Cy in Chains
Cy should have never interfered in the white man’s ways, he was warned. Working in the Strong’s Plantation in Georgia, he was friends with Travis Strong and when Travis took off, Cy went after him. In the morning, Cy received the whip from Travis’ father for the state of affairs he found them in. What happened next, Cy will forever hold in his memories as it transported Cy to a chain-gang camp miles away from the plantation he grew up on. Cy, was just doing what he thought was best but being a black plantation worker didn’t give him any rights and now working 12-hour days without any family nearby, Cy needs to earn his place in the camp before they take him out. Cy, this once courteous boy, must start sticking up for himself, earning himself a place in the camp and soon the other boys in the camp begin to fear him. The days are long and the stories are sad and torturous as they struggle to survive each day. There are visiting days as outsider visitors come and Cy wonders why his father does not come and see him, his anger deepening as each month passes. With a handful of characters, I got attached to a few of the inmates as Cy tries to adjust to his new daily routine. Their stories are distinct yet they all have a few ribbons that all tie them together. They fill each other with realism, with desire and excitement as their day starts to take shape. Individuals come and go, each with new ideas, sparking thoughts and dreams in each other, giving each other hope and clouding their minds with despair and realism. Each day seems to be the same yet it is different. Five years are the maximum they say you will last in this camp, Cy is wondering if he will make it that long and why.
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