Ed Domino

Down the dusty lane toward the creek an overallclad figure trudges. To the casual observer the man appears white, but at his heels scampers a small and very black youngster of some ten years. It is Ed Domino , whose sparkling hazel-blue eyes under scraggly white brows, still hint of the daredevil youth so gleefully recalled by the old mulatto. Long graying hair, straight and stringy, falls across his chambray collar, and the blue veins in his almost white hands stand out startlingly plain. Ed was the offspring of parents, half-white, and a slave in Victoria, Texas for the seven or eight years preceding the Civil War. He has lived in Silsbee and vicinity for many years.

I was seben year' ol' w'en I see d' sojers w'en d' Rev'lution stop. Dey was comin' home in droves. Dey say dey whip 'um but I didn' know who dey whip 'n' I didn' care. I was bo'n in Victoria, Ed Domino , dat what dey gimme w'en I come yere. I don' 'member my mudder takin' me 'way from dere I was so li'l. My people was all long-lifed people. My mudder was 85 year' ol' w'en she die. My mudder's name was Malindy but dey call 'er Clindy . Sebrun was my daddy's name. I was li'l. Dey didn' have time t' treat me rough. I jus' play 'roun' wid d' uther chillen. My mudder 'n' my mistus claim half-sister. My mistus wouldn' 'low nobuddy t' touch me 'r' my mudder. One time she try t' whip me 'n' I jus' run like a rabbit 'tween 'er legs 'n' t'row 'er down. She didn' beat me, but she say she whip me if it tak 20 year'. I's jus' a li'l nigger. De house we lib in was log, it wasn't lumber. De closes' house was d' mistus house. My mudder 'n' d' folks on d' plantation dey weave cloth fo' d' clo'se. Dey mek 'em any color. Dey spin' t' d' reed 'n' weave d' cloth. Dey was nine chillun 'n' dey all git 'long 'greeable. I alays git plenty t' eat. Evy'body come t' notice you if you git sick. D' bigges' medicine dey gib you was mos'ly tu'pentine 'n' oil. I never hear 'r' dem operations in dem times. People lib too fas' now. My mudder she come from bad people. Dey'd shoot up d' town. Dey all die' wid dey boots on, dey fight so much. Dey git 'roun' d' corner 'n' shoot. Dey live on Wolf Creek, d' w'ite folks I mean. All dem was hot temper. One day dey tek me 'n' d' marster's son t' d' fiel' 'n' tell us t' wuk dat row. Us go down d' row 'bout t'ree minute' 'n' w'en we git t' tuther en' we go in d' woods. I say, 'Le's go,' 'n' we go back t' d' house. We say we ain' gwinter wuk none 'n' we didn'. 'I neber sweated 'bout nuthin. I was a slave 'bout eight year' like d' Juptians (Egyptians). Dey had a block dey put d' slaves on w'en dey sell 'em. Dey sell some in Fluridy (Florida) 'n' some in Mis'sippi. I never see nobudy in chains. Once dey was a earthquake but dey kep' on sellin' niggers anyhow. Dey git 'em from Africa 'n' uther places.

Dey come a-sweepin' earthquake. Right whar dey sol' niggers dey had t' preach. It was Charlesto'n. W'en God 'gin t' move dey had t' stan' still 'n' take what 'E had t' gib. I went t' Woodville w'en I was a baby 'n' dere I lib 'til freedom. Atter "Mancipation sojers come 'n' had a camp. Dey mek d' w'ite folks loose lots 'r' d' cullud folks. Ev'ry quarter whar dey hadn' turn' 'em loose d' sojers mek 'em turn 'em loose. Marster come out one mornin' 'n' tol' mudder she free but she didn' move fur. She didn' want t' leave d' mistus. She tuk all d' chillun. D' people eat sweet 'taters, greens, beans 'n' such. Dey lib bettah 'n' was mo' healt'ier. Dem Jubilees w'at dey hab now dey didn' hab dem den. On holidays dey git us syrup cake. Warn't many people knew how t' mek cake dem time."