American Girl

North Carolina

"If you don't quit arguing and complaining, Master will sell you," Binta ventured tentatively. She eyed the steaming water, wishing she could bathe first.

"Don't care if he does." Missy shrugged. "Might find a better place."

"Or a worse one," Binta challenged.

"Doesn't pay to get all high and mighty," Missy grumbled, frowning. "Could happen to you, same as me and Mama."

"What could happen?" Kizzy asked, burying her bare feet in the black dirt.

"Never you mind," their elder sister snapped. "Go tell Papa his bath is ready."

Hesitating momentarily, Binta and Kizzy exchanged glances. Slowly, they walked toward the cabin.

"You tell him," Binta ordered.

"No, you tell him," Kizzy countered.

"Why can't Missy tell him?" Binta looked over her shoulder. Missy waved them toward the house.

"Busy." Kizzy shrugged.

"Ever wonder why we're different, Kizz?" Binta asked, clasping her sister's arm.

"Best not to know." Kizzy shrugged again.

"Papa doesn't like us very much." The girls moved closer to the cabin. Whynot sat on the porch step whittling. He ignored them when they stepped over him.

Whynot didn't pay much attention to his younger sisters. He got his name when Mama told Papa she was pregnant. Papa shrugged his shoulders and said 'Whynot.' Binta thought it was a funny name.

Binta stood outside the cabin door. Inside, she could hear Papa's voice. It came through the thin walls as though they didn't exist. She hesitated before entering and pressed her ear against the crack.

"You're my woman," he yelled angrily. "We jumped the broom, pledging our lives together. Don't I have any rights?"

"I cannot disobey Master," Mama answered softly. "If I refused, he'd up and sell us...All of us."

"He threatened you with that?" Papa asked, his voice tapering off.

"Yes."

Binta cracked open the door and peered inside. Papa stood beside the table. Mama sat in a straight-backed chair, holding her apron against her face. She sobbed. Balling his hands into fists, Papa hovered above her. He stretched out his arm and patted the top of her head. Mama looked up and smiled slightly.

"He would sell all of us?" Papa finally asked.

"Except...except..."

"No, of course he wouldn't," Papa conceded. He turned away, dashing at his own tears. "He wouldn't sell his own."

Gasping, Binta stepped backward onto Kizzy's toes. Her younger sister squealed in pain. Before they could move, the door flew open. Papa filled the frame with his massive bulk. The girls backed away and stumbled over Whynot. The three of them sprawled in the dooryard. Scrambling to their feet, they huddled close together.

"Your...your water's ready, Papa," Kizzy ventured, stepping forward.

Papa kept his eyes on them. For a moment, he started to speak. Instead, he slumped his shoulders and walked around the cabin.

"What was that all about?" Whynot demanded hotly. Binta and Kizzy shrugged their shoulders.

Behind the cabin, Missy kept the water hot. She assisted Papa with his bath, then Mama and Josiah. After the elder brother cleaned himself, it was Missy's turn. She finished and added more hot water for Whynot. He washed the quickest, leaving the tub for Binta. She undressed quickly and submerged herself.

During the previous year, Binta became more aware of her own body. It had blossomed and appeared womanlier. She didn't like to bathe outside any longer. Anyone passing could see her in the tub. Often, she noticed Papa on the back porch watching her. She didn't like his eyes on her body. Kizzy felt the same way.

On Sunday morning, they walked to church with other slave families. Everyone attended except for Missy, who didn't feel well. After breakfast, she vomited into the waste bucket. Mama looked at her eldest daughter sharply and told her to return to bed.

Papa and Mama both wore long, foreboding expressions. Binta realized they felt concerned about Missy. Her eldest sister was a strong girl who never complained of illness. The suddenness of her vomiting concerned her parents. Papa suggested Old Lethabo look at her. The elderly slave woman looked after the sick and decrepit among the Negro population. Mama shook her head 'no' and cautioned Papa to remain silent in front of the younger child. Binta guessed Mama knew what was wrong with Missy.

When they returned from church services, Missy was gone. Mama's brow creased into deep furrows, and Papa sent Whynot to look for her. The middle brother came back quickly, panting for breath. He pointed erratically toward the plantation house. Papa grabbed him by the arms and shook him hard.

"Is Missy at the plantation?" he asked when Whynot settled down.

Whynot shook his head emphatically. His eyes bulged, and his lips looked like elastic bands. He blubbered when he tried to speak.

"Where in tarnation is she?" Papa shouted, his frustration rising.

"In the white church," Whynot finally stammered.

Papa released his middle son and ran. Mama followed, stumbling over her long skirt. Josiah and the other youngsters followed. By the time they reached the church, a crowd of white and negros surrounded it. Missy stood on the church porch, facing Master. She pointed her finger in his face accusingly. Suddenly, she pivoted and confronted the crowd. Missy tightened her dress, outlining her protruding belly.

Binta and Kizzy clung to each other. They both recognized Missy's condition. Raising her voice, their sister accused Master of rape. Master and the Minister stepped forward. They dragged Missy into the church and slammed the door. Papa and Mama rushed inside after them.

"What's happened?" Binta asked Josiah. Her eldest brother shrugged, then escorted his family back to their cabin.

"What's going on, Josiah?" Binta asked again. She stood face-to-face with her older brother. "Did Master rape Missy? I...I don't believe it."

"Why not?" Josiah asked briskly.

"Because Master wouldn't..." Binta started to say. She thought about the kindness Master had shown her and how he looked at her. No, she could not believe anything wrong about Master.

"Wouldn't he?" her brother snapped angrily. "If he wouldn't, where do you think you and Kizzy came from? Isn't it obvious?"

"But...but..." Tears emerged from Binta's eyes. Then, a sudden understanding dawned upon her. The girls' fair skin and blue eyes proved their heritage. Master had fathered another baby with Missy.

Kizzy pressed against Binta's side and grasped her hand. The two girls sat on a bench and sobbed.

The following week, Master took Missy to auction. He sold her with the unborn baby as a bonus. Papa and Mama were taken away the following week, along with Josiah. Whynot remained with the stablemaster.

Binta and Kizzy sat on the veranda steps. Binta held a primer in her lap. Laboriously, she read out loud. Kizzy leaned her head on her sister's shoulder and formed the words with her lips. On the porch, Master sat in his rocker, puffing his cigar. He listened attentively to his daughters' recitation.

Binta settled into her new life happily. She wore a flounced blue dress with a white pinafore and high black shoes. When she bathed, she had fresh hot water each time. The girls shared a large bedroom in the plantation house and received an education.

Often, Binta and Kizzy spoke about Papa and Mama. They missed Mama especially but saw Whynot frequently. Over time, their old life faded, and they were looked upon as Master's daughters.

!!!COMING SOON!!!

RHODE ISLAND