Second Daughter (7 page)

I listened to them talk while we planted pumpkins, potatoes, all kinds of squash, spinach, and a small plot of wheat. When the moon was full, we often talked and worked until it was time for us to walk back to the master's house.

Then I noticed that Bett was sleeping more than usual. She was often sick in the mornings, was short-tempered, and didn't want to get out of bed. I was worried. One morning, I was so alarmed I ran for Nance. “Come, come, I think Bett is poisoned.”

Nance rushed to our room without getting dressed. “Whut you been eatin'?” Nance wanted to know.

Bett laughed. “My poison will be over in nine months. Rejoice, I am going to have a baby.”

Bett's sickness did not last long and soon she was growing round, her stomach like a calabash. She went about her duties pleased and happy with herself. Josiah appeared pleased, but also very concerned. One night I heard him talking to Bett.

“We were not wise in conceiving this child. Because you are a slave, he, too, will be a slave.”

“How do you know it's a he?” Bett said, trying to lighten the conversation.

“Please, this is serious.”

“Who knows how serious more than I? I'm the slave. But I want a child. I have hope that slavery will end and she will be free.”

“Don't say ‘she.' We will have a son. I will work hard and buy his freedom. You will see. There is no law that says a free man cannot buy his child.”

Not long after that, Agrippa came to town and Josiah invited African men, free and slave, to his house to greet him and hear what he had to say. Agrippa had heard about Colonials wanting to petition the king for independence, but not about the petition being written upstairs in the Ashley house. Josiah called Bett into the room and asked her to tell what she had discussed with him.

Bett, heavy with her unborn, was shy and reluctant. I knew her shyness was not due to her pregnancy alone. “She's not going to talk,” I said. “She believes that, among men, women should be seen and not heard.”

They all looked at me as if in disbelief. Agrippa said, “Bett is a good example of an African woman who knows her role as wife and mother. You would do well to watch your sister and become like her.”

There were those words again. I was determined not to be like Bett. “Maybe. But Bett is the only one who knows anything, and if
she
doesn't talk, then you'll know nothing.”

They all looked at Josiah as if to ask, You have a woman in your house who is as disrespectful as that? Josiah surprised me. He seemed disappointed with Bett, not me; and I think he was a little ashamed that a woman who knew so much was made unwilling to share. He urged his wife to speak, and she became the center of attention when she told about the writing of the document and the plan for freedom and self-rule in the petition to the king. She repeated those words that headed the document:
“We in a state of nature are equal, free and independent of each other, and have a right to the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property.”

There was much excitement and the men there asked many questions. “Wuz us Af'icans spoke of at all in dis talk 'bout freedom?” Zach wanted to know.

“When will the county hear about this?” Brom asked.

Bett didn't know when, and she answered, “We were never mentioned at all, and what mention they made of the farmers and poor was that they were to be under the rule of the rich, as the rich were under the king.”

“They speak of life, liberty, and property. Those of us who are not free are ‘property,'” Agrippa said. “Men like your boss, Josiah, and mine are not interested in ridding themselves of their ‘property.'”

“They are only interested in getting more. But we must keep our eyes open. Bett will be our ears and when the time comes we will be there to speak our minds, too.” Josiah spoke calmly.

After that meeting, for a while Josiah was not as warm toward me. Was there something wrong? If so, why didn't he say so? Then finally he said, “Aissa, I wish when you are in the discussions of men, you would hold your tongue. We have a saying:
The hen knows it is morning, but she watches the mouth of the cock.”

“She waits for the cock to crow, right?”

“As she should.”

“But why?”

“It is an African custom and our customs keep our people safe.”

“But Josiah, we are here and women work just as hard, side by side with the men. And we are treated just as harshly. So why can't we speak for freedom, too?”

There was silence between us. In his calm manner, he finally said, “Because we are here under these unusual conditions, it is all the more important that our customs survive. And I hope you will remember that.”

I didn't agree, but I said nothing, knowing that whenever I had the opportunity to speak out for
my
freedom, I would speak.

13

On December 1, 1772, Bett, with Nance and with my help, delivered a fine baby girl. I had thought Josiah would not be happy with a girl. But he was very pleased. Proudly he held his baby and, showing her to the north, south, east, and west corners of the earth, he said, “I name you Ayisha for your grandmother, Omosupe [oh-MOH-soo-peh] because a child is the most precious thing, and Freeman because your father is a free man.”

When the master registered the child as his slave, Bett said, “Her name is the same as mine: Bett.” The master was pleased.

With Bett being so busy, Little Bett became as much my baby as hers. I tied her on my back and felt her warmth and her little heartbeat, and for the first time I loved, expecting nothing in return.

In January of 1773, there was much coming and going in the Ashley house. The plan that my sister had talked about became the Sheffield Declaration. It was now ready. Josiah called his friends and others together and Bett reported, “Master Ashley and his friends are planning a town meeting for all the citizens to hear what they have decided to send to the king's representative. The master still seems uncertain about separating from the king, but certain that he wants the Bay Colony of Massachusetts to draw the borderline between them and New York.”

“That John Ashley is a Tory, isn't he?” Agrippa said. “One of a few around here who fully supports the king. He must know that a lot of people don't care for him because of that.”

“Things are changing and he is beginning to see he has to be either for this colony or for the king. I think he is for this colony,” Josiah said.

“It doesn't matter who they're for, I want to know who's for
us?”
Brom said. “We have a right to freedom and liberty just as much as they have.”

“Agrippa, as free men we should go and see what this is all about,” Josiah said.

“Why don't you take ‘resolves' like theirs and present them?” Bett asked.

“To the king's representative?” Agrippa asked.

“No, to Master Ashley and the men who wrote
their
declaration,” Bett said. “Add your words to theirs.”

“Bett is right. We must be ready with just what we want to say,” Josiah said.

All that Saturday night and the next day, they worked on the paper, Bett remembering much of what had been said in the room upstairs. Agrippa did the writing. I was so proud of all of them—the men and Bett working together. My hopes of freedom filled me with joy. I looked at Little Bett, finally walking on her own. I lifted her up, hugged her close, and whispered into her ear,
“Mijn schatje
[my honey], we'll be free, free, free!”

On January 12, cold winds were blowing and the icy rain was in heavy clouds just waiting to drench those many white men and few free blacks who had come from around the county to accept or reject the Sheffield Declaration. Bett was as nervous and as anxious as any of the men who had done the writing. I knew if she had been a man she would have been there at the Sheffield town hall, but
no
woman, slave or free, was allowed to attend.

Around noon rain was still falling and the cold winds were even more cold. Finally, after waiting for the master a long time, lunch was served, and I was busy finishing the cleaning. As if she had suddenly gotten the idea, the mistress said, “Lizzie, I want you to go to that meeting place and take your master some food and hot rum.”

In that icy rain, I thought. Hot rum would be cold by the time I arrived. My body tightened with anger, but I said nothing as I wrapped myself in an old shawl that would do little to protect me from the rain. Nance wrapped the food and drink in thick layers of cloth, tied to give me a handle.

Along the muddy road, horses still hitched to wagons stood heads down, their bodies giving off steam. I hurried, the icy rain stinging my face, numbing my hands. When I came to the hall, just beyond the tailor shop, I went toward the front, but the crowd there was so thick I was afraid that I would not be able to enter. At the back the crowd was just as thick. Knowing that I had to find the master, I forced my way inside. The heat, the stench of damp bodies, and the fog of tobacco smoke gave me a fit of coughing.

Moving beyond elbows and rough coats, I soon found the master up front seated on a small platform with about six other men, all of whom I had seen in the house. I recognized Lawyer Sedgwick, a broad-shouldered man with a big body and large head, who was reading aloud from a paper. A white scarf around his neck accented the pink face that stood out even more because his hair was thinning. His voice was deep and loud enough to be heard throughout the hall.

On seeing me, the master frowned. When I held up the bundle, he smiled and waved me forward. “The mistress sent this,” I said. He opened the bundle right away and drank from the jar of rum, which was still warm. I sat in back of the platform listening while I waited for the master to finish. When Lawyer Sedgwick completed the page, someone in the back shouted, “Lawyer Sedgwick, I didn't understand all that you read. Please read it again.”

“Yes! Yes!” came shouts from around the room.

One of the men on the platform stood. “We must get on with this business.”

Lawyer Sedgwick said, “I will read it only once more. There must be order if you are to hear.”

The hall became quieter as he read. “Resolved that Mankind in a state of nature are equal, free and independent of each other and have a right to the undisturbed enjoyment of their lives, their liberty and property.”

I am in this meeting, the only woman. I am here!
I thought. I became so excited but also afraid that they would notice and ask me to leave. I pulled the shawl around me and tried to pretend that I was not at all interested in what was being said.

“Resolved that the great end of political society is to secure in a more effectual manner those rights and privileges wherewith God and nature have made us free.” He read on, a lot of things I did not understand nor have any interest in. The master placed the plate and the jar on the floor and covered them over, but he gave no sign that I should leave.

When the reading was finished, Lawyer Sedgwick asked that a vote be taken and that the town clerk record the proceedings. Then, to my great amazement, Josiah and Agrippa forced their way to the front of the room. Josiah was dressed in his usual attire, leather breeches and leather shirt with fringes at the yoke and at the hem, but Agrippa wore a coat flared at the bottom. A red scarf at his neck partially covered a white shirt with ruffles down the front. His black velvet trousers had buckles at the knees. The two, though differently dressed, were imposing figures. There was a rustle in the crowd and then quiet, as if everyone was waiting for a great happening.

My heart beat wildly while Josiah stood beside Agrippa, both of them calm and composed. Agrippa's voice rang deep, clear as a bell. “Gentlemen. You say that ‘mankind in a state of nature are equal, free and independent of each other, and have a right to the undisturbed enjoyment of their lives, their liberty and property.' What does that mean to the five thousand slaves in this colony? We petition you.”

Then he read from the paper they had drafted:
“For, in as much as you claim to be acting on the principles of equity and justice, we cannot but expect you to take our deplorable case into serious consideration and give us ample relief which as men we have a natural right to. We are desirous that you have instructions relative to our cause in your petition and pray that you communicate our desires to the representative of this colony. In behalf of our enslaved brothers and sisters, in this province and by order of their committee. Signed: Agrippa Hull and Josiah Freeman.”

There was stirring and angry grumbling in the room, and then scattered applause, but Lawyer Sedgwick quickly silenced the hall. “Your petition should have been presented at the time of the writing of this declaration,” he shouted.

“But honorable sir,” Agrippa called out, “we had no knowledge that such a petition was being prepared.”

There were more rumbles through the crowd. Lawyer Sedgwick reacted quickly to gain control. “We cannot now recognize such a petition. I call for the vote.”

Before more could be said the process was under way. Showing no signs of defeat, Josiah and Agrippa made their way to the back of the room. How could they remain so calm? I was raging inside. Was it because I was a slave? I grabbed the dishes, wrapped them carelessly, and escaped from the hall as quickly as I could.

It was still raining, the streets hardly passable because of the mud. But I didn't hurry. When I arrived, I was soaking wet. The mistress was waiting. I knew she was angry, but no more than I for different reasons. “Where have you been so long?” she shouted.

“Mistress, I waited until the master had finished to make sure he wanted nothing more. He was busy and took his food as he had time.” I stood and looked her in the eye, waiting for her response.

“Your after-lunch chores are waiting for you. Do them right away.”

“I am wet from the rain, mistress.”