Thursday, September 12, 2013

In Walker's Jubilee, was Vyry brought over from the Dutton's other plantation when Hetta was dying?

As Hetta lay dying after a still birth that went terribly
wrong for her, Master John promises her that he will send for the last child she bore
for him, a little girl named Vyry. When the other slaves are sitting at Sis Hetta's hut
watching over her fading life the best they can, they see Brother Zeke coming up the
road with Vyry riding on his shoulders, and they are both followed by Mammy Sukey, her
nursemaid.



a
man in the distance ... was riding a small child on his shoulders.
"Brother
Zeke," breathed May Liza. ...
"That's Sis Hetta's last child she had for
Marster [that] Zeke's riding on his shoulder. ... I hear tell they done sent clean over
to Marster's other plantation cause Hetta wants to look at her
youngun."



The story jumps in
a flashback from this moment in which they see Vyry approaching with Zeke to a day
earlier when Master John walks down to Sis Hetta's hut after the "white doctor" told him
that Hetta is indeed dying. During this brief visit, Master John askes Hetta if there is
anything he can get for her, and she replies that she wants to see her last baby who had
been sent as an infant to another one of his plantations to be raised by Mammy Sukey. As
a result, yes, Vyry is brought over from the other plantation because Sis Hetta has
asked to see her, and Master John has done as he promised he would
do.



"Is there
anything you want? Something I can do for you?" ...
"Just one thing I wants
... I wants to see my youngun Vyry, fore I dies."
"I'll send for
her."


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