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“Captured, The End of Freedom”
Act 4
(Curtain opens)
Scene: Inside- The Twin Oaks Houses
December, 15th 1870 Morning 11:06 a.m. St. Catherine Street, Natchez, Mississippi.
Inside- The Twin Oaks Houses.
Maybelle continues to narrate her life story to Matilda.
Maybelle:
Well, I remember walking through a small cluster of birch trees, and in the distance, I could hear yelling and laughing. I hid and saw a wagon with two men shouting about catching slaves. They seemed drunk and foolish.
They were slave catchers. I think one of them spotted me looking at them through the trees, and one of the men yelled, "Hey, I can see you, You can't escape from us! You'll be the first one we catch today! Then one of the men jumped out of the wagon and started running after me and he was fast and he tackled me to the ground tied my hands and dragged me to my feet. He then introduced himself and his accomplice. He said his name was Benjamin Thompson and he said the other man's name was Thomas Johnson. I remember the man smelling like sweat and cheap whiskey. I tried to run from him and he caught me again and then I spit in his face. He got really angry and backhanded me in the face and then he said you a feisty one, I'll break you though, I'll tie you to the back of the wagon and you'll walk till you drop. We have a pretty long day ahead of us so you'll do plenty of walking.
What is your name, I'll replied its none of your business. Okay, Ms. None of your business we're going now, so get walking!
Matilda:
So how long did you walk Ms. Jefferson?
Maybelle:
I guess all day, it got to the point where they were dragging me and I was covered with dirt and mud and scratches and everything you could think of. Benjamin finally put me in the wagon, and we continued on our way.
Matilda:
Where did the men take you, Ms. Jefferson?
Maybelle:
Well, they took me to Raleigh, North Carolina. There was a large slave market there. I believe the place was called Raleigh Slave Market.
Matilda:
How much did they get for you, Ms. Jefferson?
Maybelle:
After the market people looked at me, they offered the men $500 and the men haggled a bit for the price of me and they settled on $650 I think. Then I went to the market and there were so many slaves there, they would auction. off every slave to the highest bidder. While I was there I saw another slave I knew it was old Ben, he used to work the cotton fields with my mama. We were lined up together for a while, and he told me about my mama and how Lady Margaret, blamed me for Master Thomas dying. Ben told me, about Lady Margaret, and how she ordered two farm hands to grab my mama and tie her arms up over her head to a tree branch and whip her to death. Lady Margaret whipped my mama for almost three hours and my mama bled to death.
Matilda:(With tears in her eyes)
Oh, no, Ms.Jefferson.
Maybelle: (Starting to tear up)
I felt so horrible my mama (long pause) died because of me.
Matilda: (With tears in her eyes)
I'm so sorry, Ms. Jefferson.
Maybelle: (With tears in her eyes and sobbing loudly) Thank you, Matilda, me too. I think about her every day, I miss her so much.
Matilda: ( In a calming voice)
I know Ms. Jefferson, it will be okay.
(Maybelle sits in silence and rocks back and forth in her rocking chair)
End of Act 4
( Curtain closes)
ns 15.158.61.54da2
