4
1848
It had been two years since my loves death and since Bill 'the Butcher' Cutting claimed me as his. Life went on and all traces of the dead rabbits were gone. They dried up like water beneath the sun. Bill had claimed the Five Points and everything in it. No one challenged the Natives. No one was stupid enough. There were new gangs and new gang leaders, but everyone still had one thing in common no matter what race or religion: survival. Everyone was poor except the people on the hills. As for me, I suffered in silence. I was Bill's property and no one was to lay hand to me lest they lose it along with their lives. The collar around my neck had small iron eagle that the one on Bill's glass eye. It was to show everyone who I belonged to.
Whenever he walked with his gang through the streets I walked behind the gang with my head down making sure not to cause attention to myself. But every year Bill hosts a celebration for killing Priest and he made me wear the nicest dress and he made sure to remind me how much he owned me after words. It was a Monday and Bill and his group were walking to the docks to yell and spew curses at any immigrants who were to come off the boats. I was in a black and red dress, my hair pulled back into a bun and a black bonnet rested on my head. I could see Bill walking with Mcgloin and both men occasionally looked back at me to make sure I was behind them and not too far behind. I was silent and never speaking unless spoken too. I could hear Bill talking about slavery. Blacks were still owned and terrorized by the whites. I wasn't paying much attention, but I heard the whole gang start to laugh. Bill looked back at me.
"Little Angel, what do you think? Should niggers be allowed the same equal rights as the pure bred white man in America?" he asked and I was unsure of how to answer. I parted my lips licking them for a second.
"Does a nigger not bleed like a white man?" I questioned and this made everyone laugh once more. Bill chuckled looking forward again.
"My red monkey has some wisdom in her. A clear sign that not all monkeys are stupid." he said and I remained silent at his words. As we walked I looked around at the other gang members who plagued the Five Points. Everyone hated everyone and there was always someone dying or a building getting looted or destroyed. Once we were at the docks I remained silent and watched as Bill yelled at the people coming off the boat.
"Go back to your whore mongering island, Irish niggers!" Mcgloin commanded. Everyone cheered in agreement and threw rocks at the people walking down. I kept my eyes down and just waited for the torture. I then felt Bill's body push against mine and I looked up to see him standing above me with that signature smirk on his face. He lifted my hand and placed a stone in the center of my palm. I was shocked by the motion and it took me only seconds to figure out what he wanted me to do. He kept his smile on his face as he knew I caught on.
"Throw." he demanded and I looked down at the stone and then up at him and my body remained still. I didn't want to throw this at anyone. It was very dangerous for a black in this time. I had no rights and this meant I could be killed. Bill placed two fingers into my collar and yanked me forward his mustache close to my lips. "Throw." I winced and looked down as he released me and I turned to the men and women walking down the docks and I sighed and threw the rock hitting a man in the leg and he looked over at us and I winced in sadness and Bill only laughed tapping my face as if praising me. He moved back and continued to scold everyone who got off the boat. I am glad I did not hurt that man I hit earlier. After Bill lost interest he began to walk the streets. I followed in silence looking around at the Five points. I saw Happy Jack Mulraney, he was a policeman now. He fought for Priest. He roamed the streets taking profit from some of the gangs. Even Mcgloin had fought with the Dead Rabbits. I wonder what he had to do to get on his good side. He was an Irishman. Maybe they drained his blood and replaced it with white American blood.
"Roses for sale get some fresh roses for sale." I heard a man call out. Bill had walked past a man selling roses and I followed behind, but began to lag a bit behind as I caught the colorful red tint of the flowers. The man looked dirty, but who didn't look dirty these days. I stopped now and stared at the flowers. I could tell from the man's scowl that he didn't want a colored woman near him, but as he looked at my collar he had a change of heart.
"Care to buy a rose?" he asked and I looked once more at the bunch of flowers. I had no money, well Bill gave me money, but I didn't have many possessions of my own. I was planning to turn him down, but I could not for Bill was now beside me his gang also standing all around me, but not too close. The Butcher did not like any men standing to close to what was his. Bill glanced at me with a calm smirk, but his smiles were always tied to some deeper evil. I glanced back at him a tad nervous of why he stared at me so intensely.
"You want a flower?" he asked and I shook my head.
"I was just looking." I replied.
"Don't lie to me." he shot back and I looked down for a moment unable to answer him and he looked at the man who was now a tad on edge himself. Bill reached into his pocket and pulled out a few coins and tossed it to the man and while he was stumbling to catch them, Bill pulled out a rose from his bouquet of flowers and turned to me. I faced him and looked up at me and watched as he tore half the stem off and placed it behind my left ear and I was stunned by the action and he just nodded as if saying 'you're welcome' and began to move to walk on. His gang followed behind him and I was merely standing in shock for a moment before following after him. We began to pass an Irish barber shop owned by Walter 'Monk' McGinn. He was standing in front of his shop now looking down on everyone. He was the man who robbed my love two years ago of his money. He saw us and eventually he saw me. Our eyes locked and he had no shame as he stared at me. I looked away so I could keep up with Bill and his gang.
They ended up stopping at a whore house and for a moment I decided to stay outside, but I realize that Bill is the only thing keeping me safe from all the other white men out here. He was the between me and a dominant civilization. I stood near Bill watching as the Natives scattered around the bar looking for girls to drink with or sleep with. He sat down and ordered some type of alcohol and I watched as girls moved all over him rubbing on him and laughing with him. I moved a few steps away from him so he could enjoy the girls. A man was watching me from across the room. He had many cups sitting around his table and I knew he was drunk. I tensed and looked away not wanting to stare at him, but that only got me a whistling from the man and I looked over at him to see he was waving me over. He had brown hair and a large upper torso. I knew I couldn't leave Bill's side so I merely ignored the man and tilted my head down. I just wanted to go back to his bed chambers so I could have some peace and quiet away from hateful eyes.
I then heard large footsteps coming my way and I looked up to see the man stomping over here in rage. I had no time to react until he gripped my wrist hard.
"You black bitch! Did you not see me calling you over!" he yelled. I had no time to even respond before another hand gripped the man's hand. It happened so fast. Bill placed the man's arm on the table and raised his large butcher's knife and slammed it down on the man's wrist. His hand flailed to the side and the drunk man screamed loudly at the sudden pain.
"This if for touching what is mine." he said and then slammed the knife once more on his wrist cutting off another piece of the man's hand. He screamed again getting down on his knees now from the pain. I kept my back pressed against the wall. "That is for dragging your fat carcass across the room and deciding to waste my time." He placed his hand on the man's face and dragged him up to me.
"You see this girl? She is my property. My mark is clearly on her for all you sons of bitches to see!" he yelled out looking around at everyone as if speaking not only to the man he mutilated, but to every man who was not a Native. He then placed his knife on the man's cheek and sliced it open causing the ma to scream even louder. Bill threw him to the floor and then lifted his head straightening up his coat and smoothening his hair.
"Anyone else wanna lay their hands on my things?" he asked looking around at everyone in the room. Women were scared and hiding and men were stiff as boards. Bill looked back down at the bleeding man and then to Mcgloin.
"Get rid of him." he commanded and then looked at me holding his hand out to me for me to take and I was still a bit stunned by what had happened.
"Angeni." he said lightly and I was still nervous, but I took his hand and he pulled me forward causing me to step over the bleeding and probably dying man. He guided me from the whore house, while some of the men began to dispose of the drunk stranger.