The Secret Life of Bees from Rosaleen’s Perspective

My whole life I have been treated like a fool. Some people say that black people should not be able to vote but I am a strong minded women and I believe I can do anything I set my mind too. It was a warm summer day. Today I’m going to go up to the church to vote. Lilly is the daughter of T Ray I care for their house, she is going to come with me too. As we make our way up there we run into some racist men. Me and lily were casually walking and minding our own business when the men pushed back their makeshift table and came right down to the curb to wait for us, like they were spectators.

“Did you ever see one that black?” said the dealer.

And the man with the combed-back hair said, “No, and I ain’t seen one that big either."

I had a fan in my hand that we had gotten from the church and the other man probably felt obligated to say something he phonated “Where’d you get that fan nigger?”

Talking like he had no sense.

As I stared in to his hate filled eyes I remembered a time when I was twelve and the pastor at our church called my mother a nigger. For a second everything froze. Lily was holding me back when I started to drizzle my name in cursive with my snuff cup. All three of the men began to ruthlessly beat me.

I woke up in the hospital feeling like I had been ran over by a heard of buffalo. Also had no visitors what a surprise. Oh yeah! Did I mention that I had been arrested? But I was the one who had gotten beaten. Suddenly I heard quiet knocking at the door. It was Lily.

She said “Rosaleen oh my god we have to get you out of here”

I began to explain to her that I was not allowed to leave but that wasn’t good enough for Lily.

“Rosaleen we are leaving and never coming back! Get your stuff on lets go” said Lily.

As I was packing my things and changing my clothes Lily had disappeared. 10 minutes later she returned.

“The coast is clear” said Lily.

As we tip toed through the halls of the hospital. Lily had found a window for the two of us to sneak out of. She was holding this map and talking all fast. I told her to slow down, and explain to me what’s going on. Her plan was to walk all the way to highway 40 and the thumb a ride to Tiburon, South Carolina. When we arrived to Highway 40 standing in a patch of shade Lily stuck out her thumb and a colored man driving a beat up chevy full of cantaloupes.