CHAPTER TWO
Eastern Maryland
Wednesday, November 15, 1854
Late night
Ann’s eyes popped open. She strained to hear her parents’ voices over the thundering sound of her own heartbeat. Master Adam had never sold anyone away.
Why is he picking us? Ann wondered.
She thought if you did what you were told and worked hard, you could stay with your family. She thought slaves got sold when they caused trouble. Daddy had taught her to follow the rules. He said it would keep her safe, and she had believed him.
Anger and fear rose in Ann’s body until her cheeks felt hot. She struggled to stay still. She wanted to interrupt, but she also wanted to hear the rest of what they had to say.
“There’s nothing I can do,” said Daddy.
Mama’s face twisted with sadness and rage. “You can’t let him sell the children. He picked them just because they’re small and can’t do as much work.”
“Maybe he’ll sell me instead,” said Daddy. “I’ll ask tomorrow.”
Ann didn’t want Daddy sold either. None of them could be sold. Ann always listened to the old people when they talked. She knew about places much worse than here. Places in the South. Families who were separated never saw each other again. None of them could end up somewhere like that.
“No,” said Mama. “You can’t ask. We have to act like we don’t know. We have to make a plan.”
Daddy looked at the ground. “They’re going to two different farms. We only have till next week.”
Ann couldn’t take it anymore. She sat up and wiped her tears. “We have to run away,” she said.
Mama and Daddy stared at her. The only sounds in the cabin were of Paul snoring and the fire crackling. It was like they were afraid to move… afraid that the words Ann had spoken would make the ceiling fall in.
After what felt like hours, Daddy handed the baby back to Mama and walked over to Ann. His voice was so low Ann almost couldn’t hear it at all. “We can’t run,” he said. “They will hunt us, and you don’t want to know what they’ll do when they catch us.”
“Then we can’t let them catch us,” said Ann.
Mama’s eyes moved from Daddy’s face to Ann’s face as they talked. She swayed from side to side with Elizabeth in her arms.
“It would be too hard with the baby,” said Daddy. “We could get hurt or sick. We could end up dead. All five of us.”
Mama started to cry again. Ann knew being separated would blow out the last little bit of fire Mama had inside. Not running away might kill her.
“Please,” said Ann. “We have to try. Some people make it. I’ve heard men in the field whisper about them.”
Daddy shook his head.
“Please?” Ann could not imagine life without her family.
“That’s enough,” said Daddy. “I said no.”
Ann lay down on the straw and turned her back to Daddy. Anger as hot as fire grew inside of her. It was like she suddenly had all of Mama’s fire, plus her own.
* * *
Ann worried about being sold all night long. She thought about Paul all alone somewhere else. Every time a carriage came and went, she wondered about the world outside the farm. But she thought she’d never get to see it. Now she was going to see it in a way she never imagined.
When the horn that called them to work sounded in the morning, Ann hadn’t slept. She thought about being sold while she yanked cornstalks from the ground. I’ll be sold next week, she thought. Today was Thursday. Next week was only four days away.
Ann tried to think of a way to make somebody not want to buy her. If she got hurt in the field, she wouldn’t be able to work. Then no one would want her. Even though Ann was strong and fast, she was small. Maybe the buyer would think she was too weak to do any work. And Paul was even smaller than she was. Ann hoped no one would want two skinny kids.
But Ann knew that plan might not work. If she was hurt, Master Adam would think she was useless and he’d sell her anyway.
On Friday night, Ann decided to talk to Daddy again. She waited until Paul fell asleep. They all knew Paul couldn’t find out yet. He talked too much, and he’d be too scared.
“Daddy, we need to run away. Next week is almost here,” she said.
Daddy stared at Ann. “I can’t put you all in that kind of danger.”
“What about the Underground Railroad?” she asked.
Ann didn’t know a lot about the Underground Railroad, but she knew what it was from listening to the adults around her. She also knew what it wasn’t. It wasn’t under the ground, and it wasn’t even a train. It was a secret path that slaves used when they ran away.
Along the path there were secret places to rest and get help. If you made it all the way, you’d be in the North. You’d be free.
“Leave it alone, Ann. You hear?” said Daddy. “I’m done talking about it.”
Mama came around behind Ann and unwound one of her braids. She put in a fresh braid, and pulled it extra tight. She repeated this five more times, until Ann’s braids were so tight her scalp hurt. Whenever Mama was restless, she redid Ann’s braids. Usually that helped to settle her. This time, it didn’t seem to work. Mama went outside in the dark and pulled the weeds in their little garden plot.
“Daddy, you told me to help Mama,” Ann whispered. “Look at her. She can’t watch us get sold. She just can’t.”
Daddy said, “Go to sleep. Now.”
Ann knew better than to argue. She lay down next to Paul and stared at the ceiling and wondered if next week would come fast or slow. No matter what, next week was coming.
Ann was so upset she could barely breathe. The baby started crying. Since Mama was still outside, Daddy picked Elizabeth up and sang her a song, but she cried anyway.
Ann turned on her side and cried too. She couldn’t believe her own daddy was just going to let her be sold without doing anything at all.