Being Abandoned by the Widow’s neighbor

45 D‟Ortega‟s offering, the reason why she ignores him because she have a baby boy that still in her breast, therefore, she cannot left him from herself. “Please, Senhor. Not me. Take her. Take my daughter” 2009: 26. Then Minha Mae begs not to take her, but she offers her daughter that is still young. At that time, Florens is still child in the age of seven years old. They wrote new paper. Agreeing that the girl was worth twenty pieces of eight, considering the number of years ahead of her and reducing the balance by three hogsheads of tobacco or fifteen English pounds, the latter preferred 2009: 27. Slaves are became trade at that time. Black people like stuff that is sold and is purchased to the other people. White people see slave not only to exploit but also to employ them that can cultivate the land. Slaves have price to be sold. It is profitable to white because they usually obedient. Finally, Florens is sold as the same other black people do. According to Maquire “as a mother even at the risk of her own life watches over her own child, so let anyone cultivates a boundless love toward all beings” 1978: 76. As a duty, a good mother should keep well her child whatever the risk that come to them. She loves her child from her deepest heart. A good mother protects her child from any other disturbance. “Suddenly the woman smelling of cloves knelt and closed her eyes” 2009: 27. From the quotation, Minha Mae feels regret of what she did. She is disappointed with her decision to offer her daughter to the other owner. Actually, Minha Mae just wants to release Florens from Senhor‟s cruelty. She assumes that the new owner is not too cruel rather than Senhor did. 46 My telling can‟t hurt you in spite of what I have done and I promise to lie quietly in the dark-weeping perhaps or occasionally seeing the blood once more-but I will never again unfold my limbs to rise up and bare teeth 2009: 1. From the quotation above, Minha Mae wants to tell something to Florens. She does not want to see the blood more, means that she does not want to see any victim. The cruelty of her master is enough for herself and her daughter. She doesn not want her Master gives bad treatment for her daughter again and again. That all this time I cannot know what my mother is telling me. Nor can she knows what I am wanting to tell her. Mae, you can have pleasure now because the soles of my feet are hard as cypress 2009: 161. Florens describes that she does not know what her mother says about. Her mother also does not know that Florens also wants to tell something to her. Now, Florens has become an independent woman who can face all the things by herself. You stood there in those shoes and the tall man laughed and said he would take me to close the debt. I know Senhor would not allow it. I said you. Take you, my daughter. Because I saw the tall man sees you as a human child, not pieces of eight. I knelt before him 2009: 166. From the quotation above, Florens‟s mother describes when D‟Ortega offers slaves to pay his debt. Then Minha Mae bids Florens as the payment. Florens‟s mother has a reason why she offers her daughter. It is because she sees Jacob Vaark who has humanity rather than D‟Ortega. She describes that Jacob Vaark sees Florens as an ordinary child with broken shoes. It makes Jacob Vaark laugh when he looks Florens wear the broken shoes, it seems foolish for him. It was not a miracle. Bestowed by God. It was a mercy. Offered by a human. I stayed on my knees. In the dust where my my heart will remain each night and everyday until you understand what I know and long to tell you: to be given dominion over another is a hard things; to wrest dominion over another is a wrong thing; to give dominion of yourself to another is a wicked thing. Oh Florens. My Love. Hear a tua mae 2009: 166-167.