Meet Addy

When she came to the field, she saw a wagon. Sam was in it, bound and gagged, shackled hand and foot. Master Stevens, the man from the dining room, and two other white men as big as Poppa were standing next to the wagon.

“Sam!” Addy cried out when she reached the wagon. “Oh, please, Master Stevens,” Addy begged. “Don’t let them take Sam.”

“Get out of here, Addy,” Master Stevens ordered. He had a whip in his hand.

Addy stopped where she was. Then she heard a deeper voice.

“Addy, go on now.” It was her father’s voice.

But where was he? She looked down and then saw him lying on the ground, being chained by the overseer. Poppa’s face was covered with dirt, but it was calm. She ran to him, falling on the ground next to him. “Oh, Poppa. No. No!” She threw her arms around him. He looked up at Addy.

“Everything’s gonna be all right, honey. You go on,” he said. There were no tears on his face, but Addy knew he was crying inside.

“Get back, girl,” Master Stevens barked. Addy heard his whip crack. She felt a lash of fire on her back as if she had been burned. But still she held on to Poppa.