Route to Freedom - Garrett Curbow (books for 20 year olds .TXT) 📗

I always think of what the world would be if slavery was illegal. Everyone will be happy and joyful. There will be no more sorrow or pain. I can’t wait ‘till that day comes. I sigh, that day will never come, why am I am such an idiot for even thinking of that. If the master even caught me saying I want to be free he would slap me on the face and make me sleep outside for the night.
“Harsh, cruel, mean, ugly, fat, hideous,” I say to myself, describing the master in my eyes. That’s when my older brother, Samuel walks out from behind a tree, where he was listening to me.
“It’s not nice to eavesdrop,” I say firmly. “Yeah, well we’ll see what father says when he finds out what you were saying about Master Cooper,” Samuel snaps back at me. He takes off for the slave house that is our home and I can already hear daddy’s voice in my head saying: “Why would you even think about saying those words about the master. We are Christians!”
“Catch me if you can!” Samuel yelled back at me. I am trying as hard as I can but my little 11 year old legs cannot compare to the 18 year old legs of my brother. I am still running at top speed. Hoping that somehow Samuel will just fall and I can make a sort of compromise with him so he wouldn’t tell father, but that didn’t happen.
I am so confused when he stops dead in his tracks. We are now right beside each other, hiding behind an enormous willow tree. In front of us, about five feet, is a group of white men talking: “-----Samuel, and all of them. Yep that’s right boys. They are going to be sold.” I recognized the voice as Master Cooper. Then another man spoke, “Why would you sell Lee? He’s one of your best men.” “Well Will, someone offered me top price for him,” Copper replied. I almost screamed, but Samuel covered my mouth. Lee was my father.
As the group of men leave Samuel and I rush to the slave houses to break the terrible news to mama and papa.
“MAMA… PAPA!” I yell as I rush through the door. “What?” my papa asks me. “Master Cooper is planning on selling you and Samuel to another plantation.” “I heard them say that it was in Texas,” Samuel announced. A tear rolled down my face. “Bell, everything will be okay,” my papa says to me as he picks me up. He is in shape from working in the fields and doing tough jobs all day, so picking me up was n problem. “Papa what if I never see you or Samuel ever again?” I ask eagerly. “Go to bed we’ll figure it out in the morning.” Papa says quietly.

I cannot go to sleep tonight. There are too many thoughts going through my brain. I will probably never see my dad or Samuel ever again. Finally after hours of thoughts I am able to drift off into a deep, deep sleep…

There is a draft in the one roomed house when I wake up. I notice that everyone isn’t here. I see that the door was left open and that’s what caused the breeze. That doesn’t explain where everybody went. I get up and look at the door. There is a note pinned to it. I pick it up and read it:

Dear Mrs. Bell,
I am very sorry to tell you that your father and brother are now in another plantation. They will not be returning for any visits. You will probably never see them again. I hope that you understand that I only sold them because a man offered a very high price and it will make this a plantation even better. I hope you will forgive me.
Sincerely,
Edward Cooper.
I have tears streaming down my face. I run out of the house. I have to find them. I am going to. If I do not then I will ask Master Cooper if he could sell my mother and me to the same plantation. I rush through the corn fields and past the main house. I am running away. There is not a doubt in my mind. Wait, where’s mama? I run back to the house and look everywhere, but no sign of mama. I look at the door and flip the note over and on the back handwritten are the words:
Your mom is sold too!
More disappointment is filled in me. I never wanted anything bad to happen to my family. Then out of the nowhere my family gets split apart. I run back outside and sneak my way around the house. There is only one person that I can trust here at the plantation, and her name is Eva. She is the cook’s 19 year old daughter. I peek into the kitchen and whisper, “Eva.” She surprisingly walks out and asks, “Do you want to know where your family was sold?” “Yes,” I say. “Your mom was sold to the Ellie Plantation in Newnan, Georgia, and your dad and brother were sold to the Alan Plantation in Dallas, Texas.” “Oh and I have a question for you. Can I come with you to help rescue your family?” Eva asks eagerly. “Yes you may,” I answer.
She goes inside to pack some things and then we start to head to the barn to get a horse and cart. “Now remember, you have to stay under these blankets so no one will see you,” Eva Instructs.
I climb into the cart and do as I am told and before you know it I am under a bunch of blankets covered by bucket loads of hay. “Do you really think that this’ll work?” I ask. “Positive,” she answers.
We set off into the cool morning. Hoping that we will be able to retrieve my family and get back without being killed.

Text: Garrett Curbow
Images: Garrett Curbow
Editing: Garrett Curbow
Translation: Garrett Curbow
Publication Date: 11-27-2012

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