Karma by Diane Godfrey-Doherty (ebook reader macos .TXT) 📕

Lea. I hope you will share with the class all that you find out. I sat back down, just wanting a chance to get right into the book. But Mr. Doucette had other ideas. As he went around the room asking everyone what book they chose and why, I stopped listening, and I peaked inside the book’s cover to read about the author. I wanted to know everything. Where the author was from, and if that person was black too. As I dove into my book, I seemed to get lost in the stories. Before I knew it, it was afternoon recess. Ally came up to me and pinched me on the arm to get my attention, which it did. Time to go Karma; let’s go outside to our favorite spot, under the tree. Ok Ally, but I want to read this book. Oh Karma, can’t you just pull your nose out of a book for one day, she complained. Ok, ok fine, I’ll leave it here. Let’s go I finally said. Ally and I ran out to our favorite spot to spend our recesses. It was under a really old tree. It was so big it made shade big enough for our whole class to sit under. But if Ally and I were there, no one really came to sit with us or near us for that matter.
Karma, what did you mean when you said about finding out about your real family? I paused to think of the question and how I would answer her. I’ve always known I was adopted, but I never really thought about my birth parents. That is what my Momma says is the correct thing to call them. Since she isn’t really my mother, she just gave birth to me, as I answered I became a little confused as to what I meant. I continued to tell her, I am interested in who and what my culture is. Doesn’t it bother your Momma, she asked? I don’t think so, I replied. She’s never said anything to me. She has always shared information with me about my birth parents. I don’t think she knows much, she said the agency where I was adopted from didn’t like to give out information about parents. I’m not so interested to find them as I am about learning where I came from; I tried to explain to Ally. I love my family, especially my Momma. That will never change, but I need to know who I am and where I came from. Do you understand that Ally, I asked with intent? Ally smiled, and all she said was yes. We sat under the big old tree until the second bell rang. Then we took our time getting back to class. It was a beautiful sunny day outside and I had just seen the first butterfly of the season. Spring was here and I was on top of the world. I had plans to spend the weekend up in my tree house, reading all about where I came from.

Chapter 15

The message we were all greeted with this morning was education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. It was another, quote from Nelson Mandela. This man must be really important to Mr. Doucette, I thought. He writes his quotes every day. I look forward to reading them too. I’ve written them down since the first day our teacher began to write them. They make me think about how these powerful sayings can change my life. ”Good Morning Ladies and Gentleman”, Mr. Douchette began. “Take your seat and we can begin our lesson”. I would like to begin today’s lessons with a bit of history. History from not only my home country but this wonderful country we call home today. I want to tell you all why I love this country so much, he continued. Do any of you know how lucky you are to live in Canada? He asked but continued to talk instead of waiting for an answer. Well, I can tell you my family was not always free. In my homeland many people suffered in slavery. Emma Fitzgerald raised her hand. Yes Ms Fitzgerald, the teacher asked. Umm, Mr. Doucette what is slavery? Mr. Doucette look stunned at Emma then continued to speak. Does anyone know what slavery is or was I should say? he asked the class. No one answered. I don’t think anyone really knew what it was. Most had an idea, but they didn’t know for sure, but I knew because I was reading the books I found in the library about it. I still didn’t answer him; I wanted to hear what his answer was. Mr. Doucette began to tell us the story of 30,000 people escaping from slavery through the Underground Railroad which led to Canada for some people. Thirty thousand slaves, wow that is a lot of people, how did they get them free Mr. Doucette, someone asked. Well let me tell you a little bit about slavery first then I can tell you how they became free, he finished. I was glued to every word, for some reason I felt a connection to these stories. I don’t know if it was my imagination or the hope that that is my history. Mr. Doucette spoke for quite awhile explaining and answering questions for many kids in my class. He explained slavery and told us about something called Abolitionist’s. Abolitionists were a group of people who abolished slavery, he began. These brave people who were mostly black and very well off, some of who were lawyers worked tiresomely against people who used black people as slaves. My favorite person I like to talk about is The Liberator, he continued. His name is William Lloyd Garrison and in 1831 he was named the liberator because he began the movement abolitionist’s followed and he also helped to create The American Anti-Slavery Society. He is truly a hero in my eyes. As Mr. Doucette paused he stepped forward and sat on a desk at the front of the room. He looked as if he were getting comfortable, because he was about to go into a long story. I was definitely up for that. I looked over to Ally expecting her to be just as into this story as I was but she had her head down and it looked as if she were sleeping. But I doubted that, she never did that before. I would have to see what was really wrong with her at recess today. She looked so sad these past couple of days, and with me constantly reading we really haven’t talked much. I need to put my books aside and be with my friend. At that moment I realized I missed her. It had been awhile since we played outside school, on our own time. It was time for me to plan something for just the two of us. The thought of that made me happy, and as I listened to the teacher I was also thinking of things Ally and I could do this weekend. I would change my plans of sitting in the tree house reading so that Ally and I could do things together. I would ask have Momma again if she could come over, I thought. Maybe now with things settling down at home, Momma would say yes. My books would just have to wait, this was more important.

I really couldn’t concentrate on Ally and the weekend, because I was so interested in the stories Mr. Doucette was sharing with us. My mind kept drifting from weekend plans back to my teacher. Finally I decided I would listen to the stories and deal with Ally later. Denmark was the first country to abolish slavery in 1802, Mr. Doucette said, and then Britain followed in 1807, right after that was The United States in 1808. He got up and walked over to the chalkboard and wrote out all the countries and the dates. I wasn’t sure if he wanted us to copy it down or just listen, but I copied them just to be on the safe side. Then Portugal was the last in 1836, he said. With the Underground Railroad being established in the 1840’s through to the 1850’s, many African-American’s escaped the harsh reality of slavery. Many people like Sojourner Truth who was freed in 1827 and began her fight for women’s rights. But the fight for women’s rights is a whole other story Ladies and Gentleman. I will have to save that for another day, he finished. I was really getting into the stories he was telling us, I really didn’t want him to stop. But I knew the recess bell was going to go at any minute and I still wanted to talk to Ally and find out what was wrong with her. Just as I turned to see her sitting at her desk the bell rang. Our eyes met and I walked directly to her then we continued outside to our spot under the big old tree. “Ally, what’s wrong”, I asked. She didn’t say a word; she just sat there with her legs crossed flattening out her spring dress. I waited patiently for her to answer my question. Finally, when most of our recess time had passed, Ally spoke. My Mom made me wear this dress today, she started. Her head hanging low as she fidgeted with the dress. I didn’t want to but she told me I should look good my last few days at school. Huh? I said, just not getting what she was saying at first. What do you mean your last days at school? Ally wouldn’t look at me; she still was looking down at her dress. Then she said, “Yes Karma”. “My last days at school”. A tear began to flow down her cheek and she turn towards me showing me the sadness in her ocean blue colored eyes. “Oh Ally no, that can’t be”, I begged. “Why are you saying that, we can’t be separated, we need to stay together”, I rambled on is disbelief. “This can’t be happening”. The tears began to flow as if someone had turned the faucets on in my eyes. “Ally; tell me what’s going on?” Ally began to tell me that her Dad had returned to see her and her mother and that he wanted his family back together again. Her mother had never been the same since he left “ Having my Dad come back would be so good for my Momma, and for me I suppose”, she spoke in a trailing voice. “I miss him a lot Karma; it has been a long time since I have seen him”. “I do love him you know”, she stated. “I know you do Ally”. I didn’t know what else to say. Because I had both my parents at home, I could understand her wish of wanting that too. I just didn’t want to lose her, what would I do now. I would be alone again. I counted on Ally to always be