‘Don’t make this hard for me, Will,’ she say, and if a duppie could show sorrow then her face full up with it. Pain me to see it, but I keep right on going. Surprised how much anger still sitting on me chest, holding down me heart bout what happen.

‘You didn’t come before. Why now? Why not when I was sick with the fever and boils? Or when I almost lose me leg like old cripple Jonnie when the mule fall down the gully? Why now, when I going do something important with me life?’

‘Me only trying to protect you. Make sure you don’t pass over before you time. Make sure you die a peaceful death. Me tell you straight, a violent death do nobody no good.’ And I notice how she tremble when she tell me this.

‘How many years this slavery business been going on?’ I ask her. ‘Hundreds of years, Sam Sharpe remind us. Hundreds. Imagine that. And no matter what we do, we never going get out from under the yoke of backra. Him can still do anything him want to us. Look what Massa done to you. Him take away you pigs, sell dem in the market, keep the money for himself. Help pay off him debts. Look what him done when you try keep him away from you daughter. Try stop him doing what him do to all him slave women. Like what him do to you. Sam Sharpe have plans, Stella. Mighty plans. The world going change and us slaves going be the ones to change it.’

Stella duppie look at me hard for a long time. Finally she smile, hold out her fingers of light over me head.

‘Go in peace, little Will. You speak the truth,’ she say. ‘Every time you think you life is over and you have no strength to carry on, remember this moment. Know me going be with you always. We have strength and we strong, much stronger than backra. We suffer, but we endure. Always have. And always will, till backra come to understand that all of us is equal.’

Then the light round her start to dim, and she start to fade, leave. Float out through the unopened door and finally disappear.

The dawn just breaking when I wake. Been asleep for only a little while, but I feel rested and alert. Is then me heart burst open and the tears flood down me face. The sorrow I been holding back since Stella death come crying out. And the shame of it pour out through me skin and I weep till I can’t weep no more. And when the weeping all over, in its place, I feel a deeper strength unfold.