going to be good friends. I didn’ t believe him at the time, but now, after my trial and my sentence to the chain gang, I wish I had. My soul now lies in the hands of Mr. Whittenberg who stands over us all day watching, waiting, working us into the ground. We work on the railroad from dusk until dawn and there isn’ t a day where at least one of us doesn’ t get punished. Mr. Whittenberg gets creative with the punishments. It isn’ t always a usual, hard whipping like most jail wardens. It’ s many things but all of them are beyond cruel. This is my diary so everyone I ever knew will know that I am truly, deeply sorry for everything.
June 15, 1932- It is starting to get hot. However, we can’ t be unchained from each other and we can’ t take our uniforms off. Mr. Whittenberg doesn’ t care, so this just gives him another way to torment us. He stands there observing, and he drinks from his canteen all day long. Today I almost stepped out of line but a man in the bed below mine at night, covered for me. He didn’ t talk much, so when he did, I was more than surprised.!“ I don’ t wanna do no more work. I am hungry and I wanna sleep,” I had said just a little too loudly.! This young man named Christopher covered for me and saved my neck when Mr. Whittenberg asked me what I had said. I suspect I owe Christopher big time.
June 27, 1932- The next time didn’ t go so smoothly, though. It was swelteringly hot. The humidity in the air was almost palpable. At least the ground was softer so the spikes would hammer into the ground easier. For me however, that made me think when I had hammered all of the spikes from the heaping pile behind me, I could take just a 5 minute break. Just 5 minutes. Mr. Whittenberg didn’ t think it was okay.!“ You think you’ re better than everyone here? Ha, you are nothing more to anybody here than the dirt on their feet. You think you can take a break? Well if you think that, boy, you might as well go sit in the jail cell for the rest of the day. You like that?” he kept going and everyone had turned to look at us,“‘ Cuz I know you won’ t like it one bit when you see what’ s in that cell o’ yours. But since you wanna take a break, let’ s go!”! I was scared now. He had never taken anybody off the chain. I had also known he hadn’ t liked me from the start. I snuck a side glance to Christopher. He reminded me of what Stacey would look like when reprimanding me. When Mr. Whittenberg came over, he yanked me by the collar of my uniform. I regained my lost balance and hurried after him. However, I didn’ t know how I could walk