Mangiza was leading a long line of us to the plantation. On getting to the field, we realized it was all ready for harvest. The field was partitioned into two, one of the hectares for cacao and the other for cereals. The male men amongst us was were in charge of harvesting, while the females women carry carried the filled baskets filled with the crops to the waiting cart.
That On this day, Mangiza assigned me and Ntcheza to work in the cacao farm.
Reuben Mangiza nicknamed Reuben as Snitch Magi, and he was the our leader head of us all; he was vast knowledgeable in the ways of the whites and the only one among us that wore trousers like Master. He even hads a cloak hung in his sitting room that was fondled by Master. And he wore a flappy white shirt with a cream pair of cream trousers.
After he was done with his instructions, he took his seat underneath a shade and brought out his snuffbox – his eyes felt the sting.
As the days wore on, I was startled when someone said;We had been working, when suddenly a voice startled me.
"Good morning Zonga!"
"Oh, Good morning Msitmu! My love, how are you doing?" I responded as I turned towards the woman.
Her response was drowned by her puff as she tries to carry she was carrying a heavy basket filled with cocoa only a few feet away from me. I quickly helped ran to help her with it and my eyes fell on her dark shaved armpit, soft and steamy with beads of sweats caressing its surface tracing down to her full breast.
Msitmu was a chubby nubile damsel, with deep chocolate skin and a beautiful face. As she walked away with the basket, her colossal hips and stuffed buttocks danced joyfully to the rhythm of her footsteps, and I looked on…
"Zonga! Zonga! Lover boy!" Ntcheza yelled, slapping me across my arm.
"Ntcheza, stop it! Why did you hit me?" I protested.
"You better go and pay her bride price!" Ntcheza said laughing as he flaunted mimicking Msitmu.
"You know I would. But the time is not right yet!" I said as I grinned.
"The time is not right, but the time is right to rape her with your naked eyes – my friend! Be careful!"
"Oh, come off it! Just continue loitering until Master comes and meet sees you like that!" I said pointing at the entrance. Ntcheza quickly turned and ran straight to his portion.
Ntcheza Kanrotse and I were was born on the same night. with me, We grew up as close friends, and he like me, he is the only other person one in our camp that nurses the dream that someday, we would pay for our freedom.
Later that day, with few cocoa beans left to harvest, my tired hands danced in hesitation with as my stomach rumbled. The flooded sea with soft rocks – yam porridge – I ate foras breakfast was spent, and I was starving. Some minutes later, I saw Mangiza leaving the shade, and I knew Master was around.
**********
Master walked in with Mangiza – or Reuben as Master loved to call him.
Master, – Lord Donald Clapton, was an angelic being with blonde hairs, a Godly shaped pointed nose and thea tall gait of a gentleman. He wore sleeves and trousers which made Reuben's glamour outfit look inferior. And he was walking with class; chest puffed, broad shoulders and a calm glance around his conquest.
Master told tales of the black's' bad breath, ape lineage, barbaric humanity and inferiority. He takes thought most of us were likeas fleas only valuable to him onin his farms and during laborious tasks. He doesn't never touched the blacks, only speak spoke to them, but he had a special liking for Reuben. Master also loved hunting. , loves hunting and he has a special liking for Reuben.
Reuben was showing Master around the farm – the o spots that neededs fertilizers, the growing crops, and then to the harvesting rateprocess.
As Master was walking by, I don't know whether it was showoff or fearI was both afraid and wanting to show off; something came over me, the cocoa bean that I was harvesting slipped and emptied its bowels on the floor. I froze.
"Sweet Bridget! Who is that Jack?" Master exclaimed.
"That is Zonga Kululu, Sir!" Reuben fumbled.
"After the day's work, bring that Jack over!" Master said.
"Yes sir!" Reuben responded.
As Master and Reuben continued with their inspection, – I was uneasy with thoughts of my fate at the close of the day's work.
**********
I accompanied the others to the farmhouse, where we kept our tools and did a little work-- – arranging the baskets of cocoa close to the processing machine. As we were done, I was led by Mangiza to Master's quarters. At his door, Mangiza knocked and Mrs. Polly opened and ushered me in while Mangiza returned home.
Mrs. Polly was an old woman, who was both the cook and the "Head maid" of the house. Head maid as she loves to pride herself because Master was against blacks working full time in his house; so Mrs. Polly supervises blacks in menial labour and chores around the house and once they are done, they retire back to Coloured Villa.
***********
As I accompanied Mrs. Polly into the sitting room, she told me to kneel close to a stool at the foot of the curtain partitioning the bar from the sitting room. I could see Lady Rose and Lord Brooks discussing in the sitting room. Lady Rose was laughing to his mavericks. But their positioning made them obscure to me.
Lord Brooks Hugh was tall and handsome with curly brown hairs. He was the only fellow with boots that shone brighter than Master's. He hads an aura that stood stands him out. Like Master, he was superior.
Lord Brooks was fond of blacks then, – so the saying goes, until Buladisa, a very beautiful maid of his stole his money and was about fleeing with it. And Lord Brooks shot her as she tried to escape-- – only God knows! After that incidence, Lord Brooks was now brutal with all, – treating both male and females alike. Even to the extent where he touches breasts and buttocks of females, when things go went missing and if they were it is not found, – the people were made toy strip!
But unlike Master, he was soft spoken, smiles a lot and does did not hunt; rather he loved poetry. His rendition was always heard piercing the quiet ambience that persists at Master's quarters,; to the enjoyment of Master and the admiration of Lady Rose and Mrs. Polly.
While Lady Rose Clapton, Master's wife, was fair to behold. She has had deep dimples on her cheek, full curly blonde hairs, full lips and a chin with parting. She dressed with like a lady of the house in raiment, oozing of affluence and class. And her grace, civility and humility marvels. Not that I have seen any ugly whites as they are always beautiful but Lady Rose hads no equal.
She was humane; she wais the only white who took the pain to call me by my first name-- – not the usual, Hey you!-- – And went beyond that to my surname which she sweetened to "Kololo". She hads once rocked a black child and even visited on special celebrations.
As I knelt down, I saw ivory and relics from Master's game; in glass frames hung around the room. Everything in the room was unique and nothing was out of place.
Then, I heard footsteps close to the door, I quickly bowed my head. and Master walked in. He walked straight to the sitting room.;
"Hey, old boy Donald!" Brooks said smiling with raised hands.
"How are you, Brooks? We hardly see you around!" Master said as he walked towards Brooks.
He reached for Brooks's stretched hand and changed his mind.
"I should wash-- – farm and germs are inseparable!' Master said as he winked at Brooks.
"Have Rose given you anything to drink?"
"Yes-- – precious water!" Brooks said as all laughed.
"Mrs. Polly, get me my hand glove!"
"For what?" Brooks asked.
"That Jack over there destroyed a cocoa pod today and I intend to teaching him a lesson!" Master said pointing towards me, and the others shot a quick glance at me.
"Oh! They never learn. Bush monkeys." Brooks said.
Mrs. Polly emerged with a glove and a whip and handed it over to Master. As Master was wearing the glove, she said;
"Is this really necessary? Just for a cocoa pod!" Lady Rose said, hissed and left both men with disgust.
As Master and Lord Brooks walked towards me with Lord Brooks, and I quickly lied down facing the floor. He whipped me severally, I started counting to count to ten so I could manage the pain, but when I got to ten, the pain would become so severe, that tears began to roll when the pain was getting severe and on the tenth, tears rolled down my cheek. With me in tears, Master was satisfied and he said to Mrs. Polly:;
"Make sure that this Jack remains inat the backyard; till midnight!" He took off the gloves and handed it with and the whip to Mrs. Polly.
Later as I was led out by Mrs. Polly, both men went to sit at the bar drinking.
********
At the rear of the house, behind Master's bed chambers, – I knelt. For several hours, all I could feel was my jerking knees. Then, I heard voices at the front of the house; they belonged to it was that of Master, Lady Rose and Lord Brooks, and I reckoned that Master was and Lord Brooks were heading out with Lord Brooks.
On Friday night's like this, Master spends Friday nights like this it with his group of hunters and will would return Saturday night. Then, while Lord Brooks was heading home. I could hear Lady Rose returning to the house, and my heart gladdened.
Hours later, it was raining and I knew that soon Lady Rose would come to my rescue as she usually does; even without it raining. But to my amazement, the hinges of the door didn't shriek, and I soon had goosebumps all over.
An hour to midnight, and I heard the sound of Master's carriage. He knocked at the door for a while and it was opened.
Some minutes later, I was startled as the window of Master's bed chambers flung open, and I could see from a distance Lady Rose naked in his room navel up. She had a full breasts that reminded me of that of Msitmu; the night I sneaked snuck into her room when I was cold and her teats tits was were no different from that of Msitmu's.
She held the window frame upwards as a man crawled out with his back facing me, wearing white pants. I was lost in thought as the man's exit reminded me of mine that night after I had done "Piom-Piom"-- – slept – with Msitmu.
The man landed on the lawn, with Lady Rose quickly shutting the window after him. He, wore his trousers briskly with his shirt hung round his neck, – looked at me calmly gesturing with his forefinger pressed on his closed lips, and charged towards the direction of the farmhouse with his chest bare chested.
Then it dawned on me who he was:, Master's friend, Lord Brooks! And what he had has done with his friend's wife. I was moved with rage because this was a sin, both to a black man or a white man. But my anger was soon bottled up, and I felt sorry for Master.
Have I seen something? – Yes! But how do I express it with stinking breath?
I just knelt, – mute and sullen. Mrs. Polly later came and freed me.