Color Me Bruised

Chapter 4

Mas'r Z plantation wuz bigger than I spected. It wuz at leas twas as big as mah las master. It wuz so big, he had different sections, each wid over 80 slaves on each uh dem, workin on cotton. Leas das wut they tole me. It must be cuz that's what it seem lak to may eyes too. Jus lak de plantation wuz big, de punishment wuz harsher too. De day fter whut happen last, we arrived at his plantation and saw a woman. Ah heard dey wuz beatin huh fuh beggin not tuh sell huh chile widout sellin huh too. Huh whole back wuz in shreds. Ah heard in duh end, dey still sold huh baby. Mas'r Z even had an overseer on each uh his sections. He wuz rich. De slave sheds wuz no different then any others. Ah wuz placed tuh work inside de house, so dey put me in one uh de sheds closer to de house. One thing ah always realized wuz de missus rockin in huh chair while sippin white tea on de porch. Seemed lak she wuz miserable. She barely said uh word tuh anyone. Even Mas'r Z. De older slave women on de plantation always had a little bit uh gossip tuh give. Ah just made sure tuh listen and not say nothin.

"She useter be real lively." One uh de elders said. "Always laughin and makin sure huh husband wasn't beatin us slaves too bad. Nevah wuz a day where she wuz rude tuh any uh us on this here place...ah's still admire huh today."

"If she wuz DAT good, whut happen to huh?" A newer slave asked.

"Word wuz, mas'r wuz foolin round wid another and it sent missus into a...a...dessepression. So then, fter dat, missus fell fuh duh Head slave, a nigger named Thomas. Dey wuz certainly doin--somethin. Once Mas'r found out, he killed him by a bullet right on de spot. He couldn't believe a nigger done gone between his woman legs. De whole area knew bout it. Since then, she ain't nevah speak again." An older man smokin a pipe and laughin responded.

"Ah don't believe it uh bit. You mean tuh tell me uh nigger manage tuh git mas'r Z's woman right der his eyes? Das lak sayin duh skah red." Another male slave said.

Ah believed it though. Ah ain't nevah seen uh woman look lak dat even fter loosin they kids. Seemed lak she wanted tuh die. Ah's felt bad fuh huh. Mas'r Z ordered all duh women slave folks tuh gather in de kitchen and make de best apple pies, cook de best vegetables, de best grits and chicken fuh some uh his very important friends wuz gon come fuh dinner. So I rushed along. Ah helped make crust, fetch watuh and other things too. Evry now and then, I'd turn may eyes and stare to missus, who did not move an inch till it wuz time to wash up fuh the evening.

Ah was put on servin duty dat night. The table wuz full uh laughter and business, but many uh de wives only spoke within themselves leaving out missus cuz all she did all night wuz stare down at huh plate, cut her meat into small pieces and chew dem slowly. One uh de misses, huh name wuz Mrs. Folton wit audacity, asked missus:

"Ma'm , Are the rumors true?"

Missus rose her head, looked at de lady and then at huh husband who became quiet along did de rest uh de table.

"Well? Is it? It made pretty big news for our neighborhood last spring." She wuz uh a fair skin woman. Looked lak she wuz in huh late 30's. She wuz pretty; then agin, I ain't never seen no ugly white woman b'fore. She always had huh shoulders pushed back, huh hair always neat, a lot uh rouge on huh cheeks, lookin lak a squirrel dat can't breathe. You could see she spoke huh mind.

" Quiet dear, please." Huh husband said to huh. Then, turning his head to Mas'r Z, he said: "Pard'n my wife. You know women--nothing better to do but knit and gossip."

But it ain't stop huh.

"The ladies and I were just dying to know. How is it---sleeping with a nigger?"

You could see de anguh on Mas'r Z's face. Seemed lak he wantid tuh kill huh. Upset, Missus left the room smacking de napkin on de table after wiping huh mouth. She had went tuh her room.

Mas'r Z pointed at me and told me tuh hurry and help missus git into bed. I ain't hesitate. When I got tuh de room, she was in front uh de mirror combing her long red hair.

"I'll do it." Ah said skeered.

She looked at mah face de whole time widout sayin a word. De woman stayed quiet till I was done combing huh hair, tuck huh in huh bed and turned off we candle. She aint say crick. But fuh some reason ah felt lak we connected. She seemed so peaceful in huh sleep. Lak she was relieved she escaped a monstah. I slowly and silently close de door b'hind me.