The Story of One. The Lives of Many.

The Story of One. The Lives of Many.

By Ariela Hecht

            Torture. Hardship. Pain. Captivity. These are the words that represent my life and the lives of my fellow people. These are the words that portray what our lives have become and what the African American population of slaves must endure. My name is Aibileen Douglass and I was fortunate enough to have been discovered by a woman named Harriet Tubman. She saved my life and helped me escape by means of the Underground Railroad. When I was just a 14 year old girl, I fled from my Virginia plantation, where I was held as a fugitive. As I live freely and happily here in the North, I am often overcome with grief and sorrow for my family and brethren who are still beaten to death on those dreadful plantations. My brother, Frederick Douglass, lives freely and happily alongside me in the North. As emancipated slaves, we feel it is our obligation to help our brothers and sisters who are still living the brutal life of a slave. We must inform the world of those cruel and heartless slave owners. We must illustrate the image of the torture slaves go through and make sure people understand the horrors they face. I am here to tell the story of one woman. I am here to personalize the broad issue of slavery and pass on the tragic story of my Aunt Hester.

            “In the darkest of times, people wonder whether beautiful things can happen. They wonder whether kindness exists amongst such cruelty. I believe it does. When we wake up each morning, we set out to work on the fields in the brutal hot sun, doing the laborious work of our capturers. We are given little to eat and scarcely any sufficient clothing to wear on our backs. As I walk through the fields, I can see the lash marks on the backs of my fellow people through their dirty rags.  When I sleep at night I cringe as my bare, sore and raw back touches the cold floor. However, I cannot move to a more comfortable position because I do not wish to disturb the others sleeping around me.  Although, I have lived my entire life as a slave, I have nevertheless allowed myself to still live my life. I search for the good in each and every day and that’s how I get through my treacherous days here. There is one important lesson I have learned as a slave; with all the hardships, tragedy and brutality there is in life, if you look close enough, you will find the light in every darkness.”

            The following excerpt is taken from My Aunt Hester’s diary. She is brutally killed during a beating by her cruel slave-owner when she is just 20 years old. After she dies, I find her diary and realize what a special positive woman she is. My Aunt Hester is a very optimistic woman. She is born on a southern plantation and at a very young age, she is put to work as a slave. As she grows into a mature woman, she transforms into an exquisite beauty. She is known for her beauty throughout the plantation; by the slave-owners and also by her fellow slaves. She is an ordinary girl, trapped in the midst of slavery. My Aunt Hester was my role model. She always acted with kindness. Aunt Hester is a humble person unaware of her beauty and how greatly she is admired. She is a benevolent and caring individual, always helping out her friends and family whenever she can.

            Aunt Hester finds love in a hopeless and dark place. She finds beauty and meaning in her long hard working days. She acts with kindness while she is surrounded by people who solely act with cruelty. My Aunt Hester is in charge of the kitchen on the plantation and she, along with many other woman slaves, distributes the food throughout the plantation each day. One day, when Aunt Hester is 18 years old, she is walking through the fields when she sees a terrible site. A slave who looks about twenty years old, who has been working in the hot sun for hours, is being beaten by a cruel slave-owner. When the slave-owner leaves the field, Aunt Hester runs over to the fallen man and helps him sit up. She gives him whatever she has to eat, from her own daily portion and gives him some water to drink. The man is in very poor condition and Aunt Hester makes an arbitrary and dangerous decision to take him from the field and mend his wounds. When no one is looking, Aunt Hester helps the man to his feet and brings him to a shed. There she finds whatever she can and wraps the wounds to prevent too much bleeding. After an hour of Aunt Hester staying by his side, the man finally is able to speak and thanks Aunt Hester for helping him. He tells her that his name is Timothy and that he is going to repay her for her kindness one day. Aunt Hester helps the man to his feet and leads him out of the shed. They both must make it back to their quarters before the slave-owners realize they’re missing. Timothy makes it safely back to his quarters without being caught. However, Aunt Hester isn’t as fortunate. She is caught by the slave-owner and is given a total of 20 brutal lashes on her delicate back. 

             The following week, Aunt Hester is forced to carry a heavy sack of potatoes from one side of the plantation to the other. Timothy sees Aunt Hester from afar and she is struggling to walk. It is clear to him that the load she is carrying is far more than she can handle. He sees at once that she is panting and out of breathe. He checks if any slaveholders are around and he runs to Aunt Hester. She sees him approaching and before she knows it the heavy burden suddenly disappears. When she looks up she realizes that Timothy has taken the sack out of her hands and is carrying it for her. She is so thankful and relieved. However, she doesn’t realize that a slave owner from across the yard saw Timothy’s helpful deed. Before they know it, Timothy is roughly grabbed by his garb and is thrown to the floor. The sack of potatoes scatters all over the muddy ground. The slaveholder takes out his whip and gives Timothy 20 lashes for not being where he was supposed to be and for helping Aunt Hester. After he leaves Aunt Hester rushes over to him to help him to his feet. She feels a sense of guilt that Timothy is in severe pain because he tried to help her. She begins to apologize profusely but Timothy assures her that it is not her fault and that it was he, who went out of his way and got himself into this trouble. However, Timothy immediately notices the fading week old lash marks on her back as well and realizes that she received that as a result of helping him. Together they walk off, feeling a sense of companionship. The burden of loneliness in the cruel world of a slave is suddenly less overwhelming.

             Before long, Timothy and Aunt Hester develop a beautiful relationship depending on the care and love they both express for each other. Throughout their stay at the plantation, they both put themselves in harm’s way countless times, to help the other. Each day Aunt Hester secretly brings extra potatoes and water for Timothy and his friends in the fields, while Timothy assists Aunt Hester early each morning in carrying her heavy sacks of food. They work as a team and learn how to avoid being caught. Although it is tough to sustain a relationship under their harsh circumstances, they are happier than ever. . Each helpful deed they do for each other comes along with the risk of being caught and beaten. Yet, that scary thought never sways their decisions when it comes to helping each other. Aunt Hester and Timothy believe that since the moment they met, they have become supportive and caring for one another and they feel as if they have found the light within the overpowering darkness. They display acts of true kindness, invoking feelings of true love for one another.

            One day Aunt Hester goes out one night but is absent when her master desires her presence. He orders her not to go out at night and warns her that she should never let him catch her not on the plantation at night. When she finally returns to the plantation that night, he gets a hold of her and brings her into his kitchen. He strips her from neck to waist, leaving her entirely naked. He tells her to cross her hands and calls her a dead bitch. He ties her hands with a strong rope, makes her get upon the stool and ties her hands to the hook. In a cruel and evil way he says, “Now, you dead bitch, I’ll learn you how to disobey my orders” (Douglass 24). Just at the moment a crowd gathers in the window and they are horrorstricken from the sight they are seeing. Timothy notices the crowd and makes his way over when he suddenly hears the shriek of her voice. He rushes to the window as the slave master lays the heavy cowskin on her back and soon the warm red blood begins dripping to the floor. She sees him in the window, as they both shed a tear and feel a sense of despair in this evil world. Her heart- rending shrieks lead him to a whimsical act. He races into the house in an attempt to save her but when he gets close to the room he realizes he is lacking any weapon to help him save her. As he enters the doorway, he finds her hands still tied to the hook as she stands there unconscious with blood covering her entire body. A sense of anger overcomes him as he charges toward the slave master. However, in a swift motion the slave master pulls out his rifle and shoots Timothy.

            That bitter night both my Aunt Hester and Timothy died. However, there story and what they stood for still lives on. In times of captivity and despair it is a great challenge to try and seek the light within the darkness. My Aunt Hester and Timothy represent goodness in an ocean of evil. They display kindness to total strangers and lend a helping hand even when it may pose a risk on their lives. Slavery is a time of brutality and cruelty but I am publicizing Aunt Hester’s story to show how in the lowest parts of people’s lives, they can still find the strength within to help others. The love that is shared between Aunt Hester and Timothy is genuine and true and they will live together in heaven for all eternity in peace and tranquility. Aunt Hester’s story is only one of many. Her story illustrates the tragic life slaves are still facing. As an emancipated slave, I ask you, the reader, to look deeply into your hearts and to admit and recognize that slavery is a misdeed against any human being regardless of their race or skin color. Only together can we make a difference.