Caged Bird Screaming

By the light of torch

A/N: I just felt like updating. Exams are over, and I'm out of school until Febuary :) I hope you like it.

Axe shivered as the women’s song crawled across his skin, making his heart tremble with fear. Their voices low and deep blended together to form a song for the dead in a language he had never heard before. He watched as two men lowered Chapel’s coffin into the small grave, which was partially filled with water. They couldn’t bury Chapel during the day. Hawk woman told him no one could stop to do it in the day since there was too much work to be done and the master’s men would not be happy. There were a large number of Negroes present at Chapel’s funeral watching as the old man was laid to rest.

“Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.” Axe’s ears became alert as a woman’s lone voice rose above the deep hums of the other women.  “I once was lost but now I’m found. Was blind but now I see.” She sounded like a free bird singing, and for a moment, Axe lost himself in the magic of her voice. He forgot his sorrow. He forgot the heavy burden that lay on his shoulder. He was in another world...a place where he couldn’t describe. There he floated around, and breathed some fresh air. He walked past wild flowers, inhaling their wonderful scent... then the woman’s voice faded away and there was silence. Axe was brought back to present.

........

As soon as the maid opened the door, George rushed in, demanding to see Charles. Upon hearing the commotion in the hallway, Charles’ opened his study door. “What is going on here?” He yelled as he leaned on the wall. His head racked with pain and his back was killing him.

“My runaway slave is taking refuge in your plantation!” George said irritated that a planter could be so naive and not see to the slaves in his plantation.

“I have no knowledge of that. You must be mistaken.” Charles replied, surprised by what the gentleman before him had said.

“Can I check your plantation to make sure he isn’t here? He’s one of my best house hands and I cannot afford to lose him.” George asked. His patience was running out. It was quickly getting dark and he wasn’t ready to waste his time arguing with an old man.

“I’m sure he’s not here, but you can check just in case.” Charles’ said. He reached for his hat and when he returned to follow the man and his companions to the slave quarters, he found they had already gone. Charles groaned and hurried after them. Although it seemed he didn’t know his slaves well, he knew the ones belonging to him and didn’t want the man to take whichever slave he wanted and say the slave was the runaway.

........

Harriet stood by the attic window looking at the ground below her. The sky looked so beautiful and with the stars twinkling and lighting up the blackened world called night. She opened the window and sighed as the cool breeze ran lightly across her skin creating goose bumps in its wake. She leaned out of the window and stared as far out into the distance as she could. Out there, she could be free from her life. She’d be free from George, from Miriam, from the dreams...everything.

She climbed out and stood on the window sill. She smiled in wonder at the world around her. It was so surreal, so dreamlike. She was the only one outside in the cold night surrounded by a black sky, a silver moon and thousands of glowing stars. She laughed out loud when she realised she never noticed how beautiful the night was. She felt like an angel waiting to spread her wings. Her hair swirled around her face as the wind picked up speed. She was an angel ready to fly. She removed her hands from the interior casting and tiptoed to the edge of the sill, sighing as she moved closer and closer to the edge. She looked back one more time at the room behind her. She was going to spread her wings. She was going to be free. She was going to fly. Harriet jumped and laughed with glee. She was still laughing when her frail body came in contact with the ground below.

........

Most of the slaves including Hawk woman had left. They couldn’t stay at Chapel’s grave forever. They needed to rise before dawn to start another day of work.

Axe’s feet hurt miserably. He wanted to seat down but couldn’t because he was standing on mud and didn’t want to get any other part of his body except his feet, wet. His body filled with guilt and he couldn’t shake it off. It was as if it was glued to his chest dragging him down. If he hadn’t told Chapel the truth about Yulana...if he had kept his mouth shut about the handkerchief, Chapel wouldn’t be in his grave.

“I’m sorry Chapel. Forgive me.” He whispered.

........

George went through every hut, his eager eyes searching for Axe. He needed to find him before he ran away again. As he hurried past a row of huts, he grabbed a Negro passing by and shook him. “Have you seen a boy named Axe?” The Negro made small noises in his throat out of fear of what might happen to him. “Answer me!” George shook the man violently.

“I...I saw him with Clarence at old Chapel’s burial.” The man stammered said nervously.

“Where is the woman’s hut?” He asked.

“It’s the one closest to the back of the house.” George let the man go and hurried to the back of the planter’s house cursing under his breath. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath when he saw Hawk woman’s hut. Remembering the importance of finding Axe, he ran towards the hut and burst open the door.

“You there!” He grabbed Hawk woman by the shirt and shook her awake. Her eyes flung open and she paled at the sight of George. “Where is he?” She immediately knew he was after Axe. George slapped her. “Where is he?” Hawk woman made small moans at the back of her throat and was slapped again by George. “Where is he?!” He yelled. Hawk woman remained defiant refusing to say a word. Let the man find Axe by himself. She would in no way aid him in capturing the boy she had slowly come to love.

“I’ll never tell you where he is.” She said through gritted teeth. George punched her across the face and left the hut with Hawk woman lying unconscious on her mattress.

........

“I’m sorry about what happened Chapel, but I couldn’t bring myself to lie to you.” Axe sniffed and laughed bitterly. “I’m not sure if you can hear a word I’m saying. You are dead; but I hope the life you’re living now is far better than the one you used to live.”  Axe reached into his pocket and took the small branch he had broken off a cotton plant, and placed it on Chapel’s grave. Chapel was a great field hand and was quick at picking cotton. The branch was once part of the plant Chapel had spent his life planting and harvesting its fruit. Now it was it’s time to be a faithful child and rest on its master’s grave. Axe was about leaving when he turned around and whispered “Remember to say hello to Yulana for me.” and walked away, leaving Chapel in the mud with a small cotton branch by his side.

Axe was about returning back to the slave quarters when he was grabbed from behind. He was spun around and his heart stopped when he saw George standing before him.

“Hello Dog.” The last thing he saw was George’s cruel sneer. He was hit at the back of the head with a club and blacked out.

Laurie smiled as the money was handed to her. She took a quick glance at Axe, turned on her heel and left them beside the Negroes grave yard.