defining moments

So the defining moments so far in the book are as follows; the slaves get a day off, leaving 1 (sweets who is very pregnant) behind almost as collateral; if they were even a few minutes late, Sweets would be beaten, never mind if they ran away. This is the day they decide to take a walk over and see the resort next door that they heard about. A resort for free blacks. They meet a quaker woman in the woods names Glory who shows them the way. They all have some trust issues, the slaves and Glory but they get through them and Glory shows them the way. Lizzie feels as though she needs to see this, to know it exists for her children's sake, so she can tell a world without slavery does exist. She feels the limitless they would have if there father would just free them. Mawu, as usual is the only one who has the nerve to go up to the hotel and talk with the free people, Phillip goes with her but the rest hide in the woods. The end result is that Mawu can't understand how they can all be there in free land, right by other free blacks and not be thinking about running away. They are all up in arms remarking that the others would never get to come back again if 1 ran away. The others all ahve children back on the plantations, and for the women, they children are mostly from their masters. Mawu starts outlining aplan but she needs Lizzies help to write a letter and Lizzie is the only one that can read. THis is Lizzies defining moment.

Some back story on Mawu next. Her Master started trying to take her when she was really young, being a fighter she held him off a while, but after haven been beaten down she is raped repeatedly, for years. She's had 4 or his children, 3, of which he sold outright. The 4th fell out of her sling while she was working in the fields and hit his head on a rock and is not quite "right" any more. Mawu is done loving anything, even her last child. She's been trying everything to keep Tip, her master away from her. Chewing stinky herbs, not washing, but he enjoys her resistance. She is determined not to be had again and cant understand why Tip brought her to the resort.

You can not really understand the differences between Lizzie who is in love with her Master and her and her children are treated fairly well, to Mawu, who's existance is hell.

Mawuis on Lizzie to write the letter but she is stalling. We don;t know much about Reenie at this time but Reenie tells Lizzie she is "undecided" as of yet. Lizzie is afraid but entranced. She has also noticed Drayle (her Master) payin some attention to Mawu and is struggling with some jealousy.