So after that day I just kept doing the chores as usual. Since I had not complain after the death of that slave, I kept silent too afraid of what the master would do to me if he herd me complain. I kept this up for a couple of more weeks. Then the master said that I could pick up the newspaper every morning. I said great and started straight away.

So that same day I went to the front gate and picked up the newspaper. I then returned to the house and gave it to my master. He snatched it away from me and started reading the front page of the newspaper and slurping his coffee. Then suddenly he spat out his coffee on the front page of surprise or something. I then asked him what the matter was. He said nothing still in shock and threw the newspaper into the bin. “Well, don’t you have something to do like cleaning up?” he cried.

So I just cleaned up for a few hours or so, when the master had to go somewhere. And so he did. I said to myself that I probably should just carry on working until I thought of something. The newspaper. I was so eager to see what was so shocking so I crept up to his room and took the newspaper out of the bin.

Afterwards I went back to my hut and attempted to read it. I was never really good at reading newspapers. But I tried anyway and finished the whole page in outstanding delight. It said that President Abraham Lincoln had freed all the slaves. That all slaves were now free. And the great thing was that if the master of the slaves still wanted to keep us against our own will, that the police will arrest him for a minimum of 10 years! I was so delighted.

I then told all the other slaves about the great news. They were extremely happy as well. So then we all marched of to the guard and I showed him the newspaper. He like our master was also shocked but eventually said OK and that we were free to get out of this place. I still didn’t get over it.