Mosana (The Union) - Part VII
EPISODE 7
“Who?”
She didn’t seem to hear me.
“Who’s the father, Andrea?”
She ignored me for a few more seconds before turning to face me, her face ashen. One word, “Master.”
I thought I had suddenly developed hearing problems. Did she just say that our master, Andrew Flounder was the father? Or maybe she was implying the complications that might arise once Master Flounder found out she was pregnant. Either way, I had to clarify.
“What did you say?” I asked, my voice breathless for no reason.
“The baby. It’s for the Master.”
I was taken aback. It was the way she said it… the baby is for the Master. Like she was just a vessel, a tool for the master’s use. The baby could never be hers. I had heard stories of course, of slave women carrying their master’s child, but it sounded like the babies had more or less been left to their mothers to take care of. Usually, the slave owners didn’t want the children, they just like the access to free sex.
Andrea’s plight sounded like it was more than that.
Worse.
Then it hit me. Andrea had two other children, Simone and Welma. I wondered if…
I asked, “Simone? Welma?” letting my voice trail off suggestively.
With the way her shoulders slumped, I knew my hunch was right. Andrew Flounder had also fathered those two girls. By the gods… The first daughter, Simone, was already four, and Welma was barely 2 years old.
“He wants a male child,” she said quietly. We were still outside the sleeping room, near the outdoor bathrooms, and we sat down on the ground. I didn’t speak, instead I put a hand on her back, rubbing gently. It seemed to make her open up more.
“Five years ago,” she continued, “the master Flounder took a shining to me. He gave me less tasks, and made me sorta like a supervisor over the rest. I thought it was luck, until he started to make advances towards me. That’s when I knew he had other plans for me.”
Andrea wasn’t crying. She just sat hunched, her eyes dry, but with a faraway look.
“The first time he had his way with me, he held his gun. Told me I could either let him, or he’d shoot me. I believed him, coz Andrew Flounder don’t talk cheap. He woulda shot me that night had I said no. So I took my clothes off for him, coz I didn’t want him to touch me more than was necessary. And then he…” She stopped there.
I waited. I thought there was more coming. But she straightened herself and gave me a shaky smile. “It’s a’ight though. I’m alright.” She seemed to be talking more to herself than to me. “If this one’s a boy,” she put her hand on her belly, “then I’m gon’ be free. He ain’t comin’ no more.”
Somehow, I doubted that. Men like Flounder were predators. If they could take it for free, they would come again. And again, and again, and again.
Andrea started to get up. I helped her. She closed her eyes and steadied herself against me for a second before she opened them and tried to smile again. But I wasn’t having it.
“You need to get out of here,” I said, looking her in the eye.
She offered a small laugh. “And how do you suggest I do that?”
I hesitated, wondering how much to tell her. But I couldn’t help her without giving myself away, at least a little bit. So I told her, “I know a way… through the Underground Railroad.”
Her eyes went as wide as serving plates and she grabbed me by the arm, pushing me back to the wall.
“What is you talking about?!” she hissed, looking about her like she expected to find people staring. But we were alone. From the look on her face, I wagered that she knew exactly what I was talking about. In the years since Rossie had begun her slave stealing, word had spread.
“The Underground Railroad,” I repeated. “A way out.”
“Ssshhhh! If anyone around here heard you say that, it’s gon’ be your head on the block. And maybe even mine, for just listenin’ to you!”
“But-”
“But nothin’! Andrew Flounder is a dangerous man.” She held my arm tighter, as if to reinforce her words. “Why do you think Moses ain’t never bin up here to take us slaves, huh? Because Master Flounder has eyes and ears everywhere! People fear him; but that don’t keep ‘em away, it only makes ‘em wanna please him, so they can get in his good graces.”
Moses? It took two seconds for me to get who Andrea referred to as ‘Moses’. Araminta Ross, AKA, Rossie. It was a nickname among slaves that even the Society had adopted. People called her Moses because she delivered her people from bondage. Apparently, Rossie had never been to the Flounder settlement to rescue slaves from the open plantation. I made a mental note to ask why once I got back to the Society.
If I got back…
I noticed how Andrea’s words became more and more slurred the faster she talked. She held my eyes, willing me to agree with her. I nodded. Fear was a powerful demotivator. It looked like I was going to have to leave her there. She didn’t look like she was ready to leave, and my mission was more important after all.
It wasn’t until 5 months later that Andrea had a change of heart… by force.
“Who?”
She didn’t seem to hear me.
“Who’s the father, Andrea?”
She ignored me for a few more seconds before turning to face me, her face ashen. One word, “Master.”
I thought I had suddenly developed hearing problems. Did she just say that our master, Andrew Flounder was the father? Or maybe she was implying the complications that might arise once Master Flounder found out she was pregnant. Either way, I had to clarify.
“What did you say?” I asked, my voice breathless for no reason.
“The baby. It’s for the Master.”
I was taken aback. It was the way she said it… the baby is for the Master. Like she was just a vessel, a tool for the master’s use. The baby could never be hers. I had heard stories of course, of slave women carrying their master’s child, but it sounded like the babies had more or less been left to their mothers to take care of. Usually, the slave owners didn’t want the children, they just like the access to free sex.
Andrea’s plight sounded like it was more than that.
Worse.
Then it hit me. Andrea had two other children, Simone and Welma. I wondered if…
I asked, “Simone? Welma?” letting my voice trail off suggestively.
With the way her shoulders slumped, I knew my hunch was right. Andrew Flounder had also fathered those two girls. By the gods… The first daughter, Simone, was already four, and Welma was barely 2 years old.
“He wants a male child,” she said quietly. We were still outside the sleeping room, near the outdoor bathrooms, and we sat down on the ground. I didn’t speak, instead I put a hand on her back, rubbing gently. It seemed to make her open up more.
“Five years ago,” she continued, “the master Flounder took a shining to me. He gave me less tasks, and made me sorta like a supervisor over the rest. I thought it was luck, until he started to make advances towards me. That’s when I knew he had other plans for me.”
Andrea wasn’t crying. She just sat hunched, her eyes dry, but with a faraway look.
“The first time he had his way with me, he held his gun. Told me I could either let him, or he’d shoot me. I believed him, coz Andrew Flounder don’t talk cheap. He woulda shot me that night had I said no. So I took my clothes off for him, coz I didn’t want him to touch me more than was necessary. And then he…” She stopped there.
I waited. I thought there was more coming. But she straightened herself and gave me a shaky smile. “It’s a’ight though. I’m alright.” She seemed to be talking more to herself than to me. “If this one’s a boy,” she put her hand on her belly, “then I’m gon’ be free. He ain’t comin’ no more.”
Somehow, I doubted that. Men like Flounder were predators. If they could take it for free, they would come again. And again, and again, and again.
Andrea started to get up. I helped her. She closed her eyes and steadied herself against me for a second before she opened them and tried to smile again. But I wasn’t having it.
“You need to get out of here,” I said, looking her in the eye.
She offered a small laugh. “And how do you suggest I do that?”
I hesitated, wondering how much to tell her. But I couldn’t help her without giving myself away, at least a little bit. So I told her, “I know a way… through the Underground Railroad.”
Her eyes went as wide as serving plates and she grabbed me by the arm, pushing me back to the wall.
“What is you talking about?!” she hissed, looking about her like she expected to find people staring. But we were alone. From the look on her face, I wagered that she knew exactly what I was talking about. In the years since Rossie had begun her slave stealing, word had spread.
“The Underground Railroad,” I repeated. “A way out.”
“Ssshhhh! If anyone around here heard you say that, it’s gon’ be your head on the block. And maybe even mine, for just listenin’ to you!”
“But-”
“But nothin’! Andrew Flounder is a dangerous man.” She held my arm tighter, as if to reinforce her words. “Why do you think Moses ain’t never bin up here to take us slaves, huh? Because Master Flounder has eyes and ears everywhere! People fear him; but that don’t keep ‘em away, it only makes ‘em wanna please him, so they can get in his good graces.”
Moses? It took two seconds for me to get who Andrea referred to as ‘Moses’. Araminta Ross, AKA, Rossie. It was a nickname among slaves that even the Society had adopted. People called her Moses because she delivered her people from bondage. Apparently, Rossie had never been to the Flounder settlement to rescue slaves from the open plantation. I made a mental note to ask why once I got back to the Society.
If I got back…
I noticed how Andrea’s words became more and more slurred the faster she talked. She held my eyes, willing me to agree with her. I nodded. Fear was a powerful demotivator. It looked like I was going to have to leave her there. She didn’t look like she was ready to leave, and my mission was more important after all.
It wasn’t until 5 months later that Andrea had a change of heart… by force.
__________________________________
Hey you!
No note today. Sorry it's short. Next week's post will be longer. It's not me you will kill. :-D
Till next Sunday,
xoxo,
Ava.
Hey you!
No note today. Sorry it's short. Next week's post will be longer. It's not me you will kill. :-D
Till next Sunday,
xoxo,
Ava.
A niece piece if you seek to know...
ReplyDeleteThe cruelty of man to another man continues!!!
Thank you. I'm wondering if you have realised that this episode is a part of a longer story. You will have to start from the very beginning. The first book actually. Link below.
ReplyDeletehttps://thestoriteer.blogspot.com/2020/04/mosana-part-1.html
Amazing 👏 weldone
ReplyDelete