Freewater: Chapters 65–91

by Amina Luqman-Dawson
Running away from the slave-owning Southerland Plantation, twelve-year-old Homer and his seven-year-old sister Ada head to the swamp, where they find some unexpected help.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Prologue–Chapter 18, Chapters 19–36, Chapters 37–64, Chapters 65–91
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. entity
    that which is perceived to have its own distinct existence
    They slept together, defecated together, grew sick together, and starved together. They became so close they were one entity.
  2. intertwine
    spin, wind, or twist together
    The moment Ferdinand took the knife and the moment he ran free as his own person were so intertwined, the knife itself became part of his identity—the symbol of who he was and his freedom.
  3. tinge
    a pale or subdued color
    "You sure you're okay?" asked Ferdinand as a tinge of gray came over Billy's face.
  4. crafty
    marked by skill in deception
    Out of bed before dawn, Nora opted to remain barefoot. Craftiness was required for her mission. She could do that. After all, the octopus was known for its stealth.
  5. astray
    away from the right path or direction
    Her mother was careful to never let even a sheet go astray. Heaven forbid a piece fell into the wrong hands.
  6. nimble
    moving quickly and lightly
    With her fingertips, as nimble as an octopus tentacle, Nora gently lifted the key by its string.
  7. dainty
    delicately beautiful
    On the first sheet the imitation swirls and dainty curves of her mother's handwriting were more like pools of ink and wobbly cursive.
  8. adept
    having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
    By the third, her hand became more adept, her wobbles steadied, and she'd re-created the pass that her mother had written for Old Joe in an acceptable fashion.
  9. adequate
    having the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task
    Though adequate, the pass felt lacking. She inhaled, and with the fourth and last sheet of paper, she tried again.
  10. complexion
    the coloring of a person's face
    This slave, called Rose, is of a dark brown complexion with a scar marking her right hand.
  11. bale
    a large bundle bound for storage or transport
    Anna peeked in the shed and saw Rose shove the emancipation paper deep into the cloth bag, then hide both bags behind a bale of hay.
  12. gruff
    blunt and unfriendly or stern
    "Step back," said Ferdinand to Ada, his voice gruff and tense as he pulled a large branch from underneath her feet.
  13. stagnant
    not circulating or flowing
    The river was stagnant.
  14. dapple
    color with streaks or blotches of different shades
    Their leaves shaded and dappled the light on the mirror-still water.
  15. retort
    answer back
    "We're supposed to ride in that thing?" said Ferdinand.
    "What? You got your own boat hidden somewhere?" retorted Sanzi.
  16. traverse
    journey across or pass over
    Sanzi carefully traversed the tall trees, and the group ducked from low-hanging brush as they passed through carpet beds of lily pads.
  17. kindling
    material for starting a fire
    With an expert rub of the kindling, like Mrs. Light, Juna started a fire, then put sap-coated sticks into the flames and made torches.
  18. verdant
    characterized by abundance of vegetation and green foliage
    But soon they couldn't see her in the verdant foliage.
  19. vitriol
    abusive or venomous language to express blame or censure
    Only then did she realize the fury in their eyes and that their anger, barking, and vitriol was directed at her.
  20. scrutinize
    look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail
    He read it, scrutinized Ferdinand, then read it again.
  21. protege
    a person who receives support from an influential patron
    She was no longer her mother's protégé, nor beautiful, nor a sister, nor a friend, she was gone.
  22. confection
    a food rich in sugar
    Those savory scents mixed with the sweet smell of confections—tea cakes, bread puddings, caramel sauces, and more.
  23. dispassionate
    unaffected by strong emotion or prejudice
    In the middle of it all was Rose, calm, dispassionate, and focused on completing her assigned task.
  24. clad
    wearing or provided with clothing
    When the evening came and all of the guests had been shown into the tent, Anna was there clad in her new uniform, with a whiskey pitcher in one hand and a water pitcher in the other.
  25. auction
    the public sale of something to the highest bidder
    On the auction block, enslaved souls with eye troubles were the sort of thing that made the buyer pause.
  26. brood
    be in a huff and display one's displeasure
    Ferdinand made a brooding face but shifted over and flipped himself out of the boat.
    "I'm going," he grumbled.
  27. liable
    likely to be or do something
    You don't know one thing about plantations. You're liable to get us all caught.
  28. obstructed
    shut off to passage or view or hindered from action
    There wasn't a good place for tree hiding. No bushes to block you from view. Moonlight hit the ground unobstructed.
  29. dubious
    fraught with uncertainty or doubt
    Sanzi shook her head, dubious about the idea.
  30. mesmerized
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    "How you suppose they get so much cloth?" asked Sanzi as she stared mesmerized at the ghostlike shirts.
  31. oblivious
    lacking conscious awareness of
    The boom of the gunshot also rang in Ferdinand's head but it made him run even faster, oblivious that he'd left his partner behind.
  32. testament
    strong evidence for something
    Billy nodded and stared down at the three militiamen, a testament to his own bravery.
  33. fathom
    come to understand
    All of them were caught in the merriment of the evening, unable to fathom the possibility of danger.
  34. wring
    twist and compress, as if in pain or anguish
    Mrs. Crumb raced about, wringing her hands, yelling at the flames, "Our wedding, our beautiful wedding!"
  35. fruition
    the attainment or fulfillment of a plan or objective
    Yet, in a flash she remembered her wish that fire would rain down on Mrs. Crumb. The fruition of this made her certain that even more precious dreams could be fulfilled this evening.
  36. relish
    derive or receive pleasure from
    Mama took Ada in her arms and hugged her tight, then kissed her forehead. Ada closed her eyes and relished the feeling.
  37. laden
    filled with a great quantity
    We ran for the boat. As we did, we saw Suleman, his back laden with a tablecloth full of plates, bowls, serving spoons, trays, and anything else the wedding tent had to offer.
  38. traipse
    walk or tramp about
    After traipsing through the forest, we reached the boat.
  39. succumb
    give in, as to overwhelming force, influence, or pressure
    Few made it home before they succumbed to the need to stop and slumber.
  40. liberate
    grant freedom to; free from confinement
    A guest or two who saw the self- liberated souls run for the forest thought to chase them, but their feet were weighed down with sleep that prevented them from reaching even the first forest tree before they came to a standstill and closed their eyes to snooze.
Created on Wed May 17 15:59:04 EDT 2023 (updated Thu May 18 16:11:27 EDT 2023)

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