The Slavery

The Fight

The ship was crowded with blacks,mediums,(which were black people with a lighter skin tone)and the rich whites folks,who for some reasons had the privilege to treat us like dogs. The ship had three layers. Whites at the top were the auctions were held. There's fresh air and rich fancy food that I bet tasted delicious. Smelling the amazing scent every night while we went to bed hungry was pure torture,but am use to it. Then there's the layer in the middle of the ship were my best friend Clear Parks and the mediums were. There are actually a few widows there that allows a little breeze to blow in and cool them down it's also some what spacey since there's not much bright Africans on board. And then there's the third and last layer of the ship. Were the black,dirty dogs stayed,including me. While the mediums get four to five whips when out of order,we get ten to twenty, some even go as far as fifty depending on how they feel. While mediums get fresh bread we get the left over bones and bread that was to stale to eat and keep down. And while the mediums get to work indoors for their master,we have to burn and slave in the heat of the sun with a six inch cup of tap water every two hours. Yeah,it was unfair,but that's just how it was and like momma always said. We have to sometimes learn to adapt to the worst environment possible and make the best of it.

Am glad Clear doesn't have to go through this. But I can't help but to feel pity and empathy for the other kids that are thirteen and up and have to go through the pain of being hungry. And for their guardians who are forced to watch with a sorrow filled face when they couldn't manage to snatch up food when it was thrown to us like dogs. Although the ship was crowded down here,we all seemed to have our own little territory. I stick in a small corner way off at the back,nobody knows am here and I like it like that. Yeah,it may be the reason why I haven't made any friends. But am cool with being by myself, my mom was all I needed and now that she's gone,I don't feel like I need everyone else.

A few seconds later the door swung open letting some fresh air into the crowed room. We haven't been hosed off in a week now.

"Feeding times niggas!!",the pale man known as Ricky threw a small bucket of stale green bread and bones with little straps of meat on it down into the crowd. I sighed,let the fight began. Everyone tried to grabbed at the food which usually causes a big fight to brake out.

"Animals",Ricky mumbled before slamming the door shut.

The fight started to die down a little when everything was gone. I looked down and saw a bread roll at my feet,it wasn't as green like the others,guess they accidentally let a good one slip in.

I heard small cries from the far side of me. A little girl by the look of thirteen was crying in her mother chest.

"Shh honey,I'll try again next time,shhh",she said rocking her back and forth. I sigh and picked up the sweet roll,slowly crawled over to them.

"Excuse me ma'am, I don't know if it's a lot but it's all I have",I said handing the roll to her. She smiled and took it slowly, like she was expecting me to yank it back. Ehen it was firmly in her hand she smiled brighter.

"Thank you son,bless your kind heart",she broke it into two and fed her and her daughter.

"No problem ma'ma",I said crawling back to my small corner.

Momma always taught me to put others before myself. It was just the right thing to do I suppose.

I took my T-shirt off in order to cool off a bit. I closed my eyes and rested my head back onto the hard boarded walls of the ship,trying to once again fight off the pain of slowly starving to death.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and automatically got defensive.

"Wow wow!, calm down skinflint,"I looked at the guy slightly confused. I recognized him as the sixteen year old loner. He wasn't much different from me. His short black hair was straight instead of having tight curls and he never really talked to anyone or cared to. He came into this by himself though. No parents or relatives. In my head he was my idol,he was already smart,brave and independent. I had this feeling that one day he was going to make it out of this all. And I truly hoped that he did,that anyone does really.

"I snagged this for you,"he held in his hand a roll with small patches of green and a shred of meat.

"Your giving me your food?, why,"I said taking it regardless.

"I had me a big old drum,"he said getting comfortable beside me.

"And I saw what you did skinflint,why did you do that?"

"My mom taught me some life lessons that I intend to live by,she was a very smart woman. Read many books behind close doors,"he nodded in understanding.

"Look,the life we living ain't no joke skinflint. We have to survive, do what you can do,"he advised. I nodded but ignored him completely.

"Thanks,"I said taking a bite out of the meat.

"Am giving you free advice skinflint,"was the last thing he said before crawling off.