Following him lead, me, Isaac and the other slave them load up the ground with small rocks and the straw we bring with us. Spread it out good. Then we get back up on the ledge and between Isaac and me, we manage to gently push the slab to the ground. Much to Mister Buchanan surprise, we able to make sure that two-ton slab don’t break.

I think that is the end, but then Mister Buchanan say, ‘Cut the slab into smaller sections, cut off the rough ends, and leave it nice and smooth.’ We spend the whole rest of the day sawing and cutting stone. Filling up the cart with different sizes for us to take back and use on the plantation.

The next few months pass quickly. Every morning I wake early, hurry to get dressed and head up to the Great House to work under Mister Buchanan. I help rebuild the side wall of the Great House, then me help rebuild the pens and the walls round the furthest edge of the plantation. In between the cutting, laying out of stone, Mister Buchanan show me how to mix up the mortar of limestone powder, sand and water. I mix it up good. Use it to bind the stones in place. Him also teach me bout numbers, how to measure, how to write them, add them together. Is like a whole new world open up to me.

Stone is the first thing my mind can truly bend to. As time go along, Mister Buchanan come to see him don’t need to teach me much. A part of me already know the look, the feel of stone. Where is the strong, where is the weak. The best place to cut it. To shape it. How to place the stone them together, building one on top of the other. When me working with stone, the glimmering return and me mind can understand and feel things I stopped seeing and feeling a long time ago. And I come to understand that just like James, me skills come straight over from the Ancestors.

Is then I see what Mister Buchanan done for me. Him bring a purpose into me life, a purpose that is mine alone. Slave not given no last name like backra, but as time go along, I first get called Mason William, then slowly I get known as William Buchanan. Is a name I cling to, a name that make me proud, specially after Mister Buchanan say is all right and give me him blessing.

World of Plenty

After we finish fixing up Rock Pleasant, Mister Buchanan ask if Massa will agree to job me out with him, when he go to other plantations, where they need stonework done. Massa give permission, so it mean I going travel all the way north to Montego Bay with Mister Buchanan, before him head home to Falmouth.