I try hard to give comfort to Sammy, talk to him bout what happen, find out how him feeling, but when him see me coming, him look the other way. Refuse any little offering I make. In time I come to understand, him blame Eliza, blame me, for everything that happen. I don’t know how to stop it, the divide between us, from growing wider every day.

Sammy keep himself to himself, up there in the Great House, working as a servant to Busha Davis doing the same things he did for Massa. Making sure him have shiny boots, clean clothes, washed and pressed ready every morning for him to wear. Melon tell me Sammy still serving at the table, but is one strange thing. Mistress Margaret when she eat, she eat off a tray in her bedroom, hardly ever come out. Is only Busha Davis sitting alone at the head of the dining table, eating and drinking like him own the place. It seem like Sammy don’t care that Stella gone, but must be worse for him, working every day in the Great House. Listening to the empty silence, where Stella’s voice used to be.

No matter what Sammy think, him and me and Eliza need to stick together, because nobody friendly towards Stella children. All the power she held over them heads pass down to Sydney. She finally get her way. Busha Davis make her head house slave and she make sure everybody know it. Turn boss woman, stamp her foot, slap and order everybody bout when she feel the need. Mind you, Sydney no longer have too many friends, either. Nobody trust her, not after she turn against her own kind. And when our paths cross, I look at her so hard, she make sure she stay clear out me way. Busha Davis can see trouble brewing so he decide to start jobbing me out again.

Most times, the job take only a day, I return the same night. Sometimes, if is a big job, like building a new verandah on a house, I stay many nights, share a hut with one of the slaves that work under me. But no matter if is a short job or a long one, I always make sure I do the job proper, finish it good. Is how I come to learn more and more bout how to work the stone, how to shape it. Busha Davis get asked plenty time for me special, they want nobody else.

‘How much for the William Buchanan boy?’

‘Three to four shillings a day,’ him say with pride, and I know him getting a good price. Even though I don’t see any of that money, is a big relief, this jobbing business. It give me time away from Rock Pleasant. To feel the heavy burden of Stella death start to lift. To escape from the memory of her, everywhere I look.

A New Plantation