Harriet's Quilt

	This story is a general work of fiction in 7 parts inspired by a reading of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Although the main characters are fictitious much of this story is based on actual historical figures and events. Reader’s discretion is suggested.
	HARRIET'S QUILT - Part V

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I

t wuzn’ too long none ‘fore some crazy fightin’ came up agin’. Them white folksa’ confoundin’ us with sucha’ bidnes’ – fightin’ ch’other for things not known to none an’ what. But Jim says this war be important. My Jim says this war be ‘bout some Linkin’ man wanting them blacks be free an’all. But I ‘spect them white folks got more than juz freein’ us niggers for the war. Niggers ain’t worth the time of them white folks to war for, only property an’ goods.

Jim keeps sayin’ this war be different, them Linkin’ folks be different an’ we be free niggers in ‘Merica soon if this here Linkin’ folk wuz to win this here war. An’ so one night he’da up an’ gone an’ be one’a them union-folks soldier. He’da writ me a letter ‘splainin’ why he’d gone an’ sayin’ sumpin’ about us free niggers oughtin’ to fight for our slave nigger folks in the south an’ about me understandin’ an’ bein’ wit’im on this. I be juz a nigger wumen, Missy, I woulda know nuthin’ ‘bout no war none. I juz wants to hav’ my family wit’ me.

One day, wit’ Jim gone an’all, I juz woke up an’ I saw the sky comin’ up funny an’ I thinks to m’sel, “sumpin creepin’ this’away...”. Shor’ enuf, there wuz a knock on the door. Wuz a nigger soldier too, an’ he tole’ me Jim a’gone an’ died in the war. He musta’ not seen how my knees’a givin up on my body none an’ wuz cryin’ an’ cryin’, cos’ he kept sayin’ how Jim be such a hero, dyin’ in the war in some great fight they be callin’a Vicksburg battle, tha’ he died fightin’ fo’ freedom. I am juz a po’ nigger wumen, Missy, I wouldn’a known “a great fight fo’ freedom”, I only know Jim died, MY Jim.

An’ what freedom they be talkin’ about? All I know wuz before the war, ther’ ain’t nobody came a’knockin’ our door. After them war, we had them strange white folks carryin’ torches an’ burnin’ down niggers houses an’ killin’ niggers. I darn know ‘bout no wars or freedom none. I only know my Jim died, Missy, tha’s all I know. I had’a fam’ly once, now I had none – only my two boys with Jim.

I ain’t waitin’ no’mo’ for no sweet Jeezus to come carry me home in some sweet chariot, Missy, I ain’t waitin’ for him no more. I’d ruther have me some kinda Moses to come free us good, free us real. Cos’ this ain’t no real freedom Missy, this’ere ain’t none. Since I be born a nigger, I be born a slave. I wuz born a slave an’ I thot I wus goin’ die as a slave. Tha’s juz it, I be here an’ standin’ in my own nigger skin, an’ bein’ a prisoner of it.

There ain’t no doutin’ tha’, Missy, I be a prisoner in my own nigger skin.