Chapter 5
Catherine had been in a state of panic since they’d all heard the gunshots days before. There had been no news from the other sailors and when she’d opened her mouth to ask, she’d been slapped into silence. Whatever had happened must’ve been bad. Her gut told her Liam had been involved. She was sure sensitive and sensible Dan, if he was onboard, he would have kept out of trouble. But not Liam with his fiery temper! She could not even contemplate losing her last links to home.
“Get up!”
Catherine stood as the hold was opened. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“Can’t you tell the ship’s dropped anchor? We’re here. Now stop talking and get a move on.”
“What’s going on?” Mary asked in a frightened voice. “Catherine where are we?”
“Somewhere very warm,” Charlotte said as she stood beside them. “We must be across the ocean.”
One by one they left the hold and came up on deck. The sun beat down on them. It was hot and Catherine started sweating immediately, trying to let her eyes adjust to the violent sunshine. She heard another sailor yell at the men. She turned, trying to catch a glimpse of her brothers. But she didn’t get to look long before she and the other women were ushered off the ship on wobbly legs. It was the farthest she’d walked since they left her village and Catherine wasn’t sure she’d make it to down to the dock they were anchored at.
White sandy beaches stretched out as far as she could see and everything was bright green. The flowers were reds and oranges like a sunset, nothing like back home in Ireland.
“Welcome,” the captain called out from the end of the dock, “to Jamaica!”
“What,” Charlotte muttered behind Catherine. “Jamaica? They brought us here?”
“What’s wrong?” Catherine asked. “Charlotte, what do you know?”
She hesitated before she told her quietly, “Everything I’ve heard of this place is bad, Catherine. I’m afraid we’re never going to leave this island again.”
The horrible truth she’d been trying not to let herself believe had just come true. So far from home. Charles would never find her now. She was going to waste away here until she died. The sailors shoved the women and men along until they were lined up on the beach. The sand burned their feet, but the sailors didn’t care. She searched the lines of men and finally spotted Liam, but he didn’t see her. When he turned around, she gasped at the sight of his back. He’d been whipped. Frantically her eyes searched for Dan but couldn’t see him anywhere.
The shots she’d heard…now she was certain that Liam had been involved.
“Get your hands off me!”
Catherine whipped back around to see a sailor tugging at Charlotte’s clothes, tearing off her skirts, shift, and blouse until she stood naked in the sand.
“Strip! All of you now or we’ll do it for you!”
Covering herself the best she could, Charlotte glared at the man who’d taken her clothes. He inhaled deeply, holding them up to his face. “Nothing like a woman’s warmth. Be lucky that’s all I’m allowed to take from you,” he muttered then moved up and down the lines, yelling at the women.
Catherine’s hands shook as she reached for the ties that held her shift. She was barely wearing anything to begin with, being captured in the dead of night. But to be naked, completely exposed in front of all these men? A shadow loomed over her and when she lifted her head, the captain leered down at her.
“Come on then, lassie. Get a move on or I’ll do it for you.”
Fear of him touching her made her lower her head as her cheeks burned red and she pulled her shift from her body, letting it fall to the sand, exposing her pale and naked skin. The captain made a grunt of approval, “She is definitely a virgin and quite beautiful, we’ll get good coin for her,” then he moved on. Further down the line, Catherine heard Rose crying and sobbing. She refused to remove her clothing. A sailor tore her clothes from her body so hard that she fell to the sand.
“Get up, woman. Time for a wash.”
Sailors took buckets of water and dumped them over the captives, washing the dirt and grime from their days stuck in the ship’s hold. Catherine sputtered as the water was poured over her head and tried to get her hair out of her face.
“Now then, you are to stand here until they’re ready for you,” the captain said. “Welcome to your new lives ladies and gentlemen.” He laughed as he walked away, leaving his men to guard us.
Catherine heard voices calling out nearby, but there were trees in the way. All she could see was the dock and the beach they stood on. The sun beat down on their shoulders and before long; she was dripping with sweat, panting from the horrid heat, wanting nothing more than to curl up into a little ball and sleep. This was dreadful. Standing there naked as the sailors eyed her and the other women. She didn’t think the humility could get any worse.
She was dead wrong.
“Put your hands out,” a new man said, dressed in fine linens with a blackened tooth smile. “Come on then, we don’t have all day.”
“What’s going on?” Catherine asked Charlotte.
But the other woman was too shaken to say anything. Numbly Catherine held out her wrists. She was chained to the four women in front of her, Charlotte to the others behind her. Once they were all grouped together they were led down the beach, up a dirt path to a large square beside what looked like a small town. There was an wooden stage set up nearby with another man dressed in rich silks, the like of which Catherine had only ever seen on nobility. Before the stage was a large group of men and several carriages behind them.
“Men first then, let’s go you lot, up onto the auction block,” the new man said and pulled a group of five men, naked and weak, up the stairs, so they were in full view of the scores of men below. The man had said auction block and with these two simple words, the captured peasants froze with fear...auction block, what did that mean.
Once they were lined up, the man in silks opened his mouth. “Fresh from Ireland across the sea, I bring you five men of strength who know what a hard day’s work means. Let’s start with this young lad on the end!”
The men in the crowd started yelling out numbers and everything closed in around her as Catherine realized what was happening.
“Slaves, we’re being sold as slaves,” she whispered.
Charlotte nodded. “It’s just as I feared.”
The group of five men were bought and taken off the auction block. Several more groups went up as those left behind started to panic and cry, as the enormity of what was going to become of them set in. Michael and Liam were in the last group of men to be sold. Catherine took a step forward, wanting to go to her brother. He stood tall and strong, glaring at the men as they bid on the others.
“Look at these two,” the auctioneer called out as he pointed to Michael and Liam. “Both strong lads. Good bodies, nicely formed muscles. They will be able to do a great deal of work on any plantation!”
Numbers were shouted, going up and up. Catherine felt tears prick her eyes. Her brother and betrothed were being auctioned off as slaves. It wasn’t fair. What had they done to deserve this? The numbers climbed higher and just when Catherine thought it would never stop, a deep booming voice called out over everyone else.
“I’ll pay three for them both!”
“Three hundred,” the auctioneer repeated with a large smile. “Sold to Dion!”
The rest of the crowd turned to glare at him. Michael and Liam were taken from the auction block and led to the back of a large, black carriage. Catherine stared at it, trying to see who was inside as the curtain fluttered, but they kept their face hidden. Who had that much money to buy her brother and Michael? The women watched as the auctioneer’s helper started to pull the first group of women onto the stage. It was nothing like with the men. The women’s faces burned bright red as the men leered and stared at their bodies openly, making gestures that had Catherine burning with hatred and shame.
“I’ll be, th
at one’s good for a ride or two,” a man called out. “Wonder how long she’d last?”
“Nah, go for the other one. She’s a bit fuller up top. Better to hold onto.”
The remarks didn’t stop and Catherine heard the others around her cry as they shook with fear. They were going to be sold to these horrible disgusting men. It didn’t take much of an imagination to know what would happen to most of them.
The bidding started and the numbers went up much quicker than they had for the men. The first group of women was auctioned off in mere minutes. The second group was led up and Catherine watched as poor Mary and Rose were shoved forward. Rose hadn’t stopped crying and the auctioneer gave her rump a good smack to try and shut her up. Mary’s eyes were wide as she stared at the men, licking their lips and making gestures towards her body. She shook so hard the chain rattled. Catherine watched as the bidding went back and forth, before the man who had bought Liam and Michael, raised his hand and bid on Mary, Rose and one other from the group.
It ended and the three were led off towards the others behind the black carriage.
“Catherine whatever happens, just stay strong,” Charlotte whispered as her group was led onto the auction block. “You must!”
When Charlotte reached the auction block, several of the men fell silent. She was a beauty, something Catherine hadn’t noticed while they’d been down in the dark hold and covered in grime. Dion immediately bid for her and two others from the group. His numbers started so high, it was over before it barely began. Charlotte gave Catherine one last sad look before she too was dragged off.
“Last group for bidding today,” the auctioneer called.
Catherine staggered forward with the rest of the women attached to her and tried to keep her head held high. She had to make that man bid on her. She had to ignore all the other men and just have him bid on her. She did not want to lose her only chance to stay with her brother.
But just as the bidding began, the man started to walk away.
“Dion, my good sir, there are still some fine women up here,” the auctioneer called.
“My master is done for the day,” he yelled back.
Catherine’s heart sank. “No,” she whispered. Men stared at her, eyes wide with lust and hunger as they took in her body. The auctioneer went on, stating which ones were most likely virgins and the numbers went up again. The man was almost to the carriage. She stared at it intently…there! On the side of it was a plaque. It was her only chance. “Mr. Lavelle! Mr. Bastian Lavelle, please choose me! Please, I beg of you!”
The auctioneer paused as he stared from her to the carriage. “So, the girl can read it seems.”
“I can,” she said trying to sound strong. “I can read and write. Mr. Lavelle, you can have use of me!”
“So can I,” a man in the crowd grunted as he thrust his hips forward. “I’ll give you one hundred for her!”
The bidding went up and kept going up as Catherine kept her eyes locked on Dion and the curtained window. His lips moved and then the curtain parted, a white-gloved hand reached out and waved, pointing at Catherine. Dion bowed his head then made his way back through the crowd.
“Five hundred and that is my final offer,” Dion yelled.
The auctioneer looked as though he might faint as he repeated the number. “Any other bids?”
The men in the crowd cursed and glared at Dion, but they couldn’t compete. The auctioneer nodded and one of the men unchained Catherine, escorting her to the others attached to the rear of the carriage. Charlotte, Mary, and Rose stared at her in amazement, but it was her brother who grinned the most.
“I couldn’t let you leave without me,” she told him.
“Dan’s dead,” Liam blurted out, “he couldn’t take it any longer and he jumped overboard”.
He didn’t get to say anymore before Dion yelled at them to be silent. The carriage started to move as he walked beside them and they were pulled along, away from the auction and off down the beach. Catherine cried quietly for her brother as they trudged along drawing on her inner strength to overcome her sorrow, now she had only Liam left and she was determined to survive for him.
They moved in silence down the dirt path through the trees and heat. Animals called out around them, birds that Catherine didn’t think could possibly exist and what she thought was a monkey. She’d heard of them but seeing one up close was amazing. For a few moments, she was able to forget the horrid situation she’d found herself in.
When Catherine reached the point when her legs were going to give out, Dion called for them to stop and detached them in groups from the back of the carriage. There was a dock up ahead and another boat, but this one was much smaller. A few of the captives begged not to be thrown back into a hold, but Dion told them that it was only for a one-day journey. Catherine breathed a sigh of relief at that, even though she dreaded being locked away from the sky, sun and fresh air again.
The men and women were separated once again and Catherine found herself sitting beside her new family in the hold. Their skin was hot and clammy as they leaned against each other, having to sit so close in the small area. Baskets of fresh fruit were lowered down along with water and another bucket for their needs.
“Eat and drink,” Dion called down to them. “We will arrive at the plantation soon enough.”
Without another word, he closed the hold and the women dug into the food. No one spoke. There was really nothing to say. They’d been sold at an auction to a man they did not know. As of this moment they were nothing more than slaves. Catherine tried her best to stay positive. It was better than being bought by one of those dirty men that wanted to use her in the most disgusting ways. Those other girls, bought by the depraved men, she prayed for them.
She repeated to herself over and over how lucky she was. The fruit tasted tart against her tongue and the acid stung the ulcers in her mouth.
It was such a change from the stale bread they had been fed for the past weeks. Thoughts of the others filled her mind and the horrible realization that where she was going could be even worse. After a while, they felt the ship start to move through the water. The rocking was gentle compared to the rough waves of the ocean and soon Catherine felt her eyes close as she finally gave in to her exhaustion and fell into a troubled sleep. A nightmare of Dan jumping off the ship woke her. Her dear sweet younger brother had cracked and she lay there wondering if he had made a wise decision.