Divided

Chapter Five

Saturday.

Lizette felt a bit happier as she sliced her blade through the sugar cane stalks. Tommorow was Sunday , " the Sabbath " it was called , where there would be a day of rest. That was really the only good thing that ever happened on this accursed plantation. But even the "good" things the young woman took with a grain of salt.

There was always some ulterior motive Master Tucker's " generousity " ALWAYS. Master Tucker was not a nice man and infamous for his apathy even towards his white help. She hated the sight of the man and the pitied the slaves who worked around him in the Big House every single day. Life in the fields was harsh but at least Lizette was spared Master Tucker's presence.

It was as she chopped through the sugar cane that she felt someone staring hard at her from behind. Lizette's stomach felt sick at the thought and she tried ignoring the feeling. The overseers were spread apart and further ahead with other slaves. There were only a few with her and they were not very close to Lizette's current location.

The pressure was to much and she finally stopped her work , stood up straight and turned behind her.

No one was there.

Sighing in annoyance she turned back to the front but nearly jumped. Orangehead was suddenly there ! It bewildered her at how fast he was and he had been unnoticed by her. Orangehead had his arms folded under his chest and looked down at her , his blue eyes cold.

" You , " Orangehead said simply.

Lizette ocked her to the side in a questioning matter. Yes ? What about her ? She had been working without a fuss , so why did he pester her now ?

" I suggest you's say good-bye to ya' lil' friends."

Friends. Since when had she had any ? But in any case , why would Lizette be the one to leave ?

As if reading her thoughts , Orangehead continued , " Master Tucker is in debt- he owe money ta' people thanks ta' wastin' money gamblin' and buyin' stuff he don' need. "

Lizette opened her mouth in a silent "O". It was suprising and yet not suprising at alll. The reason it was not suprising was because Master Tucker had hosted many parties , spending money on the finest clothes to the Mistress's displeasure. Had he been more stingy with his money , this whole sitution could have been avoided.

Or maybe Master Tucker's wasteful spending could be a good thing. He was no humane man at all. He was as unhesistant in punishing slaves as he was spending his fortune away.

Lizette remebered when a field slavee had ran away some years back , but had been recaptured.

Master Tucker didn't speak. He just sighed and shrugged his shoulders nonchantly , but everyone , overseer and slave , knew he was boiling with rage. 

They all waited in anticipation at Master Tucker's next action.

" You take care of him , " Master Tucker looked at an old , bulky overseer.

" How you's suppose I do that ? " questioned the man.

" Do whatever you feel is neccesary ," Master Tucker said lowly , " I don't care very much. Just make sure once your done , he won't even dream of ruuning away ever again. That is the penalty for niggers who disobey me. " He stared at the field save long and hard , but black man only stared back in defiance , instead of cowering in fear.

That was no good. No no.

" I want you to get him and get him good , " Master Tucker growled towards the overseer , " until he realizes his place. I won't have any uppity niggers on this plantation , not as long as I live ! "

He then walked up to the man , grabbing his chin tightly in his long fingers. He forced the slave to look him in the eye.

" You already tried to run away. And now you further disobey me by looking me in the eye as if I am your equal . YOU ARE NOT , YOU ARE A FUCKING NIGGER , THE TAINTED SON OF CAIN ! " Master Tucker then pushed him away and spoke to the rest of the slaves.

" And to the rest of you , disobedience earns you brutality . There will be no mercy given to you. You all best believe that I am judge jury , and executioner. I am the goddamn law so long as you work for me , " he raised his voice at the slaves.

" As long as you niggers work hard as I command you , you will be spared. Otherwise , I will make you beat you , I will brand you , and I will starve you until you learn who is in charge. "

He then closed his mouth , looked around the crowd before promptly returning back to the Big House.

The field slave suffered immensely. The overseers tied him to a tree to await his lashes , each wrist tied together by a rope encirling the tree. He was further humiliated when they tore off his clothes , leaving him naked for all the slaves to see.

All you could hear was a cracking sound and his bloodcurling scream. His cries tore through her heart like a knife and Lizette wanted to cover her eyes to spare herself the gore , but she could not. Lizette's eyes looked on in terror and twisted awe at the welts along his ebony back oozing blood and split open.

And there was yet another thing that troubled her. No one heard his pleas , his pleas for mercy. No one reached out to help him. Lizette wanted to wipe away his tears and push the overseers away. But she stood there , silent like everyone else.

Why did the Lord give him a voice at all , a voice no one would heed , a voice that would fall on deaf ears ?

She wanted to laugh too at every damn slave here , even some of the overseers who were not snickering like the others. They mocked her for inability to speak and yet here they were , not a peep coming from them. Who were they to say anything ? Despite their vocal chords working , they would be ignored by Master Tucker. They were beneath him and not of any importance , just like she was to them. They chose to say nothing , especially the negroes. They chose to do the very thing they taunted her for.

To be mute.

And the field slave fell quiet too. They starved him , put a iron mask over his face , with hooks sticking out so he could find no rest. Gone was his bravery. His rebellion as he grew thin , as hunger gnawed at his stomach and yet he had to work in the heat , with all the mosquitoes and the screeches of the overseer. They had silenced him. They had forced him to shut up and be mute . Just like her.

Pushing away her memories , Lizette pointed to herself and cocked her head to the side. Orangehead looked confused at first but her gestures eventually made sense.

" You askin' me why , " he scowled. Lizette nodded. Why was she herself being sold off and privately why was Orangehead telling her this personally ?

The man looked ready to ignore her , but for some odd reason he relented.

" You know too much , " he said sinisterly, " now get the hell back to work "

She stood , confused.

" NOW NIGGER ! "

Quickly , Lizette shook out of her daze and picked up her blade , cutting sugarcane down. She knew too much ? Well Lizette thought she knew very little to be honest. He really wanted her gone ... it only made sense since she apparently was aware of something no one , especially not a negro should know. 

Was it so bad that her penalty for this knowledge was to be sold off ?

Her stomach felt nauseous at the thought of being sold off. Lizette dreaded it because there was a high chance the next master could be more cruel than Master Tucker. She heard some slaves were mutilated or out right killed and replaced immeaditly by other slaves in different plantations.\\

The Tucker Plantation was no paradise but it was familiar. She knew what she could get away with and what would earn her a harsh thrashing.

Lizette shook her head. No. It didn't matter where they sold her because she would be meek. Obedient to whatever master she had. And she would wait. Wait for a chance to run away. Probably her only chance. All she could hope wasthat the next master was no crueler than Master Tucker. Even if the next master proved worse , Lizette would not give up her dream of being free.

The dream of escaping her mother's wretched fate of dying in chains.