She lifted the pot, not bothering to look inside. The weight of it told her the pot had been used. She carefully made her way down the back stairs and out the back door. She walked, carefully holding the heavy chamber pot away from her. Once she arrived at the outhouse, she knocked, to make sure no one was inside. Then she dumped the pot. She then rinsed the chamber pot out by the old well and returned it to the master’s chamber. This was her least favorite chore and she was careful not to spill the contents of the pots. Sometimes Mary look down into the well and saw her reflection far below. She grinned at herself and licked the gap between her missing front teeth. Looking around, she saw that no one was watching, she threw some pebbles down enjoying the sound of plopping they made when the pebbles reached bottom. She turned and went back to the house.
Master Anderson had three boys, but only one of them lived at the house. Theodore’s pot was always the fullest. Mary wondered what he ate to make him crap so much. He was off to school now and so it was one less pot she had to empty. She didn’t like the outhouse, there were always flies. The flies buzzed annoyingly around her and she had to hold her breath, for fear of breathing one of the insects in. She felt them bump her face and she squeezed her eyes shut.
When Mary was finished with the chamber pots, she was given a dusting rag and sent to dust anything that wasn’t moving. During her day, Mary would see her mistress about the house. Sometimes her mistress would come up to Mary and speak with her. Mary knew to keep her eyes down. The whites didn’t like it when you looked them in the eye, it made them skittish and mean.
“Mary, how do you like working in the house?” Mistress Anderson asked.
“Oh, I likes it just fine, missus. Thank ya.” Mary said, her eyes looking down at her feet. Her toes wiggled, indicating her nervousness. Even at her young age, Mary knew how to answer. Life had nothing to do with liking. Mary wondered why this woman asked her the question. She wondered what the woman would say if she said no? They were never allowed to say no.
“I’m so glad Mary, I asked for you to come up here. Later, I want you to come out with me to the flower garden.” Mistress Anderson said softly.
Mary curtsied quickly and responded, “Yes um.” Mary remained still until after her mistress left. Mary liked her mistress, but she was wary of her. Clark had taught her mistrust of anyone white, as had her mother and Liza. Mary remembered when the mistress had given her treats when she was little. Her mother told her that the mistress was a fine woman, though a bit high strung.
“She lost her only daughter durin a smallpox outbreak years ago. She ain’t never got over that.” Ida had said. Mary had been sad at the thought and felt great sympathy for the mistress. Mistress Victoria had also lost two sons, but she still had three big strapping boys left. Mistress Anderson had doted on her daughter, Megan, and when Megan had died at the tender age of five, Mistress Anderson’s soul had been devastated. Mary felt sorry for the lady, and tried to speak sweetly and softly to her. She knew her own mother would be devastated should she die.
For some reason, the mistress had taken a shine to Mary, and Ida urged Mary to be kind. She hoped that if the mistress felt kindly to her daughter, perhaps Mary’s life would have some kind of safety and security. None of them had that and Ida thought maybe she was just hoping for too much.
“The missus will do right by you; taint no need ta be scared of her.” Ida had assured Mary the first night Mary came back from the main house. Mary had brought a towel filled with cornbread and a small crock of fried apples; Cookie had given them to her. Mary made sure her mother ate well, so Ida could keep her health up.
Mary went by the kitchen to inform Cookie she’d be going out to the garden with the mistress. Cookie smiled and nodded. Cookie didn’t show surprise, the mistress often took Mary to the garden to pick flowers or pull weeds.
The next day after Mary finished her dusting, she went about making the beds. Kelly and Fanny helped her; they were the two other house slaves. Kelly and Fanny were twin girls, seventeen years old. Both were rail thin and spoke at the same time. Their mother had died with their birth and so Liza had suckled them when they were babies. Looking at them with confusion, Mary could not tell them apart because they looked so much alike. Each young woman wore a different color kerchief on their head to tell them apart.
The young women even sounded alike, and it reminded Mary of seeing her own reflection in the hall mirror. Beds finished; Mary went back to the kitchen to help prepare for mid day dinner. Cookie was frying fish when Mary walked into the kitchen; two of the boys had caught some fish at the stream and brought them home. Mary’s mouth watered, she loved fresh fried fish. She hoped there would be enough for her. She shucked some beans and put them into a large pot on the large stove, those would soak for tomorrow’s dinner.
A small pig was on a spit over the fire, in the large kitchen fireplace. The large room had windows, but with all the
