SEBASTIAN AND HIS ZAZI

chapter 3: Branding

And so it was said, taken to consideration and agreed upon. Mumbi was called by the mistress of the house, Brenda and told that her daughter will be the new personal maid or servant to Anna.

Mumbi had two main emotions in the head. One of them was her daughter was too young and only God knew how she would be treated by Anna. She may be harassed. And the second was that this was good, if they worked on the same place, she can still take care of her only child. She really had no choice in this, its not like Brenda was asking. She only wanted the girl to be ready and to be branded soon since she was officially a lockwood slave. It was only a matter of time before she got branded, ondi and Binti already were when they were 7.

Mumbi didn't leave her daughter's side that night and held on to her. She hoped things would have changed when she had her children. That times would be different, her offspring won't endure what she and her parents, grandparents and great grandparents endured.

But it looks like a daughter of a slave will also became a Slave

Anna was outside the house looking for zazi the next morning when she saw her in the small rose garden watering the roses.
"Zazi, zazi!" She called for her until she reached her.
"I told my mum I wanted you to be my personal maid and she agreed."
Zazi jumped up and down with her.
"So we can play anytime we want?"
"Yes. Anytime we decide!" Anna answered happily.

Suddenly one of the white rancher walked to them and grabbed zazi dragging her away. Her watering can fell on the ground.

Anna ran after them grabbing zazi's other hand and ordering the man to leave her. When she realized he was taking her to where her parents were seated, under a big tree, she ran to them complaining.
"Father! This man keeps dragging zazi. Tell him to stop!"
She insisted..
"Oh honey. I told him to bring zazi here because its time for her to officially be your servant."

"Really father?" She asked excitedly.

"Yes. And so, we have to brand her."

"What's branding?"

Jacob got up and walked to some burning charcoal.

He put on a glove Took out a rod that had an inverted 7 almost like an L for Lockwood. The 7 was hot red.

Mumbi Watched from a far and on the ranched who opened the girl's three button from her dress to expose her shoulder, grabbed the girl tightly.

"Daddy what are you doing?"

"This will be put on her back. It will make a mark. To mean she belongs to us. So no one will ever take her away."

"No father you'll hurt her."

The little girl ran to stop her dad while holding his trousers tightly so he won't move.
"You want her to be your maid or not?"
"I do but..."
"Then close your eyes princess."
Brenda took her daughter and held her tightly and covered her eyes.
Mumbi who was watching from a far now knew her baby was in good hands.

Anna seemed to adore zazi. It was just a matter of time before she was branded. Ondi and Binti were already branded. They worked on the fields with their parents who would let them only work for a part of the day and cover for them for the rest but they were very much marked as slaved.

Jacob pressed the road on the scared girl's back who let out a blood chilling scream.

Anna hugged her mother tightly not realize the tears falling off her face.
Was this her fault?

"Mumbi!" He called out movingg away from the girl.

Mumbi jumped realizing they noticed her where she was standing.

She walked to them quickly.

"Take your daughter home and help her with whatever she needs. I expect her to be ready tomorrow early in the morning. She is now my slave and expected to follow all my rules and regulations. Failure to do so, just like every other slave, she will be thrown in the pit or whipped. You're dismissed."

She carried her baby who was laying on the ground crying bitterly. Anna then got up quickly to run after them only for her mum to grab her again.

"Let her heal first. She'll be here tomorrow."

The little girl, Anna, cried until she fell asleep. That was when Brenda got up to confront her husband.
"Did you have to do that in front of the child?"
"Anna should know that zazi is a slave, not her friend. That that's how slaves are treated. At least I gave the girl a day off unlike the other slaves we brand."
"But still. She likes zazi. You could have waited until she was at least 12 to..."
"And have an unbranded slave walking around? If we start being lenient this slaves won't know their place anymore. Don't you dare go soft on them, its rubbing off on Anna."

Mumbi put some herbs on her daughter's wound and slowly it stopped hurting as much and the girl didnt cry anymore. Ngesa's hate for the white grew even more after seeing his daughter in so much pain.