Scenario:Haiti 1790 + Frenchman head of household Frederick Dubois speaks to slave Colette about his nephew Louis Dubois and his reckless spending and behavior with the overseers + disappointment + resentment
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Haiti 1790 + Frenchman head of household Frederick Dubois speaks to slave Colette about his nephew Louis Dubois and his reckless spending and behavior with the overseers + disappointment + resentment
Frederick Dubois
male. He is a French plantation owner in Haiti. He is disciplined,responsible,and burdened. Frederick is forced to care for his nephew Louis after his parents' death,who is reckless and indulgent. He struggles with managing the plantation's finances and deals with the disrespect from Louis and the overseers. Despite his efforts to guide Louis,Frederick feels unappreciated and resents his situation. He dreams of a simpler life without the weight of responsibility.
Colette
female. She is a slave on the plantation owned by Frederick Dubois. She is observant,loyal,and cautious. Colette serves as a witness to Frederick's struggles with his nephew Louis. She carefully balances her interactions with Frederick,avoiding confrontation or seeming too familiar while showing concern for his wellbeing. Her presence provides Frederick with a sense of normalcy amidst his chaotic life. Colette carefully navigates the power dynamics on the plantation,maintaining her dignity and confidentiality.
Louis Dubois
male. He is the young nephew of Frederick Dubois,living on the plantation in Haiti. He is irresponsible,indulgent,and rebellious. Louis struggles with the strict rules imposed by his uncle Frederick,often finding ways to indulge in reckless behavior despite warnings. He disrespects the overseers and creates financial problems for Frederick by spending excessively. His actions cause tension and stress for Frederick,who feels trapped into caring for him. Louis's behavior reflects a sense of entitlement and youthfulness.
"Bonjour, Colette."
I said with a slight smile as I walked past the slave who was sweeping the porch.
She bowed slightly and said, "Bonjour Monsieur Dubois."
I continued into my house, closing the front door behind me, leaving the fresh air from outside to be replaced by the stale air inside.
As I entered the foyer, I could hear voices raised in argument and glass shattering against the floor.
I sighed internally.
This is what my life had been reduced to?
A constant battle to keep my nephew in line, and even that I was failing at.
"Louis!"
I called out as I quickened my pace to the salon.
As I entered, both Louis and one of the overseers, Jacques Dupre, turned to me with guilty looks on their faces.
The other overseer, Marcel Boudreaux, picked himself up from the floor, rubbing his jaw.
"Ah, Uncle Frederick. We were just having a slight disagreement," Louis said as he turned back to the bottle in his hand.
I could see from the empty bottles scattered around that they had been drinking for some time now.
"Disreement?"
I said dryly.
"It seems you have come to an agreement on breaking my belongings."
I looked at Marcel and Jacques.
"Leave us."
I said as I stepped further into the room, my boots crunching on broken glass.
Louis took another swig from the bottle in his hand before throwing it to the ground and stomping on it.
The overseers looked at each other nervously, not sure what to do.
"Leave now."
I said with more force this time.
They both turned and left the room quickly.
I walked up to Louis and snatched the bottle from his hand.
He looked up at me with a defiant look in his eyes, but I just raised my finger to silence him.
I sat down on the chair opposite him and placed the bottle on the table.
"I am going to need to replace all of these bottles. And then there is the matter of replacing all of this broken furniture. And then there are the damages that you caused at the brothel in Port-au-Prince," I said as I started to list off all of Louis's recent transgressions. "Uncle Frederick, I am still young. I am supposed to be having fun."
"You are twenty-three years old, Louis. Your father was married at your age and had already started to take over this plantation. You are wasting your life away with drinking and women."
"But Uncle Frederick, you know how Father was. He was known for his drinking and women. I am just living up to his reputation," Louis said with a sly smile on his face.
I sighed again, feeling like I was getting nowhere with him.
"You are not living up to his reputation, Louis. You are tarnishing it," I said as I stood up and walked over to him.
He looked up at me with a defiant look in his eyes, but I could see the fear behind them.
"I am going to have to punish you for your actions, Louis," I said as I reached out and grabbed him by the arm.
He tried to pull away from me, but I held tight.
"Punish me? What are you going to do? B#t me?" he asked with a laugh. "No, Louis. I am not going to b#t you. But I am going to make you regret your actions," I said as I pulled him out of the chair and towards the door.
As we walked out into the hallway, we were met by Jacques and Marcel.
"Ah, good. You're here," I said as they bowed slightly.
"Yes, Monsieur Dubois," Jacques said.
"Take Louis to the stables and have him clean them until they're spotless," I instructed, my voice firm.
Louis scoffed, "You can't be serious, Uncle. That's work for the s##s."
"Perhaps a taste of hard labor will teach you the value of what you squander so carelessly," I replied, meeting his gaze with unwavering resolve.
I watched from the porch as Louis, flanked by Jacques and Marcel, was escorted to the stables.
Louis's protests grew fainter with each step, but his resentment was palpable.
As they disappeared into the stables, I turned and headed back inside.
The stables were quiet except for the occasional whinny of a horse.
Louis stood at the entrance, his hands on his hips as he looked around at the stalls.
Jacques and Marcel stood behind him, watching as he hesitated.
"Well, get to it," Jacques said, gesturing towards the stalls.
Louis sighed and walked over to one of the stalls.
He picked up a pitchfork that was leaning against the wall and began to shovel out the soiled hay.
Aquiles, one of the slaves, was in another stall cleaning it out.
He glanced over at Louis but said nothing.
His eyes held a silent judgment that Louis could feel. "I don't know how much more of this I can take," Louis said to himself as he continued to shovel out the stall.
He was covered in dirt and sweat, his clothes stained with manure.
Just then, Colette appeared at the door of the stable.
She smiled wickedly as she looked at Louis shoveling out the stall.
"This is a day I never thought I'd see," she said with a laugh.
"Monsieur Dubois shoveling s#t. Priceless."
Louis glared at her as he continued to shovel out the stall.
"I hope you're enjoying yourself," he said through gritted teeth.
Colette's laughter echoed as she turned away, leaving Louis alone with his thoughts and the stench of consequence.
