Hushed: The Words of an Introvert [LiteratureCollection]

"To Be A Slave"

                                            Sharidan

                                      (Brigid Kapuvari)

I am an African woman named Sharidan I was nine years old when captured and lived in an African village named Laayoune. I lived with my mother, my father, two sisters, and one brother.

On a late June night, I was walking home from my secret hideout where I'd meet my friends. Then, I heard foot steps following me. I turned around, but nothing was there. Suddenly, I saw a shadow between two oak trees that was shaped like a man. I took two more steps until a hand laid straight on my shoulder. I turned around, and there was a huge white man right beside me. He said, "See you on the ship," and then he covered me with a big cloth bag and trapped me inside. The white man dragged me against the cold, dirty ground. Two hours later, the white man opened the cloth bag and pushed me into an old wooden ship. My heart was broken because I was so far from my family; I felt like I was in jail. Luckily, my friend, Elizora was on the ship, too.

The voyage was smelly, hard, and uncomfortable. We had to be chained from head to toe with the cuffs digging into our skin. I saw many people, including children, die. The ship's mate, Drake, threw them overboard. It was just tragic. Blood traveled down my shoulder. We only had a little rice to eat. Every day, we had to lie on a wooden shelf, and if you needed to go, you had to go there. The ship smelled like rotten meat. The only good thing about the voyage was that on Saturday, Drake let us stretch out on deck.

When the ship had stopped, Drake dragged us off the ship. He put us in cages. Drake and the other white men took people out to the cage to put hot, painful tar on our cuts. When it was my turn, I screamed at the top of my lungs. It hurt so much.

Later that day, Drake pulled people to a platform where he would trade slaves for money. I was the last one to go. Drake yelled, "500 dollars!... 700 dollars!... 750 dollars!... 800 dollars!" Finally, someone had raised their hand at 800 dollars. He seemed like a nice, young man. He must have been about 25 years old. He said his name was Jared. Drake said, "Anyone else? 1, 2, 3, sold!" and I was sold to Jared. Actually, Master Jared.

Master Jared was a nice man. He put me in a carriage and brought me to his field. Master Jared told me I would have to do chores on his plantation. Maybe it was better than being cramped on a ship. I didn't really like doing my chores. I had to pick cotton, pick weeds, plant seeds, and many other things. The worst thing was that I had to do this while I was still chained by my ankles.

Finally one day, after eighteen years, I had decided to leave the plantation. I needed to be free! I couldn't stand not being treated as a person. After midnight, I escaped from my cabin. I cut off the chains on me with a knife that I found laying in the field one day. There were many white men searching for me, but the color of my skin matched the lovely night sky. They didn't find me. Canada as my only chance of freedom. Anyway, the roads were rough and muddy. It was very dark out and I couldn't see. Then, I heard two dogs with white men running with them. I hid behind the trees. I was trying not to breathe. It was very hard to die. Finally, the dogs and white men walked away, and I could breathe again. I've seen many slave catchers and dogs along the way. The good part was that I met many kind people willing to help and give tips for survival and how to get to Canada. Finally, May 19, 1859, I'd made it to Canada!

I loved fresh air and the smell of freedom. There were many kind people that waved hello and welcomed me. I was really happy when I saw my fiend Elizora a few weeks later. he had accepted a long time ago, and she invited me to stay with her and her family. It was great to be free.

After eight more years of living with my friend Elizora, I met a friendly, young man named Joe. He was a very nice man. We spent time together and learned we had a lot in common. One day he asked me to marry him. Of course, I said "Yes" and we had a good life. I had a job as a seamstress. We I became 32 years old, I gave birth to a baby girl. Joe and I named her Laura. We cared for and loved our little Laura. We've watched her grow into a fine, young woman who is free to go where she pleases. She doesn't have to live in fear. I am thankful she will never know what I'd lived through all those years! I love being free!

-Brigid Kapuvari, Grade 5