In the heat rising from the road, I see a figure walking quick towards me. I look closer, is Eliza, baby on her hip, Betsy clinging to what look like a new handmade dress. The soldiers stop her and Betsy from getting too close, but Eliza beg and plead, get down on her knees. She want to give me the food she bring special. Pay a coin, so them let her. We don’t have long to say goodbye, weep silent tears, before she and Betsy get shooed away. But no matter, seeing her lift me heart, help me to put on a brave face.

Then as the soldiers hustle me down to the water, I turn to catch sight of me sister one last time, when I see Sammy, all dressed up like a gentleman, come riding down the road on a horse, mouth frothing, looking like him been riding long, riding hard.

Sammy! Every time I think bout him, I try hard not to dwell too long. Otherwise the anger going rise up and cause me trouble, make the mosquitoes sting, make me fight. So I push the anger down hard. Unless breaking rocks, then I smash them rocks up good.

How come Sammy and me end up on opposite sides, even though we have the same blood? Is like two family souls come down, but each one always facing the other way. Sammy don’t pick up arms. Sammy don’t fight in the rebellion. Him stay loyal to him massa. Cower inside the house. And when it over, him go back to work, just like nothing happen. And there’s me, kept locked up behind bars, forced to do hard labour. Transported! Injustice is too mild a word.

Sammy dismount, come to the edge of the water, look out at me, not knowing what to do. In that moment I come to understand we probably never going see each other again. It soften me heart because family is family and you can’t break that. I reach cross the wide gaping hole that always been between us. Look him in the eye, in a kindly way, brother to brother, like we should have done many, many years before. Lift up me head and smile. Is a thin little smile, all I can manage, but then Sammy smile back and I hope him know that, even after everything, I love him still. Hope one day him going see what I did was a good thing. That all that fighting, killing, bleeding, on the long road to freedom, must have to add up to something.

Down in the hold, is no port to look out, no way to see the faces of me brother and sister, but I know them stayed, watching, as the ship sailed off into a distance, unknown to any of us.