My name is Sarah, but this is not my real name. It is the name I was given by my master when he brought me to the plantation over 35 years ago. My real name is Eelon, and I was born in Africa over 60 years ago. I am recording my story for future generations to read.

Life in Africa:

Life in Africa is somewhat different than to what the stereotypical fantasies that those white people claimed it to be. Even if we weren’t as advanced in technology and luxuries as Britain was then, we still held together as a community better than they ever did. We didn’t really have a choice. Everyday, we all had to work together, harvest in the fields, go hunting together, in order to pull through the day, and live safely and successfully. We didn’t have a choice, really. If we did, I don’t think we’d have wanted to change anything at all. I was incredibly happy with my life, and so was everyone else.

The valley that I lived in, well, when I think back to it, it was probably one of the most beautiful places I had ever set my eyes on. It’s a pity that I didn’t realize that till much later. Plenty of animals and birds lived there, and we would hear them sing their morning songs to us every morning as the sun rose up over the lands, signifying the time to get up and get on with our daily lives. Since the only other source of light we had was fire, most of the time everyone went to bed as soon as darkness shrouded the valley. It was dangerous at night, but we coped with it easily. Many of my friends and the boys used to pretend to go out and hunt for them, even if it was in the day, with their wooden spears and war cries. The rest of us girls used to watch and then pretend to cook the animal, with pretend camp fires and we used to sit around it, cradling wooden dolls, and maybe even some young cattle if we could. I was 11 at the time, and I have to say, spending those days like that were the best days of my life.

I had a large family, but many of the distant relatives either belonged to another tribe or had died in wars or hunting accidents. So the closest person I was to was my mother. She was the one that taught everything that there was to know about how to live peacefully with the other people. She was the one that I went to whenever I needed help, whenever there was trouble on my mind. I can remember her always repeating the same words to me, no matter the scenario, and they always made sense. “You carry your life on your shoulders. Bad things will always come your way.”
And then she’d send me off to wash up. Everyone thoroughly believed in cleanliness and hygiene at home, and strictly enforced it. We made sure to wash up every morning, we made sure that no dead or rotted meat was left lying around. In fact, we never gave it a chance to rot. We made sure everything was eaten up. It was just due manners.

Every eight days, everybody in the tribe came together and had a large feast, consisting of many rich foods and fruits. We drank Palm Wine, as we don’t own any liquors. Nasty things, they are. Full of bad spirits. Then we all danced around the large fire to music, way past when the moon set. We danced and rejoiced. What did we rejoice about? Why, just the fact that we were there. It was a way to thank the good spirits for protecting our land, us, and helping keep peace amongst everyone. It was also a way to relax and have fun after having worked so hard for so long. I loved it. We all joined in in a cluster at the side and danced while the older members wore the celebratory face paint and led the main dance around the fire, letting out shouts of rejoice and shouts of song. The boys also used to dress up and join in around the edges, particularly trying to show off to the elders, and us. It was then the day after where us children had a special responsibility: We were given charge on looking after the daily needs, on our own, while the adults woke up a bit later on and then helped.

I can always remember the day when my brother and Father came home with an antelope; It was my brother’s first successful hunt. I can remember everyone complimenting him and how jealous and envious I became on the inside, but I didn’t dare show it. I just told him how impressed I was, before being sent away with one of the elders to collect fruit to go with tonight’s meal, the meal that my brother caught. I can remember thinking how I would refuse to eat that meal, all because my brother had gotten all that attention from it. I can always remember that day. It was the last time I ever saw them.


Capture:

The day I got captured - it was one of those typical days where no one was doing anything in particular and nothing interesting had been happening lately, apart from the jealousy that I had developed towards my brother. There had been rumours heard around from other tribes of reports of people going missing, kidnapped, they said, which was why I was sent along with an elder from our tribe, otherwise I would have gone on my own, and allowed the time to have vented my anger. It happened while I was sort of hidden in cover by some thick foliage, bending down and collecting some berries. I heard a slight rustle in the bush behind me and I looked around, and there was this large, intimidating man. He looked down at me and smiled in such a innocent, yet eerily unusual way, that if anyone did it to me again today, I’d either faint or lash out at them. It was terrifying just looking at it, but I had no clue what it was really hiding.

I just looked at him for a few moments, frozen to the spot, before I dropped the baskets and leapt through the bushes, beginning to run for dear life. I didn’t know what it was and I didn’t really care, but there was something inside me which made me snap, and made me run. I knew he was following me soon after, because I could see his shadow cast down on me in the burning sun. He was faster, and stronger, and since I knew that, adrenaline was my new source of energy. I don’t think I had run so fast before. My feet hadn’t even had the time to feel the roasting ground beneath me.

Next thing I knew, I was staring up at the sky, it’s brilliant cloudless sky blaring down on me, along with the now 5 other looming men, grinning down at me. I would have screamed if I had the energy, but I was exhausted. They easily dragged me up forcefully onto my feet, roughly tying rope around my wrists. I saw the whips. That’s why I didn’t react.

When I come to think of it, the reason I was running for dear life one moment and flat on my back the next - was because I must of ran into one of those men, and reeled backwards. It must have looked ungraceful. No wonder they were still grinning at me as they dragged me away. Of course, I struggled, but not as much as I would have done. They demonstrated the whip in front of me, and the way that the sound it made, I knew it would cause a lot of pain. I can remember flinching, but the rope was so tight around my wrists that I felt the area becoming weak, and a bit discoloured. I can also recall, that this was the time I saw my first white man. I was brought out among some cages while they mocked us, beat some of us tribes. I can remember how absolutely astounded I was at how pale they were, and how frail they were. The clothes they were wearing were big and bulky, and they actually looked very hot at the time. If I wasn’t so scared, I would have felt some sympathy for them.


Ship:

All this time I was wondering what in the name of our tribe was going to happen to me - I didn’t even have time to ask some of the other tribe members if they knew. I guessed that they probably knew about as much as I do. I could tell by the look on their faces - apprehensiveness, confusion, and most important of all - fear. It was sharing on all of our faces. I could just feel the atmosphere. Trust me, it was thick with dread, you could have probably shred a spear through it. We were thrown in these cages for what felt like forever, left to lay there in the raw heat of the day. If we were still back in the village, we would all be relaxing in the shade, taking a nap. Deep down, right in the bottom of my stomach, I knew that I wouldn’t be doing that again. If my throat wasn’t so dry, I would have shouted out in sadness.

I can remember when another few of those white men came around the cages, flicking the whip dangerously in front of the cages, while we were being moved. We were dragged out of the cages, being tied together in one long line, and if we dared even step out of line, struggle, or fall back while moving, we were severely whipped. I was crying for the other members, but I couldn’t wipe it away, due to my hands being tied up.

After what felt like hours - the sun was just setting by the time we arrived - we came to a halt, the white men speaking in some odd language, but the way that it was said, it sounded threatening. We were all succumbed to silence, as if we were trying to make some sort of sense out of their funny language, before one of our tribe  member jumped up slightly and nodded urgently ahead of him. “Look! That is one big boat! I think we’re all going on it!” He didn’t get the chance to say anymore. One of the white men already had his whip out and was harshly flogging him. The sudden rustle of excitement and confusion that had emerged disappeared as quickly as it had come. But when I did look up to the “big boat”, I couldn’t help but let out a small gasp.

The boat was huge. Bigger than I had ever seen before. Bigger than I would ever seen again. It was bigger than Abonsam’s spirit would have been itself. There was a ramp set up, and I could see that they were beginning to lead us up onto it. The ramp was rough, and itchy. I know I got a splinter from it, because my feet started stinging afterwards. On the ship itself, there was a whole tribe of white men, most of them on the large wooden pole, which had what looked like a large white cloth attached to it. I didn’t have the time to look at it properly, as we were all led down underneath the top of the boat, into darkness. Males and Females were separate. We were all laid on our backs, and then were chained to the boards that we were made to lay on. That’s how we stayed for many a days. Many of us were sick due to the horrible motion of the boat, or the fact that all of us had to go to the toilet from where we were sitting, and it brought shame on all of us. We were given food that was so different than to the colourful fruits at home, and the look of It was so different, too. It was all white, and sticky. I became terribly sick at one point.

After what seemed like forever, we were brought out on the top of the ship. The males were there too, and I could see the disappointment on there faces to see nothing but sea. Cold water was thrown on us to clean us, and I don’t think I had felt anything so painful in all of my life. I swear that I could feel my skin hissing. We watched the men being taunted by all the white men, and once they had got them dancing to some sort of odd music, we watched in dear fright as they motioned towards us, and laughed. Such a greedy and evil manner it was too, that I was scared stiff. We were then brought into another room..

And the white men did it. They had their way with us. I was one of the lucky ones the first time round to not get done so, but I still had to watch. And the faces on the other poor girls.. I dare not speak of such foul manner again, even in a light mood. I cannot tell you how much joy and relief I felt, we all felt, we they brought us up for the last time, and we could see land. There was only a small tribe of us left, but we were at least extremely happy to get off that nightmare, and never have to endure those tortures again. At least, hopefully, not for a long, long, time.

Auction:

When we were brought off that ship and onto land, I could not believe my eyes. I never knew that there was another land apart from ours, and the way that these bleak, horrible, grey clouds were swarming in the sky, I did not like it one bit. It seemed so horrible compared to my home. There was no plant life, no trees, no birds singing for joy. I can recall many of us being flogged due to our sense of balance being so off, and so most of us fell over. They had to fill those wounds in when we had entered some metal cages underground, and kept us there for the night. In the morning, they forced us all up, and came around and checked us. The wounds that we had received by their hands were innocently filled up with some sort of black substance. I never got to find out what is was.. Anyways, they continued to check us, and some of us were still ill - one particular icky disease called the runs. It is basically diarrhoea. The white men cleaned it up by shoving a thick bit of rope up their backside, to stop faeces running down the persons leg. I was almost sick again, but since I had endured so many sights as it is, I seriously had gotten a lack for sympathy.

After they had checked us all, they brought us all out and into a large square. It was packed with more white people, more than any of us had any seen before. I actually saw some more black people with these white monsters, and they didn’t look too happy. I could feel what felt the last of my hope completely vanquish.

We were shoved behind these cages, and I saw a family - with only young children - become separated, when they were brought up to the stage that a fat white man was talking from. The white people that were in the square came up onto the stage and inspected them as if they were some sort of animal. Checking their teeth, their hands, and their feet. After a while, they all got separated, taken off by different people. The parents fought back, but they were threatened to be flogged and they got dragged away, sobbing and wailing for their children. The children hardly knew any better. It was incredibly sad, in my eyes, and it made me think of what my family would be doing now.. And I remembered how envious towards my brother when I saw him for the last time. The thing I wanted to do more than anything else was say sorry to him, but I knew it wasn’t possible.

After a few more people got led away, they dragged me out. I stood on top of that stage and looked out warily across everyone, as they stared back at me with their big, greedy plots. Like they did with everyone else, they came up and checked my teeth, my eyes, to see if I was healthy enough. After a while, I was taken off by this thin looking man, a cheeky grin spread across his face. I had come to fear that look so much. There wasn’t much else I could do though, and he dragged me off, pulling me onto a cart with a man of my own race, also been bought, and set off, leaving the square in a clatter of hooves on cobbles.

Plantation:

After what seemed like a while of passing many green fields and trees and woods on a long, dirt stretch way, I saw a funny looking animal which would only be resembled as something similar to a buffalo. Though it wasn’t brown and really bulky - it was black and white, and let out a loud “moo” sound every so often. It just seemed to stand there and eat grass all day, occasionally swinging what was an extremely small tail at the back of it. I found out later that it was called a “cow” but at the time, I didn’t have a clue. It was the first time I had seen any type of animal at all since I had been captured.

As we passed further and further along this field - I saw crops starting to grow there, and on closer inspection - there was a group of us people working in it! Breaking their backs by swinging around what looked like a very heavy piece of wood and metal, and shearing the plants off. Once they had disappeared from view, we came to a shuddering halt in front of a tall, stone house, taller than 4 of me. I looked up at it in amazement, and then looked at the other buildings there. These were made out of mud, and could be easily washed away. I felt angry when I realized a little later on that that was where I would be sleeping along with all the others. The white man and his family slept in the big house, and I was given the job of cleaning it, cooking for the family, sewing, fixing anything that was broken, and supplying the house with fire. I had to get up before they woke up and go to bed after them. If I became ill, I still had to work around the house. I had no holidays, and I had to eat on the leftovers that the white family had left.

The other “slaves” as the white people called us, most of them were born on the place itself and so eyed me a little warily when I first came to live there. After a while though, I started to settle in. I started to become one of the group, and learn the language that the white people used and what most of the slaves used. If I did my work well, I would be rewarded, and thankfully, I was hardly ever flogged, compared to the others. And as I grew older, I had children. It made me sad inside that they would never know their ancestors home land, and would never live there, but there wasn’t much that I could do.

I can always remember the day that my master gave me my name. It wasn’t long after I had joined, and it was just at the point where I could speak, or at least understand, just enough English. He came up to me while I was working on the supper and placed a hand on my shoulder.
“You shall be named Sarah.”
“But my name is Ee-”
“What did I just say? Obey me and you will avoid the whip. Disobey me and you won’t even be given a name, only a number.” He walked off before I had time to say anything or respond. I was still so scared of him at that point that I didn’t dare say anything.

Review:
After having spent many years on that Plantation, the Master finally died, and his wife had no choice but to grant us our freedom. It was good to be free, but I was sad that I would never have been able to go back to Africa and see my family ever again.

As I learnt more about Slavery, the angrier I became. Yes, of course, Britain today wouldn’t have been what it is today, but many people treat us Africans as if we are somewhat inferior to them. It makes me angry. There is a lot of racism about in the world due to Slavery.

I mean, how dare they! They feed themselves off of our misery, our captivation! They used us, treated us as if we were animals! Even if we’re just a different colour in skin, does not mean that we can be treated as if we are something different! It’s not right! It’s unfair!

Sure, It did make the country powerful and famous, and benefited the world in many ways, but I swear on my life and the world that I will not forgive the white men for what torture they have put me and I’m sure, many others, through. It affected everyone, and changed people’s opinion on dark skinned people forever. And I’m sorry, but I find that hard to forgive.