e
keep count us chillun age. She told me I be bout 84 or 85 years old, so
my sister tell me. She done gone en left me en I try to keep count, but
I don' know. Dere been bout 14 head of we chillun en dey all gone but
me. I de last one. I can tell you dis much, I was just a little small
girl when Miss Earlie Hatchel bought me en she wouldn' let me hold de
baby cause she was 'fraid I would drop it. I just set dere on de floor
en set de baby 'tween my legs, but my Lord, Miss Hatchel been so good to
me dat I stay on dere wid her 8 years after freedom come. Miss Hatchel
tell me I better stay on dere whe' I can get flour bread to eat. Yes,
mam, never got a whippin in all my life. Miss Hatchel, she shake me by
de shoulders once or twice, but never didn' whip me in all my life dat I
knows of. Dat de reason, when my parents come after me, I hide under de
bed. My mammy, she went in de name of Hatchel en all her chillun went in
de name of Hatchel right down dere in de Effingham section."

"No, honey, don' nobody be here wid me. Stays right here by myself. Digs
in de garden in de day en comes in de house at night. Yes, mam, I
thought dis house been belong to me, but dey tell me dis here place be
city property. Rich man up dere in Florence learn bout I was worth over
$1500.00 en he tell me dat I ought to buy a house dat I was gettin old.
Say he had a nice place he want to sell me. I been learned dat what
white folks tell me, I must settle down on it en I give him de money en
tell him give me de place he say he had to sell me. I been trust white
folks en he take my money en settle me down here on city property. He
say, 'Mom Sylvia, you stay here long as you live cause you ain' gwine be
here much longer.' I promise my God right den not to save no more money,
child. People back dere didn' spend money like dey do dese days en dat
how-come I had dat money. Dey would just spend money once a year in dat
day en time. Yes, mam, I pay dat man over $900.00. Been payin on it long
time en got it all paid but $187.00 en city find out what dat man had
done. City tell me just stay on right here, but don' pay no more money
out. Dey give me dat garden en tell me what I make I can have.
Courthouse man tell me dat I ought to drop my thanks to de Heavenly
Father dat I is free. If de town picks up any sick person, dey bring dem
here en tell me do de best I can for dem. Tell me to keep good order so
de people won' be shame to come en see bout me. Got two ho