“My wife and I have faced difficulties in having children,” the Colonel continued. “You are going to help resolve this situation. Each of you will have the opportunity to contribute so that Dona Esperança becomes pregnant.” The revelation caused a visible shock to the men. João Crisóstomo, the most experienced of the group, dared to discreetly raise his eyes, trying to understand if he had heard correctly. Miguel dos Santos clenched his fists, controlling his surprise.
The others remained motionless, processing the impossible information. The Colonel proceeded to explain the rules of the agreement. Each slave would have a specific day of the week designated for encounters with Dona Esperança. The meetings would always occur in the house built specifically for that purpose, always under his indirect supervision.
Any attempt at contact outside the established schedule would be punished by death. The slaves who participated in the agreement would receive benefits: better food, new clothes, exemption from heavier work, and the promise of eventual manumission. But it was also made clear that refusal was not an option.
In the slave-owning logic, they were property and should obey without question. “If any of you manages to father a child with my wife,” the Colonel declared, “that man will receive his freedom and an amount of money sufficient to start a new life. The others will continue receiving the promised benefits.”
The promise of freedom was both a motivation and a form of control. The Colonel knew it would create competition among the slaves, decreasing the chances of rebellion or conspiracy. João Crisóstomo was assigned to Mondays, Miguel to Tuesdays, Antônio to Wednesdays, Pedro to Thursdays, Francisco to Fridays, José Maria to Saturdays, and Luís Carlos to Sundays.
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