One evening, just after I return from jobbing, Busha Davis send word him want all of us to come gather at the front of the Great House. Even old Calla made to leave her hut come sit on a stool we set up special.

When everybody finally gather, him have to spend a long time getting us to hush up. We all nervous and everybody talking at once. Even the bird them in the tree chatter more than they normally do. Busha Davis have to bang him cane on the verandah floor before everything go dead quiet. Even the bird them silent.

Busha Davis take off him hat, look out over the crowd, the house slave them hanging to the side, the field slave them hanging back.

Him clear him voice. ‘Rock Pleasant has been sold.’

Nobody say a word. Nobody move, not even a whisper. So him clear him throat, say again, in a bigger voice this time. ‘Mistress Margaret has sold Rock Pleasant, as well as most of Mister Cargill’s chattel.’

Then everybody start speak at once. Is much whispering, that grow into sighing and loud lamentation. With Massa dead, all the little freedoms them build up over the years will disappear, gone with Massa to him grave. We all know things going change, but we just never think Mistress Margaret going sell the home she been living in since Old Massa William bring her to the island as him young bride.

Is then I remember the debt Massa owe to Mistress Josephine and things she tell me, when I first went to stay with her and Winnie and little Rose up in Montego Bay. On one of the nights, I bucked up me courage to ask her, ‘How come Massa let me stay such a long time?’

She laughed. ‘Everybody knows Cargill is a gambling man. Whenever he comes to town, he heads straight for the gambling tables. Stupid man, he even bet against the plantation, against some of the profits he thought he was going to make. I’ve had to bail him out many a time. He owes me and I’m taking my payment. Now, no more talking. Come, little mango, and make your mistress happy.’

One evening after Busha Davis make the announcement, I go round to the kitchen, visit Melon, ask her bout it.

‘Me don’t know what Massa do with all him money, but me know is the end of the family line.’

‘What you mean?’

‘Mistress Margaret. She all alone now. Is only she. No one else in’a that family,’ she say, shaking her head. ‘Massa never have any children. Except for him slave pickney them. And she want no part of you.’

‘So what going happen?’

‘She moving to Clarendon, up in’a the hills. Live with another set of Mowatt cousin dem, but she not too happy bout it.’

‘At least they is family.’