Never Yours

Dear Mistress,

Oh how I laugh when I remember the look on your face on the fateful day, all those years ago. Do you remember how I dutifully prepared the house to flee? We packed up all the china, all the silverware, the linens and various family heirlooms. I remember my hands were shaking so much I almost dropped an entire box of silverware! Because I knew you could no longer keep hold of me. The Yankees were coming and though they spelled danger for YOU, they spelled F-R-E-E-D-O-M for me. Not that I could have spelled it at the time. Perhaps you are wondering why I am writing you, Mistress. I am writing you to make a promise, a promise that sometime in the future white women will not have to be surprised by the actions of black women, as you were the day I stayed behind. You see, you were confused because I had always been the dutiful, perfect little slave girl- always at your beck and call, waiting on your every need. I did this because it was my understanding of survival. By playing the good slave I could usually get by without the harsh treatment I saw around me. You were surprised when I did not flee with you, my captors. Well, I will never put up such falsehood again. Never again will I play the loyal servant when it is not in my heart. For now that I am free from the bondage of slavery I can be truly free- my thought, and speech, and feeling. As will my daughters, and their daughters. We will not smile when we want to cry, we will not nod our heads obediently when our hearts are filled to the brim with dissent. No, we will be unabashedly and unashamedly honest- and you will know how we feel. I have no need to disguise myself for you anymore. That is the truth of freedom. 

Never yours,

Mary.

(Mary can be found towards the end of Chapter 1 in Hunter’s “Joy my Freedom”. Page 19 in the ebook link)