A Seed, Once Planted (standard:other, 898 words)
Author: Andrew Dayton	Added: Apr 29 2009	Views/Reads: 3137/2164	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
24 Hour Writing Contest Submission, April, 2009 Topic has to be touched upon only. Topic is shown below. "Silly Scilla, silly Scilla," the young girl sang, as she pushed another tiny blue flower into her hair. She knew she would have to

Scilla and Mamm walked out to the field as the sun rose.  Along the way,
Scilla picked violets and plaited them into her hair. Although the day 
was already hot, the soil was cool. Pushing her feet into the dirt 
Scilla felt something hard.  Digging down she pulled out a tattered 
leather purse.  Opening it, she peered inside. 

Inside she saw gold coins.  Her breath caught.  How much was in there? 
$100?  $10,000?  Scilla was a bright girl for her age but could not 
comprehend such wealth. 

“Ahem” right behind her.  “Is you going to start planting or is you
gonna play in the dirt all morning?” Mamm asked. 

“S'ry Mama” Scilla surreptitiously dropped the purse in the front pocket
of her apron.  She pinched up some seeds and started pressing them into 
the dark, wet soil as Mamm's steps retreated. 

A lifting breeze carried the rich odors of the plowed field, the flowers
in the meadow and the call of a mockingbird but only Mamm noticed.  
Scilla was deep into her task, her long hair hanging low as she hunched 
over her work.  Mamm watched her, and rose to straighten a kink from 
her back.  She loved little Priscilla so, and her heart ached at the 
notion of ever being without her. 

Unaware of her mama's gaze, Scilla continued working, but her mind was
spinning at the possibilities presented by the wealth she carried.  She 
could buy her Papa's freedom.  Maybe the whole family's freedom!  She 
would buy her Mamm a new dress and her Papa a team of matched horses. 
Such were her thoughts three hours later when the dinner triangle rang. 
“Well, get along there Little,” Mamm said. “I want to sit in the shade 
and we only have half and hour 'fore we gotta start working again.” 
From the neighboring fields, hands drifted toward the shade of the 
trees to eat their noontime packets. 

They settled beneath a large elm tree and opened their lunch. “Mama, if
you could have anything in the world, what would you ask for?” asked 
Scilla. 

Mamm pretended to think for a moment. “Well that's easy.  I would want
for you and me to always be together, Little.” Scilla looked vexed. “No 
Mama, I mean what would you want that you could buy if you had a lot of 
money.” 

“Well now, it ain't much use talkin' ‘bout things you ain't never gonna
have.  Leastways, not until the day we's all free.  ‘Til then, we got 
each other and that plenty good enough for me.”  She reached over and 
touched Scilla's face with the back of a work hardened hand. “Scilla, 
you remember who you is named after?” She asked softly. 

“Yes'm.  Named after Missy Kuye.” Said Scilla. 

“And do you remember why we named you after her?” 

Scilla closed her eyes and leaned her little face against Mamm's hand
and spoke dreamily.  “She the lady that laid down under the moon and 
had a dream that all us folks was gonna be free.” 

“And?”  Prompted Mamm. 

“And she said that all children be back with their parents, and the
gummint would give all us black folks land of our own.” 

“That's right.” Said Mamm.  “And that be my dream for us. That's all I
want in this whole world.” 

“Mama,” said Scilla “we gonna have us a farm with horses and lots of
goats and it's gonna have a creek and a windmill so we ain't never 
gotta fetch water.” 

Mamm smiled.  “Oh, you gonna grow up to be a fine, special lady,
Scilla.” 

They ate in silence for a few more minutes and then rose to get back to
their work when they saw the overseer mount up. 



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