As Plain As Black And White

4

I quickly got out of school and headed back to my bunk where I found my mom getting ready to work in the field.

"Mom how bout I do it today?"

"No. You are a child so be a child." She kissed my cheek and walked to the field.. I laid my head down and I woke up to someone smushing my face together.

"Camille what are you doing?"

"Oh Nothing." We both laugh and I sit up. "Camille I gotta tell you something."

"Okay tell me." She sat with he legs crossed.

"So you know sir James?"

"Of course."

"I think.. I think I like him."

"I mean he doesn't beat us so I like him too."

"No I mean like I wanna kiss him." She gasps.

"Nasir!" She pokes her head to hear if anyone is listening. "You can't feel like this."

"I know. But what about you. Don't you like Master."

"No I'm in love with Master but I'm not allowed to show it. He knows how I feel and he knows we can't do anything or else I would end up hurt. I don't want to love him but there is just something about the way he looks at me." The way she talks about him. You would This he was a noble man or a hero.

"I understand but I think he likes me too."

"Well Nasir, I hope you don't get hurt cause you seem passionate about this. Just don't be me. Get out while you still can." She nudges my shoulder.

"He said he wants to see me later."

"Nas. Be careful now. If someone finds you up there kissing. That will be the end of you." I nod. We continue to laugh and joke around about things that didn't matter. We heard some one barge into our room.
"Master wants us to the field." We looked at each other and ran out of the bunk and to the field where we saw all slaves lined up.

After a while we faced our Master family and they stared back at us.
"Now As ya'll know My family and I give you all we have and yet it is not enough for some. It seems we have a theif, a crook, stealing from us and giving it to his family. If someone doesn't speak now, everyone will suffer consequences."

We all knew who it was but I wasn't going to snitch. I look at James who looked back at me.

"No one?" I saw James pull a machete from behind his back and pass it to master "anyone?" We all just stood there wondering what was gonna happen next. He nods and grabs a random slave and put the machete to her neck. She begins to whisper a prayer. We all gasp.
"It was me Master!" Say coming from the back. "It was me. But we have no food."

"Get on your knees."

"But Master."

"Get on your knees before I cut yo legs." He does as he's told."pick a hand."

He was right handed so he held out his left. The Master held his hand and sliced it right off. I flinched at the sight of blood squirting on the ground and his squirming back and forth, yelling for the pain to stop. He kept yelling for it to be over. His family came and comforted his. His wife wrapping his stub with a piece of cloth from her dress

I looked back James who looked back at me and I put my head down. What kind of monsters do this to people? I look at Master who had the mans hand in the air.