American Girl (North Carolina)(Lea Sheryn) North Carolina

Binta stood on the rise above the plantation house. Its tall white pillars shaded the portico where the Master sat, puffing his cigar. She could not see him in the shadows but knew he sat in his wicker rocker. The sun sank behind the massive structure, casting the porch deeper in its shade. Entranced, Binta remained rooted in her spot.
"You better hurry," Kizzy gasped, climbing the hill and standing beside her. "Missy is waiting for that water."
Binta cast her faraway gaze toward her younger sister. She shifted beneath the weight of the yoke across her shoulders. Two heavy pails of water dangled from the yoke chains. Saturday night meant they all took baths. Behind their slave cabin, Missy heated the water and filled the wooden tub. Binta and Kizzy each had made many trips to the pump.
When the tub was filled, Papa would bathe, then Mama. Missy followed Mama, then Josiah, Whynot, and Binta. Kizzy bathed last since she was the youngest. Each slave family had a one-tub allowance of water.
Fourteen-year-old Kizzy hated going last. Binta didn't feel much better about it. She would have felt cleaner with fresh water.
The following day, they would walk to the slave church in the knoll. Neither Binta nor Kizzy knew how to read, but they knew all the Bible stories and the Negro spirituals. Education didn't matter much to the slaves, but they were encouraged to practice the Christian religion.

Binta dreamed of a better life. In her heart, she felt different from the other slaves. She didn't look the same. Papa and Mama had rich, dark skin and kinky black hair. Missy, Josiah, and Whynot had the same appearance. However, Binta and Kizzy had skin the color of coffee with too much cream, and, strangely, they both had blue eyes. Their hair grew straight with a slight wave and had an amber hue woven through its brown strands.

Kizzy hurried toward the pump, but Binta took one last long look at the plantation house. Deep in her imagination, she pictured herself living there. Master treated her kindly. When he noticed her, he spoke to her and gazed at her affectionately. Cupping her chin in his hand, he often studied her face with his soft sapphire eyes. Once or twice, he caressed her cheek or her hair.

Papa worked in the North Carolina tobacco field. Mama assisted Mammy in looking after Master's children, Priscilla and Thaddeus. During the previous year, Missy began working in the kitchen while Josiah accompanied Papa into the fields. Whynot ran errands for the stablemaster.
Binta could not understand why Master hadn't put her or Kizzy to work yet. They were both big, strong girls. Still, besides puttering around the cabins and tending the slave garden, they had very little to do. Papa grumbled about their lack of employment also.
Something about Papa made Binta wary. Although he showed affection to the older children, he rarely smiled at Binta or Kizzy. She noticed that he seldom spoke to Mama. Her parents slept with their backs to each other and never embraced beneath the covers. Occasionally, she heard Mama crying in the night.

When Kizzy returned from the pump, she found Binta still standing on the rise. Binta stared at her with blank eyes and then came to life. They hurried toward the cabin together, sloshing water between their ankles.
"It's about time you two showed up," Missy complained bitterly. Skylarking again, I assume."
"That was Binta," Kizzy exclaimed quickly. "Staring at Master again."
"Best stay out of Master's sight, both of you," their older sister grumbled. She poured the water into the cauldron quickly. "Best he don't notice you."
Binta and Kizzy exchanged glances. Missy had changed since She began working in the big house. Once a bright young lady, she suddenly seemed morose and secretive. She was quick to criticize Master and complain about his spoiled children.
"If you don't quit arguing and complaining, Master will sell you," Binta ventured tentatively. She eyed the steaming water, wishing she could bathe first.
"Don't care if he does." Missy shrugged. "Might find a better place."
"Or a worse one," Binta challenged.
"Doesn't pay to get all high and mighty," Missy grumbled, frowning. "Could happen to you, same as me and Mama."
"What could happen?" Kizzy asked, burying her bare feet in the black dirt.
"Never you mind," their elder sister snapped. "Go tell Papa his bath is ready."
Hesitating momentarily, Binta and Kizzy exchanged glances. Slowly, they walked toward the cabin.

"You tell him," Binta ordered.
"No, you tell him," Kizzy countered.
"Why can't Missy tell him?" Binta looked over her shoulder. Missy waved them toward the house.
"Busy." Kizzy shrugged.
"Ever wonder why we're different, Kizz?" Binta asked, clasping her sister's arm.
"Best not to know." Kizzy shrugged again.
"Papa doesn't like us very much." The girls moved closer to the cabin. Whynot sat on the porch step whittling. He ignored them when they stepped over him.
Whynot didn't pay much attention to his younger sisters. He got his name when Mama told Papa she was pregnant. Papa shrugged his shoulders and said 'Whynot.' Binta thought it was a funny name.
Binta stood outside the cabin door. Inside, she could hear Papa's voice. It came through the thin walls as though they didn't exist. She hesitated before entering and pressed her ear against the crack.
"You're my woman," he yelled angrily. "We jumped the broom, pledging our lives together. Don't I have any rights?"
"I cannot disobey Master," Mama answered softly. "If I refused, he'd up and sell us…All of us."
"He threatened you with that?" Papa asked, his voice tapering off.
"Yes."
Binta cracked open the door and peered inside. Papa stood beside the table. Mama sat in a straight-backed chair, holding her apron against her face. She sobbed. Balling his hands into fists, Papa hovered above her. He stretched out his arm and patted the top of her head. Mama looked up and smiled slightly.
"He would sell all of us?" Papa finally asked.
"Except…except…"
"No, of course he wouldn't," Papa conceded. He turned away, dashing at his own tears. "He wouldn't sell his own."
Gasping, Binta stepped backward onto Kizzy's toes. Her younger sister squealed in pain. Before they could move, the door flew open. Papa filled the frame with his massive bulk. The girls backed away and stumbled over Whynot. The three of them sprawled in the dooryard. Scrambling to their feet, they huddled close together.
"Your…your water's ready, Papa," Kizzy ventured, stepping forward.
Papa kept his eyes on them. For a moment, he started to speak. Instead, he slumped his shoulders and walked around the cabin.
"What was that all about?" Whynot demanded hotly. Binta and Kizzy shrugged their shoulders.
Behind the cabin, Missy kept the water hot. She assisted Papa with his bath, then Mama and Josiah. After the elder brother cleaned himself, it was Missy's turn. She finished and added more hot water for Whynot. He washed the quickest, leaving the tub for Binta. She undressed quickly and submerged herself.

During the previous year, Binta became more aware of her own body. It had blossomed and appeared womanlier. She didn't like to bathe outside any longer. Anyone passing could see her in the tub. Often, she noticed Papa on the back porch watching her. She didn't like his eyes on her body. Kizzy felt the same way.
On Sunday morning, they walked to church with other slave families. Everyone attended except for Missy, who didn't feel well. After breakfast, she vomited into the waste bucket. Mama looked at her eldest daughter sharply and told her to return to bed.
Papa and Mama both wore long, foreboding expressions. Binta realized they felt concerned about Missy. Her eldest sister was a strong girl who never complained of illness. The suddenness of her vomiting concerned her parents. Papa suggested Old Lethabo look at her. The elderly slave woman looked after the sick and decrepit among the Negro population. Mama shook her head 'no' and cautioned Papa to remain silent in front of the younger child. Binta guessed Mama knew what was wrong with Missy.

When they returned from church services, Missy was gone. Mama's brow creased into deep furrows, and Papa sent Whynot to look for her. The middle brother came back quickly, panting for breath. He pointed erratically toward the plantation house. Papa grabbed him by the arms and shook him hard.
"Is Missy at the plantation?" he asked when Whynot settled down.
Whynot shook his head emphatically. His eyes bulged, and his lips looked like elastic bands. He blubbered when he tried to speak.
"Where in tarnation is she?" Papa shouted, his frustration rising.
"In the white church," Whynot finally stammered.
Papa released his middle son and ran. Mama followed, stumbling over her long skirt. Josiah and the other youngsters followed. By the time they reached the church, a crowd of white and negros surrounded it. Missy stood on the church porch, facing Master. She pointed her finger in his face accusingly. Suddenly, she pivoted and confronted the crowd. Missy tightened her dress, outlining her protruding belly.
Binta and Kizzy clung to each other. They both recognized Missy's condition. Raising her voice, their sister accused Master of rape. Master and the Minister stepped forward. They dragged Missy into the church and slammed the door. Papa and Mama rushed inside after them.

"What's happened?" Binta asked Josiah. Her eldest brother shrugged, then escorted his family back to their cabin.
"What's going on, Josiah?" Binta asked again. She stood face-to-face with her older brother. "Did Master rape Missy? I…I don't believe it."
"Why not?" Josiah asked briskly.
"Because Master wouldn't…" Binta started to say. She thought about the kindness Master had shown her and how he looked at her. No, she could not believe anything wrong about Master.
"Wouldn't he?" her brother snapped angrily. "If he wouldn't, where do you think you and Kizzy came from? Isn't it obvious?"
"But…but…" Tears emerged from Binta's eyes. Then, a sudden understanding dawned upon her. The girls' fair skin and blue eyes proved their heritage. Master had fathered another baby with Missy.
Kizzy pressed against Binta's side and grasped her hand. The two girls sat on a bench and sobbed.

The following week, Master took Missy to auction. He sold her with the unborn baby as a bonus. Papa and Mama were taken away the following week, along with Josiah. Whynot remained with the stablemaster.
Binta and Kizzy sat on the veranda steps. Binta held a primer in her lap. Laboriously, she read out loud. Kizzy leaned her head on her sister's shoulder and formed the words with her lips. On the porch, Master sat in his rocker, puffing his cigar. He listened attentively to his daughters' recitation.
Binta settled into her new life happily. She wore a flounced blue dress with a white pinafore and high black shoes. When she bathed, she had fresh hot water each time. The girls shared a large bedroom in the plantation house and received an education.
Often, Binta and Kizzy spoke about Papa and Mama. They missed Mama especially but saw Whynot frequently. Over time, their old life faded, and they were looked upon as Master's daughters.

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