The Slave

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 23

Ukeh was running around on this calm beautiful morning when he stumbled on a small black nylon that was carefully tied and wekk hidden. At first he didn’t recognised it, but later he remembered it was the same nylon he had used to pack Bruise’s ashes, It’s been a year and three months since he was brought to the white man’s land and it’s been 4 months since Bruise died.

He quickly flashed back to that day and he became sad, that up till now he has not fufilled any of his promise, he had promised Nti that he would find and bring her home. He promised the old man to help him find his grand daughter, and then he promised to take Bruise’s ashes back to Africa, but everyday it seems all of his promises were piling up with no hope of fufilment. He knelt down and he prayed silently

“Jesus, inwqs told that when we ask you give us without reservation, please all I ask is the grace and wisdom to fufill every promise I have made. Please Lord Jesus help me. Amen”

He was as still praying when Smart walked in. Bush got up and dusted himself.

“Have you seen the new slave? He asked

“What slave?”

“Master Tom has bought a replacement for Bruise only this time it’s a lady”

“Uhmmmm” Ukeh sighed

“She is young and beautiful and she seems to be smart, the type I will like to take for a wife, but that is if master Tom does not have an eye for her.

“How do you mean? Ukeh asked

“Every female slave belongs to thier masters. He can sleep with her at anytime of his choice. Some wicked masters even sleep with the married ones that they have thier eyes on and the husband cannot do anything about it”.

“But that’s wrong” Ukeh exclaimed

“But we are all slaves” replied Smart

“I am not a slave”

“Keep telling yourself that boy, keep saying it, one day it might just happen for you. Come out now master Tom wants to introduce her to us all.

He turned and walked away. Ukeh watched him as he left. And carefully he kept Bruise ashes again and went out to see the new slave.

Smart got one thing right she was beautiful. Master Tom was introducing her to the others.

“As a replacement for Bruise I have brought in this black beautiful mouse. She is now one of you and so you must teach her how to work hard. You can call her “Agatha” yes Agatha.

And he pushed her to the ground and place one foot on her head.

“Listen girl, the person whom you are replacing was stubborn and rude and he ended up dead. If you try to act smart and defile me, you will suffer the same fate. Do you understand?

“Yes master. She replied.

Master Tom then assigned her to a storage room he no longer uses. He told her to stay there as her room.

“I told you, I told you. He has an eye for her and that is why he has assigned her a special room, I told you.” Smart whispers to Ukeh

But Ukeh wasn’t interested in all the rantings and so he turns and walks away.

That evening Ukeh was sitted outside after the days job. Suddenly he saw Master entering Agatha’s room. Few minutes later he heard her crying and screaming.

Ukeh was filled with anger as he rose to go to them but Smart holds him back

“Don’t get yourself involved in what will cause you your death. She is his property and so are you”

Ukeh felt anger within because he couldn’t do anything. Rape was a serious offence from where he came and he would torture and deal with anyone involved in any of such activities. And here he was sitting helplessly as a young girl is been raped. He wished he could tear Tommy apart.

Few minutes later Tommy walks out with a big smile plastered on his face, he sees Ukeh and winks at him and then walks back into his apartment.

Episode 24.

Agatha sits out late in the night crying. She was tired of living like this. Her previous master was also raping her every night. Sometimes she ended up with scars and bruises all over her.

When master Tom came visiting their place, he gambled with her master and won.

Agatha was used as settlement for that gamble. She was happy to leave, she never knew she was coming to another abode of hell.

She remembered her home and how she was taken. She had gone to fetch some firewood for cooking and the white boys threw nets over her and dragged her away. She wept as she thought of home. She has lost all hope of leaving this place and she was tired of living like this, she went inside and took a small knife and walked slowly inside the bush. She raised her hand up to stab herself but someone holds her from behind. She turns to see who it was and she screamed.

“Leave me alone, leave me please, let me die, I can’t take it anymore I just want to die”

But Bush wouldn’t hear of it, he held her tight until she was calm. Then he walked her back to the ranch and gave her a glass of water to drink.

“Are you calm now?”

“Yes I am, thank you”

There was silence between them for a while but Agatha broke that silence.

“How long have you been here?” She asked

“One year and three months. And you?

“Two years and eight months, I’ve been sold three times and this is my third master. ”

“Then you must be one hell of a stubborn person”

Agatha chuckles and then continued.

“I just want to go back home. They call us bush people, animals and slaves, they may have better resources and things that we don’t have, but we are their greatest weakness. They fear us, they are terrified of our unity, our strength and our abilities. Africa is blessed and they fear that one day we will conquer the world this is the reason they do what they do. I want to go home, I wish to go home. I do not know if it will ever happen but I do hope to someday. (She turns to Ukeh) How about you? Do you ever think of going back home?

“It’s the only thing I think of”

Agatha smiled and there was another silence between them.

Tell me, what is your name? She asked.

“Bush, they call me Bush”

“Hahaha, not that, I mean your real name, your name from your birth parents.”

“Ukeh, my name is Ukeh”

“Ukeh, sounds lovely. No matter what they call you here Ukeh, never forget your real name. It is your identity, it is your strength, it is your freedom”

“Thank you so much Agatha, I am so relieved to hear these words from you.

Agatha stands up and dusts her butt.

“Thank you Ukeh for saving my life”

And she starts walking away towards her room.

“Amara, the name is Amara, whenever we are alone, you can call me Amara. It makes me feel closer to home. Goodnight”

And she walked away.

Ukeh didn’t believe what he just heard. “Amara” could she be the same Amara he was searching for? Could she be the old man’s grand daughter?

To be continued!