Curse the Cotton by Mirika Mayo Cornelius

Author:Mirika Mayo Cornelius
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: African american literature, Fiction, Slave, Slavery, black history, black authors, black books, historical fiction, african american new releases, african american books
Publisher: Akirim Press
Published: 2015-10-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

“Get her from the ground. Here, get her up now. Take the chile.”

“Don’t you dare. Strippin’ a child from they mother is just like killin’ ‘em yourself. Let her be. She’ll let loose that child when she feels it time, you hear me?”

The women gathered around as the men and children continued working in their stead. They each wanted to take her by the hand, but that wasn’t going to be easy. Not many people have seen their child killed at that age right in front of them such as Shelone saw hers killed. Therefore, many of them didn’t have the wit nor charm as Lady Rose did to smooth things over. They were all deathly afraid to even say one word to her, knowing that she’d already lost the rest of her family days ago. Before their very eyes though, Shelone got up and moved herself. Everyone backed away.

They all knew one another, in one way or another, but no one was closer to her than Lily. She’d never allowed anyone else to watch her children except for Lady Rose and her now deceased best friend. Since they were both gone, it was up to Shelone to decide who it was she would let help her. It was the way of the Negro families to help each other at all times, but not force their way in where they may cause more damage than good. It was always better to be more helpful and friendly away from the whites than when they were around, just in case they got questioned by them about another field or house hand. They could easily deny anything about another person the less they knew. If they carried on lengthy conversations, it would always be in secret to keep the prying eyes of the whites from figuring them out.

“Shelone, if you need some help there now...” one of the females asked following slowly behind her as she watched a heartbroken Shelone take her baby inside her cabin. A few of the other ladies followed behind, waiting for Shelone to answer but she never did.

Her arms nestled her motionless child as she walked through the cabin doors and to her bed. She then laid him down before pulling the sheet around him tightly and getting on her knees to pray. She wanted him to come back to her. She wanted the Lord to give him back, but as she prayed, Abraham didn’t move. His small chest wasn’t elevating at all. He had always been a smaller baby, at six months appearing only four months old, but no matter what his size, he would have never survived the trauma his poor body took.

She then rubbed his warm hand, but as she rubbed him, she felt the presence of someone behind her. When she turned back, she saw four women who’d crowded in on her matted, dirt floor. Tears welled up in her eyes, and as she stared at them quietly, the women began to blur before she finally calmly said, “Get out.

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