COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO! The rooster crowed at five in the morning. I did not want to get out of bed. The straw poked out from under the thin blanket. The think blanket gave me very little warmth. I was freezing the entire night. Exactly one year ago, I was peacefully and content to be with my family. Everyone was talking about moving to the New World. I didn’t understand it at the time, but the New World was the best place to move to. The same night, my mother and father decided to send me the New World for a better future.

Then I realized. After I had made the trip to the New World, I was waiting in line for immigration. There were other people from England who were there. I didn’t recognize anyone.  My mother and father sent me here so that I could have a better future. LIttle did they know that I would have to serve a stranger. After I had made it past immigration, I looked around and saw a job storefront. I met Farmer Anne and Odette. Odette is another indentured servant who welcomed me into the house. She told me of the secrets of how to live. One very important rule that I wrote down was when Anne is calling for you and if we don’t respond to her call within a minute then there is a punishment. The punishment is mucking out the stables. I listened very intently and took notes. Farmer Anne was not very nice. She seemed very warm and welcoming, but then when I arrived and stepped foot into the house, she yelled and became a different person.

I promised Farmer Anne that I would work for a total of five years to pay off my debt.  So far, I have survived one year as an indentured servant. Odette yelled “Breakfast is ready!”. I hurried and changed into my work clothes. I ran down the hall and burst into the kitchen. When I sat down, Anne was there and announced, “Today is a very important day because there is a Town Hall Meeting in Lexington.”

I met Becky four months after I had moved to the New World. I met her when I was sent on an errand for Anne. The errand was to get ½ a pound of meat, cheese, and bread. While I was waiting in line for the meat, a girl about my age came in line behind me.

“Wat you doin here?” I asked her.

“Imma git food.”she replied.

“Imma Polly. “

“Imma Becky. “

“I’member you. You was in line?” (referring to the immigration line)

“Yeah. I was. I was ‘bout 10 people behind you. Lok line is short.” (referring to the dairy line)

There were two people ahead of us. Compared to when I first joined the line and there were twenty people ahead of me. After I was done getting my ½ pound of meat, I waited for Becky. We headed down to the dairy storefront. The line was long. So I talked to Becky a little more and I learned that we were the same age and had common errands to run for our masters. So far I have met Becky and I think I’ll call her a friend. I’ll see her at the market when I’m out running more errands for Farmer Anne.

Odette became a sister to me. I learned that she was also an indentured servant. She had to pay off her debt. She had served 3 years already. She had to serve another 2 years. My family had been given money to give me transportation to get to the New World. Once I got there, I had to fend for myself. I had 6 pennies with me. I knew that I couldn’t buy a house let alone a bed with that little money. I spotted Odette in the crowd, she was very nice and pretty. I walked up to her, and asked her where she lived. She told me that Anne needed another servant. I agreed to help Anne out. Odette has been with Anne for a long time, she gets to have her own bedroom. I have to sleep in the servants quarters.