Free Which Way Freedom by Joyce Hansen

stop us,” Buka chuckled. “I yell an’ make fuss with you, Obi. Like you the one lose it.”
    â€œBut we have pass, Buka!” Obi pulled Buka’s arm excitedly. Then he related the story of how Rayford had helped him.
    â€œThat pass most likely for Brantley’s farm, Obi. None of us can read, so we don’t know what it say.” He thought a while. “Maybe the pass help us if we stopped. I have to think on it, Obi. It dangerous to show pass an’ not know what it say.”
    Buka eased himself off the ground slowly. “We best move on. Have a long way to go.”
    Obi picked up the sack and placed the shotgun over his shoulder. Easter stood up, her face hidden by the big straw hat and the dark night.
    As they started to walk, Obi asked Buka another question: “Why Rayford and them sneakin’ guns in coffins?”
    â€œThey storin’ guns in case the white men stop fightin’ each other and fight blacks. An’ they helpin’ runaways like us. See, one of them women at the funeral bring me clothes an’ the food we need. The huntin’ knife is mine, though,” he added.
    They continued walking until they could go no farther. Even Obi was beginning to stumble from exhaustion, and Buka coughed frequently.
    Easter still hadn’t said anything. They crawled into a thicket of leaves and vines just as the birds were beginning to sing. Soon all three were asleep.
    At first Obi didn’t remember where he was when he woke up. Easter slept against his shoulder, and Buka snored heavily on Obi’s other side. Carefully, he placed Easter’s head on the leaf-covered ground and crawled out of their enclosure. Easter stirred and moaned slightly. Rays of light filtered through the tall oaks, cypresses, and other trees. A rabbit scampered under a bush and startled him.
    He opened the sack and took out a potato and a piece of bread. Rummaging inside the sack again, he found a package of dried, salted beef. He put it back, so that they could have it to eat in the evening. While he ate his breakfast, Easter crawled out of the thicket.
    â€œMornin’,” Obi said, handing her a potato. She ignored him, got her own food out of the sack, and ate in silence.
    Obi was unable to stand her stubborness any longer.
    â€œWe couldn’t help it, Easter. We had to leave Jason.”
    She stared at him mutely.
    â€œ
You
say you want to run.
You
say you want us to be together,” he said accusingly, picking up a small stone.
    â€œUs mean Jason too,” she said.
    He threw the stone into a clump of bushes. “I have to find my ma! Jason be fine. They not sellin’ him in the Charleston market like me.”
    She turned her back on him and lay down to rest again. She did not say another word to him. While Obi finished eating, Buka left the shelter. Obi watched anxiously as Buka tried to control his hacking cough. When he stopped coughing, Obi handed him a potato.
    â€œThis a good spot to hide,” Buka said, looking around at the dense growth of trees and brush.
    For the rest of the day, they slept on and off until nightfall.
    Before they continued their journey, Buka took Obi asideand cautioned him. “Watch Easter. She mind might tell she to go to Jason.”
    â€œShe don’t know these woods. Get lost if she leave us,” Obi said.
    â€œThe dumbest woman be smarter than man, remember that, Obi.”
    Once again they walked all night, covering more miles than they did the night before. Obi watched Easter carefully, though he didn’t think she would try to leave them. He was more worried about Buka’s coughing and the faint sounds of barking dogs.
    â€œIt have a lot of hunters in the swamp. That be their hounds,” Buka told him. They trekked through the woods until the ground began to soften under their feet. “We nearin’ the swamp now,” Buka said and paused. “We walk till the light come up.” He