Even though him much younger than me, we was very close. I miss him as a brother, but even more as a friend. If I was to speak the truth, I also feel plenty jealous. Keep wondering why James so lucky, why him get all the good things. Him handsome, smart and he can do things I never could and now him get plucked away to a new life. A life we all been longing for, a life of you own choosing. What I envy the most is him don’t have to hide the skills him born with. James can grow into a whole man, not stay half a man as him move forward, into the light of a free day.

Luckily Eliza too young to really understand what happen. Is like James gone to another plantation and him soon coming back.

But poor, stupid Sammy. He didn’t even come out to say goodbye.

All them years believing him was the chosen one. All hell break loose when him discover is James going be sent to the Mother Country. Is James going learn all the word and number them, wear fancy clothes, eat and drink from fancy plates. All Sammy ever do is bow and scrape, hang him head and nod for Massa. Look where it get him.

At first, me happy to see Sammy get pulled down, finally put in him place. But the pain of it so clear cross him face, inside him body, the way it sag and fold, that I feel a great pity well up inside. And I try to make peace between us. Stay up late, sit beside him inside the hut. Listen as him shout into the darkness, beat him fist on the dirt floor. Most nights him rage have no end, till dawn sneak up on us.

As to Stella, she feel that big hole and tear most of all. Feel it in her body, in her heart, in her soul. Know she probably never going see her youngest again. Worry bout what going happen to him, living cross the seas with strangers. And it put a bitter cloud round her shoulder them. Make you not want to get too close.

Mistress Margaret mutter she don’t understand why Stella so upset. ‘Even though I do not approve, I can see the merit in it. It’s not as if he was sold, like Sydney’s girl children.’

And so any little bit of lingering sign of friendship between Stella and Sydney gone for good, replaced with a relentless malice pouring out from Sydney heart. Is only Calla that Stella can turn to for comfort. Old bony-fingered Calla who turn into Granny Callie, stroke Stella head. Rock her when she sit there not saying much, only moaning, crying, longing to hold her son once more.