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  The rocking chair that I was sitting in looked familiar. I asked about it and Bea said that it used to be in the living room of our house. Father had thrown it out several years ago when the arm broke and replaced it. Bea’s husband who was very good with wood carving before he’d died, had replaced it with one he’d whittled out of an old oak branch. As I sat there rocking the sleeping baby I heard a raised voice from behind one of the closest cabins.

  “She a grown woman.” Came the voice of a man.

  There was a lower response but I couldn’t make out the words.

  “It do matter ta me!” Came the loud voice again.

  “Oh lord!” said Bea. “Here he go again!”

  I passed the baby back to Ruth and walked to the side of the cabin so that I could see the ruckus. As I looked around the side of the cabin I immediately knew who’d been yelling. It was Leon. He had his back to be and wasn’t wearing a shirt. I saw the marks on his back which were just beginning to heal. He was talking to an older man who I assumed was Anny’s father.

  “I love her!” Leon said to the older man.

  The older man saw me watching and said something to Leon who turned and saw me looking at him. He turned, obviously still angry and walked away. The older man gave me a nod as if to apologize and he too turned and left.

  “That boy poking a hornet’s nest!” Said Bea as I turned to rejoin the conversation at hand.

  “Why doesn’t her father just let him court her?” I asked.

  “Cause he don’t got no respeck.” Bea began. “Dat boy dare don’t care bout what Tom want.”

  “Who’s Tom?” I asked.

  “Tom be Anny’s daddy. Leon come axe Tom bout courting Anny lass year and Tom say she too young. So Leon court her anyhow without Tom say so.” Bea said. “Now day been doing grown up thangs and got caught. Leon done got tha whip two times and he gone get it again if’n he don’t quit. Masa Mark done say he tired of Leon. He might even sell him. Den aint gone be courting anybody and Anny done went and messed herself up for another man.”

  “If she’s already been with Leon like that then why doesn’t Tom just give them his blessing?” I asked.

  “You gotta lot to learn Miss Becka. Leon mess up when he didn’t wait in the first place. You gone let yo daughter be courted by a man who don’t respect you?” Bea asked.

  “I guess not.” I replied.

  “You know you aint. Young boy come callin with nothing on his mind but no good aint gone get nothing but no good.” Bea said.

  “Hey Sissy” Came a voice from behind me as I pondered what Bea had just told me.

  I turned and saw a very large nigger standing to my left. His arms were as big as my waist. He looked as if her could pick me up with one hand and carry me like a suitcase. I looked over at Sissy and immediately knew who the large buck was.

  “Hello Henry” Sissy replied.

  “It’s good to see you” Henry replied.

  “You too” Sissy shyly said as Henry continued on his way.

  Sissy breathed deeply as Henry walked away.

  “Anny aint the only one who got the fever!” Bea said.

  “Momma!” Sissy exclaimed as she checked to make sure Henry was out of earshot.

  Bea just laughed.

  “Well I gotta head back up to the main house. Old Bea don’t get the day off, gotta get that dinner on the stove fo it get too late.” Bea said as she climbed out of her chair and headed to the house. I stayed behind with Sissy and played with the baby who was awake by then. Sissy and I returned to the house just in time for dinner. Sissy and Bea always ate in the kitchen after serving us in the dining room.

  Monday rolled around. Sissy woke me before daybreak, father had told her to wake me and have me join him in the parlor. I made my way down stairs to find Mark sitting in the parlor with my father. He’d been crying and I suspected that Charlotte might had died. As I entered the open parlor I was greeted with smiles from both Mark and Father.

  “Is everything alright?” I asked.

  Mark said that it was, he said that Charlotte had opened her eyes for a while this morning but had fallen back asleep and would not wake again. He called for the doctor who told him that it was a good sign, but that he needed to begin trying to force her to drink and hopefully she would wake long enough to eat. Father said that Samuel would be in charge of the plantation for a while. Mark’s only duty for now was to tend to Charlotte.

  “Samuel will be joining us at the auction today.” Father said. “I need to find someone to drive the second wagon. Ezekiel can’t drive them both; James is staying with Mark in case he should need to fetch the Doctor and we leave in an hour.”

  “I was told the nigger called Henry can drive a wagon” I said.

  I hurried back upstairs to get ready and to collect my money from its hiding place. The truth was that with everything that had happened, I’d nearly forgotten about the auction. I was ready and waiting in less than a half hour. Father finally came outside.

  “Is it your intent to bring Sissy with you?” Father asked when he saw her waiting with me.

  “Yes father, I thought she might be a help to me should I decide to make a purchase.” I replied.

  “Very well, but she will have to ride in the freight wagon with Henry. There’s no room in the stage.” Father said.

  “Fine” I replied as if I were slightly upset. The fact was that it was my intention for them to ride together.

  It took about an hour before we arrived at the auction. I got out and stretched my legs as best I could before following father and Samuel through the gate. Father had Henry and Ezekiel remain with the wagons while Sissy joined us inside.

  “I’m going to look around on my own if that’s okay father.” I asked.

  “Fine, but don’t go outside of the gate and be careful. Some of these niggers are straight off of the boat from Africa. They might hurt you before anyone can stop them.” Father said.

  Sissy and I went off on our own as Samuel and Father began looking at the field hands offered by the local salesmen.

  “Is you really gone buy a slave?” Sissy asked.

  “I don’t know. I’m thinking about it.” I replied.

  “Fo the reason you said?” Sissy asked.

  “Why else would I need one?” I asked. “How was your ride with Henry?”

  Sissy shied away from the answer.

  “Come on now” I said.

  “It was nice. He tole me I’s pretty.” Sissy replied.

  “And?” I asked.

  “I don’t know, he say lots of thangs” Sissy said.

  “Is he going to court you?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. He acts like he want to but I thank he scared as I am” Sissy replied.

  “We’ll fix that” I responded.

  I turned my attention to the slaves that surrounded us. Some were on pedestals, others were chained together, and some were even in cages. I stopped to look at some of the cages African slaves that were straight off of the ship. Some were wild and yelling, some were afraid, hiding in corners and others seemed to be examining me as I examined them. Obviously none of the African’s would do for my needs. I couldn’t even communicate with them. I moved on to the more domesticated slaves.

  “How bout him?” Sissy said as she pointed out a very large buck that might have been even bigger than Henry.

  “Maybe, but I don’t think five hundred dollars will buy him.” I told Sissy.

  “How much you reckon he cost?” Sissy asked.

  “Probably a thousand or more” I replied.

  “Gracious, that’s as much as a farm would cost aint it?” Sissy asked.

  “About two hundred acres” I replied.

  We continued looking at the various bucks that were going to be offered. While Sissy’s eyes seemed to fall on the larger more muscular slaves, mine fell to the more normal range. As we made our way through the groups of sellers we finally ran back into father.

  “Well?” Father asked
.

  “Well?” I responded.

  “Samuel and I found several worth bidding on. Did you fine another wench that interests you?” Father asked.

  It hadn’t occurred to me that I’d not told father that it was a buck I was interested in.

  “Not especially, but we’ll see what comes across the block. Let’s get closer they are about to start the auction.” I said.

  We made our way to the central auction block, there were two lines. The main line that everyone seemed so interested in was the one with the large field hands, the strong males who were obviously better workers. The second line was mostly women and children. There were some adolescents and a few uncles in the line as well a hand full of bucks that seemed defective. Some were just really small, others had limbs missing or were scared from multiple whippings. The auction got under way and they began bringing the niggers through. It was the first auction that I’d ever been to so I was a little nervous. The auctioneer was talking really fast and it was hard to keep up with what was happening. They would bring a slave from the main line, followed by one from the second line. Sometimes they would bring up a wench and a child or two and sell them as a set in order to bring a higher price and move the auction along faster.

  I waited and watched as slave after slave was brought through and sold. The larger bucks sold quickly, some for as little as six hundred while others sold for more. The large buck that Sissy was eyeing earlier that day sold for thirteen hundred dollars. I was surprised by the prices. I thought I would wait. I was hoping that as the day went on, people would leave and the prices would come down.

  The morning turned to afternoon and the auction was still running. Some of the people had left as I had thought they might, but not as many left as I’d hoped. Father had purchased two of the larger bucks. He’d spent fifteen hundred dollars so far. Finally they brought up a young buck from the line with the women and children. He looked to be maybe eighteen to twenty years old and had already experienced the whip a time or two. I watched as the first bid came at one hundred dollars, followed by another for a hundred and fifty. Then there was silence except for the auctioneer asking for higher bids.

  “Going once” The auctioneer said. “Twice”

  “Two hundred” I said.

  The entire crowd of people turned and looked at me. I guess they hadn’t expected to hear the voice of a woman bidding on slaves. The fact was that there were only a handful of women even attending the auction and I was clearly the youngest.

  “Rebekah?” Father asked.

  Samuel looked at me with a puzzled look on his face.

  “Two hundred from the young lady in the blue dress!” The auctioneer said. “Two fifty? Do I hear two fifty?”

  Maybe the other bidders were too shocked to continue bidding, maybe they didn’t think the buck was worth two fifty, but the next thing I remember hearing was the voice of the auctioneer saying sold.

  “Rebekah, why did you bid on that buck?” Father asked.

  “Because I wanted him” I said.

  “Why?” He asked.

  “I’m not sure” I replied.

  Father looked at me with puzzled disbelief. Samuel smiled as if he were trying not to laugh at me and Sissy just kept her head down.

  “Samuel, go with her to claim him” Father ordered.

  I followed Samuel to the small desk to the side of the auction block. We waited in the small line until we were up.

  “Number 318” Samuel told the man at the desk. He pulled out a deed of ownership and asked Samuel to sign.

  “Shouldn’t I be the one to sign it?” I asked.

  Samuel stepped aside as I wrote my name on the line and paid the two hundred dollars I’d bid plus a two dollar tax. Samuel asked the man to hold my purchase until the end of the auction. I watched as they escorted my new purchase away to be held with the ones my father had already bought.

  “I don’t understand you Rebekah” Father said as Samuel and I rejoined him and Sissy.

  “I know Father” I replied. “Do you not think it was a wise purchase?”

  “Perhaps, but I don’t understand it” He said.

  “He was a young male, they are upwards of six hundred dollars. I thought two hundred was a good price.” I said trying to make father believe that my purchase was an investment decision.

  “Indeed, but did you notice the scars on his back. That nigger is trouble, and he’s not that big either” Father replied.

  “He’s big enough for me” I said.

  I waited and watched as father bid on other slaves that came across. Some he won, some he didn’t. I still had three hundred dollars and considered buying even more slaves, but decided against it as I saw what all my money would buy. I felt like I had gotten a great deal on the buck that I’d bought. I’d expected to get a less impressive nigger and have to spend all of my money to boot.

  The last of the slaves crossed the block around three thirty that afternoon. Father had intended on buying only five but ended up buying six. He’d gotten a really good deal on a pair of brothers that had been auctioned together. We made our way back to the gate where our purchases were being held.

  Samuel had Henry and Ezekiel load them into the freight wagon and then joined father and I in the stage wagon. The trip home seemed even more tiring after standing around at the auction for the better part of the day. When I got home I was tired. I had Sissy draw a bath for me. I stepped into the wash room with nothing on my mind but the buck I’d just bought. As I removed my dress and underclothes it dawned on me that Sissy hadn’t fully told me about Henry.

  “So how did it go with Henry on the way back?” I asked as I stepped into the warm bath.

  “He was kinda busy with them new slaved masa bought so we didn’t get ta talk much” Sissy replied. “Is yo bath too cold miss?”

  “A little but it will do.” I said as I sank my body into the water. “So do you think he will come calling on you now?”

  “Hard to say miss, Henry do what Henry do and don’t nobody know why.” Sissy replied. “You want me to go boil some mo water, I tried to rush cause I knowed you was in a hurry.”

  “No, it’s fine Sissy, Thank you” I responded. “I’ll see what I can do to get you some more time with him.”

  “Thank you miss but if it gone happen, it will and if it aint then it wont.” Sissy replied.

  I was determined to get her the man she wanted, even if I had to make him court her. I didn’t linger in the bath. The water was getting cooler every moment I waited. After bathing I stepped out and wrapped a towel around myself. I began dressing myself while Sissy drained the water from the tub. As I looked at myself in the mirror I began to think about my arrangement with my father. I knew that the fall would be approaching soon and I almost regretted making the deal with him. As I looked at my breasts I couldn’t stop thinking about soon some strange man would be looking at them. My eyes fell downward to the brown hair between my legs. I slowly put my hand over my feminine parts as I glanced back to see what Sissy was doing. When I saw that she was preoccupied with draining the tub, I gently allowed my middle finger to glide into the shallow depths of my upper femdom. I could tell that there was moisture lingering just below the tip of my finger, but didn’t want to risk Sissy noticing me. I let my finger tip give my hard pink love bead a gentle caress before I turned my attention to getting dressed.

  Sissy finished draining the tub about the same time I’d finished getting my night clothes on. I told her to have a good night and I retired to my bedroom with sinful thought on my mind. It was a hot night so I decided to sleep with the window open. The moon was bright but I’d rather have chanced the random moth flying into my room than to spend the night sweating like a pig.

  I pulled most of my bed linens and covered myself only with the thin sheet. As I turned out my oil lamp, I could feel my excitement mounting. My hand quickly found it way between my open legs as I lifted my gown. I moved my fingers slowly through hair that protected my feminin
e entrance. The tickling sensation was very relaxing and made me feel as ease with myself. The troubles of the day faded into nothing when I felt the first drop of happiness leaking from me. It was a rare occasion when I allowed myself the pleasure of my own hand. No one had ever discussed masturbation with me, but I knew it wasn’t proper. Still, I couldn’t help myself sometimes. I could smell the scent of my own excitement, even through the sheet that covered me. My fingers finally dared to slowly delve into the depths of my anxious mound. The slippery sensation that enveloped my hand excited me even more as I fantasized of the only male member I’d ever seen.

  Images of Leon’s cock began flashing through my mind as my fingers moved in and out of me. The memory of his penis sliding in and out of Anny’s black love hole as his diddles slapped against her rear end made me even more longing to experience it for myself. I could feel my wet happiness dripping down through the crack of my ass as the images in my mind changed. I thought of my most recent purchase, though my fantasy still included an image of the only penis I’d ever seen. I wondered briefly if they were all the same.

  I grew closer and closer to orgasm as I imagined my slave who’s name I didn’t even know, sliding his hard manhood into me and filling me with his hot white lust. My love marble was as hard as a rock as my fingers circled it, faster and faster. Finally, the quivering feeling that I longed for began emanating from my genitals and consumed my entire body and wave upon wave of immense pleasure rolled across every inch of me.

  I lay awake in my bed, panting from the heat and exhaustion as I turned onto my side to go to sleep. There was a wet spot on the back of my gown that I could feel laying on my ass, but I was too tired to get up and change. Apparently I hadn’t pulled my gown all the way up before engaging in my sinful behavior. That night I slept like a baby.

  The following morning I awoke at daybreak. I was anxious to meet my new slave. After getting dressed, I met Sissy, Samuel and my other brother John on the porch. Samuel had sent James and Ezekiel to bring the new slaves up to the house.