Personal Narrative: My 19th Trip To Canada
Some people work. Some people may stay at home and knit with tea by their side. Not I. I fight for freedom for a living. My heart is drawn to the hard work of freeing my people from the bonds of slavery.
This time, my 19th trip, I agreed to bring eleven slaves that wanted freedom all the way to Canada. Their hopes and dreams of a life of freedom is in my hands, under my care. I am responsible for them. A life without beatings, whippings, and discrimination is our goal. As I sang the arrival song for my passengers, I knew I had an arduous journey ahead of me.
***
“Too many, too many. It’s not safe!”
The owner of the first safe house slammed the door rudely in my face. I was in the middle of nowhere, and the snow was getting thick and frosty. …show more content…
We ran for about ten minutes, and I realized there were only ten slaves instead of eleven. I pushed my passengers behind a boulder covered in frost.
“Stay here,” I commanded my passengers, “Don’t make a sound.”
I sprinted as fast as I could, my heart was beating so loud it could be heard from a mile away. I may have lost a 1,000 dollar slave!!
Finally, I spotted a body on the ground. It was one of my slaves!!! She had been shot on the hand and had probably fallen down in shock. I had to get out of there because there could be another slave catcher near. It started to snow and I knew we were running out of time.
“Get up. Quick!!” I yelled at her.
She seemed fine, but her hand was bleeding all over the snow. I took my red bandana and tied it around her hand. I could not risk having a track of blood leading to the safe house.
“Stay calm” I told her, out of breath.
Once I gathered all the slaves, I told them that we were five miles from Thomas Garrett’s house (our shelter). We were four miles away from the shelter and we gradually just fell asleep because we were so tired. When we woke up, we were haggard and freezing.
“I want to go home. NOW!!!” wailed one of the slaves.
“I’m sorry but we are way too far now from your plantation and it is not safe if you go
This time, my 19th trip, I agreed to bring eleven slaves that wanted freedom all the way to Canada. Their hopes and dreams of a life of freedom is in my hands, under my care. I am responsible for them. A life without beatings, whippings, and discrimination is our goal. As I sang the arrival song for my passengers, I knew I had an arduous journey ahead of me.
***
“Too many, too many. It’s not safe!”
The owner of the first safe house slammed the door rudely in my face. I was in the middle of nowhere, and the snow was getting thick and frosty. …show more content…
We ran for about ten minutes, and I realized there were only ten slaves instead of eleven. I pushed my passengers behind a boulder covered in frost.
“Stay here,” I commanded my passengers, “Don’t make a sound.”
I sprinted as fast as I could, my heart was beating so loud it could be heard from a mile away. I may have lost a 1,000 dollar slave!!
Finally, I spotted a body on the ground. It was one of my slaves!!! She had been shot on the hand and had probably fallen down in shock. I had to get out of there because there could be another slave catcher near. It started to snow and I knew we were running out of time.
“Get up. Quick!!” I yelled at her.
She seemed fine, but her hand was bleeding all over the snow. I took my red bandana and tied it around her hand. I could not risk having a track of blood leading to the safe house.
“Stay calm” I told her, out of breath.
Once I gathered all the slaves, I told them that we were five miles from Thomas Garrett’s house (our shelter). We were four miles away from the shelter and we gradually just fell asleep because we were so tired. When we woke up, we were haggard and freezing.
“I want to go home. NOW!!!” wailed one of the slaves.
“I’m sorry but we are way too far now from your plantation and it is not safe if you go