African Voices Summer 2016 (Digital) | Page 31

(exasperated) how should i know?
you laugh.
(exasperated)
am i a slave?
but when do you start to laugh
when you a slave?
what is there
to be happy for?
family. (kisses top of boy’s
head) (playfully taps back
of boy’s head)
what if they ain’t have family
when did they first laugh
and what they think
was funny?
maybe they saw
a picture of you (places arm
around boy)
how?
we both was here before.
(boy gets loud)
so you was a slave?
(suck-teeth)
no, i was
a fairy.
then why you ain’t
free the slaves?
(suck-teeth)
i freed as many as i could. why
can’t you say somethin
nice or fun?
i like your make-up
and your purse. (boy plays
with zipper)
(side-eyes boy)

when i die
i’ma come back as a walrus.
(exasperated)
why can’t you
just be a boy?
walruses are tough
and eat lots of fish—
can we go fishing?
one thing at a time.
where are the slave families?
(exasperated) boy, they
everywhere.
we slaves family too?
i guess.
can we bring flowers?
(exasperated) boy
where?
i dunno.
the slaves dead
and happy now.
i wanna buy roses.
(side-eyes boy)
wit who money?
and take them
where?
to a funeral.
so you gon just roll up
on somebody funeral
uninvited?
where our slave family
buried?
(sigh) i. don’t. know.
(boy sneezes)
(boy thoughtful)
we should become

zombies.
then no one could hurt us
cause we’d
already be dead.
(exasperated)
(side-eye)
(eye-roll)
(suck-teeth)
(silence)

© Amber Atiya

african Voices

31