Slave Journal

Guest post by Harry Lai

   South

   When I was little, I was separated from my family and brought to the South.  I worked there for many years.  There was a lot of conflicts between me and my master, but I could do nothing to make them understand how cruel slavery was.
   Today, I was beaten 15 times, the highest amount in a day of my miserable life.  1/3 of these beatings were for no reason.  I decided that I was going to escape.
   One stormy night, I wrapped the bread I had saved for my journey in a piece of cloth.  I climbed on a chair and crawled out the window on and landed like a cat onto the ground.  I looked up at the sky.  Other slaves told me that the North Star, the brightest star in the sky led North, and when you were north, you were free.  I ran toward the North Star.  I stopped, thinking if the rumor was true.  But there was no time to think.  If the overseer saw me out of my cabin, I'd be beaten bloody.  So I ran and ran.  I soon grew tired and slept under a bush, hoping it would conceal my body fully.



   So I rand and ran.  At day, I hid in whatever I could find, bushes, trees, and other nasty places.  I had dreams of Canada and what a wonderful place it would be.  I had nightmares about the barking of dogs getting louder and the slave hunter raising his gun to shoot me down.  I would wake up with a scream.  I would sigh with relief and hope no slave hunter would hear me.
   One day, I saw a cabin in the woods.  I saw a lit candle on the windowsill and I knew it would be safe to come in ...

   Stop 1

   I knew that my clothes were muddy.  I knew I barely ate anything and I knew that I was very tired.  I also knew that the family inside the cabin would provide me what I needed.
   I rapped the door with my fist.  The man who answered was a free black.  He led me inside where a feast was waiting for me.  All my master served me was bread and cabbage.  What was on my plate was ten times better than that so I ate till I thought I might throw up the "ambrosia" and "nectar."
   The free black's name was Varun.  He led me to his room  Then he ripped a picture of himself off the wall.  I found out Varun's picture was covering a hole big enough for a man to come through.
   "The hole leads to your room."  Varun said.  "If I knock on the picture there three times, it means that a slave hunter is breaking in and it's dangerous to come out."
   I said my "Thank you's" and took a long, hot bath.  I felt great to be clean after weeks of being covered with dirt from head to toe.
   After my bath, I went into my hiding place and slept.
   I crawled out of my hiding in time for breakfast.  I ate a fascinating meal of bacon and eggs.
   "You may think today's gonna be unpleasant," Varun said, "But you're gonna have to hide under a pile of hay in my wagon so I can take you toward the mountains you need to pass to heaven."  He paused and said, "But maybe you'll end up in hell."
   He was right.  The hay scratched me bloody and it was hard to breathe without getting hay in your mouth.
   After the dreadful trip, Varun dropped me off with a bag with a bunch of bacon and bread along with 3 gallons of water.  The bag weighed a ton but being a slave gave me strength and my desire to get to freedom did too.

   Stop 2

   when Varun dropped me off, it was already night.  I raced through the woods, walking in zig-zag, trying to confuse the slave hunters' dogs.  I ignored the burning cut my bad made on my shoulder.
   After a few weeks I found the mass of mountains waiting for me.  I began to doubt I could get to Canada, but I shoved my doubts away and went up the rocky side of a mountain.
   This went on for a couple of months.  I ate what could find.  Berries, buts, even worms.  I soon became tired of this.  I thought of all my ancestors.  What did they use to get meat.  A bow and arrows.  I spent the next hours making a bow and some arrows.  The first time I tried them, I failed.  I also failed on the second, third, and fourth times.  On the fifth time, I managed to kill a squirrel who was busy eating.  But I knew my arrows wouldn't do much on other animals.  So I spent a few days making my arrows better and better.  Soon, there was a pile of meat next to my campsite.
   I knew that I would need to cook the food in order to eat it.  But the smell of fire and the sight of smoke would alert dogs and the slave hunters.  I shrugged and thought, well, if I keep on eating like I am right now, I'm gonna starve to death.  I found some matches in my bag from Varun.  I started the fire and cooked the food.  I had a feast that night.
   Next morning, I decided I needed to move quickly because salve hunters' dogs might've smelled the fire.  I hid in a cave I found.  I finished the meat that night.  Next morning, I was awaken by the barking of dogs.
   "We know you're there, little rascal," an angry voice howled through the cave.
   I quickly grabbed my bow and arrow, knowing that the slave hunters were outside the cave.  How foolish was I to make a fire!
   "Hurry up and get out, you beast, your master's angry and we're gonna get 20 grand."
   He never said more.  An arrow slammed into his chest and through his heart.
   I looked up and saw another slave hunter knowing his reaction would be a shot, I dove to the ground to dodge the bullet.  Still on the dirt floor, I slammed my foot into the slave hunter's ankle, causing him to drop his rifle.  I quickly took it and smacked him in the face with it.  Then I quickly shot him into the heart, blood all over his body.
   "Get over here," a voice shouted.  I looked up, expecting to see a slave hunter, but it was a white man riding a horse--with no weapon.
   The next thing I knew, hot pain smacked my back, taking me down.  I saw a black dog looming over me, teeth red with blood.  I prepared for it to tear my throat apart.
   A boot slammed into the dog's face, glancing my head.  I got up and just in time to see the dog biting the white man's leg.  Sensing danger, his horse smacked the dog's head, sending it flying.  the dog lay down on the ground, unconscious.
   "What's your name?"  I asked.
   "Jason Joe."  The white man replied.  He limped onto the horse and told me to mount it.  We zoomed through the forest and to a little cabin.
   "My horse's name is Fiery."  Jason said.  "You're leaving tomorrow, I expect more slave hunters coming for you.  You're taking Fiery with you.  I've got no use for him now.  You know, you shouldn't have killed the slave hunters, you've made yourself more wanted.
   He was right.  Before I left, I saw the newspaper on the flour.  It said:

Attention to Slave Hunters!

Reward for Harry Lai.  100,000 gold doubloons.

Has 5 scars on neck!  Dangerous!  Murdered 2 men.

   Stop 3


   I mounted Fiery and we headed out of the mountains.  Fiery seemed nervous.  He wasn't used to me on his back.  The first times I tried to mount him on my own, Fiery shook me off.  As days went on, Fiery got used to me and liked me more.  I kept on telling him about my life and what a great place Canada was.  We finally got out of the dreadful mountains.  And I put on the disguises Jason gave me.
   I waved to a wagon and said "Bridge to Canada?"
   "We're all going there,"  the driver said.
   I sat on the bench.  I looked at who was next to me and I tried not to scream.  It was master!  Okay, so it was, I am in my disguise, he won't recognize me.
   I felt sick on the ride.  What if I was caught?  What if I was brought back to the South?  Billions of thoughts ran through my head.
   I was armed with a pocket knife but I couldn't kill him in broad daylight.  I remembered what Jason had said "You've made yourself more wanted."  Great.  How was I going to fight back.  No, of course I wasn't going to fight back I'd get myself in more trouble.
   I didn't know I was lying.
   The wagon stopped at a huge long bridge.  At the other end, a beautiful, snowy landscape went on and on.  Canada!
   Me, my ex-master, and the others walked across the bridge.  Almost to freedom!  I felt extremely happy.  No white man could command me now!
   My master turned to me.  He caught me in the eye.
   His next wors froze me.
   "You're that little pig."
   "Then he shouted, "This child has killed 2 men and is a fugitive slave.  I've caught him myself so I'll be keepin' my money!"
   I panicked.  I felt a familiar weight in my pocket and took out my pocket knife.  The blade disappeared in his stomach and re appeared, dripping with blood.  I side stepped as my ex-master let out a loud groan and fell face first, a pool of blood slowly growing bigger besides him.
   I felt like I wanted to laugh.  Here was a slave stabbing his master!  And there was no one to whip me!
   Everyone was staring at me with shock.  I knew if I was caught, I'd be sent to jail.  so I ran across the bridge, Fiery besides me.  Suddenly, figures appeared at the other end of the bridge.  They were a mixture of police and slave hunters.  Now I was certainly going to be caught!
   I'd rather die than be a slave or to go to jail.  When I was about to stab myself, a familiar voice shouted, "You thought black was bad, well think again!"
   I turned to see Varun and a squad of white men charging at the salve hunters and police armed with guns and swords.
   Varun jogged to me.  "Do you know what day it is?"  When I shook my head, he said, "February 12, Abraham Lincoln's birthday!"
   Then Varun said, "Anyway, I was tracking you down ever since you got off my wagon.  I saw those Southerners appear at the other end of the bridge.  I knew Abraham Lincoln was having a parade nearby so I contacted him immediately.  So now he's helping you escape."
   Varun looked around and pointed at a man with a sword with a big hat.  "That's him." he said.
   I was given a sword and I charged into battle.  Suddenly I was put in a head lock and dragged away from battle.  The man who did this was strong.  All my struggles were useless.  Then, he let me out of the lock.
   "My name's Jefferson Davis, president of the South.  You killed two of my slave hunters and you will pay."
   "He unleashed a series of overhead cuts.  I parried all of them but my hands felt numb from the force of Davis' broadsword.
   Davis attacked more and more times.  Finally my sword broke.
   "I believe we're done."  Davis chuckled.  When he saw me take out my dagger.
   "What're you going to do with that little thing?"  Davis sneered.
   He shot an overhead cut at me.  To Davis' surprise, I slammed my dagger into the flat of his blade, forming an x and knocking the sword of course.  The blade only hit air.  I took a step forward and drove my dagger into Davis' heart.
   Davis fell and lay very still.
   Everyone stared at me and Davis for a few moments.
   Then, Abraham's men burst into cheering.

   Freedom

   We won the battle on the bridge.  Abraham Lincoln invited me to his parade for killing Davis.  I accepted. After the celebration, I went to Canada where I lived for the rest of my life in freedom.  I felt very grateful to Lincoln when I received these letters.

To Harry,
Subject:  On Feb. 13 ...
We made up a story to convince people you didn't murder anyone.
From, Abraham

To Harry,
Subject: 1865
We won the Civil War!
From, Abraham