Slave Girl Read Online Free PDF Page A

heared him say, he wouldn’t eat behind a cook he had to beat – scared of bein’ poisoned, I s’pose. Aunt Tee know just who she cooks for, and it aine Miz Lilly.
“Mas’ ’spects to have fried chicken and whipped potatoes on Wednesdays and that’s what I fixed.” And that’s what we served to the guests tonight.
    Next day
    Tellin’ Spicy the way things work here at Belmont is fun. Last night I ’splained to her why Mas’ Henley favours Aunt Tee, but all the time ’gainst Uncle
Heb. The best way for her to get an understandin’ was to start at the beginnin’ – back when Mas’ Henley first come to Belmont.
    Uncle Heb was here at Belmont when Mas’ Henley married Miz Lilly who was a widow-woman with one child. Uncle Heb ran the place, keepin’ the orchards goin’ and all.
    Word tell, Uncle Heb was once a tall, handsome man. Even now, all crippled from hard work and age, he still look good. First thing when he got here, Mas’ Henley wanted to sell Uncle Heb.
Miz Lilly wouldn’t have it. Uncle Heb had been born here at Belmont. Him and Miz Lilly’s daddy, David Monroe, was boys together. Miz Lilly likes to brag that presidents and governors
have ate here at Belmont.
    Uncle Heb loves to brag, too. “Been all over this ’Merican land,” he say, callin’ up memories of when he travelled ’round with David Monroe. He say he been
everywhere. “Take the time me and the Mas’er went to Richmond Norfolk … Jamestown … even been to Mount Vernon. Been everywhere, all over this big ’Merican
country.” I would give anythin’ to see just one of them places.
    Hince is the onlyest one of us who done travelled further than Uncle Heb. I remember once, William told me there were ghosts in the woods and a big snake lived there. It ate up all slaves who
dared to leave Belmont. It was Uncle Heb who taught me better. Everybody young and old loves the old man – everybody ’cept’n Mas’ Henley – and that’s
’cause he’s part of Miz Lilly’s family. “Mas’ Henley aine nothin’ but white trash who married into a fine Virginia family,” say Uncle Heb. He’s never
had no use for his new master.
    Saturday
    There was a gatherin’ down in the barn tonight, ’cause Wook jumped the broom with Lee – a man from the Teasdale Plantation – near ’bout twice
Wook’s age. Mas’ Henley came down to the party and said a few words ’bout wantin’ them to have lots and lots of babies.
    I cain’t believe Wook is married. She’s only a few years older than me – and I aine near ’bout ready to be married. And by the look on Wook’s face she aine ready
neither. I didn’t even know she was lookin’ at boys. Now, she’s married – and I didn’t even know it. Why didn’t she tell me?
    All of us from the kitchen were there. Spicy came, even though she didn’t want to. Uncle Heb cut roses for each one of us to put in our hair. I took the red one and Spicy liked the yellow
one. She looks happier than when she came here, but her eyes still hold a lot of sorry.
    Hince got back. He was there, dancin’ with all the girls. The only man that aine married here at Belmont is Hince. Everybody’s wonderin’ who will Hince jump the broom with? The
way Missy been lookin’ at him, I think she’d say yes to him today. But Hince can do better than Missy. I sure hope so.
    Hince does know how to have a good time. Ever since I can remember he’s danced with me first. Tonight, he passed right by and asked Spicy to dance first. I was surprised and a bit put-out.
I ’spose it was his way of makin’ up to her. I didn’t think Spicy would dance with him – but I was wrong.
    When she stood up, everybody started gigglin’. Everybody knows how clumbsy Spicy can be. But she fooled us all, kickin’ up her heels and pattin’ the juba better than anybody
’round here had seen before.
    I saw a side of Spicy I didn’t know was there. She was happy, smilin’ big, light-footed, free as a bird. Spicy