American Poet.

- 11 -

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"Do you think our children will play together?"

This question made Lulu giggle while we were in her bedroom and I was cleaning while she played with makeup in the vanity.

"Why you and Mike ain't been thinking abou—"

I stopped what I was doing "no, and why is everybody always saying his name." I thought out loud then took a seat on her soft bed.

She sat by me. "It sure ain't my brother I know that right."

We laughed at that and fell back with our heads hanging off the other side "why'd you say it like that... what's wrong with him?"

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed especially since everyone else has." She said which caused me to sit up in all seriousness as she followed "he's different, okay, that's all."

"How different?"

She stood and walked to the other side of the bedroom. "Sty, doesn't like—"

The door flew open and Elaine was there with a cold look as I got from the bed and straightened any wrinkles I may have caused from the duvet.

"Lulu, your breakfast is served, haven't you heard me calling for you?!"

"If I did then I would've answered." She sassed.

"Your mouth is atrocious." Elaine let her know before gripping on her arm and leading her from the bedroom.

There I stood fluffing the pillows when I looked up Larry Williamson was observing me from the doorway.

I hated being under his evil watch when I was finished I raced from that house so fast.

"We could try one of these." One of the slaves suggested holding one of the mice up by the tail "I's heard they don't taste so bad."

"You go ahead I'ma look around for something else."

I climbed in bed watching as the man with the mice shrugged then disappeared from the quarter. My eyes shut and drifted off into a deep sleep but not for long. "Get u—" I was yanked up by the arm as my mom pulled me and we hid inside the cabinet of the room.

Her hands went over my mouth and out of the hole I could see men, women, and children being snatched from their sleep.

Tears gushed from my eyes as my mom shushed me.

I cried hard once she finally released me and gained an even harder slap across the face from her.

"Shut it now!" She demanded, "ain't no time to be crying just be proud that it ain't you now go back to sleep I'll watch you for the night."

I laid back in bed holding my stinging jaw as tears still fell and stained the mattress.

Death seemed sweeter.

Mike swam around in the lake, the following day as I sat soaking my feet inside of the water convinced that my mother hated me because of my father.