Американские боги

           Sukeyhadbeenwhippedmanytimessinceshehadcomeashore—once,salthadbeenrubbedintothewounds,onanotheroccasionshehadbeenwhippedsohardandforsolongthatshecouldnotsit,orallowanythingtotouchherback,forseveraldays.Shehadbeenrapedseveraltimeswhenyounger:byblackmenwhohadbeenorderedtoshareherwoodenpalette,andbywhitemen.Shehadbeenchained.Shehadnotweptthen,though.Sinceherbrotherhadbeentakenfromhershehadonlyweptonce.ItwasinNorthCarolina,whenshehadseenthefoodfortheslavechildrenandthedogspouredintothesametrough,andshehadseenherlittlechildrenscrabblingwiththedogsforthescraps.Shesawthathappenoneday—andshehadseenitbefore,everydayonthatplantation,andshewouldseeitagainmanytimesbeforesheleft—shesawitthatonedayanditbrokeherheart.

           Shehadbeenbeautifulforawhile.Thentheyearsofpainhadtakentheirtoll,andshewasnolongerbeautiful.Herfacewaslined,andtherewastoomuchpaininthosebrowneyes.

           Elevenyearsearlier,whenshewastwenty-five,herrightarmhadwithered.Noneofthewhitefolkhadknownwhattomakeofit.Thefleshseemedtomeltfromthebones,andnowherrightarmhungbyherside,littlemorethanaskeletalarmcoveredinskin,andalmostimmobile.Afterthisshehadbecomeahouse-slave.

           TheCastertonfamily,whohadownedtheplantation,wereimpressedbyhercookingandhouseskills,butMrs.