My Dear Sister,

Lorraine Maze. Father think it sounds American. I think it sounds dreadful. I can't even pronounce the r in Lorraine or the z in Maze. I don't see why I can't just be Azelma Thenardier in America. It's not like people there know about Father's gang connections in Paris.

He also told me that I need to know English by the time I get to America because no one will understand me if I don't. Father can speak English well. I only know a few words. All the crew of the ship is French, though. They are all tough and gruff. I am the only girl. The captain of the ship is named William. He is an American who was in France trying to find people to recruit for his business.

Up until yesterday I didn't know what William's "business" was. Yesterday we arrived at Africa. It was horrific. We got off the boat on the sand. It was very hot. "Stay at the boat," Father told me.

"What's happening?" I asked him.

"Don't worry about that."

"Please tell me," I said.

"We are collecting the people," he said.

"What people?" I asked.

"The people who are going to be slaves," he said. I didn't quite know what he meant and I was very curious. I did as I was told though and stuck by the boat. I found a stick at the edge of the water and started drawing pictures in the sand.

William walked up to me. "Lorraine. Make sure the bottom hatch is open," he told me.

"Yes," I said. I walked into the boat and opened the hatch. It had never seen it opened before. I looked down into the bottom of the boat. There was a large empty space. I was really confused to what was going on.

I walked back out of the boat. I saw a few crew members walk up dragging Africans behind them. They walked them into the boat and threw them in the bottom of the ship. Then more came. And then more. Father was dragging some of them. Some Africans where putting up a fight. Some cried and wailed. Others got dragged along willingly. They knew they had no chance against our men with guns.

One girl, about my age, reached out and touched my arm. She stared at me. She got dragged onto the boat with another little girl (her sister?) tugging at her arm. I wanted to help her but I had no idea how to. Her eyes were so big and helpless.

They all got packed into the bottom of the boat. The ones who were fighting back got chained to the wall. It was really scary seeing them all down there. They were all as confused as me. It gave me a strange sick feeling.

After hours of packing them in, William closed the hatch. I went to the small room on the boat that I share with Father. I sat on my bed and cried. I wasn't sure why I was crying because I wasn't sure what was happening. I knew it was terrible, though. I could hear people shouting and moaning from the bottom off the boat. Women and children.

Father came into the room. "What are you crying for?" He asked me.

"Those poor people. Why are they down there?" I asked.

"They are going to America to be sold to people as laborers," Father told me.

"You sell people?" I asked.

"Don't think like that," he said. "They aren't really people, you see."

I couldn't believe he said that. It made me really mad. I thought about the girl who touched my arm. She was definitely a person. I shook my head at Father.

Oh Eponine, I don't understand why it is a crime to steal an apple from a cart on the street, yet it isn't one to take hundreds of innocent people from their homes and cram them into a boat to be sold. Nothing is fair. I wish you were with me right now. I am scared. I am confused. If you were here with me you'd know exactly what to say. I don't want this to be my fate.

I hugged your hat tightly last night as I fell asleep listening to the crys of the people below me.

Stay with me forever,

Your sister, Azelma