"Pick that cotton, nigga!" Keith continued to stack the hay as Master Wallace taunted his father. Keith was an errand slave for Wallace. He bought him at an auction down South for 20 bucks from The Quartz region. Keith was 19 and the slaves down South had more freedom than North.
"Ket, come hea', boy!" Keith dropped the hay stacks quickly, going to see what Master Wallace wanted. The boy was covered in brown rags and rope for composure.
"Yesa, boss?"
"I see ya done had a hawd working day. Go on in da house and get yaself some cold wata. Remember nah, use your own cup." Keith nodded, wiping his hands on his clothes. Being a younging got Keith favoritism, but he still had to work as hard.
"Heya, Mrs. Molly. Can I getta a cup of wata?" Keith met up with Master Wallace's wife, Molly. She treated Keith like a son, but not in front of her husband. Keith liked her being she wasn't racist and going out whipping slaves.
"Well of couse, Keith. Come on in here with, Y/n. She could use a litta company from you. Y/n, suga get down hea'!" Mrs. Molly yelled from downstairs, calling her daughter upstairs.
"I'm right here, Ms." The brown shaded girl walked in, a dictionary in her arms. A curl fell on each side of her face as her natural hair sat in a neat bun. Y/n made her way to the table, her ball gown crawling on the floor. Keith watched as the teenage approached him. Y/n was mixed black&white, her mom was just a slave while she got the privilege to stay in the house.
"Good evenin, Ket. How ya doin on this fine day?"
"I'm good, Ms. Y/n, how aw you these days?"
"It's getting a little hot out, but ya know, these books keep me busy, but what brings you in tha house?"
"A cupa wata. You mind fixing me some?" Y/n nodded , taking the pitcher of cold ice cubes and water into a glass. Keith drunk out his special glass, gulping the drink down. Y/n watched as the boy murdered the beverage.
"Would you like some more, Mistah?"
"It's fine. I gotta get back to work." Keith got up to exit the kitchen, Y/n walking behind him.
"Wait, Ket. I have a proposal for ya."
"Yeah, ms?"
"I can teach ya how to read and write, you just gotta do one thing for me." She knew how mad Ket wanted to read and write. This was in case he ever decided to escape and run into a sign he didn't recognize or directions.
"Ket, boy, what's taking ya so long? Get ya damn yella ass out here!" Mr. Wallace stepped onto the porch, seeing Y/n & Keith had been talking.
"Watchu doing with my daughta hea'?"
"Nothing, sir. I'll get back to work. She was just fixing me wata." Keith's body disappeared as he went back to stacking hay. Y/n turned away from her dad, eyes still on the dictionary. Boss Wallace left the premises, leaving Keith and Y/n a few feet from each other.
"3rd den at 20 hours, Ket!" Y/n told Keith the place and time so she could've teach him. The day went by fast, Keith exhausted from stacking and picking.
:
Y/n sat in the log cabin, a thick book in her lap. The lamp from the ground gave off light , reflecting on her feathered pen. Hearing the door open, it revealed Keith, too tall for the door.
"Ket!" Y/n snickered as he bumped his head on the top of the thin roof. Digging in her basket, Y/n pulled a plate out, handing it to Keith.
"I bought extra biscuits for ya. Mama didn't wan em." Keith's eyes lit up at the plate, grubbing in. Y/n pulled hee book open, ready to start the lesson.
What if I was a slave?
