1800's America is structured by racism and built on slavery. With whites at the top and blacks at the bottom, the intersecting of these two groups is impractical. When it comes to love however, this structure fails to exist as a black slave woman an...
"Oh good! You arrived just on time. You feel all good and cleaned up?" Permelia approaches me as I enter the kitchen.
"Yeah, I feel great." I reply as I tie a clean apron around my waist. l feel far from great. I feel anxious – extremely anxious. I had just been caught bathing in the Bayne river by Master Bayne's son, and even worse, he is my soon to be master. Who knows what would happen to me if he tells Lady Martha-Anne? Oh gosh. I don't even want to think about what would happen if Master Rick finds out.
"Everyone is at the table. Why don't you go ahead and bring the wine in." Permelia ordered as she made her way to the dining room with a turkey platter. I grab the wine tray along with a liquor bottle for Master Rick, and follow Permelia.
The Bayne Mansion's dining room is overwhelmingly extravagant. The room is large in size with high ceilings. The blood red wallpaper has gold details that compliment the many gold antiques and frames that decorate the room. In the gold frames are paintings of the Bayne family's relatives that go generations back. Whenever I get the chance, I admire the paintings and study their every detail. I have a deep-rooted love for art. In the middle of the dining room, above the table, hangs a massive chandelier. I always hoped the chandelier would fall, crushing Master Rick and Lady Martha-Anne's skulls as they ate like pigs at the dining table. Then I would remember that they have a young child, and regret fantasizing over their deaths. I wouldn't wish the loss of parents on anybody. That loss is a feeling that will haunt me forever.
There are about thirty white folks seated around the dining table. All of them dressed in their fanciest attire. Seeing them gathered like this always reminds me of how high they are, and how low I am. It also makes me wonder about my family. How many family members do I have that are still alive? What would we talk about if we all gathered around a table like this? I place the wine tray next to the turkey, and the liquor next to Master Rick's plate.
"Oh, Caramel! This girl knows me too well!" Master Rick laughs. The white folks cackle along with him while my face remains straight and expressionless. Either they have a terrible sense of humour or they're just kissing up to the fart.I make my towards Permelia, Nettie and some other house-negroes. We stand side-by-side like accessories, observing the table from afar.Amongst the white folks sits Martha-Anne Bayne, Rick Bayne's wife. In her lap is their son, Alexander Bayne, who is about five or six years old. Master Bayne is seated at one end of the table, looking very irritated as he watches the empty chair at the other end of the table. And then there was Master Rick of course. He is every Bayne Hall slave's worst nightmare. Rick Bayne is Master Bayne's nephew, and a stinky drunk. He has been working at Bayne Hall as Master's right-hand-man for probably over twelve years now. The price of disobeying Master Rick is paid for in skin. He gives the hardest whippings, the most brutal beatings, and has no problem hanging slaves. To make things worse, he is also a massive pervert. He's touched many female slaves at Bayne Hall. He calls it "punishment" but i'm sure it's really for his own pleasure. Whatever it is, I don't want to find out. Sometimes he brings friends into the plantation and lets them have their way with the female slaves too. Everyone at Bayne Hall knows that the sudden increase of mulatto kids running around the plantation is a result of Master Rick's doings. I'm sure Lady Martha-Anne knows, but she would rather stay in denial then recognize her husband for the monster he is. That's why he has so much power. No one tries to stop him.
"Sorry i'm late." A deep voice apologized. The chatters at the dinning table stop and in walks in Clarence Bayne. He takes a seat at the empty chair. He is dressed poshly, his suit hugs his fit figure well, and his hair lays on his head neatly combed but still wet.
"Son, why is your hair dripping wet?" Master Bayne asks with an irritated expression still on his wrinkled face.
"I went for a swim, Father!" Sir Clarence says enthusiastically, as if he is trying to irritate his father even more.
"Clarence, I have family and many important men along with their beautiful single daughters, all gathered at this table for you. You cannot just show up late to your own celebration."
"Oh really? A celebration? For me?! Are we celebrating everything I had to give up to be here? How wonderful! I am so flattered!" Sir Clarence cheers sarcastically. The white folks at the table look at him in shock, except for Master Rick who is too busy gulping down liquor. I too am shocked. Shocked at how amusing the situation is. Permelia wipes the smirk off my face as she gives me a nudge to the stomach.
"You see everyone?! I do all this for this boy, and this is how he repays me; by acting like a fool!" Master Bayne raised his voice, clearly overwhelmed with irritation.
"I never asked you to do this for me, now did I?" Sir Clarence asks in a firm voice as he pours wine into his glass. The look of shock on the everyones' faces intensifies. "So, how was everyone's day?" Sir Clarence shifts his attention to his guests as if nothing happened. Master Bayne then begins coughing, his coughs turning into a fit of sickly wheezes. He then gets up from the table and leaves the dining room as he continues to hack and wheeze. Permelia follows him to make sure he's okay. The man really is getting old.
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A dramatic Bayne family dinner has come to an end. I wash the dishes as Nettie reads a book to Alexander at a small table near the window. Her voice is an annoying high-pitched screech. I hum one of Permelia's tunes to block the noise out. A deep voice enters the room, mimicking my humming. I turn around to see who is making fun of me, and to my surprise, standing in front of me is Sir Clarence. He is tall like his father. My head is at chest-level to him. Nettie gets up from her chair and curtsies.
"Hello Sir Clarence." She greets him.
"What is your name?" Sir Clarence asks. Nettie stands up tall and proud at the question.
"My name is Nett-"
"Not you, her." He cuts off Nettie, looking straight at me. I feel my head get hot as I realize I am who he's talking to.
"Me?" I ask, making sure I am not hallucinating. He nods.
"My name is Mentha." I reply.
"Actually that's not her name, It's Caramel-"
"You smell good, Mentha, like mint." Clarence interrupts Nettie, completely ignoring her existence.
"Thank you, Sir." I respond in a low voice, not sure as to why a white man as high as himself is even talking to me if it is not to give orders. He nods and leaves the kitchen. I look at Nettie who is looking back at me with disgust.
"Lets go, Alexander, it's time for you to go to bed." Nettie takes the child's hand and leaves the kitchen. I'm in awe at what has just happened. First, the white man apologizes to me at the river, then he compliments me. He doesn't seem to be bothered that I, a slave, was just bathing in his family's private river. In fact, he seems okay with it. A smile involuntarily forms on my face. I was worried, so worried that Sir Clarence would tell someone about the river situation which would lead to my punishment. I thought I was going to get a few whips to the back, or maybe even get sent to work in the fields. But the small interaction I just had with him, made me realize that he is not that type of white folk. This white man, was different from the rest.
