Caged Bird Screaming

Injustice

Yulana stood by the window peeling an apple. She squinted as the big yellow ball ascended into the sky making it different shades of pink, yellow and orange. She turned her head wishing Miriam was beside her chattering happily about the beauty of a new day.

“It’s a beautiful day Miriam.” She said softly wiping a tear from her eye. Yulana waited, expecting Miriam to answer...but she never did. She was gone. She was never coming back.

Yulana finished cutting the apples and began baking the bread when she heard footsteps behind her. She initially thought it was the mistress watching their movement. She kept working, not daring to look up in case the mistress was standing by the doorway.

“Yulana.”

Yulana stopped and turned around when she heard Henry’s small voice.

“Yes master.” She replied.

Henry was standing by the doorway clutching one of the soft stuffed bears his cousin had given him for Christmas. “I had a bad dream.” He said softly as he walked towards her.

“Oh.” She picked him up and placed him on the small table “What happened.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Yulana stroked his blonde hair “It’s better telling someone about it.”

Henry’s eyes widened like saucers when she said that. “Really?”

“Yes. Now tell me about your dream.” She sat next to him and stifled a groan at her aching bones.

Henry sniffed “I dreamt I was being chased by one of the blood hounds.”

Yulana sighed “But it didn’t catch you did it?”

“No.”

“Well then there’s nothing to be afraid of. The bible says God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and sound mind.” She caressed his cheek. “There’s no need to be afraid because God is with us and he will always protect us.”

Henry nodded and smiled weakly “Thank you Yulana. I feel better now.”

“Remember Henry God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power. Whenever you have a bad dream, tell God about it and he’ll protect you. He will not call you a coward or a fool. He’ll gladly help you”

She ruffled his head as he left the kitchen “Goodbye Yulana.”

“Goodbye Henry.”

With the help of two girls, Yulana set up the eating room for breakfast. She paid careful attention to what the girls did, making sure everything was perfect else they’d all face the wrath of the mistress.

She grinned when the girls finished their work and later found out their names were Eugene and Jenny. Both were mulatto; just like Jack.

Yulana turned away and exhaled loudly. She couldn’t think of Jack. She couldn’t think of Miriam.  Her faith would run even lower if she thought of them.

“You can leave now.” She dismissed the girls who scurried out of the room. Yulana too left, silently closing the door behind her.

Harriet stood by her box filled with jewels and smiled cynically as she took her pearl necklace and placed it in her pocket. No woman, especially a slave would steal her son away from her. She shut the lid and walked out of the house to the slave quarters. Some women who saw her walk past bowed their heads and hurried away. They didn’t question why she was in the slave quarters. Even the overseers who saw her looked the other way and twiddled their thumbs knowing they knew if they said or did anything, they would lose their jobs.