Mabimbi’s Story

After I had just started to get comfortable in my sack a whistling person picked my sack up and pulled open the drawstring. I jumped out and shouted ‘Yo ho ho ahoy ho!’ which in English means ‘What’s goin’ on!’ The man told me he came in peace. I was not on a 1st class holiday to America, I was about to become a ‘white devils’ slave in America. ff by these men, the man grabbed me and ran with me to catch up with the others. He then said I leave in 1 hour, we started on our way to the port. I forgave him and thought no more of it. They then jammed my legs into the chains, I then horrified realised that the rumours I had heard in my village about the ‘white devils’ was true.

I asked him why I had been treated so roughly, and he replied that it was all part of the surprise.

He grabbed my hand and started wobbling it up and down repeatedly, then he said that I had won a 1st class holiday to America. I jumped on the floor and rolled around with happiness. Under deck there were chains on the walls and the floor, I expected this was where they kept the meat. I was separated from my friends, I kept getting thrown around and kept getting kicked in my leg as we caught up with the others they started talking to each other but I could not work out what they were saying, their language was foreign to my ears. I walked up the walkway on to the deck then two rough crewmembers came over to me pushed me under deck so I went with them.