2nd Diary Entry - The Middle Passage
2nd Entry
I will pick up, where I left off last night.
Like I said, somehow the white men managed to get all of us on the ship, without too much of a struggle. They chained me up, Tuhey on my right, and an older man from a different tribe on my left. The man on my left, showed no signs of tears, or anger. I was confused. Did he not miss his people, or fear what would happen? Was he not angry at the white men for chaining him up, and treating him like an animal? I turned my head to my friend on my right. He, on the other hand, had dry tears stains on his cheeks, and was shaking. I told him not to worry, and to just do what he was told to do. He didn’t talk.
I slowly started feeling the boat rock slightly. Every person that was chained around me, moved with the movement of the boat. Every time I moved to the left, or the right, I could feel the metal shackles digging into my skin. It hurt, but I didn’t complain. I could hear moaning voices around me, and it didn’t help me. I slowly started hearing more and more feet moving around above me. The crew of the ship were working.
Countless hours passed. My stomach came out several times during the hours. It disgusted me. The shackles had now cut deep wounds in my skin, and the bleeding wouldn’t stop. I could feel the cold liquid running down my wrists, and ankles. Lying down, and moving around on wood, ended with my back starting to bleed as well. The pain it caused, I never showed.
Sometimes the white men would come down, and unlock us. They then took us all up on the deck, where we saw the burning sun for the first time in days. They would pour buckets of salty water on our backs, to try and disinfect the wounds. Every time the water ran down my back, I had to squeeze my eyes shut tight, as to not scream out in pain. I had to stay strong. They played foreign music, and made us dance to it. I did as told, so I wouldn’t get punished. I observed some white men throwing a young looking black boy over board. The young boy was dead. That stung my heart. The white men were ruthless. The white men would sometimes steal women from the chambers (I will call them chambers for now) just before night fell. I tried to not think about what would happen to them. It disgusted me too.
After weeks, and weeks we finally arrived at the land across the ocean. I knew my journey on the boat was almost over, the day the boat started swaying less and less. That day was actually quite a happy day, for those who knew what that meant. I don’t know how much time passed after that, but one day/night I suddenly heard birds outside the boat. I brightened my spirit just a little bit. The crew were suddenly very audible, and I knew I was about to be guided out into a world very different of the one back in Africa. Obviously what I had heard were mere ideas, but as I found out, our ideas were not far off. White men walked everywhere, speaking that weird language that I didn’t speak at that time.
I will pick up, where I left off last night.
Like I said, somehow the white men managed to get all of us on the ship, without too much of a struggle. They chained me up, Tuhey on my right, and an older man from a different tribe on my left. The man on my left, showed no signs of tears, or anger. I was confused. Did he not miss his people, or fear what would happen? Was he not angry at the white men for chaining him up, and treating him like an animal? I turned my head to my friend on my right. He, on the other hand, had dry tears stains on his cheeks, and was shaking. I told him not to worry, and to just do what he was told to do. He didn’t talk.
I slowly started feeling the boat rock slightly. Every person that was chained around me, moved with the movement of the boat. Every time I moved to the left, or the right, I could feel the metal shackles digging into my skin. It hurt, but I didn’t complain. I could hear moaning voices around me, and it didn’t help me. I slowly started hearing more and more feet moving around above me. The crew of the ship were working.
Countless hours passed. My stomach came out several times during the hours. It disgusted me. The shackles had now cut deep wounds in my skin, and the bleeding wouldn’t stop. I could feel the cold liquid running down my wrists, and ankles. Lying down, and moving around on wood, ended with my back starting to bleed as well. The pain it caused, I never showed.
Sometimes the white men would come down, and unlock us. They then took us all up on the deck, where we saw the burning sun for the first time in days. They would pour buckets of salty water on our backs, to try and disinfect the wounds. Every time the water ran down my back, I had to squeeze my eyes shut tight, as to not scream out in pain. I had to stay strong. They played foreign music, and made us dance to it. I did as told, so I wouldn’t get punished. I observed some white men throwing a young looking black boy over board. The young boy was dead. That stung my heart. The white men were ruthless. The white men would sometimes steal women from the chambers (I will call them chambers for now) just before night fell. I tried to not think about what would happen to them. It disgusted me too.
After weeks, and weeks we finally arrived at the land across the ocean. I knew my journey on the boat was almost over, the day the boat started swaying less and less. That day was actually quite a happy day, for those who knew what that meant. I don’t know how much time passed after that, but one day/night I suddenly heard birds outside the boat. I brightened my spirit just a little bit. The crew were suddenly very audible, and I knew I was about to be guided out into a world very different of the one back in Africa. Obviously what I had heard were mere ideas, but as I found out, our ideas were not far off. White men walked everywhere, speaking that weird language that I didn’t speak at that time.