War comes to Willy Freeman

Chapters 7 and 8

                I started thinking why does the British own all of this land if us Americans are the ones that started it and made it how it is today? And I guess I don’t care what side I’m on. Because the Americans have made us black people feel so low.  And then the British captured my ma and killed my pa, so it didn't seem like there was much of a difference between the British and the Americans. But I will still want to be an American, probably only because Pa swore he was American.  “Was ma in a prison ship”? The only way to find out He said was to go down and ask myself. I was scared of the British there was no telling what they would do to me. I walked on down to one of the boats where there was a British officer lounging in it, I said “sir, do you know if there is any black women on any of them ships right there?”  “Black women?” he said curious. I said yes I’m looking for my ma.  You’re Ma? We don’t keep women on these ships, we are British not animals. “None at all sir?” I asked. He said are you deaf boy? I said no sir; he said where are you from boy? I waved my hand behind me and said back there. He said back there? And he said why don’t we give you a taste of prison until you come up with a better story. Then I said no please don’t I’m a girl. He said well by George, you are a girl, well get out of here. Then this soldier named Charlie tried to take my shirt It off to see if I was actually a girl and then finally I got away and I was safe.

                 I slept in a barn overnight, in the morning I found a black boy with a wagon full of wood so I got a ride with him. He asked me who my master was, I said Mr. Fraunces, and the boy that was giving me the ride knew I was lying, because that’s who he worked for. So I helped him unload the wood In the back, then he brought me in the kitchen to give me something to eat. Then the cooks were like what are you doing, and the boy was like Sam said I could get food whenever I wanted. So right then Sam walked in and said I said what? And then he’s like who’s this? And then I told him about uncle jack knowing him and I was his nephew. So once I got done eating Sam told me to meet him in his office. While I was eating I fell asleep, so the boy had to wake me up. So I went into Sam’s office. I told him i was a girl and my Pa got killed by the British and is started crying. He said I could work for him and stay there for a while, and he has some places I could check for my mom. And he said Willy, it might be a good idea if you stay a boy for a while.