Color Me Bruised

Chapter 23

Once evrythin wuz alright wid mah body, evrythin ah wuz used tuh changed.---dis ole man really made me intuh his daughter. Ah tole him ah ain't need none uh dat, but he insisted an even tole me he would help me educate mah self. His house wuz anothuh huge house, nothin ah ain't seen befo, so ah got ovuh de size real quick. Dat attorney, ah realized came tuh de house everyday an each time, he would teach me how tuh read furthuh Dan whut mama taught me an also taught me tuh write. He wuz awful nice tuh. Mr. Carlisle even got women come an teach me posture.

Ah had tuh learn how tuh properly hold uh knife, drink tea an evrythin else. Black people don't drink tea. So when ah tasted it, it tasted lak water wid uh little seasonin. Even though he wuz sick, Mr. Carlisle always made sure ah wuz alright. When dinnuh time came, he asked me one uh de weirdes things ah've evuh been asked. De man who always seemed full uh joy, seemed intense---so ah became intense.

"Mercy---we'll have to change your appearance a little also." He said.

Ah put mah fork down.

"Well--you know. I can't be a white person and you be a person of color. Things would get complicated. Although your skin tone is close to seeming caucasian, your very dark hair---gives you off."

"How are you going to try to change my hair?" Ah ask tryna put what ah learne intuh play.

Mah hair wuz one de only thing ah had dat ain't nevuh been mistreated. An now, dey wanted tuh take it away from me tuh. It wuz long, wid uh mix uh frizz an straight aspec tuh it--but he wuz right. Mah hair showed de black side uh me.

"Some women up in the north, are trying a new product that is said to lighten their hair. I purchased it already and it says that you hair should amber."

Ah hesitated befo ah spoke.

"Ah ain't sure ah want tuh change mah hair." Ah said not carin bout soundin propuh no mo.

He violently coughed intuh his handkerchief.

"Should ah git de doctor?" Ah asked skeered.

"No, no. Sit." He took uh deep breath. "I want you to be my daughter because I never had the chance nor time to father children. You are different from the current young ladies, and I hope you know that. I wish to give you opportunities you've never had."

"Why me?" Ah asked. "Ah wuz uh slave befo ah came here an even tho ah's real light, Ah'm still black."

He took uh deep breath.

"Because you are what my daughter could have looked like if her African American and herself ha not been murdered by my father." He responded.

Ah stayed shut. Ah felt bad fuh de man.

"Will you do it?"

Ah shook mah head yes.

Aftuh ah ate, ah wuz taken tuh mah room. 2 women took mah hair, unbraided it an combed it out. Ah took one last look at mah ebony black hair one last time an closed mah eyes. Ah ain't know why, but ah did.

De women inplanted de liquid intuh mah hair an combed it out once again. Dey wrapped mah hair wid uh small towel an let it sit fuh 10 minutes. Ah soon found mahself being made ovuh. Ah asked dem not tuh cut mah hair an dey ain't. Dey took uh whole hour tuh finish.

When ah finally opened mah eyes--ah saw uh different person. Lak it wasn't me. Ah seemed mo believable as uh white person. Mah hair wasn't black no mo. Ah still had mah caramel an milk skin tone, but ah ain't seem de same.

Mah hair wuz really amber. De women added curls an put mah hair up intuh de latest fashion. It looked tuh hard tuh explain. Ah wondered if Daniel woulda liked it.

Uh part uh me felt uncomfortable wid de color, but anothuh part uh me became excited.

Maybe it wuz necessary.

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