Chapter 3

Sheriff: And then what happened to them did they just decide to stop pursuing you and Big Steve or what happened? Tell us

Roger: God damned Negro

Jack: Master Steve told me to shoot at them so I did

Some of the men laughed, clearly, they never heard of me yet.

Sheriff: You the slave they said who knows how to work all types of revolvers and rifles ain’t that right?

Roger: What? This nigger knows how to work a Colt?

Sheriff: So, I’ve heard, no wonder Big Steve wanted him, the old guy’s getting old so he’s been wanting to have some extra hands by his side

Raymond: Why not one of us? Why should it be a nigger?

Roger: How many did this stinking nigger kill?

Sheriff: Did you shoot any of these men?

Jack: I did, I don’t know if they are dead or alive but I know I shot two of them and I saw how they fell from their horses so the other two stopped

Roger: I don’t believe this shit; I say he’s lying

Tim: Me too, I say we send some men out and see if we can find enough evidence to what this nigger is saying

Raymond: In the meantime, what’s he gone do walk around here like shit gone happen?

Sheriff: Nope, he’ll be locked up in jail until Big Steve recovers or until enough evidence comes back to our final decision.

Then these white men put me in jail and from there on I was a prisoner. A week passed and Big Steve awoke, still in pain but awake at least, and I assume he told the Sheriff and whoever was with him everything because Big Steve’s son, James came to uplift me at the prison with a letter from the Sheriff. James was arrogant and is still arrogant, and yes, he was racist as hell. When I arrived at the Sommers' residence, I noticed other slaves working in the garden and on the farm. And these slaves must have lived in this town for years cause they got infected by all the asshole's behaviors. You will never believe, these slaves are all black people like me, but they hated me, anyway, James didn’t introduce me to them, he just said …

James: It’s easy, you know where you belong

So, I walked over to the slaves who worked in the garden and none of them greeted me or had anything to do with me, they ignored me. I thought, what the hell am I doing here? I could leave but where would I go? This is a foreign country and this is my first so I decided, let me sit somewhere and think, what am I going to do, where am I going? So, I went to sit on a rock. I sat for a while and another black man came to me, his name was Charles, and this is what he told me …

Charles: They don’t like you cause of what they’ve heard, they all know you’ll be working closely with our master and that means you’ll be getting special treatment, you see that house at the back, that is where you be living, we all live there, by the way, I’m Charles

Jack: I’m Jack

Charles: Okay Jack

So, the journey started at Sommers house, from meeting Charles I went to the house where other slaves were living, Charles showed me an open bed, and for the others? I just received a cold treatment the whole evening. Later that day Charles was sent to fetch me to meet the other master. He led me to Big Steve’s bed where he was still treated by an older lady called Charlotte. With him was his daughter Rosemary, where his son James was? No one knew I was there but Big Steve saw me from the bed and greeted me …

Big Steve: My boy (smiling) you did darn good back there, didn’t you? And why are you still dressed in these clothes? Rose? Where’s Rose?

Now Rose was a very beautiful woman, a goddess, a woman worth calling my master. She was and still is so short, maybe 4 ft 7, and she is blond, with dark brown eyes with pinkies cheeks. Her hair is tied in a bun, which was partly covered with a cotton scarf or cloth whatever the name is, her long sleeve dress is in an umbrella shape, covering her feet. Her blond fringe rested on her forehead.

Rose: Here I am here Father

Big Steve: Jack? This is my daughter

I just nodded.

Big Steve: Rose? Give him some of my clothes, it might be a little big, so long we get him out of these … and put some boots on his feet you hear me?

Rose: Will do Father

Rose was a very quiet girl then, very obedient, so she gave me some clothes, enough reasons for the other slaves to hate me more. We never said a word to each other, she made warm water for me to bathe in and then I got dressed. I looked in the mirror and felt good about myself. I was dressed up in almost all grey, grey pants, a grey undercoat, a white shirt, black tie, black cowboy boots, and a grey blazer. I wondered if I could get a haircut to cause my hair was thick and my beard was long. When I returned to Big Steve, James was in the room with his father.

James: Just look at that nigger

Big Steve: My boy, you look mighty fine, a real man a cowboy from St. George hey? Tell me. How fast are your hands with guns, I mean how fast can you withdraw them from the holster?

Jack: Well? I don’t know

Big Steve: They said your hands are as fast as lightning, I already know about your hawks’ eyes, still want to see those speedy hands

Jack: Well? I’ll rather do it for the fun than to kill someone

James: What we need is someone that can shoot to kill, not an entertainer

Big Steve: Well? He will get there, in good time, Jack? We’ll be needing your skills soon you hear me?

James: But Father, I don’t think you are ready to move yet

Big Steve: Not me, maybe him

James: What?

James shook his head ...

James: Okay, that’s enough, I’m out of here

So he left ...

After a couple of weeks, while big Steve is still healing, I, on the other hand, went around in the town picking up things, or escorted Rose to the town and back home, that was my everyday job from now until the day the Bandits came. St. George Town was prepared for what was coming even Big Steve was on his two feet and slowly moving around. The day has come when thirty men arrived on St. George Town’s main road. The town was quiet, everyone saw them coming from the hill so windows and doors were all closed. The Sheriff and his men were all ready and armed and waited inside the Sheriff’s office. There were more armed men ready to defend. I only know that much, I wasn’t there so I can only assume what went down, it sounded as if The Bandits went on a rampage and destroyed St. George Town’s main road with ease. The Sommers house has five bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living rooms, one dining room, and one kitchen. Three of the five bedrooms are built upstairs. In one of the rooms, Big Steve, Rose, Charlotte, and two other female slaves are sitting behind a bed awaiting The Bandits. James disappeared and is nowhere to be found, while most of the other slaves are all hiding in the basement. Me and Charles and another slave Emile, all three of us are prepared, ready for battle and hiding in the major. Charles is the brave one while I and Emile are the scared cat, so Charles is the one who urged us on.

Charles: We got all ammunition we need so let’s get our asses to the master

I and Emile agreed and ran after Charles each with a rifle and Colts to our waists. When we entered our master’s house Emile asked me …

Emile: Aren’t you the one who suppose to lead in front that’s why you're here?

I chose not to answer and just ran behind Charles until we were with Big Steve.

Big Steve: Go to other rooms hurry up and split up!

We obeyed, and Emile stayed together, and Charles went into the third room. Emile was a young strong black guy, I estimated that he could easily be in his early twenties. One could see that he is much afraid. At that moment it was so quiet, that a needle can be heard when it fell to the ground.