Stranger Fruits

A New Friend

Douglas was wild, nimble, adventurous and perceptive for a five year old child. However, Mama KiKi had little trouble raising him to survive, teaching him using discipline when ever necessary. Douglas had to learn how to behave and stay in his place as early as possible.

"Why's my moma never come round nomo? Why she never speak ta me when she see me round the house?" Douglas expresses.

"Cause she be to busy to. Can't be stressin bout us on Mrs. Sarah's time. To much work to do child." Mama KiKi puts lightly.

"Well if we see her today I'm gone ask her if she love me and why she don't speak." He petitions.

Mama KiKi stops him, snatches him by the arm and says with all of her authority, "Lookahere boy. Sally, your moma, loves you more than her own life ya hear?" Douglas nods yes. "Now we goin to the house today and you best not say a word outta turn lest you want to get beat, or worse John'll sell ya to the Richards and nobody'll ever see you again, you hear?! Now you best behave your self." 

"Yes ma'am." Douglas nodded defeated.

"Now let's get ready to go."

Mama KiKi got her walking stick and started their stroll to the house. Since the year she got sick she's had trouble keeping her breath doing almost anything, like walking. Mrs. Sarah grew impatient with her after a while and decided to use Sally as her personal help under the suspicion that she might die. Five years later Mama KiKi is still alive. She comes and goes to the house as she can because Sarah treats her like her last living relative. But Mama KiKi only visits as often as she can to check on her friend Aanu, known as Sally to the white folk, to keep her company.

"Hey there! How ya doin miss Elizabeth?"

"I'm doing just fine mammy. Mother was just about to send for you, hurry and come on in. The boy doesn't come in, now mother keeps telling you not to bring him. I don't know why you don't listen."

"He come to see his moma is all. Na Miss Sarah said he can least wait out on the porch."

"Well, you better hope that my father doesn't catch him out here. He's been in one of those moods lately, and you know how he gets."

"He'll be no trouble at all. Ain't that right, Douglas?" Douglas nods in response afraid to speak. He steps down off the porch as Mama KiKi motions him to. "I'll make sure your moma comes out and speak. I won't be long."

Douglas stands there head hung as low as his existence hoping, anticipating for his mother to come walking out the door and give him a big hug, seconds felt like hours waiting eagerly.

Mark runs pass him almost knocking him over then stops.

"Hey! Why're just standing there?"

"Miss Lizabeth said I should wait here suh." Douglas says defensively.

"Well I say you can play with me. C'mon." Mark demands.

"I can't move. I-"

"I know what we can do! I can ask my father if you can play with me! Everybody listens to him." Mark was over excited and proud of his idea. So he grabs Douglas by the arm to try and find his father, but Douglas yanks back and boldly states, "I'm not going anywhere! I've got to stay. My moma's comin soon, so I can't play with you."

Mark persistently pulls on Douglas determined to get him to listen. Mama KiKi and Sarah walks on the porch as Mark falls, failing to make Douglas move.

"What's goin on here?! Did you just push my son!?!" Sarah shouted furiously.

"Now, what done happened here? Boy, didn't I tell you to sit still somewhere?!" Mama KiKi says as she goes to snatch Douglas up and whip him good with her walking stick, hoping that it'll satiate Mrs. Sarah's wrath and keep John out of it. Aanu rushes forward and grabs Douglas away, "What have you done!?"

"I didn't do nothing ma! I listened and stayed still, but he wouldn't let me! He fell down ma I didn't push him."

"Sally get away from that monkey! It's time I deal with him." John demands as he dismounts from his horse after checking his fields. He pulls a thick, thin, worn leather strap off of his saddle bag and swings at Douglas with all his might. Aanu covers Douglas with her shoulder and tries to take the beating for him. But John overwhelms her and beats them both until the dry crack of the strap on their flesh sounded wet, and the bawls of their apologies became muffled moans. While Mama KiKi pleaded for him to stop, begging Sarah to ask him, "Tell him I got em already now. Who gone do take care of you if Sally too beat to, uh? Please, tell him to stop." she cries.

"Wait now John. Stop that now, I need Sally fit for chores. And you need her fit enough for you too don't you?" Sarah snaps.

John stops abruptly as if he had heard God call him. He had been taking advantage of Aanu being in the house, constantly available to him. Since Sarah decided to take her in he had been manipulating Aanu, promising her that her son would be safe as long as she let him have his way with her. Sarah caught them together weeks ago and was waiting to confront him about it, but after seeing him beat her and Douglas she felt a little satisfied.

John clenches the strap, recognizing what Sarah knew, and walks towards the porch.

"Mammy, I want you to take care of that little nigger, make him good and strong. Because as soon as he has the strength he's going to the Richard's. You got til Thursday and I don't want to hear a word or your last days will be spent there too, I don't care what my wife thinks about it."

Mama KiKi weeps and struggles to get Douglas to move. She leans down and whispers to Aanu in Yoruba, "Do not worry my dear, our husband will take care of us." then kisses her forehead and ventures back home.

The Richard's were in the business of buying slaves for cheap that owners either considered to be too much trouble or just wanted to get rid of. The people there that were considered slaves were brutalized and worked until they died of exhaustion. The Children were conditioned and raised to be nothing but biddable. They worked along side dying slaves under constant supervision often beat and sexually abused, and when they were considered men they were either leased out to the mines or to other owners for various services. Aanu had heard nothing but horror stories about the place, she couldn't live knowing her son would end up there. So, the night before Douglas was sent there, she would sneak out to run away with him. But Mama KiKi made another arrangement.

"Hello, Akanni." he spoke Yoruba from the darkest corner of the room with the moonlight barely touching the tip of his nose. His eyes wide and bright, only seemed to shine because his face was blacker than the shadow he stood in. "You know what you must give me if you want to save Adesanya. It's too late for you to give me your soul, so where is it?"

"Yes Eshu, It is already done my love." Mama KiKi walks to him and hands him a talisman. He kisses her forehead then says, "Come with me."

Aanu makes it to their shack looking for her son. "Douglas? Adesanya, moma's here. Where are you. Mama KiKi!?" she walks into the room searching in the dark and stumbles over her body. "Akanni!!" she screams hoping she'll wake up, but she had passed on. Aanu runs outside to the back of the shack and finds Douglas sitting in the dirt, murmuring something to himself. She rushes to him, grabs him and tells him they have to leave. Douglas pulls away and point far off towards the field, "Let's follow him."

"Follow who Adesanya?" She looks into the field and see torches galloping in the field, it was John. "We have to leave now!" She says urgently. Douglas tries to take off towards the wilderness beyond the field but Aanu picks him up and runs as far to the wilderness as she could until she trips over her gown. She looks up to see how far did they get from John and sees a large black dog standing over them.

"Moma, that's our new friend. Lets follow him, he'll keep us safe." Douglas runs, following the dog. Aanu chases him until they get to the woods and loses them. As John approaches she hides behind a tree hoping he just passes by, when the dog shows up in front of her tugging on her gown.

"Follow me." a voice creeps from the back of her mind, "Adesanya is with me."

Aanu frightfully follows the dog until she reunites with her son.

"Hello Aanu, it is time to collect."

Aanu recognizes Eshu's voice and feels his warm calloused hands on her shoulders as the realization of what he has come to collect sends chills in her soul.