After Besa was taken from his beloved village, and family shot down, he couldn’t meet Amari’s eyes any more. He knew that he wasn’t worried about himself any more. Besa walked with the rest of the group one by one. Some dropped dead right by his feet. He just couldn’t handle what the slave traders were doing to him.
A few days later, he reached this place that the traders called Cape Coast, a horrible place where slaves were branded, splashed with freezing cold water and stuffed into a cell with a ton of other men and had to fight for their food. Besa would fight off a few men to get a tiny piece of bread. Occasionally having to knock one out to fight with another.
Many days went by and some died from starvation, others beaten to death. Besa was the strongest by far and was the one who got the food every day occasionally sharing with the young children who were also captured. On the last day of the week Besa is snatched out of the cell and put on a small row boat after seeing Amari on the other side of the small prison.
A couple hours of rowing later, they reached a huge boat the smaller boat was shoved up against the larger boat, and the men were all shoved on. They walked down some stairs and reached the lower level of the boat where they knew they should be sitting. The space that they had was small and they were stacked on top of each other and were forced to evacuate where they lie.
The women were able to stay on the top deck. They were able to go up there occasionally and get some fresh air and some food and salty water, and were also forced to dance in front of the sailors. They didn't know what to think of that. I saw Amari on the deck talking to one of the women, and it seemed that they were talking about someone, Amari started crying. I couldn't look at her.
After the ship ride, many men have died, and many men were distraught with disease, and Besa stood, slumped and sorrowful. The ship was horrible. It smelled of death and various fluids of others. The rats just ate at them, their chains were too tight and they couldn't shoo the rats away, but finally Besa was off the ship and was led to a building.
There they were poked and prodded, splashed with water, and were given a new set of clothes. The white men stepped out of the room and there stood a real African man who wasn't a slave. He talked to everybody in Besa's native language and gave them directions, but cut it short when the white men came back.
After the few days at the building, Besa was taken a little south and was sold to a rude couple who beat him for not walking the right way, not being able to talk the English language, and not apparently in their eyes, not doing anything right. He was whipped and beaten, and one time even almost drowned. His owner asked him to go fetch something out of the lake behind the farm, and came with Besa, only to push him in with a rock.
A few months later a nicer couple came to the home of the rude people and gave Besa's owners a small amount of cash and pointed at Besa. The man nodded and told Besa to get in the wagon. He reluctantly agreed and got in. The people were taking him away to a new place.
A few months into the new place, he stumbled across a familiar face. It was Amari. He told her of his anger and sorrow, she asked him to go with her, but denied the offer and went back to work. Another month later. Besa died of disease. The new owners buried him in the forest.
A few days later, he reached this place that the traders called Cape Coast, a horrible place where slaves were branded, splashed with freezing cold water and stuffed into a cell with a ton of other men and had to fight for their food. Besa would fight off a few men to get a tiny piece of bread. Occasionally having to knock one out to fight with another.
Many days went by and some died from starvation, others beaten to death. Besa was the strongest by far and was the one who got the food every day occasionally sharing with the young children who were also captured. On the last day of the week Besa is snatched out of the cell and put on a small row boat after seeing Amari on the other side of the small prison.
A couple hours of rowing later, they reached a huge boat the smaller boat was shoved up against the larger boat, and the men were all shoved on. They walked down some stairs and reached the lower level of the boat where they knew they should be sitting. The space that they had was small and they were stacked on top of each other and were forced to evacuate where they lie.
The women were able to stay on the top deck. They were able to go up there occasionally and get some fresh air and some food and salty water, and were also forced to dance in front of the sailors. They didn't know what to think of that. I saw Amari on the deck talking to one of the women, and it seemed that they were talking about someone, Amari started crying. I couldn't look at her.
After the ship ride, many men have died, and many men were distraught with disease, and Besa stood, slumped and sorrowful. The ship was horrible. It smelled of death and various fluids of others. The rats just ate at them, their chains were too tight and they couldn't shoo the rats away, but finally Besa was off the ship and was led to a building.
There they were poked and prodded, splashed with water, and were given a new set of clothes. The white men stepped out of the room and there stood a real African man who wasn't a slave. He talked to everybody in Besa's native language and gave them directions, but cut it short when the white men came back.
After the few days at the building, Besa was taken a little south and was sold to a rude couple who beat him for not walking the right way, not being able to talk the English language, and not apparently in their eyes, not doing anything right. He was whipped and beaten, and one time even almost drowned. His owner asked him to go fetch something out of the lake behind the farm, and came with Besa, only to push him in with a rock.
A few months later a nicer couple came to the home of the rude people and gave Besa's owners a small amount of cash and pointed at Besa. The man nodded and told Besa to get in the wagon. He reluctantly agreed and got in. The people were taking him away to a new place.
A few months into the new place, he stumbled across a familiar face. It was Amari. He told her of his anger and sorrow, she asked him to go with her, but denied the offer and went back to work. Another month later. Besa died of disease. The new owners buried him in the forest.