My parents were loyal, faithful, hard working and gave Colonel Ardinburgh no trouble. He rewarded their fidelity by allotting them a small plot of land by the mountainside. On it they could crops on weekends and evenings that they could barter on the extra food and clothing for their kids.
However, Colonel Ardinburgh died shortly after I was born and my family became the property of his son Charles. My folks said that we were fortunate because Charles was considered to be the kindest master among the family.
Master Charles built a hotel shortly after that and moved us all there. All of us slaves, males and females, had to live and sleep in the basement. It was cold and damp in there and a lot us developed illnesses of the lungs and joints.
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