Branded

Chapter One - The Flashback

 A note from the author:

I apoligise for any typos or other mistakes, but I hope that you can still enjoy the book despite this error. Also, please note, I do not want anyone using my ideas, as I have come up with them all myself, and do not want anyone to claim them as their own. Happy reading!

This is dedicated to dreamwritergirl, friend who I know personally on WattPad. Thank you @dreamwritergirl for creating the beautiful cover! Her story is amazing - please read!

Chapter One

 

The Flashback

            Up and down. Left and right. The boat swayed in the choppy waves. I sat, scrunched up in a ball between my dear Mother and Father, age only five. Mother was lying down, throwing up on her own, once sweet-smelling, clothes, whereas Father sat up, comforting me. Mother was NOT well. I knew it, but she would not believe that she was so ill, until she starting being sick every few minutes. This was what I had to sleep in. For many weeks. This was my bed for the night.

            I was one of the youngest on the vessel. There was also one other girl, Nadia, but she never talked to me, just sat watching Mother being sick. I had spent lots of time with my Auntie Karrima, who slept next to us. She sometimes managed to cheer me up by saying that even though my life was drastically changing, I could still be happy. She informed me that we were heading North-West from Sierra Leone to America. I now knew that I had a friend, even if she was Mother's age, and a relative. Anyone can be a friend now.

            I didn't get to sleep that night. I just lay on the slippery floor, splattered with urine, dung and sick. The one thing that made me happy was my long, dark hair. Mother said it was ebony, and the most beautiful hair she had ever seen. Wrapping my locks around my finger, I thought of all the people upstairs. The rich men drinking beer, and the few ladies eating their perfect foods with dainty hands. I rubbed my desperately thin stomach and heard it rumble extremely loudly. We could hear them laughing from all the way down here. I even heard the Captain cry, "We have a beautiful variation of slaves here! Old, young, slaves-to-be and experienced workers. We are going to be richer that you could ever imagine!"

            They may be rich and popular, but we are the ones with hearts. The ones who care for other people.

            Finally, I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep. I dreamt that I was on a peaceful boat. Playing with friends. Then a big wave came and washed over us. It swept away all the other girls and boys away, and left me on my own. On a boat. Alone on a wide, wide sea.

*   *   *

I woke with a start. Other people lay awake too. I decided that I needed the comfort of my Mother. I crept towards her and nestled into her. She did not wake. I shook her shoulder. She did not wake. Harder. She did not wake. HARDER!

            I knew the awful truth, but I did not want to believe it. It couldn't be true. My darling Mother could not be...dead. No. Never! I woke Father. He groaned and rolled into a pile of Mother's sick. That made him groan even more.

            "Mother..."I gasped "she...she's dead!"

            "What?" Father cried "No. She can't be."

            He felt her pulse. He felt her forehead. Tears rolled down his cheek and dropped onto Mother's ghostly-white face. He shook his head, wiped his bloodshot eyes, and gave me an encouraging smile. I finally saw for the first time, just how much he loved her. Father leant down and kissed Mother's soft lips for the last, sweet time. He covered her up with her woollen shawl and told me to leave her alone now. "She is with God," he said.