Little Black Girl Lost 4 by Keith Lee Johnson Read Free Book Online Page B

angry with her because she had shown weakness and had given in to her emotions. He thought it better that they all die rather than become chattel, rather than become the animals the Dutchmen thought they were. Death was preferable to becoming complicit in their demise. Yet he wasn’t without compassion for those who died such horrible deaths.
    Compassion notwithstanding, he had to be strong for the men who studied his every move, his every emotion, because he would need them if and when the time came to turn the tables on their oppressors. He therefore had to be strong, only giving in when necessary; and only then as an act of retreat, never surrender. Even though he loved Ibo, the men had to see that even she took a backseat to strength and the need to survive. Strength was important for morale, and morale was a necessary ingredient for motivation, particularly when it came to battle.
    When Captain Rutgers saw that, he said, “Mr. Whitaker!”
    Whitaker snapped to attention. “Sir!”
    Rutgers stared at Amir for a long second and then said, “Toss the girl over the side.”
    The girl’s mother screamed and ran at the captain, but her chains retrained her. The girl knew what was about to happen to her and she resisted, clawing, biting, kicking. But being a child, she was no match for Whitaker, who tossed the girl to the sharks—bones broke, blood filled the ocean.
    Seeing all the blood, hearing father and daughter cry out as they were being devoured took all the fight out of the slaves. They fell to their knees and wept unceasingly.
    Amir saw their defeat and surrendered; bowing his head, he listened as Ibo translated Rutgers’ words. When she finished, he nodded. From that moment forward, there would be no more rebellion, no more whippings, no more death.
    Captain Rutgers had successfully separated the men from the women, the children from the parents, and most importantly, Ibo from the prince. And it would remain that way for the remainder of the voyage. For many it would remain that way for the rest of their very lives.
    â€œBy what authority do you do these things?” Amir said to Ibo.
    She looked at Rutgers and translated Amir’s words.
    Rutgers smiled and pulled a small Bible from his vest and shook it in his face. “I do these things by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the good book, and it says you were born to serve us, to be our slaves.”
    Ibo translated.
    Amir looked Rutgers in the eyes. “If that were so, why do you force us? And why do we resist?”
    Ibo translated.
    â€œBecause you’re too ignorant to know that you are a cursed people. You’ve got the curse of Ham on you! All of you!”
    Ibo translated.
    â€œToo ignorant? Have you actually read the book you hold?”
    Ibo translated.
    Stunned by the questions, Rutgers stared at Amir, studying him for a moment or two. Even though he was a born again Christian and carried a Bible, he had never read it. Sure, he had read passages from the book of Psalms, Genesis, Proverbs, and the Gospels, but he had never actually read the Bible from cover to cover. His knowledge of it was incredibly limited. To be challenged by the prince, who could quite possibly be more knowledgeable than he, could not be tolerated; especially not in front of the Windward crew.
    â€œMr. Whitaker!” Rutgers called out.
    Whitaker came to attention. “Sir!”
    Still staring at Amir, he yelled angrily, “Take these animals back to their stalls and lock ‘em up!”
    Amir remembered the Bible lessons and the verses his mother, who converted from Islam to Christianity, had made him memorize. The verse seemed to come from someplace deep within, a place he no longer visited, but it was now apropos.
    His eyes blazed with confidence when he looked at Rutgers’ countenance and spoke in a tone that was even, reflective, and without malice.
    Rutgers looked at Ibo, expecting her to translate