Chapter one

Mr. Manuel de Carvalhos could not wish for a better life. After he moved from Portugal and being part of a well-known family of a good fortune, he was well received in Brazil for that. He had married a pretty British woman of a good fortune too, as it was expected, and had decided to take control of his family heritage in which was a piece of land that was located somewhere in the middle of the country. The economy of the country was growing very fast for being known as the new land and having so many great resources. So, for that, his personal business was better than he ever wished. Of course now it was harder in some ways, since he had to import some of the slaves. There was a law now that forbids everyone to use the local 'salvages', as he used to call them, the native indians of Brazil. Now the work force was quiet expensive since it was from Africa, and gave him a few headaches that was enough to take his good humor away.

Mrs Elizabeth de Carvalho, his lady, even though brought up in a rich surrounding, she was a very kind-hearted woman and was very obedient on the surface for her marriage benefit and her own. But she had her own strong mind and she always secretly taught her children to think like her, of being free minded and to believe that all human beings are equal, no matter what.

Of children she had three of them, Richard as the older followed by Catherine and finally Henry, the youngest. Richard was as much as his father's character, he though little of others that did not have the good fortune nor the popularity in society, and even from a young age, when his mother tried to make him play with her servant's children, he angrily rejected and did not want to even look at the child of a different race from his. And for his mother's misfortunes, he grew to be a unpleasant young man that took pleasure of punishing the slaves around the plantation. For her luck, the two others were safe and they came to respect the servants and others of lower status in society, but that should be a secret away from her older son and specially her husband.

Although during the early age of his children, Mr Manuel had no objections of them playing with the slave's children. They were too young to work for him and he liked to think they were some sort of a pet for entertaining his children, since it kept them distracted. However, there was one specific day that made him change his mind.

Catherine was around 10 years old and was playing with a negro boy that she always used to play with, since she was very young. The boy was around her age or a little older, although they didn't know for sure since his mother died long ago, and he had no name, so they used to simply call him 'boy'.

She was as usual, running with some sticks on hand at the huge front yard they had, and the boy was doing the same as her, laughing and playing as if it was a sward and they battled vigorously. Her father, Mr Manuel, was sitting at the porch, observing them as he smiled, more paying attention to his little girl then the slave boy. " How she've grown! " - he though, as he saw the features of a young woman forming on her face.

For a moment, Catherine got too excited with the game, that her stick went too harsh against the boy's arm. As she saw the pain coming across her play partner, she left the stick at once and came closer to check his arm. Then, for the first time Mr Manuel realized the boy there, and the closure between him and his dearest one. Repulse and disgust came across his face and he stood up fast.

" Catherine! Get inside!" - he yelled, coming furiously toward them.

" Papa, please! He is hurt!" - she cried, knowing already what could happen if her father came closer.

The boy's face transformed from confusion to fear as he realized that the master of the house was coming closer and closer. But he stood there, since he knew running would lead only to the worse. Catherine threw herself in front of the boy once she saw her father raising his massive hand to hit the boy, but it was too late once he realized it was not the boy he hit, but his little girl.

Catherine fell on the floor, with a red cheek and an astonished expression. For a normal father, it would be expected an apology and a kiss on the injured cheek, but not Manuel, his reaction was far from what was expected. His anger only increased, and he grabbed her and asked one of his loyal worker to take the boy with him.

" Now this will be the punishment for both of you!" - he said as he looked as his worker, and with a glance, the man knew what he meant.

The worker took the boy, who was trying to let go of his grip without success, and placed him against a fence that was nearby. He tied the boys hands around the fence with some piece of wire from the fence that was left over, and the boy already knew what would happen. He wasn't trying to scape anymore or fight against it, he only bent against the fence and closed his eyes as the worker raised his shirt, showing his naked back.

" It will be your first marks, boy" - the man said as he threw a wicked smile to Catherine, whom's face was already full of tears.

The man took out a whip that was wrapped around his belt and let it loose. Although the boy was quiet and steady, teases was also rolling down his cheeks. And the first movement was done.

" Please, papa! Tell him to stop!" - she cried, but Manuel ignored her as he held her still.

" Mr Manuel, dear! What are you doing?" - a distressed female voice came from behind them. It was Mrs Elizabeth, with a pale face for finding them at that horrible situation. She must have hear her daughter's exalted voice and the fray that was going on.

" He needs to be punished" - Manuel said out loud.

" What have he done for receiving such a punishment?" - she said as she tried to keep her voice calm. She knew that to get emotional at this point what lead her nowhere.

" He..."- Manuel said angrily, as he tried to give an excuse for his irrational behavior- " He tried to violate our daughter!"

" Mother, he did nothing against me! I was..." - Catherine said but her mouth was brutally shut by her own father.

" Manuel, my dear!" - Mrs Elizabeth was fighting against tears as she saw her poor daughter's face - " Please, let him go! He is just a boy!"

For a few minutes, everything was still and quiet, except for the boy's soft weeps. Finally, Manuel let his daughter go of his arms, and as he did, she ran into her mother's. He looked at the man with the whip and made him a sign to let the boy go.

He walked closer to his wife as he got back his composure and bent near her, ignoring his daughter once again.

" I don't want to see this negro boy here ever again, do you understand me?"

Her response was only a that day on, Mr Manuel became worse with his treatments toward the slaves, having more punishments that before for no apparent reason. Some servants were allowed into the house, but very few ones since they could not make the food or clean the clothes by themselves. Besides that, no negro were ever allowed to be out of the plantation and specially nowhere near his house.