Sisters

•Chapter 2•

"Jesus loves the little Children
All the children of the world
Red and Yellow, black and white
All are precious in his sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world".

"Bravo, bravo! Take a bow for us dear".

I roll my eyes and do a mock bow, "Daddy, you mustn't be so loud as to wake Mrs. Jones from her nap".

He waves his hand dismissivley and pulls me in for a sweet wet kiss on the cheek, "that woman sleeps like a log! She didn't hear a thing. You're next pumpkin".

Daphne crosses her arms the way she does when she gets stubborn, "I find singing rather boring to be quite honest. Everyone can sing, there's nothing special about it".

I swallow and look down at my boots, "what do you suggest we do then? You want to go to the Lake?"

It's inexcusably humid today and I wouldn't be opposed to a swim in the cold water.

"No, perhaps we can go to pick berries?"

I hate picking berries it's boring and the bugs always swarm in your face.

"Okay", I shrug.

We grab our bonnets and yell goodbyes to Daddy before making our way to the forest where the fruit trees and bushes grow.

Like always my eyes travel to the fields where the slaves are picking cotton. None of them look at Daphne and I but the overseer tilts his hat at our direction as he makes eye contact with Daphne-not me. 

"Say, Daphne? Why does Daddy have so many slaves?"

"I suppose to pick cotton".

I force a laugh, "yes I know but I mean, why...why does he make them work in such hot weather? And do you ever wonder why there aren't any white slaves? Why is it only the dark skin ones? The ones that look like...me"

She puts her basket down when we reach a peach tree, "I'm not sure but Johnny said that negroes are animals so they have to be controlled by whites".

"...Do you believe that? That negroes are animals? I'm just as dark as they are".

She looks down at my skin as if noticing it's complexion for the first time, "No, I suppose I don't think that. And you aren't a negroe, your Delilah, my favorite sister".

"You're only sister. You haven't got a choice but to favore me".

We stop walking when the sound of a coming carriage alerts us. Turning around, we see Daphne's Uncle hopping off of his horse before he pulls a slave out. The slave looks no older than 20 and he's got the curliest hair and deepest dimple's that I've ever seen. 

We watch as Daddy comes out and greets Uncle Joe who then pushes the slave towards Daddy. The overseer walks over to them and the slaves who are on the field stand up to see the comotion.

"Daphne? We should get going".

Daphne doesn't seem to hear me as she continues to stare at the slave. Daddy turns around and when he sees us he angles his body so that we can't see Uncle Joe kicking the motionless slave.

"Daphne!"

She finally blinks and turns to me, "What!"

I frown, "I've been calling your name...lets keep walking".

She falls into step as we make our way to the fruit trees. I set my basket on the ground as I begin to pick the apples. Daphne stands a little farther from me at the Peach trees where she has a better look at what is going on with the new slave.