Fuero En Mexico

COTTON
by Sandra Pavlic

Translation from Slovenian language (original: Bombaž, by Sandra Pavlič)
Copyright 2011 Sandra Pavlic

“

Don't resist!” shouted a horrible man, who was dragging me somewhere. He was white, with
moustaches, brown hair about 40 years old. A real old man! I tried one more time to get out of his
hands. All for nothing.
“Kate! I told you something!” he shouted onemore time. Then they covered my eyes with black
scarf. I felt they were dragging me somewhere. All of the sudden I heard a noise. They untied me. I
found myself in ship's deck. I was free but couldn't go nowhere because I was already at sea. I walked
to the back and I saw the coast was far away. Not one person stood there. Or maybe they weren't
there in the first place. There were a fewpeople on the ship. Black people. We were all black people.
Mostly man, but some female as well. They were all looking at me feeling sorry for me. It looked like
they knew where we they were going. What about me? Am I going there also? Why were they
looking at me so strange? In the evening we get a very poor meal. For me it was OK, because I was
eating only bread for a long time. Just to survive.Time on the ship was passing very slowly. It felt a
month but it was only just a week. It was warm outside and I wanted to sleep on deck.
“Where are you going Kate?” asked a watcher.
“I want to sleep on the deck.”
“No you won't. You will sleep where others are.”
“But it's warm enough.”
“Obey and go back to the rest.”
“Okay.” I was upset but went back under the deck. There was a big room withwooden beds where
people slept. I found my bed and went to sleep. I couldn’t sleep because it was hot like hell and they
wouldn’t let me go upstairs. I closed my eyes and hoped everything’s going to be okay.
“Poor girl,” said a woman.
The next day I again tried to sleep on deck, but I couldn’t. I wanted to throw myself over board! I
don’t want to sleep there! At night you hear everything –people talking in sleep, snoring, some
people smell because they don’t wash up,… and with them I must sleep, I don’t even speak to them.
Someone got seasick. I think his name was Joe. It was raining outside, so everyone has to be
downstairs. Joe started to throw up, coughing, sneezing, heating and he had a hallucinations. He
looked to others and me. He looked me as he wanted to say “poorchild.” Some people were beside
him – probably the ones who knew him. The Captain told some people to clean the room and he
personally examined Joe. After a week it was still raining. More than ever. Joe was feeing worse. He
died that night. Some keepers came downstairs and lift Joe with his bed and throw him overboard.
They said: “amen” and we repeated the word. Strange silence was that day. Everyonewas mourning,
even me who didn’t know Joe.

A

fter a month we finally saw the land. I was excited but I was the only one. I thought the nightmare
was over. But I was the only one who thought so. Again they were feeling sorry for me. I started
questioning if hell is waiting for me?!

The ship landed and some people were waiting for it. First ten people went down. Few man came to
themand dragging them. The rest of us were waiting. Another ten went down. At land there were no
more people. The closed the entrance and said: “You will have to wait a little longer.”
We waited for few hours and the next ten people went down the ship. I was with them. They opened
the door and pushed us. I was thrown to the man not so old. I wasn’t resisting because I knew it
won’t help so I simplywalked beside him. He drove me to some family.
“This is Kate. Your new maid.” said the man.
“But she’s just a child. She must be ten at the most.” said the lady who seem to be very nice.
“I am 11 years old.” I corrected her.
“Quite!” yelled a man who brought me.
“No, she can speak.” said the other man – probably husband of the nice lady. And then the man who
brought me left.
“We’re...