Slave Trade Seen By Kalubu
It’s been a long winter and many people died. I have survived it and am looking forward to the summer and it’s journey. I have 16 years in me and am training to be a warrior. My mother does not approve but my father is training me since I am strong, smart and very good with weapons.
It is finally summer and it is sweltering hot in the land of Ghana. I was born in Mali with my brother Mikon and strived with our tribe. We traveled from the south of Mali to Ghana a couple of years ago. Now since the Ghana tribe accepted us into their land, we are safe and sound.
I have been hunting for food for days now, and Mikon is very sick. We need to find water and a good meal for not just me and Mikon, but also for the whole tribe. I am walking in the the woods and stubbled pretty close to the coast of Ghana. I didn’t know what is going on because I heard people scream and men talking. The men sounded unusual and kind of funny honestly. I couldn’t understand them since they were a little less than a mile away. I tried to come a little closer because it probably wasn’t anyone that was part of the Ghana tribe, so I didn’t want to invade their land. Instead of myself going to them, they were coming towards me. I didn’t know what to do so I abandoned the hunt and ran back.
I finally approached our tribe, and I had to do something about this. I had to tell everyone that someone was close to our village. Everyone was doubting me and disagreed but I saw and I knew that someone or something was coming. It was nightfall and I was scared, that someone was going to come and invade. But then I noticed I was right.....
I never knew that I would witness this kind of thing ever in my life. I saw white men. They weren’t alone, because they were with other Africans that were on chains and it was kind of unusual, but predictable.
I heard screaming and loud noises. I warned my family and told them to run. Me and Mikon had to stay together and we did. I saw my mother and father run the other way, but me and Mikon ran toward the white men to attack. We each grabbed 2 long spears that we use to hunt animals, and we imagined that the white people where animals.
We both threw all of our spears at once but missed every single man. We had to do something so we tried to hide in our home but couldn’t because there was even more white men behind us. So I told Mikon to stay safe and try to stay alive no matter what. But then I noticed that the white men did not want to kill us, they wanted to capture us. One man came from behind and grabbed my arm but I seemed to get away. Then I saw Malik being captured so I had to give up so we could both stay alive. So I fell on my knees and... BAM.....!
I woke up on some kind of wooden ship that was floating on water. I did not know what was going on and had no idea where I was. Also the worst part was that my mother and father were nowhere to be found. There were other people like me that were also confused. Then I saw Mikon near the front. Because it was so dark, I couldn’t see if he was in good or bad condition. He finally saw me and I saw his face. I saw tears running down his face and I then I also started to cry.
We were on the boat for at least a good 57 days and I was starving. Even though they fed us each day twice in small fat tubes, I was still hungry. Each day I am always with Mikon talking for 10 minutes and not many more because they separate us everyday because they knew we are brothers. Those 10 minutes are the best 10 minutes of every day....
WE ARE ASHORE!!! I was so happy! I went to find Mikon to hug him. I couldn’t find him because it was so crowded with people coming off the ship. I was still in chains, and so was everyone else. We were in six long lines of people connected with other Africans. The white men were in the front of all of the huge lines and yelling, “You peasants better be quiet! I need you to look good for the owners.” I was hoping that the “owners” were going to be nicer than the white men. But my thinking was wrong. There was a sign up saying, “Slave auction! Savannah, Georgia”. I wasn’t sure what a “slave” was but then I saw a very tall man in a shiny brown suit on a big wooden platform yelling out numbers, “$200?? Going once! Going twice! Sold! To the man in the red shirt.” The line was getting smaller and I knew I was going to be coming up next. Then I saw Mikon up on the wooden platform. I was scared because someone was going to buy Mikon. The tall man said, “$400 because he is very browed”. Mikon was as big and browed as me so I guess they wanted the bigger Africans. The man said again, “$400! Going once. $500! $600!” and the price kept going higher. It finally ended with seven hundred dollars and the owner was a smaller man with his wife and kids. A couple people passed by and I was up next. The same man that bought Mikon was looking at me too. I was hoping that he would buy me so we brothers can stay together. The tall man again said, “Big and browed young man here there is. “ with enormous amount of confidence. “Let’s start with $600!? Going Once! Going twice...” he then said. The person that bid for me wasn’t Mikon’s owner. Bu then the tall man finally said, “$700 to the small man and his wife!”
I was so happy that I could finally be with my brother. I didn’t know what I was going to do for the rest of my life here far, far away from home. “Move! Move you Africans! Go! Keep walking!” the small man hollered. Both me and Mikon were scared and did not know what to do, because we were both in chains and we couldn’t run or do anything. We had to keep walking and had the small man lead us to a very large wooden house. The house was very big with 2 horses in the front. It was all painted white with a tall and thick green door in the middle of the house with green windows and a green roof. Then in behind the house there was also another big red wooden house but it wasn’t a house it was a barn for animals. That’s where Mikon and I slept for the rest of our lives.
It is finally summer and it is sweltering hot in the land of Ghana. I was born in Mali with my brother Mikon and strived with our tribe. We traveled from the south of Mali to Ghana a couple of years ago. Now since the Ghana tribe accepted us into their land, we are safe and sound.
I have been hunting for food for days now, and Mikon is very sick. We need to find water and a good meal for not just me and Mikon, but also for the whole tribe. I am walking in the the woods and stubbled pretty close to the coast of Ghana. I didn’t know what is going on because I heard people scream and men talking. The men sounded unusual and kind of funny honestly. I couldn’t understand them since they were a little less than a mile away. I tried to come a little closer because it probably wasn’t anyone that was part of the Ghana tribe, so I didn’t want to invade their land. Instead of myself going to them, they were coming towards me. I didn’t know what to do so I abandoned the hunt and ran back.
I finally approached our tribe, and I had to do something about this. I had to tell everyone that someone was close to our village. Everyone was doubting me and disagreed but I saw and I knew that someone or something was coming. It was nightfall and I was scared, that someone was going to come and invade. But then I noticed I was right.....
I never knew that I would witness this kind of thing ever in my life. I saw white men. They weren’t alone, because they were with other Africans that were on chains and it was kind of unusual, but predictable.
I heard screaming and loud noises. I warned my family and told them to run. Me and Mikon had to stay together and we did. I saw my mother and father run the other way, but me and Mikon ran toward the white men to attack. We each grabbed 2 long spears that we use to hunt animals, and we imagined that the white people where animals.
We both threw all of our spears at once but missed every single man. We had to do something so we tried to hide in our home but couldn’t because there was even more white men behind us. So I told Mikon to stay safe and try to stay alive no matter what. But then I noticed that the white men did not want to kill us, they wanted to capture us. One man came from behind and grabbed my arm but I seemed to get away. Then I saw Malik being captured so I had to give up so we could both stay alive. So I fell on my knees and... BAM.....!
I woke up on some kind of wooden ship that was floating on water. I did not know what was going on and had no idea where I was. Also the worst part was that my mother and father were nowhere to be found. There were other people like me that were also confused. Then I saw Mikon near the front. Because it was so dark, I couldn’t see if he was in good or bad condition. He finally saw me and I saw his face. I saw tears running down his face and I then I also started to cry.
We were on the boat for at least a good 57 days and I was starving. Even though they fed us each day twice in small fat tubes, I was still hungry. Each day I am always with Mikon talking for 10 minutes and not many more because they separate us everyday because they knew we are brothers. Those 10 minutes are the best 10 minutes of every day....
WE ARE ASHORE!!! I was so happy! I went to find Mikon to hug him. I couldn’t find him because it was so crowded with people coming off the ship. I was still in chains, and so was everyone else. We were in six long lines of people connected with other Africans. The white men were in the front of all of the huge lines and yelling, “You peasants better be quiet! I need you to look good for the owners.” I was hoping that the “owners” were going to be nicer than the white men. But my thinking was wrong. There was a sign up saying, “Slave auction! Savannah, Georgia”. I wasn’t sure what a “slave” was but then I saw a very tall man in a shiny brown suit on a big wooden platform yelling out numbers, “$200?? Going once! Going twice! Sold! To the man in the red shirt.” The line was getting smaller and I knew I was going to be coming up next. Then I saw Mikon up on the wooden platform. I was scared because someone was going to buy Mikon. The tall man said, “$400 because he is very browed”. Mikon was as big and browed as me so I guess they wanted the bigger Africans. The man said again, “$400! Going once. $500! $600!” and the price kept going higher. It finally ended with seven hundred dollars and the owner was a smaller man with his wife and kids. A couple people passed by and I was up next. The same man that bought Mikon was looking at me too. I was hoping that he would buy me so we brothers can stay together. The tall man again said, “Big and browed young man here there is. “ with enormous amount of confidence. “Let’s start with $600!? Going Once! Going twice...” he then said. The person that bid for me wasn’t Mikon’s owner. Bu then the tall man finally said, “$700 to the small man and his wife!”
I was so happy that I could finally be with my brother. I didn’t know what I was going to do for the rest of my life here far, far away from home. “Move! Move you Africans! Go! Keep walking!” the small man hollered. Both me and Mikon were scared and did not know what to do, because we were both in chains and we couldn’t run or do anything. We had to keep walking and had the small man lead us to a very large wooden house. The house was very big with 2 horses in the front. It was all painted white with a tall and thick green door in the middle of the house with green windows and a green roof. Then in behind the house there was also another big red wooden house but it wasn’t a house it was a barn for animals. That’s where Mikon and I slept for the rest of our lives.