I was thirteen years when I found myself in the hands of Johannes family in New York. This was not by choice but as a victim of circumstance. Being an African girl, born of typical African parents, by this age of thirteen I was supposed to be settled in marriage with a man of my parents’ choice. The structure of the African society regarded a man superior to a woman and as a lady I was supposed to respect my father’s decision (Wyrod). I was not ready to live the life like that of my mother, a life in which the females had no place in the society rather than giving in to the desires of their societal men. I made a decision to flee to my distant uncle who I thought enlightened after five years stay in America. The economic crisis at home could not allow my uncle to take me in. He had a big …show more content…
Before plotting the escape plan, I was transferred to Mrs. Kreolin. This lady was a wealthy widow and she was a real Christian. I was a slave, but she treated me with much humility. I was only attending to house chores and little compound sweeping. After my request, she offered to help me attain western education. She also introduced me to a missionary school where I learned much about Christianity. Like Phillis Wheatley, as a slave portrayed in his poem (Wheatley), I knew of a being called God, unlike in Africa where there was nothing to do with religion. After completing my education, I was freed from the ties of