slow. Nobody left at the Stone School to show us to the hole and cover us with the pulpit. Nobody to row us cross the river to Quincy.
That night I tells Jim what I hears the white folks at Bear Creek talking bout. He say they talking bout Dred and Harriet. He say all the Baptist slaves talking bout it too. Them St. Louis niggers got some nerve they say. Dressing like white folks and acting like them too.
Jim say he believe thats why Miss Watson bring him back from the waterfront. She must of hear tell of slaves running off with abolitionists. Jim say we can makes it to freedom if we can gets ourself onto a steamer. He got a plan. One day when all the white folks falling sick Miss Watson gonna ask us to town. When we gets there he gonna sneak off and talk to his friend loading the steamboats. He gonna find out which one the abolitionists on.
Jim say his friend make good money working the docks. Getting money from abolitionists and taking it from poor niggers he aint never gonna see again. And never gonna claim to know if he do see. Jim say his friend gonna be so rich time he get his own boat to Cairo he aint never gonna have to work again.
We might finds trouble he say. White folks know we the Watsons niggers. But the abolitionists can make up papers saying they owns us. Jim say he gonna wait for a good time when we done with our work and wont be miss. Then we gonna walk over to the docks. We gonna walk separate case of trouble. When his friend point out the whites with our papers Jim come find me in my hiding place under the levee. Then we boards the steamer with papers and new owners. We gets off at Cairo Illinois. Then we free.
I aint so sure bout none of that. Only niggers I knows run off come back dead. But when I looks at Jim and sees him pining for his freedom I knows he need me to believe. Getting back to the rivers all he can think about. Crossing Jordan.
When he run I gonna runs with him. We leaves Lizbeth with Cora. When we gets our freedom we gonna work to buy our Lizbeth. Cora too. Thats the only way I can thinks on it. Lizbeth think Cora her mama true.
Planting season come and we bides our time. Jim say we aint gonna try the Stone School again cause what happen was a sign. The spirits keeping us safe. Saying go this way not that way. Jim say we gots to listen real close for our spirit guides. They the ones gonna take us to freedom.
We gots our own cabin now but we acts like we aint together. Jim think it cause I mad at him for something or sad bout still being here. But I dont wants him to feel my belly and see how hard it be.
Miss Watson got it in her mind to save our souls. On Saturday after we quits working she gather us for prayer. She bring Preacher Stowe to see who want to be baptize. Who want to be save.
Stowe all the time talking bout heaven. Getting to the other side and resting in the Lord. I so sick with wanting my freedom I cant stands to hear no sermons. Folks all the time singing bout campground. I just wants to lay my head down on Jims chest and never gets up. Nobody to bother us. Thats my heaven.
The tobacco aint no taller than my finger when I feels the baby swimming round in my belly. Freedom seem farther and farther off and I aint sure it ever gonna come. I cant gives Mas another baby. Lizbeth safe with Cora. Jim still a young man. He say he already seen his freedom. But he never say he seen mine.
I starts for the woods but I never gets there. I comes to the pond at the edge of the woods. Pond where Jim bring the horses to drink. I takes off my dress. Aint no moon that night. Pond aint deep but its plenty deep for drowning. I climbs down in the water. My whole body shake. I leans back till I feels the water holding me. I just lays there looking at the night. I feels the baby floating inside me. I dips myself under and stays down. It feel free under the water. I comes up laughing. Then I falls back down. I feels my body getting bigger. I gets scared and lets it raise up again. Then I
That night I tells Jim what I hears the white folks at Bear Creek talking bout. He say they talking bout Dred and Harriet. He say all the Baptist slaves talking bout it too. Them St. Louis niggers got some nerve they say. Dressing like white folks and acting like them too.
Jim say he believe thats why Miss Watson bring him back from the waterfront. She must of hear tell of slaves running off with abolitionists. Jim say we can makes it to freedom if we can gets ourself onto a steamer. He got a plan. One day when all the white folks falling sick Miss Watson gonna ask us to town. When we gets there he gonna sneak off and talk to his friend loading the steamboats. He gonna find out which one the abolitionists on.
Jim say his friend make good money working the docks. Getting money from abolitionists and taking it from poor niggers he aint never gonna see again. And never gonna claim to know if he do see. Jim say his friend gonna be so rich time he get his own boat to Cairo he aint never gonna have to work again.
We might finds trouble he say. White folks know we the Watsons niggers. But the abolitionists can make up papers saying they owns us. Jim say he gonna wait for a good time when we done with our work and wont be miss. Then we gonna walk over to the docks. We gonna walk separate case of trouble. When his friend point out the whites with our papers Jim come find me in my hiding place under the levee. Then we boards the steamer with papers and new owners. We gets off at Cairo Illinois. Then we free.
I aint so sure bout none of that. Only niggers I knows run off come back dead. But when I looks at Jim and sees him pining for his freedom I knows he need me to believe. Getting back to the rivers all he can think about. Crossing Jordan.
When he run I gonna runs with him. We leaves Lizbeth with Cora. When we gets our freedom we gonna work to buy our Lizbeth. Cora too. Thats the only way I can thinks on it. Lizbeth think Cora her mama true.
Planting season come and we bides our time. Jim say we aint gonna try the Stone School again cause what happen was a sign. The spirits keeping us safe. Saying go this way not that way. Jim say we gots to listen real close for our spirit guides. They the ones gonna take us to freedom.
We gots our own cabin now but we acts like we aint together. Jim think it cause I mad at him for something or sad bout still being here. But I dont wants him to feel my belly and see how hard it be.
Miss Watson got it in her mind to save our souls. On Saturday after we quits working she gather us for prayer. She bring Preacher Stowe to see who want to be baptize. Who want to be save.
Stowe all the time talking bout heaven. Getting to the other side and resting in the Lord. I so sick with wanting my freedom I cant stands to hear no sermons. Folks all the time singing bout campground. I just wants to lay my head down on Jims chest and never gets up. Nobody to bother us. Thats my heaven.
The tobacco aint no taller than my finger when I feels the baby swimming round in my belly. Freedom seem farther and farther off and I aint sure it ever gonna come. I cant gives Mas another baby. Lizbeth safe with Cora. Jim still a young man. He say he already seen his freedom. But he never say he seen mine.
I starts for the woods but I never gets there. I comes to the pond at the edge of the woods. Pond where Jim bring the horses to drink. I takes off my dress. Aint no moon that night. Pond aint deep but its plenty deep for drowning. I climbs down in the water. My whole body shake. I leans back till I feels the water holding me. I just lays there looking at the night. I feels the baby floating inside me. I dips myself under and stays down. It feel free under the water. I comes up laughing. Then I falls back down. I feels my body getting bigger. I gets scared and lets it raise up again. Then I
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