The Heist
By Hemant Kumar
Rachel gently placed down the pile of firewood by the fireplace. She was exhausted it was the third pile of she had to chop and bring in today. She sat down for a second her muscles aced, she needed to get back to it, before her mistress came in. She stood up straight and yawned it was already 5:30. She went into the kitchen and fetched the teapot and made some tea. The water slowly turned brown like waiting for the sun to rise. She looked at her dark brown skin If only she were white. She would have her own personal slave a big white house, get to eat real food and get to taste tea! As the water finally turned dark brown she poured it into the teapot. She set out the teacups the sugar on one tray and brought it out as her owner Sarah and her master Sir John sat down. They both took a teacup and put sugar in the tea.
Rachel looked into the deep brown of the tea in sir john’s cup. Rachel smelled the delicious taste that was longing to be brought to her lips. Her hands went out to take the cup but snapped back in when Mistress Sarah yelled, “Stop at once! You fool! Tea is only for civilized human beings! Not a negro like you!” Rachel set the pot of tea by Sir John and ran out into the fields where her mother was picking cotton with a few other Africans. She spotted her mother and hugged her.
“What’s happened?” asked her mother stroking her braids. “Oh Mother!” said Rachel wrapping her arms even tighter around her.
“Rachel!” yelled Sir John.
“Go child” said her mother. “I’ll be right here”
Rachel ran toward the front door.
“A slave owner is here to have a look at you” said Sir John pushing her into the house. Rachel’s heart skipped a beat. She held back her tears The slave owner was sure to take her away from her mother and papa and little Noel who was only eight months old. She would be thrown on a ship and would be taken somewhere else in the world.
The man examined her carefully. He whispered something in Sir John’s ear. “Girl” said the slave owner “get me some water.” Rachel hurried into the kitchen and filled a glass with the water from tap. She carried the glass into the dining room and poured the man some water. “You’ve got this girl well trained, sir,” the slave owner said to Sir John.
“Well then, that settles it” Sir John said shaking hands with the man. The slave owner took hold of Rachel’s dress and started to drag her.
“No! No!” Rachel screamed. The slave owner put heavy shackles on her feet.
“No! Don’t take my baby!” her mother screamed. She raced through the cotton fields as fast as she could. She dropped on her knees in front of Sir John. “Please!” she begged, “don’t let them take her”
“Mama!” Rachel cried as the slave owner flicked the horses with a whip. Her mother got off her knees and raced after the horse. Rachel held her hand out for her mother to take it. Her mother grabbed hold of it and pulled Rachel off as she landed on the dirt road.
She whispered in her ear “Follow me.” Her mother started running into the woods. Rachel’s heavy shackles slowed her down. Mama picked her up and ran as fast as she could. They heard dog barks behind them. She raced inside a cave and put a hand over Rachel’s mouth while several dogs ran past the cave. One dog stopped. He sniffed around and looked into the cave. Her mother carried Rachel deeper into the cave. She found a little hole for Rachel to climb in but she put Rachel in the hole too soon. The dog heard her shackles clang against the hard rocky floor of the cave. Her mother threw a big rock to throw at the dog. The dog saw her and started barking madly she threw the big rock on top of the dog. She picked up Rachel and started running.
As night fell her mother set Rachel on the ground. “Oh Mama!” cried Rachel throwing her arms over her. “Thank you! I was so scared I don’t know why I didn’t free myself from him.”
“It’s OK” said mother letting go of Rachel
As the day broke they both scrambled into a cave tired and exhausted. “Let’s try to get some rest” Rachel said.
“But we need food,” said mother opening the sack that had been carrying cotton from the fields back at Mistress Sarah’s house. “I’ve got a bit of bread and an apple” she replied as she split the piece of bread with Rachel. After that they both fell asleep.
“Rachel! Wake up,” cried her mother shaking Rachel furiously. Rachel sat up just in time to see the sun go down. Mama picked up Rachel and they ran from tree to tree like a deer. After a while Rachel spotted an old house in the woods. Mama set Rachel down on the porch and knocked on the door making a light melody.
“Ah juba come” the voice answered.
The door opened and there stood an old lady at the height of Rachel. The old lady looked at the shackles around Rachel’s feet. “Come inside quick” the old lady said. “I don’t want you two to get in trouble.”
She carefully picked the lock on the shackles clinging to Rachel’s ankles while Mama told their story. “There we go!” said the old lady as she pulled the shackles off of Rachel’s feet. Rachel rubbed the dark red marks circled around her ankles. A loud knock was at the door. “It’s them!” the old lady whispered. She rushed to the back of the house where an old wardrobe stood. She pushed it aside and pulled at a rope connected to the wall. The wall opened like a door. “Quick hide in this hole!” said the old lady pushing both of them in. She gave the shackles to mama. “Don’t want to get in trouble do we now?” she said shutting the door. “May I help you,” she asked as she opened the door
“We’re looking for a young girl around ten and a woman around thirty. We’re going to look around,” a loud voice yelled. Rachel heard a pair of feet shutter into the room then she heard him opening drawers and even opened the wardrobe in front of the hole but finally they left.
The next day the old lady gave them some new clothes to wear. They were off once again but this time with Rachel running for her life as well.
As the sun started rising they stumbled upon a sign. Rachel who didn’t know how to read tried to make out what it said she gave a sigh of relief. “What does it say Mama?” Rachel asked. “It says Welcome to Pennsylvania!” she replied. Suddenly something didn’t seem right. “Will we ever see Noel and Papa again?” Rachel asked as they walked through a large pasture. “I bet we will someday” Mama assured her “but don’t let worries come over you child we’re free!” The sound and sweetness of the word free came over Rachel. “Free,” Rachel whispered. “We are free.”
A Cultural experience teaches us not simply that people have different beliefs but that people seek meaning and understanding.