I wanted me and my family freeI needed us and all the wenches to be free. So I started the revolt now with me being more educated. I learned that we were in Virginia and we needed to go north . I heard Paul and John talking about a railroad and free folks in the north we need to escape and I was taking my sweet boy with me . I decided to go back to our cabin and organize an escape plan so that we can trascision smoothly and getas far from Virginia as possible.I heard about what they did to Nat so I was very fearful for the men and my boy. I had set up a pan so that we could find a map to New York and how to target the closest underground brazil road which was in Delaware. All we needed to do was go to Delaware and we would be free. I told mama and Mary. Mama was so frightened she didn't know how to feel or what to say.She just thought about what would happen if they caught us because she then said " what's going to happen if they catch us." they aint going to cat us because of the underground railroad they got white folks that's on our side that's gonna help us mama ... oh mary come on" i say as i try to convince them to come along with me and my boy. "Vangie girl you're crazy but I ain't gonna die a slave. I come from kings and queens warriors. I know you remember Vangie.... Mary gets up and walks towards me. He can no longer take advantage of me. They can no longer control when and how ieat i am a free african woman.. I am O'keshe and you are no longer my master, she says as she cries and falls into my arms i turn tomama and say " my plan is to get as many wrenches no woman diverse to be used up like an animal. We're leaving when the sky turns black while everyone sleeps. I got about six girls coming with me. You all are on your own. I tried but I want a better life for my son."I'm coming with you" mama said as she grabbed my hand. The next day when the sky turned black we all left our belongings so that the dogs couldn't get our scent. We rambled through the woods running and walking trying to follow the stars hoping God could have his hand over us like the israelites.My baby boy wined because of his exhaustion mama was tired because she was getting old and couldn't move like how she ue to so we sat a spell and looked at the stars. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and imagined what freedom felt like and then I saw my parents,my village and the river where me and O'keshe played with the animals. I opened my eyes and seen darkness the same darkness i seen for the last twenty years of my life years I finally felt like Bayomi myself not no Evangeline although Evangeline is a strong woman daughter ,sister, and mother, but Bayomi was the warrior that kept me alive that helped me have my boy and three girls and my new family. Now it's ten years later Charles is the best reader in his class and I have my own sewing company where I mend holes in clothes and make clothing for people. I picked this skill once we got to New York. Inherited all of the girls including mama. Not every slave story has to be about pain and defeat because we are warrior people and we stand, some call me Evangeline,Vangie but I call myself Bayomi.