I am a West African doing a normal day's work. Crash Boom! What was that sound? It's the white men, they've come to take us away! I've only heard stories about them. What will they do to us?''Hey, hey let go of me !! '' Where am I? Who are these people? 'You're in the Middle Passage,'' a sick scratchy voice says. ''What's going on? Who are you?'' My name is Jojo and I'm a slave and so are you. Those are the words that made me scream. The waves are unbearable. I can't move at all, if I do I'll bump my head." I need to go to the restroom Jojo". "Then go'' says Jojo. By the way Jojo, where are we going? "I have no idea" says Jojo. ''What !! you don't know where we are going?
Nope and niether does anyone else. FINE THEN BE THAT WAY !!!! "Supper! Get it while it's slop" a white man calls out. I got the nerve to say " where are we going?" Everyone looked around in terror. The white man looked shocked. What did you say, magget, an angry voice said. Nothing Mr. Lifegiver sir, everyone shouted. Two years passed and each doing the same thing, get up at who knows what time, transition to rowing, slop time, then bathroom, upchuck, row, bathroom again, and sleep. Shwash splash, woah, woah. Land Ho!!!!!
The white men came in to our part of the ship. They handcuffed us with these wierd, cold metal items. They made us go one by one by one onto the land they call Americo (it is really called America). I have never heard such a strange word as Americo. They said they were slaves, and I didn't know what slaves meant. All I knew was that it was a bad word. I was standing on a cold platform that said "flus for flale" (it really said slaves for sale). Next thing I know the white men are trading papers (dollars) and I ended up in a field of what smelled like tobacco. The man handed us tools that I have never seen before and said some very strange words like "fork", "wow", and "fwip" (work, now, or I will whip you). I didn't know what these strange words meant. How was I supposed to know I was supposed to work, until I saw all the other Africans doing it.
I worked from night to night to night. I am very sore, I ache, and I toss and turn. No matter how much I try, I feel sore - more like sharp shooting pain to me. I miss my wife, Canishe, and my two children. I worry about them every minute of every day. I wonder if I will ever see them again. My body is getting weak from not having enough food. I think I have a better life than the boy next door. Their master has a very strong anger problem. He whips them every three hours because he is mad. Boy, I wish they could be with us. At least they wouldn't have those scars on their backs.
