Slavery In Time

Jayde has to Leave

So far, for the past few days, the Cotton Harvester has been a huge help for us, and whilst it did its thing, we were in the house eating ourselves. I watched Fatou slowly strum on a guitar I yet again made out of materials scattered around the plantation. That guitar made some beautiful music, too, despite being very simple in design. The longer I looked at it, the more I wished technology was more advanced in this time.

We didn't immediately notice someone nearing the house. A silent knock against the wall left us stuff for a few seconds. This time, a lady came in; it was Cécile. What was she doing here?

She presented us with fresh, new gowns for us to wear. She gave them to us but never left. In fact, she bent over slightly to our levels. She seemed like a nice lady but if only she wasn't so manipulated by François's demanding attitude.

"I'm sorry for everything. You don't deserve this kind of abuse.", she whispered. We didn't respond. It took her what seemed like an eternity before she left us alone.

"You listen to your Master, now...", she responded before leaving for good. We simply shrugged before changing into our new gowns. They didn't look or feel any different from our previous ones; the only difference was that these ones had shorter sleeves.

I then headed towards that guitar again and picked it up, lightly strumming at it and humming a few notes here and there. Eventually, those notes began to form a song with coherent lyrics, and Fatou was eager for me to sing to her.

As I sat and crossed my legs, I made to warm up my voice some more before letting out a string of lyrics.

Every day the sun shines bright
Then we work until the night
When the summer breeze cools me down
As I lay upon the ground
Waiting for another day...

And the same words were repeated over and over with a slow, mellow tempo, and my words came out high-pitched yet gentle and soothing, at least for Fatou because it seemed like my singing was putting her to sleep. After I was done, she clapped a few times. "Bravo...", she muttered.

But she wasn't the only one clapping. From the entrance, François stood before us clapping slowly. He must've been there the whole time when I started performing.

"Yes, bravo indeed...", he said. "You have the voice of an Angel." Somehow, I didn't take that as a compliment.

He then approached us. "I informed a few merchants of that superhuman machine collecting that cotton out there and they're willing to purchase one. I've contacted a factory worker to build them. Which of you created it?", he asked. Slowly, I raised my hand.

He came uncomfortably close to me. "How did you do it? I'll use this to sell to the merchants and make lots of money.", he asked.

"I—I can't tell you that...", I responded, slightly nervous. "That machine is for us and us only."

François scowled and placed his hand on the back of my neck, pulling me closer. "Tell me or you will be punished...", he threatened with a low voice.

Now was my turn to scowl. "No.", I retorted.

His grip tightened, causing an involuntary gasp to exit from my mouth. "Disobedient, are we?", he asked, taking out none other than that scrappy little riding crop. Just before he could hit me, Cécile's voice was heard from a distance.

"François! Someone has sent a letter to you!", she yelled out.

François grumbled before putting away the crop and exiting. A sigh of relief exited from my mouth.

"You very brave. I'm too scared.", Fatou said.

I shook my head. "It's not that hard to stand up for yourself. He has to learn that you have feelings, too.", I explained. Too bad he treats us like property, instead.

"I...can't do it. He will kill me...", she responded, pouting.

I set a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, you have to be brave and tell him "no".", I explained. "I know it hasn't worked with me so far but I'm sure it'll work eventually the more we do it."

Fatou smiled weakly and nodded. The moment was short-lived, however, when François returned.

"The factory worker has set the final date. You will see him formally a week from now. He resides in Mississippi. You will tell him exactly how you built that machine so that he will manufacture them and I earn money from it. I will drop you off there personally.", he explained.

But it seemed like Fatou didn't want her to leave. "Please! I'm begging you! Let her stay. She's a big help to me and the child!", she begged.

"No! You are to pick the sugar cane and bear that child until it's ready! That cotton picker will limit your work until I sell them to the merchants.", he responded. Oh yeah, I forgot about the sugar cane...

"But, Master. I am weak. My back has been hurting for many days, and I have to keep this child safe from the harmful rays of the brutal sun as it grows. Jayde is good at helping me, so please..."

There was a long silence between the 2 before François responded. "It's called 'effort', now make one. Go pick that sugar cane. Let the floating thing do your cotton.", he demanded, walking away for good.

Once François left, Fatou faced me. "You can make sugar cane picker for me? Please?", she asked.

I gave her an apologetic look. "I don't know, Fatou. Your time just doesn't have the stuff I need. I mean, I was barely able to make the Cotton Harvester, but I can try."

"Please, do anything for me. Me and my child need to rest longer.", she pleaded.

I sighed. "I'll see what I can do..." I responded, grabbing Fatou's hand and leading her back to the plantation. While the Cotton Harvester was doing its thing, we headed farther to the right, where the sugar cane was situated.

Fatou handed me a shiv and took out one of her own. She insisted that they were the sharpest that François had given her and she showed me a fast and effective way to harvest the sugar cane; a fast diagonal swipe to the bottom took it out of the ground within seconds. Some of the stalks, however, were somewhat uncooperative and took more than 2 or 3 swipes, but overall, François was right about this being less work ever since I built our Cotton Harvester.

"Jayde?", Fatou asked. I looked back to her and for some reason, the worried look in her eyes made me want to look away.

"How long you be gone for?", she asked. I simply shook my head.

"I don't know. I would find a way to avoid leaving with François, but I can't leave you. Not in the state you're in now...", I explained, resuming my actions.

"But I'm scared for you. I don't want you to go. I need you to help me.", tears began to form in her sad little eyes.

I simply bit my lip. "I'll make sure I come out of there alive. Plus, look on the bright side; with that factory creating and François selling my invention, there's no telling how many slaves everywhere will be relaxing, out of the brutal sun and doing their favorite pastimes...", a comforting hand on her shoulder soothed her somewhat. "But I'm the meantime, let's keep up with this sugar cane."

To be continued...