A Date To Remember

I was brought in to America from Africa in chains and sold in Spain six months later to work in a sugarcane farm. Life had been very difficult, stressed and painful working as a slave. I cried every night before I went to bed. But I thanked God that the Spaniards allowed us to go to Church and since I worshipped spirits from where I came from, it was easy for me to connect to God and I became a Christian. I never stopped praying after I found my new faith in Christ and I had already learnt some common basic words in Spanish language by New Year. While the whole nation was celebrating, I was weeping and praying in broken Spanish language to God.

I had already served for five years and working into the sixth year still having hope that I would go back home to my family. One day, on 27th February 1820 to be exact, a young man visited the farm and saw me cleaning a sugarcane plot and bundling the canes. He was a Spaniard, well built, had a gentle character and very handsome. Even though they were barred from getting directly involved in Slave Trading, he secretly joined a group to see how slaves were recruited, sold and treated. We communicated through action and he assured me that he was not an enemy.

He kept coming once a month and with his visits I would teach him directions by bending sugar leaves so he could secretly follow them to find me. During times when sugars were harvested, I would use sticks or stones on the ground to direct him to where I was. I also showed him a plant within the vicinity that he could use for his identity so when he came and could not find me, he would leave the plant leaf to inform me that he came by.

In those many occasions that we secretly met during the months leading up to May I released many information about how I was kidnapped, my journey on the sea, my life in America and eventually my experience of working in the sugarcane farm in Spain. He became instrumental in abolishing Slavery in Spain through his research and secret service.

We married five months later and celebrated new year with my family back in Africa with joy. I will always remember 27th February 1820!