• "Joseph, Stay Down."
    Mama said. She was always worried about being caught. She thought we were all in way over our heads. Papa calmed he down as we silently walked past more Plantations. I have always known what those were. We used to live in a huge one down South. People Nowadays call that area "Louisiana" for some strange reason. But i call it trouble. The Crack of the Whip in the Morn, the Aches in our backs, the sadness in our cries.

    Papa, he stayed hopeful as he looked up to the sky. He would look at a star, then walk a little bit, then look back up. I never really understood why exactly. I was only 7, who could blame me?

    "We there yet? How much longer? Where are we? Where are we Going?" I would always ask Papa these sorts of questions. Until one day, I was foolish enough to ask If we were ever going back. He turned around and said these words "Back... Joseph, we can never go back. I mean, we can but, do we want to go back to the Cotton? The Aches in our backs, the Cries, the Starvation, the Fear? This is for the best, You, Me, Mama too." I finally realized that my so-called home, never existed. But apparently, a catcher heard Papa. We all feared the Slave Catchers. No matter who you were. They were dark, tall, spooky, and heir hearts, yeah, they don't got one. And if they did, it would be made of Rock. Hard, Cold Rock. So anyway, Papa grabbed Mama arm, and mine too. Just before the catcher came close enough to see us, he saw another one, just like us, run by. I couldn't see through the pitch-black-night, but I could hear. He was barefoot, like us, and running, very,very fast. As the catcher went to find him, we quietly left.

    It was almost Morning. I would usually hate mornings, but I didn't have to harvest the cotton and corn and sometimes sugar I would have had to if I were to have stayed back. We found a rather cozy set of logs to snooze in till nightfall. But i couldn't sleep. I saw slaves, like me. Except they were working. they all were dressed in rags, and sad, some silently crying as they worked. I heard the Slaveholder scream "200 Pounds you worthless rats!". If I were stronger, I would have totally given him what he deserved! So i cried myself to sleep that morning. And promisd myself, that we would get to the North. Papa told me that the North is where alot of people like me wanna live. The South was just down-right cruel to people like Mama and Papa and Me.

    At the sign of dusk, I grabbed my half-asleep Mama and Papa and told to run, and fast. So we all ran to our freedom. As we ran, we all thought about what The North would be like.


    Mama Dreamed of farming at her own will. She smelled the Fresh Garden Veggies that they could actually Eat! She could also see a home. a REAL Home.

    Papa could imagine no sign of any kind of whip in The North. He saw people smiling, no tears, and The birds. He Heard the Birds singing a happy song, compared to the dreadful tune the birds sang as the Slaves worked.


    And me. Well, even though I was only 7 at the time, i too, had my dreams. I could imagine my future. I saw my chance for an Education. I could feel the fabric of my Graduating Cap. And, I imagined doing a job I wanted to do, not something I would be forced to do.


    We dreamed as we made it to The North. It was Sunny. We walked into the city. There were people, no matter what you looked like, they got along. No Plantations, no Whips, Just Smiles...


    Mama, Papa, and Me. All our dreams came true, but little did we know back then, Where exactly we were. North, Yes, But Where Exactly?

    Harlem.