Jennifer Keane-Dawes, Contributor
ME DEAR mam, when me was a lilly pickney, an used to inna kitchen a help me madda do any little ting like strip chicken foot fe mek soup. Or a look fe de big Dutch pot cover, me used to ask har a heap a question. Like, "Mama, me woulda like fe ask yu a question. But please don't think me houtta horder." (Me did haffi mek sure put in de houtta horder part suh she nuh believe seh me a pass me place.) Den, after she kip silent little bit, like she a decide whether fe answer me yes or no, she seh "Gwone talk. Me a listen."
Suh, wid de Dutch pot cover weh me fine. An weh me suppose fe go wash again even though it did scour an puddung. Me get brave an leggo de question: "Wah mek yu suh miserable?" Den now, total silence. Like dis ya question very much gone pass houtta horder. Den she gi out: "Yu waan know mek me cyaan stop miserable? Look pon de chicken foot weh yu claim seh yu strip. But lef back wid de heap a claw inna de pan. An which Dutch pot cover me did tell yu fe look fa? Look inna yu han. Weh y'a go wid kettle?"
Suh, since me couldn't waan plainer dan dat, me draw weh from side a har quick. Cause de next ting, a show she a go waan show me.
Well my dear lady, one a de ting weh me madda always do from me was a lilly pickney, was, at certain time a day, or evening. When she a tek a break from weh she a do, she siddung by harself pon a little roun seat chair weh she seh she start life wid, an drink a cup a tea. An while she a sip, she woulda talk to harself. Even laugh little bit. But in de midst of de laughing an talking, she begin fe pray.
Fe Pupa Jeezas tek care a we fahda when him a drive da bus pon de road. An fe supermarket run some good special dis week. Cause lass week a so-so disinfectant, an no meat das dem put pon special. An by de time she done talk an begin look inna space little bit, like she a expect smady. Or like she mad like de little mad ooman weh all a we used to run from. Me fahda used to gi out from nowhere. Like inna de ackee tree top:
"Miss Celes. Mek yu can consider suh?"
Well me dear mam, as pickney, me strike off two things offa my liss dat me wouldn't do when me tun big smady. Me naw miserable. An me naw consider. Till de other day, when me siddung a foreign a sip me cup a cawfee pon de chair weh me start life a foreign wid. Das me ketch up meself seh fe siddung. Sip me cawfee an talk to meself. Is a ting me do ebry living day like me madda an de mad ooman me used to run from. Well, when me realise how me come full circle an tun me madda, me dis buss out a laugh. An begin sing a song weh she an me granny used to sing: "Me cawfee, me cawfee, me cawfee, me cawfee. Me bowl a bwile me cawfee in de mawning. Some people like de cawfee. Some people likes de tea. Some drinks de sugar an water an some de lemonade. But I cares for none of these. De only ting for me is me bowl a bwile me cawfee in de mawning."
"Sometimes a drinks me cawfee wid me hackee an saltfish. Wid me yellow heart breadfruit, ripe pear an coconut hile. A generally seh me prayaz, but sometimes I forget. But I always have me cawfee in de mawning. I have seen de good days and I must satisfy. A still hold together and a still praise de Lawd. But I always hab me cawfee in de mawning. Me cawfee, me cawfee..."
Massy. Whether a wid tea, lemonade or cawfee, what a way life an responsibility mek we haffi siddung an fadge out we way eeh ma? An even if smady weh a go bout dem binnis believe seh a mad we mad. Dis watch how dem same one walk right een a bank, or Water
Commission. An go kip up argiment wid stranger head back.
Tek care!
Dr. Jennifer Keane-Dawes is a communications professor and a radio talk show host in the University of North Carolina system.
