Slave Girl by Patricia C. McKissack

House told the mistress and
she got caught. Before they sent Spicy’s mama to the Deep South, she slipped Spicy the Bible.
    “I done kept it all these years,” Spicy said. “I cain’t read a word that’s in it, not yet. One day I will. But even if I don’t ever read, I’ll keep this
Bible forever. It is all I have that b’longed to my mama.”
    Spicy hugged the book to her chest. “Nobody in the world knows about this book ’cept’n you. And I trust you won’t tell, ’cause we’re good friends.”
    Should I share my secret with Spicy? Good sense tells me that I shouldn’t. But I want to so, so bad.
    Monday, October 10, 1859
    Mr Harms came storming into the kitchen, sputtering and making a grand fuss. He made Eva Mae and me stop what we was doing and listen to him.
    “This has come to my attention,” he said, holding up Spicy’s Bible. “If it belongs to one of you, I want to know, now!” His eyes moved from face to face.
“Speak,” he shouted.
    He could have saved his breath. Neither one of us owned it.
    “I’m going to report this to Miz Lilly when she returns,” he said.
    “Yes, Mas’ Harms,” said Eva Mae.
    The tutor tucked Spicy’s Bible under his arm. “Come with me, Clotee,” he said. Outside the kitchen, he whispered matter-of-factly. “The view from my room is
interesting.” What did he mean by that?
    Tuesday, October 11, 1859
    After breakfast, I slipped into Mr Harms’ bedroom. Standing in the side window, I got a clear view of the woods and especially the tree where my diary and Spicy’s
Bible were hidden. Thanks be there were no other bedroom windows at that end of the house.
    What is going on? Mr Harms knows my secret for sure. He must have seen Spicy and me at the tree when she showed me her Bible. But why didn’t he tell Miz Lilly or Mas’ Henley?
I’m beginning to think there is more to this strange man than any of us really knows.
    Later that same night
    My suspections are right. Mr Harms is not who he seems to be. When I went to move my diary from the hollow of the tree, there was a note fixed to it.
    I know you can read and write.
    Please be careful. I will speak to you soon.
    The note was signed “H” for Harms.
    I hid my diary under my dress and hurried to find Spicy. I didn’t want to put her in the heat of things, but she already was. It broke my heart to tell her that Mr Harms had found her
Bible. But it hurt even worser for Spicy to think I’d tattled on her. Even when I showed her how easy it was for him to see us through his window, she still didn’t b’lieve me.
“If that’s true, then why didn’t he tell Mas’ Henley?”
    I had no choice at that point but to ’fess everything. I took a deep breath and showed her my diary and the note Mr Harms had left. Spicy took me straight to Aunt Tee.
    Daybreak Sunday, October 16, 1859
    The roosters just crowed. Thank God it’s Sunday and not a full workday. Aunt Tee, Spicy and me sat up all night talking. There are no secrets between us now. I’m
glad in a way. In fact, I am writing in my diary right here in Aunt Tee’s cabin. At first, she was ’gainst my learning – but she say now that she was just scared –
didn’t want me beaten or sold away. “I will not stand in the way of what might be the Lord’s work being done through you, chile.”
    She even said for me to hide my papers in her cabin. My diary will be safe with her. I worry that I’ve made life unsure for Aunt Tee and Spicy. If they get caught with my papers, we could
all be in sinking sand. Maybe Mr Harms will be able to help. But who is he, really? I got some ideas, but I dare not put voice to them yet.
    Later
    Aunt Tee and Spicy don’t think I should trust Mr Harms all the way. But he hasn’t done nothing to make me not trust him.
    I have looked at the one-eyed man’s picture over and over. He don’t look at all like Mr Harms, but for after all that’s been happening, I think Mr Harms might know the one-eyed
man. Mr Harms