Color Me Bruised

Chapter 8

Few months past an ah ain't ever see dat man again. But ah ain't think much bout it cuz ah took care uh missus. She wuz startin tuh git big. Course she ain't talk tuh me, but ah wuz jus happy tuh be there fuh huh in huh durin huh early sicknesses. Mas'r wuz more attentive too. He made sure she wasn't too hot or too cool. He made sure she had enough pillows, made sure huh feet wasn't swollen, made sure she had everything she needed tuh be comfortable. Ah ain't ever seen him this nice.

Ah still had tuh pick cotton, even though ah worked in de house. Only sometimes though. Sometimes ah would just beg God to jus make de sun go away. Us slaves be lucky if a few clouds blocked due sun fun a few minutes. I wanted dat  blazin hot sun tuh jus be gone. But de worse part was at de end uh de day, we barely get enough to eat tuh get buy and also the shacks. There wasn't no shack in dis here plantation dat  ain't had mice, roaches, crickets or rats in dem.

There wuz so many, you just had tuh deal wid it. On day day, I aint had tuh take care uh Missus cuz Mas'r Z said he wuz gon spend de day aid huh. Ah had tuh pick cotton fun de day. Ah had rather stayed in de house, cuz on de plantation, evrythin can happen.

290 pounds. At the end uh de day, ah picked up 290 pounds uh cotton. Ah wore de hat missus gave me, and it wuz great comfort cuz I ain't had tuh suffer de heat. Ah took uh pause in de middle uh pickin cotton tuh massage may hands, when ah felt ah hand on mah shoulder. When ah turned round tuh see who it wuz, I saw a nigger, darker than ah wuz standin in front uh me and he took de strength uh his hand, and gave me a big slap. Ah started backin away, tuh get up and run, but he came on me, and started rippin may clothes away. Ah tried fightin him off. I did. He wuz one uh de delivery niggers Mas'r Z had, and ah always thought he had kind eyes, but ah wuz wrong. He hit me cross mah face again, ah second time. Ah tried kickin, but it ain't work. He was nigger! lak me ! Mama wuz wrong. Niggers is bad too. They take advantage too. Ah layed on Dec floor, tryin  tuh git him off, but dat ain't work neither. Ah started screamin. So many tears rolled out may eyes. He pulled open mah legs. He took off his pants but fell tuh de floor de next minute. Behind him, ah saw a white man. He stood tall and proud. Dats all ah remembered.

"Are you alright?" Ah heard a man say faintly. He wuz tapping slightly on mah cheek.

As soon as ah could, ah got up and sat upright on de bed wid may head lowered.

"Ah--ah'm fine." It wuz de man who saved me.

"Great. You seemed in a lot of trouble.

Ah ain't say nothing.

He came near me  wid a peice uh cotton and reached over tuh ma face to try tuh clean mah wounds. But ah ain't let him. Ah ain't need another man approach me . White or black.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you. But what's on the piece of cotton might hurt though."  He told me warmly.

He seemed familiar. He softly rested de piece uh cotton on mah face, and it did hurt. Bad. Ah held on tuh de sheet hard.

"Rest. I will inform Zachary of your stay here." He said, and then left de room.

Das  it! It wuz de man on de bed. He just ain't had his beard no more . Ah wuz glad. He looked fine without it. From a distance, Ah heard him talk tuh his messenger, and a few minutes later, he came back into de room. Ah was scared.

"Can you talk?" He said wid a smile.

"Y--yes."

Ah wuz so embarrassed. Dis  wuz de second time he saw me naked, without actually beddin  me. Ah know a slave ain't suppose tuh feel shame, but ah still did.

"Here is food for you to eat. The doctor said you'll be fine in a few days."

"Doctor? you aint need tuh spend money on no nigger, Sir."

"You're right. I don't. I have too because you're a human being." He took de bowl and handed it tuh me. "Now, eat. I tried my best to create the soup."

Ah took off mah covers, and ah saw a blue dress on me. It wasn't nothin  fancy, but it was de most gorgeous thing ah ever wore. Man eyes was wide.

He chuckled.

"Does it please you?"

I nodded.

Ah tasted his soup. It wasn't de best ah ever had, but it wuz good. And it wuz a full bowl too! More than ah ever had in mah entire life. When ah put de bowl down, ah saw him lookin at me wid those eyes again, and so, ah lowered mah head.

"Do you remember me?" He asked me wid curious eyes.

"De man on de bed." Ah told him.

He took a chair from across de room, and sat across from me. Ah was nervous uh what wuz gon happen.

"Can I touch your face?" He asked politely.

"Y--yes, Sir."

He grabbed may face wid force, and kissed me. Ah wuz caught bah surprise and a part uh me wanted tuh push him off, but another part uh me, wanted more.

His lips wuz soft, like cotton on de field, they wuz  warm and tender. They wuz de warmth ah missed from mah mother and de warmth ah needed from mah bastard father. His lips gave me both. Ah wanted all uh him. And ah feared that. He kissed me lak he missed me, lak ah wuz heaven on earth. And ah adored that.

It wuz mah first kiss.