9-3 Raft

Role: Francisco Gablorenth, a slave for a rich family who owns a plantation

Audience: Myself

Format: Diary Entry

Topic: What was the plantation system?

                                                                                                                                         Saturday, July 18, 1745

Dear Diary,

I’ve been working all day long, and my master finally let me have a break and get some food to eat. It was sweltering hot out, so I couldn’t work very fast. But my master told me that unless I’m done with my work, I can’t eat or have a break. I stayed up until about 1:00 in the morning, just picking the crops in the vegetable garden. But luckily, I had one of my friends, Jappeth, for company while I was working. He had to work also, only he got to work at the stables, pig pen, and hen house. But we still got to talk to each other from across the fence. After I was done with my job in the garden, I had to do the laundry, which was northeast of the garden. So then I had to part with Jappeth for the day, and do my work elsewhere. The laundry took about an hour because my master’s whole family is staying at his house for two weeks. So it takes a while to do everyone’s laundry. Then, after all the laundry was clean and dry, I took them down from the clothesline and gave them to my master. He gave me permission to have a break, so I walked to my cabin to eat. It was about 2:00 now, and I was getting tired. Thankfully, I could just go home and relax. Of course, then I had to wake up at 6:00 in the morning if I want to eat breakfast, because I have to keep working really early in the morning, and all through the day. So in the end, I only get about four hours of sleep. I wish I could just see my family, and be able to be free of work. I guess I should be thankful that I actually have a family. I know some people around this little area that don’t even have a family. I feel so bad for them. Well, I’m going to get some rest before I have to get up again. I’ll write tomorrow!