Chapter 1:4

1766, September 3rd

When I think back today about my youth and how my life progressed I sometimes wonder how my life would be if I had never met him. Would I be happier like that? A normal life either in the city or on the countryside, working hard every day to please my husband in any way he would like to and bear several kids? Would I be happier if that was my destiny?

Alex and I decided to spy on a man who carried a brown package. We hadn't found anything interesting on the docks other than drunken sailors who called on us to come closer and an old baglady who begged for some money. I had offered her my half-eaten muffin but she shouted dirty words at me and shooed at me to get the hell out of her face. It had been a gesture of kindness but her ungratefulness made me almost bury my fist in her dirty countenance. Though, Alex quickly pulled me away from her.

"Where do you think he's going?" I asked quietly. My stomach was roaring in hunger and I tried my best to keep it down. "We've passed this place twice already."

Alex soaked his lips and frowned.

"I don't know, it's strange," he agreed and squinted with his green-gray eyes. "But look at him, he's poorly dressed and… I think his skin is dark."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. We were hiding in a backyard and stalked the man through the alley. The darkness cloaked us enough to feel safe being so close.

"He's an Indian?" I exclaimed. What is an Indian doing here?

"Native American," Alex corrected and shook his head. He slid down from his position on some crates and crouched down to me. "And no, he's not a Native American. He's dark. Like dark-dark."

I didn't understand what he meant and pushed him aside from the boxes.

"What are you trying to say? Is there something wrong with his face?" I wondered and climbed up the crates.

The man stood at the same place where he had for maybe a quarter of an hour, leaning casually on the fences of somebody's house. He wore a dirty hat and covered most of his face, but I saw his hands.

"He's black!"

Alex sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"And?" he asked gesturing me to continue. "What's with it?"

I turned away my face from the man and glared at Alex.

"Nothing, have I implied anything else?"

"It sounded like you meant it in a cruel way."

I resisted the urge to slap him and decided to ignore answering. But when I again was faced towards the street, an ice-cold feeling filled my body. The man was nowhere to be seen.

"Hello, young children."

I spun around to see Alex and the stranger a couple of yards in front of us, the latter hiding in the shadow of a house. He slowly approached us, raising the both of his hands, and talked with a calming voice.

"I want you no harm."

I didn't know what to answer but fortunately for me, Alex knew. He took a step forward and held out his arms in a protective way.

"Back off," he warned and swallowed. To my surprise I could sense no fear in his voice. "Back off, or I'll get the guards coming."

The man came to a halt and I saw a flicker of a smile display on his lips.

"I won't hurt you nor your sister, don't worry. I'm here on personal business and I would be happy to have you stop following me," the man said, his raspy voice uncovering his age. I guessed he was around fifty years old. "This is dangerous for kids your age to know about. Go home."

"What is an Afro-American like you doing in Boston?" My question spurted out before I could stop myself. "It's not often I see black people if not in chains."

"He's not from Africa."

I looked at Alex in surprise.

"What do you mean?" I wondered and stepped down from the boxes. "Look at his skin—"

"His accent indicates else," Alex interrupted and took a step closer to the stranger. "You're not half-blood either."

The old man chuckled and was just about to open his mouth in reply when another voice cut in.

"Are ya sulking around in the dark 'cause ya don' think yar visible, talkin' to yarself?"

A bulky man accompanied by two others walked into the yard and brought his knuckles together in a threatening way. They approached the stranger from the other side of the backyard where another alley led out. I and Alex were hidden behind a tall, wooden fence from their angle and the black man nodded at us to hide, almost imperceptibly.

"No, because I needed some privacy."

The man who had spoken seemed like the leader of the trio and he laughed scornfully. Alex and I peeked through holes in the paling and viewed the confrontation. My heart was beating rapidly in fear – what if they find us – but I couldn't help but feel like a coward, where I hid.

"Are ya talkin' back, aye?"

I guessed that the humongous man was a sailor, judging by his looks and way of speaking, but it also felt a bit… strained. Like the man was playing a role. But what did I know; he could as well be like that overall.

"I came all the way to Boston," the black man answered. "Now, what do you want?"

The man laughed again, a sound that I had already come to hate. Who was he? What did he want that man?

"The lastly month pay wasn' even half of what I demanded. An' now ya don' even have a third," the bald man answered and grinned, "I've called ya here to show ya what happens when ya don' listen to me."

Then he directed a strong kick towards the stranger's left knee. A sickening crunch voiced the backyard and my stomach revolted. The dark-skinned man groaned in pain and pulled up his leg to his chest. Another kick blew out his breath and he soundlessly screamed in agony.

I don't know what flew into me but an almost outworldly anger filled my body and before I knew it, I stepped out from my hiding spot and ran towards the hostile man. I picked up a thick branch and screamed:

"Get away from him!"

I growled and swung with all my might, aiming for his crouch. It successfully hit and he grunted in pain. I continued to hit him over and over again, searching for any possible weak spot. He fell over – maybe not of pain but of mere surprise – and I brought my primitive weapon towards his face. The blow crushed his nose and he tried to defend himself with his arms. It didn't take more than maybe a minute but that was more than enough for me to inflict major damages unto him.

But suddenly, a loud bang echoed in the distance and I couldn't move. My hands were paralyzed and I dropped the branch. I tried to say something but it would've been easier to talk with my tongue cut off. My vision became blurry and I felt my knees buckle under me, no longer able to support my weight.

I… I've been shot.