2018 Kipling Award Finalist: Edward James Oakley, Dover Elementary School,Bridget Cole, Teacher

A Slave's Life

My name is Otu which means the one in Igbo. I live on a plantation in Texas. I was born a slave, I was taken away from my parents at three. And the white men put me to labor farming, cutting wood, and digging wells. Then my master died and his son took the slaves over and the plantation. But I don't plan on staying long So the next night when the big house lights went off I waited an hour for everybody to fall asleep. Then I slipped out of bed and went outside and ran to the woods and didn't stop running till I didn't know where I was going. So, I looked at a tree for moss until I found one. I learned from my pa that moss usually grows on the north side of the tree. Then I started going north.

It started to get light out and I glimpsed at an abandoned shed next to a plantation. I opened the door and rushed in side. I waited until It got lighter and lighter. Then I heard black people singing a song. It sounded like the song my momma would sing to me when I was a kid, but they were working while singing. 

Then there was a man, a black man he was heading toward the shed. I felt shivers down my back, he opened the door and noticed me. He said in a high-pitched voice, who are you? I said, I’m a runaway slave but please don't tell anyone. He said   I ain't going to tell nobody, but you can’t be in here my master heard that there’s a runaway slave in the area and there starting a search party with hounds. I would get out of here. I said, But how there's people everywhere. He said, then escape out the back. Then run straight you'll come across a stream hide in the mud there until night then go north. Then they'll be a man standing there say I want to be free . He will put chains around you and put you in a boat. But don't worry he will help you then at the other side of the river. He will set you free. I said, thank you for telling me all this information but I have to be going now.

So, the next night when the big house lights went off I waited an hour for everybody to fall asleep. Then I slipped out of bed and went outside and ran to the woods and didn't stop running till I didn't know where I was going. So, I looked at a tree for moss until I found one. I learned from my pa that moss usually grows on the north side of the tree. Then I started going north. It started to get light out and I glimpsed at an abandoned shed next to a plantation. I opened the door and rushed in side. I waited until It got lighter and lighter. 

Then I heard black people singing a song. It sounded like the song my momma would sing to me when I was a kid, but they were working while singing. Then there was a man, a black man he was heading toward the shed. I felt shivers down my back, he opened the door and noticed me. He said in a high-pitched voice, who are you?  I said, I'm  a runaway slave but please don't tell anyone. He said "I ain't going to tell nobody, but you can’t be in here my master heard that there’s a runaway slave in the area and there starting a search party with hounds. I would get out of here. I said, But how there's people everywhere. He said, then escape out the back. 

Then run straight you'll come across a stream hide in the mud there until night then go north. Then they'll be a man standing there say I want to be free . He will put chains around you and put you in a boat. But don't worry he will help you then at the other side of the river. He will set you free. I said, thank you for telling me all this information but I have to be going now.