Mosana - Part XIV

EPISODE 14

It was the year 1836. By now, slavery was all I knew. How to bend to another man’s (and woman’s) will. I bent till I was about ready to break. Sometimes the injustice of it all threatened to drive me mad and make me lash out, but Flint kept me cool. He was my rock. All it took was a glance from him and I would swallow back my anger. So it didn’t matter what the Russells or Master Wells did, I bore it all. I drew the strength for that from Flint by my side. He taught me that silence was the safest way to keep your head. Not because you were weak, but because it gave you the chance to live and fight another day. And so I was silent. As long as he was there to hold me in the evenings, I took every lash, every stroke, every slap, every hit with an almost impassive expression. I simply looked forward to being with him after the day’s work.

It got harder and harder to hide what we felt for each other. I saw the look in his eyes each time. But we knew it was trouble to even think about it. Many times we would joke about getting married secretly. We would talk about sneaking out to go to the old chapel some miles away and getting married by the reverend. But it was just talk. The Russells would have our heads before we even made it to the gate. So we consoled ourselves with fantasies and wishful thinking. We would mock-fight about how many children to have; Flint wanted a horde of babies, while I wanted two: a little boy and a little girl. We would talk about where we would live and the garden we would have and what I would cultivate in the garden. We talked about my wedding gown, how elaborate it would be. I had no idea how weddings were done in America, so Flint explained it to me and with it I painted a wonderful picture in my mind. I wanted to marry him and experience all those things he said. I wanted to see Flint in a suit and dance with him to American wedding music. But like I said, wishful thinking.

I could tell Flint was getting restless. Maybe talking about what our future would look like together had we been free had gotten to his head. He was becoming reckless. We had gotten so good at hiding our love that no one suspected anything.We were strangers in the presence of Master Wells and the Manor mistresses, but in the slave quarters, we were tighter than two peas in a pod. But soon, Flint grew careless. Sometimes, as soon as Master Wells turned his back, Flint would grab my hand and squeeze it, throwing me a smile in the middle. In a flash, he would release it before Master Wells could see. My eyes would grow to twice their sizes as my heart would race in alarm, but Flint would remain as cool as a cucumber. Master Wells suspected nothing.

I tried to warn Flint of the dangers of playing stunts like that. What if we got caught? But he wouldn’t listen. He would only smile charmingly and disarm me. Soon, I would forget about what I was scolding him for as he held me and rocked me slowly. And so it continued, until we pushed our luck too far.

One day, Flint went a bit overboard. I was summoned by Master Wells to his quarters. I became apprehensive as anytime Master Wells summoned us privately to his quarters, it was to give us strict instructions. Usually, these instructions were from Madam Russell herself and included ridiculous or mean directives from her. One time, we received instructions to half what the slaves got as foodstuff. As if what they gave us before wasn’t already small. But we dared not complain. So I was summoned, and while going up the stairs to Master Wells’ room, I contemplated what he might have to say. I got there and found Flint already there. I can’t say I was surprised. Flint was like a foreman. Nothing happened without his knowing. There was no way Master Wells or Madam Russell would give instructions without going through him. He had a hold on the rest of the slaves younger or older than him. Another reason I wasn’t surprised was that Flint always found a way to involve me. Somehow, he had given Master Wells the notion that I was as competent as he was. So sometimes, information came through me. It depended on who they could lay their hands on first.

There I was, standing in front of Master Wells with Flint. As soon as I came in the door, the latter gave me a wink; which of course, the former didn’t notice. I averted my eyes and held my lips from smiling. Master Wells began to address us in his dead monotone, but I couldn’t concentrate. I was acutely aware of Flint’s presence. We stood about four feet apart, yet it was though we were close together. I watched him from the corner of my eye and tried to read his thoughts. Was he as aware of me as I was of him? But I said nothing, and did nothing. We both faced Master Wells and gave him our full attention. Or at least I tried to.

Then Master Wells stepped out, to consult with Madam Russell I think, and the air became tighter. It was just the two of us, Flint and I, left in the room. I maintained my gaze straight ahead, as if Master Wells was still standing there, and I didn’t glance at Flint once. I have to congratulate myself, I did pretty well. ‘Cause I was desperate to look into his eyes and have him smile at me. But I couldn’t. For I knew what I would find there. Mischief. What I didn’t know was what kind I would find. Flint could be unpredictable sometimes. I prayed for Master Wells to get back quickly so he could finish with us and we could go.

While I was fighting the battle of not moving my head or my eyes, Flint was busy planning his mischief. Without warning, not even a sound, he dived on me and began to tickle me at my waist. I gasped and screamed, he immediately swirled me around and buried my face in his shoulders to cut off my scream. But he didn’t stop tickling me. I struggled not to laugh, not to scream, and at the same time, for breath. I was excited and alarmed at the same time. What if Master Wells walked into the room?

As if he knew the exact time, or maybe the gods wanted to spare me pain, he stopped just as Master Wells walked back into the room. I almost choked on the laughter I was trying to hold in. I turned it into a cough and got a sharp look from Master Wells.

‘Enough of that, girl,’ he snarled.

I cleared my throat one last time before I straightened up and looked at him. ‘Yes, sir, Master Wells, sir.’

And that was how I narrowly escaped. I held my breath till I left the room. I walked faster than Flint back to the slave’s quarters. He called my name a few times but I ignored him. At a point I began to run. I didn’t want him to catch up with me. I wanted to unleash my fury while we were alone. I waited till he was in the door before giving him a hefty smack on the head.

‘Flint Joshua Bayne Marron!’

Let me pause here and explain something. Flint had been born in slavery. His real name was actually Joshua Bayne Marron. His former owner, who had owned him and his mother, gave him the name “Flint”. He was sold as Flint, and only Flint. Madam Russell couldn’t care less what he was called, as long as he was fit enough to work. Flint never told anyone his real name. That is, no one except me. He said it was the only thing he had to himself that the whites hadn’t taken. I cried when he told me of how he was separated from his mother. I wasn’t usually emotional, but his story touched something deep inside me.

So when he came in the door, I hissed his full name and hit him on the head with my fist, so he knew I was mad.

It didn’t affect him though. I guess years at the hands of Master Wells had hardened him to flimsy blows like mine. Instead he laughed. The son of a gun laughed at me and proceeded to carry me like I was nothing. I knew I couldn’t stay angry with him for long, so I had to make him understand the gravity of what could have happened. I struggled against him for a few seconds before finally giving up. I would just have to scold him while in his arms, I decided.

‘Are you laughing?’ I asked, trying to sound very angry. I could already feel the fury draining out of my body. There was something about the way he glued me to himself.

‘You know you can’t deny that it was worth it. When was the last time you were tickled, hmm?’

I stared at him like he was vomiting waste. He wasn’t even sorry!

‘Are you trying to get us in trouble, Flint? We could have died today had Master Wells caught us!’

‘But he didn’t,’ Flint retorted.

Oh Lord…

‘It was mighty funny to see you choke back a laugh though,’ he chuckled at me. ‘I thought you were gonna burst. Good show.’

I attempted to hit him again on the head, but this time, he caught my hand and wrapped it around himself, pulling me even closer. Needless to say, by now, I was no longer angry. Instead, I was acutely aware of how close we were. He had a way of infiltrating my senses and ridding me of all reasoning power.

Then without warning, exactly like the first time, he began to tickle me again. This time, I could scream and laugh as I struggled to get out of his grasp.

‘Told you it was worth it,’ he said, laughing with me. I managed to escape him and tried to run out the door. He caught me easily and pulled me back, continuing his onslaught of tickles. I laughed till I couldn’t breathe.

Then he stopped and watched me laugh. There was something in his expression that made me stop laughing and ask him, ‘What?’

He replied by kissing me. I gladly received him by throwing my hands around his neck and closing what little distance remained between us. Flint deepened the kiss and I clung to him, as for dear life, already lost to the world around me. That was my undoing. Or our undoing, if you like. Because I was so lost in Flint, I didn’t hear footsteps approach. I prided myself on having excellent hearing, but that day it failed me. Like an evil serpent, my ill luck reared its ugly head and swallowed my bliss.

The crash from cloud nine was brutal as I heard the words, ‘So this is why you wouldn’t even look at me.’

It was Amy, and she didn’t look too happy.

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Hey you!

Happy Sunday! And welcome to episode 14! Hope you laughed with Mosana as she was tickled. I know I did ;D

No long notes today. Till next Sunday,

xoxo,

Ava.