Sally Island 18
Standing there watching James sing, she sang along with a smile, James wouldn't even smile back. He had lost his joy and wasn't even interested in getting it back, he just wanted to go home. Sheba didn't stop smiling anyway, she understood His plight, she had been there before. She was also kidnapped from Sally Island years back, that was why she could recognize the song. She stood still and kept on smiling, she was happy to have found someone from Sally Island in Mafaa Island. She was overwhelmed despite the fact that James refused to break a smile. Uncle Sam had noticed the little reunion going on from behind Sheba as he walked up, he didn't care much about it as he walked through Sheba's left hand knocking off some of the items she had gotten from the market. James siting down on the ground noticed how Uncle Sam knocked over Sheba's items. He always hated intimidation but couldn't do much in slavery so he stopped singing, putting on a stronger frown, he helped her pick up some of the fallen items. Sheba bent down a bit closer and said to him in their Sally dialect, "you need to calm down".
That sentence briefly brought James home with a crooked smile. Sheba felt very fulfilled, she had developed an uplifting spirit within the horror of Mafaa Island, being a bit privileged, she tried as much as possible to cheer up other slaves who were not as privileged as she was. Her brief intent of cheering James up worked, she quickly started a conversation with him. She was excited she could still speak Sally even after years of being away from home. She asked James where he lived in Sally Island and his family. She got more excited when she found out James also knew her family back in Sally Island and the news of her family being in good health gladdened her heart even though she won't see them ever again, she was happy they were alright. James on the other hand felt like a human again. He made a few friends on the slave ship but as soon as they landed, his friends were sold off to different parts. The slavers knew it was easy to become friends to whoever you are chained with, so they make sure slaves chained together weren't sold to same owners or same settlement to avoid an organized revolt. James was happy to have made another friend and a beautiful one, although he wasn't even sure of where he would be serving as Sheba told him he was still sitting there because his masters were yet to determine where he will be sent to serve.
So there was a huge possibility he wasn't going to see her again, but he didn't concern himself much with that. He had a smile on and kept it on as long as he could, he felt family in a foreign land, he was lucky. He was thinking of how his father served the Oyibo and his father loved them, was this how he was treated and he loved them that much? Sheba was already late from the errand she was sent so she had to rush home leaving James behind, she maintained her smile still. In the back of her mind, she would still see him again, she would make sure of it, even if it costs her her life, she would make sure she saw James again. Uncle Sam walking back noticed James was smiling. A Slave he just walked past now having a frown on his face now had a smile on. He got scared within his heart, Uncle Sam didn't like seeing a slave smile, he knew how powerful a smile could be. You don't wear a perfect smile in a scary place, perfect smiles come with confidence and confidence brings hope and with hope, the mind is sane and a sane mind meant organized thinking which might be acted on. Uncle Sam didn't want that, Uncle Sam never wanted a slave to use his head or even think at all. He mastered the art of distraction, he wouldn't amuse a slave with distractions, rather he will inflict painful distractions when he wasn't giving orders. So as Sheba walked away, he walked to James.
Inquiring from James in the whites man's language how come he had a smile on. Of course James wasn't able to understand the oyibo's language yet. He wore his smile still and starred at Uncle Sam in complete silence. As much as this made Uncle Sam wonder, slaves don't smile, they don't smile especially when they just landed on Mafaa Island, it took them at least a year to break a smile but here was this new slave already smiling within days of landing. He was scared of that smile and him being afraid makes him helpless and when he feels helpless, he preys. James on the other hand wasn't able to understand the Oyibo language yet but he understood when his smile was making someone uncomfortable. James never liked his condition on the island and had always wanted a way to let his slavers know. He had been chained since he was captured and he just discovered that this smile was the only weapon he had, he was bent on using it till he couldn't anymore. So as Uncle Sam whipped him, he maintained the smile. As James was taking a whip for having a smile, Sheba was back home taking a scold. Her madam wasn't pleased at all with the time she was coming home. She had expected her to be home earlier than she did. She was busy with James the new slave catching up with what she missed in Sally island. Her mistress told her she wasn't going to have dinner that night, but she wasn't bothered. She wasn't bothered at all, she couldn't stop thinking of James who she didn't know was taking a whip for having a smile.
Meanwhile back at home, I had my own worries, I needed to know for sure if it was Eve that was rumoured to be lurking the island again. New to the men of the island, a beautiful well shaped girl walked freely around the market with a transparent piece of cloth tied around her waist revealing a lot to whoever cared to look. The market touts would easily prey on her vulnerability if she wasn't a Mutubu. But they didn't know this so they would try regardless. I stood with my bag in the midst of the entire market and starred, it was Eve for sure. But like I feared, I didn't know how to approach her. Just exactly as I feared, I stood unseen watching her walk through, sweating and thinking of how to make a move, I started thinking of how i usually mess up my chances with girls. I honestly didn't want this to be like other past incidents so I thought of what to do. Laid back to my thoughts I tried to recite a sentence to start up a conversation, I didn't know if she would remember me. She most definitely should, I was her errand boy when she made coconut rice for us at the beach last time. But then again, maybe Omin's encounter with her the last time she came to Sally Island had ruined the chance of her being friendly to any of us again, as I thought of what to do, I over heard one of the Market touts seriously planning to approach her. This dude was about to beat me to the game.
That sentence briefly brought James home with a crooked smile. Sheba felt very fulfilled, she had developed an uplifting spirit within the horror of Mafaa Island, being a bit privileged, she tried as much as possible to cheer up other slaves who were not as privileged as she was. Her brief intent of cheering James up worked, she quickly started a conversation with him. She was excited she could still speak Sally even after years of being away from home. She asked James where he lived in Sally Island and his family. She got more excited when she found out James also knew her family back in Sally Island and the news of her family being in good health gladdened her heart even though she won't see them ever again, she was happy they were alright. James on the other hand felt like a human again. He made a few friends on the slave ship but as soon as they landed, his friends were sold off to different parts. The slavers knew it was easy to become friends to whoever you are chained with, so they make sure slaves chained together weren't sold to same owners or same settlement to avoid an organized revolt. James was happy to have made another friend and a beautiful one, although he wasn't even sure of where he would be serving as Sheba told him he was still sitting there because his masters were yet to determine where he will be sent to serve.
So there was a huge possibility he wasn't going to see her again, but he didn't concern himself much with that. He had a smile on and kept it on as long as he could, he felt family in a foreign land, he was lucky. He was thinking of how his father served the Oyibo and his father loved them, was this how he was treated and he loved them that much? Sheba was already late from the errand she was sent so she had to rush home leaving James behind, she maintained her smile still. In the back of her mind, she would still see him again, she would make sure of it, even if it costs her her life, she would make sure she saw James again. Uncle Sam walking back noticed James was smiling. A Slave he just walked past now having a frown on his face now had a smile on. He got scared within his heart, Uncle Sam didn't like seeing a slave smile, he knew how powerful a smile could be. You don't wear a perfect smile in a scary place, perfect smiles come with confidence and confidence brings hope and with hope, the mind is sane and a sane mind meant organized thinking which might be acted on. Uncle Sam didn't want that, Uncle Sam never wanted a slave to use his head or even think at all. He mastered the art of distraction, he wouldn't amuse a slave with distractions, rather he will inflict painful distractions when he wasn't giving orders. So as Sheba walked away, he walked to James.
Meanwhile back at home, I had my own worries, I needed to know for sure if it was Eve that was rumoured to be lurking the island again. New to the men of the island, a beautiful well shaped girl walked freely around the market with a transparent piece of cloth tied around her waist revealing a lot to whoever cared to look. The market touts would easily prey on her vulnerability if she wasn't a Mutubu. But they didn't know this so they would try regardless. I stood with my bag in the midst of the entire market and starred, it was Eve for sure. But like I feared, I didn't know how to approach her. Just exactly as I feared, I stood unseen watching her walk through, sweating and thinking of how to make a move, I started thinking of how i usually mess up my chances with girls. I honestly didn't want this to be like other past incidents so I thought of what to do. Laid back to my thoughts I tried to recite a sentence to start up a conversation, I didn't know if she would remember me. She most definitely should, I was her errand boy when she made coconut rice for us at the beach last time. But then again, maybe Omin's encounter with her the last time she came to Sally Island had ruined the chance of her being friendly to any of us again, as I thought of what to do, I over heard one of the Market touts seriously planning to approach her. This dude was about to beat me to the game.
Story: Nnagoziem TheVyrus Udensi
Illustrations: Chevelin Pierre and Joseph Kenedy
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