Freedom At Last

November 6, 1860

I am at the house with Elijah. We are waiting on the news to see who won the presidential election. If we could vote, which we cannot, we would vote for Abraham Lincoln, but all we can do is wait.

"This is what is bothers me." I tell Elijah.

"What bothers you?" he asks me curiously.

"I am a free person, yet I still do not get the same rights as any other white woman. I still have the slip that Mistress gave me, but to the whites it does not matter. Most of them think they are better than us."

He answers with a sigh, "I know we can only hope the world was not that way, but what we can also do now is try to convince people that slaves are equal to them, and should be free. Everyone should have the same rights, but that is not happening right now. If we want something done we have to do it ourselves. You are making a difference in the world, Ruth! You have made so many people see what actually is happening to slaves, and not just to view them as free labor."

"I suppose you are right. What we really need is a president who will stand up for us and not ignore what the people have to say. That president is Lincoln, and we need him to win!"

Suddenly someone knocks on our door. We rush to the foyer quickly, opening the door as fast as we can.

Ethel and John are back from the town. "Lincoln was elected President!" Ethel says.

We are overjoyed.

"Someone in the government wants slavery to be abolished! " I say happily.

"This calls for a celebration!" Elijah says, and we invite Ethel and John to come and eat with us.

Finally, something is to be done about slavery.

Finally.