"I Ain't Mad No More"

In the field, all heads are down and chopping is the order.  The grass is flying as the rich black soil is left and pushed up against some of the weak stalks that leaned too heavy on the Johnson grass, for strength.  Young Lucius looked up in the sky; he knew when the sun was positioned in that spot at this time of the year, it was about two hours before lunch.  Even the old master had given the “whip” permission to let the slaves have a drink of water around ten-thirty.  Wa-a-ter boy, someone hollered in a sing-song “come running toting that bucket by the bale, keep it covered and don’t fall”.  No sooner had the words  died out the old iron dog peeled out in its bellowing tone.  “Twelve o’clock so soon?”  the little six year old girl in the flour sack dress asked as she stood her hoe up on the side of her row for safekeeping.  “No, something’s wrong” said old lady Lity, who was old enough by anybody’s time table to have retired at least five years earlier.  They want us all at the big house.  Everybody started toward the ole master’s house except young Lucius, for he remembers the conversation he heard way back in January as he was hauling fire wood for the old Cap-un.  A tall white man rode up and hailed at the gate.  Old Cap-un, as the slaves had been taught to say, walked away from young Lucius and motioned for the stranger to unload his long legs.  From the accent, young Lucius knew that he was a Northerner, so he continued to stack the wood but placed it lightly as he turned his back to portray his being about his master’s business.  They spoke for a few minutes then he saw ole Cap-un shaking his head in violent disagreement.  “well don’t you let my niggers hear you say that -- but young Lucius had already heard --- “ your slaves are as free as you are”.   A law was passed and young Lucius’s heart was leaping for joy. He could hardly control himself.  As the stranger from the north rode off, young Lucius decided to take his cue from ole Cap-un.  As he came over to inspect the wood, he had a definite strange look in his eyes, but his voice was the same.  When you get it all stacked, be sure and take out the mules and feed them.  Yes sire, Cap-un.  As those words came out, it frightened young Lucius for he said it with so much excitement that he’d give himself away.  For before now it galled him to bow and scrape to those peck-a-woods.  Young Lucius said slaves never did work willingly.  Many of them did much to impede progress.  They’d break the machinery, injure the cattle, tear down fences, etc.  That is why the overseer was the important man.  He also said that, that was the reason many southerners didn’t own slaves.  The finding, hiring and paying an efficient overseer wasn’t easy.   Young Lucius walked out of the gate down the lane towards his cabin. He wanted to leap like a young colt! But what if ole Cap-un was looking? His skin felt like it was crawling from his bones. As soon as he got out of sight, he dashed as fast as he could into the woods with ole Dan, his dog, running behind him. For ole Dan knew when young Lucuis was happy. He had a secret that only two of them could share for if ole Cap-un ever heard this again, he knew that ole Lucius could spread such a rumor.