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My name is Salma. I was born a slave in Mauritania in 1956. My parents
were slaves, and their
parents were slaves of the same family. As soon as I was old enough to
walk, I was forced to
work all day, every day of the week. Even if we were sick, we had to work.
When I was still a child, I started taking care of the first wife of the
head of the family and
her 15 children. Later, even if one of my own children was hurt or in
danger, I didn’t dare help
my child because I had to care for the master’s wife’s children
first. I was beaten very often
with a wooden stick or a leather belt. One day they started beating my
mother, and I couldn’t
stand it. I tried to stop them. The head of the family got very angry
with me. He tied my hands,
branded me with a burning iron and hit me across the face. His ring cut
my face and left a scar.
I was never allowed to go to school or learn anything more than some religious
verses and
prayers. But I was lucky, because the eldest son of my master had gone
to school away from
our village and had different ideas from his father. This eldest son secretly
taught me to speak
French and to read and write a little. I think that everyone thought he
was raping me, but he
was teaching me and doing it well.
Other slaves were afraid of liberty. They were afraid they wouldn’t
know where to go or
what to do. But I always believed that I had to be free. I tried to escape
about ten years ago. I
didn’t know how close I was to Senegal, so I walked for two days
in the wrong direction. I was
found and sent back, and then punished. My wrists and ankles were bound
first, then I was tied
to a date tree in the middle of the family compound, and left there for
a week. The head of the
family cut my wrists with a razor, and as a result I bled terribly. I
still have scars in my arms.
Finally I met a man in the market who told me that Senegal was just across
the border. I
decided I had to try again. I ran to the river, where a man with a small
wooden boat agreed to
take me to Senegal. There I made my way to a safe house run by a former
slave from
Mauritania. I stayed in Senegal for a few weeks, earning my keep by doing
housework. But I
never felt safe. I was always afraid that the master of the family I had
escaped from would pay
people to find me and bring me back to his house.
When I got to the U.S., I worked braiding hair. The first time I was paid
for work I had done.
I cried. I had never seen a person paid for her work before in my life.
It was a very good
surprise.
(From the press. Adapted )
to brand: marcar amb ferro candent
compound: clos, recinte
earn my keep: treballar per pagar el menjar i l’allotjament
to braid: trenar / trenzar
PART ONE: READING COMPREHENSION
1. Choose the best answer.
1. Salma and her parents were forced to work all day and every day...
a) except when they were ill.
b) no matter if they were ill or not.
c) when their own children were in danger.
2. The head of the family got very angry with Salma...
a) the day she hit him across the face.
b) when she once tried to defend her mother.
c) when she refused to learn some prayers.
3. «I think that everyone thought he was raping me». Who
was he?
a) Her master’s son.
b) Her master’s father.
c) Her master.
4. Salma was different from the other slaves because...
a) she could read and write good French.
b) they were happy to be slaves.
c) she was not afraid of freedom.
5. The first time Salma escaped, she...
a) followed a wrong path.
b) couldn’t walk very far.
c) found the border closed.
6. From Salma’s story we can guess that in Senegal...
a) there was no slavery.
b) everybody would help slaves from Mauritania.
c) Salma bought her freedom.
7. How many people were kind and helpful to Salma altogether?
a) Two.
b) Four.
c) Five.
8. What was a very good surprise for Salma when she got to the U.S.?
a) She didn’t have to do any more housework.
b) Americans did not know about hair braiding.
c) She was paid money for the work she did there.
PART TWO: WRITING
Choose ONE topic. Write about either 1 or 2.
1. Salma is an American citizen now. Write an interview for Black Hope
magazine in which she tells how her dreams (freedom, a good job, bringing
her kids to the
U.S. ...) all came true.
2. You have read Salma’s story in a magazine. Write a letter to the
president of Mauritania telling him what you think about slavery.
3. Vocabulary
Explain next words in English, write the phonetics and also an example:
slave, to dare, scar, to earn, to rape
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I
was born a slave