Light Shadows from a Dark Moon

By Darius Rocky Collie

On the Keens Plantation, life for slaves is hard, unjust, and painful, but one night it suddenly becomes extraordinary and bizarre as a mysterious asteroid crashes near the property, doing no damage, but upending everyone’s existence—black and white alike. Light Shadows from a Dark Moon is a story about equality, justice, compassion, and forgiveness. Think before you act and treat others as you want to be treated, or some day you may suffer the consequences.

Darius Rocky Collie has been a community business owner for more than thirty-three years in Casa Grande and is a 6 year Veteran of the U.S. Army, Arizona. His hobbies include cartoon drawing, karate, singing, and playing guitar. He also enjoys board games, Keno, and blackjack. Collie has been married to his first and only love, Yolanda, for thirty-nine years. They have raised three beautiful and successful daughters: Rhoda, Semene, and Perveez. The couple has three grandsons. Collie has traveled all over the world, where he has seen so much bigotry, hatred, and prejudice that it hurts him. He hopes this story will shed some light on those who hate for no apparent reason.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Company
• Release date: Aug 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9781649577924

Book preview

Light Shadows from

a Dark Moon

by

Darius Rocky Collie

_dor-Dorrance_Logo_for_Title_Page.tif

The contents of this work, including, but not limited to, the accuracy of events, people, and places depicted; opinions expressed; permission to use previously published materials included; and any advice given or actions advocated are solely the responsibility of the author, who assumes all liability for said work and indemnifies the publisher against any claims stemming from publication of the work.

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2021 by Darius Rocky Collie

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted, downloaded, distributed, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented without permission in writing from the publisher.

Dorrance Publishing Co

585 Alpha Drive

Pittsburgh, PA 15238

Visit our website at www.dorrancebookstore.com

ISBN: 978-1-6495-7288-2

eISBN: 978-1-6495-7792-4

List of names of characters in my book

John Keens—plantation owner (Masa)

Martha—John Keen’s wife

Missy—John Keen’s daughter

Jimmy—John Keen’s son

Tolby—John Keen’s main slave

Mataka—Tolby’s wife

Bobby—Tolby’s four-year-old son

Jeeta—Tolby’s daughter

Teeko—blacksmith

Jada—blacksmith’s assistance

Goody—Tolby’s friend

Dan—storekeeper

Sarah—Dan’s wife

Boddy—tough nine-year-old boy whose mom was whipped

Perveez—Boddy’s mother

1855; Jackson, Mississippi, United States. Keens Plantation, black slaves throughout the field with acres of cotton leading up to the main house. Inside in the dining room where the main family lived. The owner John Keens, his wife Martha Keens, and his two children, his son Jimmy Keens, and his daughter Missy Keens. They’re seated at the table being served a large hot dinner. Beef stew, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn on the cob, and apple pie. The children, as spoiled as they are, throwing their food on the floors and walls, mocking the fact that they clean up none of it.

About a thousand yards behind the main house is the slaves’ quarters. There are six small huts we build upon arrival being bought, inside the house of Tolby and Mataka, with their two children, his son Bobby and his daughter Jeeta. All sitting around the table saying grace to the dinner of meager fixing and ends. Mainly Chitlins. With not much to go around to share between all the families each morning and night, the children always eat first and adults spare what’s left for their strength.

One morning in the kitchen while Mataka is preparing breakfast for Missy and Jimmy, being so worn out from cleaning the mess from dinner the night before and not getting much sleep after coming back and making dinner for everyone. She looks behind her to the left, and then to the right, and with no one in sight she takes the loaf of bread she’s slicing. She slices the thinnest piece she could possibly cut and quickly shoved it in her mouth, forcing it down her throat in case someone comes in while she’s chewing. Unfortunately, Missy bursts in the kitchen startling Mataka. She thought she had gotten it all down in time but Missy notices something stuck in her teeth when she smiled good morning to her. Knowing her daddy gets very upset when he doesn’t know of these things happening right away, she sneaks away with a grin on her face over to her dad’s library where he is and makes him aware of what she saw in the kitchen. John, hearing this, bursts into the kitchen, grabs Mataka’s face to open her mouth, and sees mushed up raisin bread stuck in her teeth, the same bread she was currently slicing.