A Jamaican Storyteller's Tale
Author: Lorrimer Burford
Reviewer: Barbara Nelson
Publisher: LMH Publishing Ltd.
THIS NOVEL is a story about a young Jamaican man who is intent on saving an aspect of his heritage that is dying the storytelling. He is influenced by his father's skill of telling these stories.
Lorrimer Buford binds several stories together using the thread of the young man's life as it unfolds in the town of Belle Glade in the United States after his family migrates.
NINE CHAPTERS
The book has nine chapters:
Ayite the Slave Girl
Two Sisters for England
The Lovers
A Rainy Night
Danzo Guzmore Kendal
Tampi & the Duppy Bird
The Grave Next Door
Dawn
The Dead Little Baby
'Ayite the Slave Girl' is an interesting story of retribution that overtakes a man named Kavirondo, a former slave who is a liar, thief and murderer.
Two Sisters for England is a real "Highgate duppy" story. It is rather gory and a bit terrifying.
At one point, we read "Ms. Gauntly opened the door...there were her two daughters. She rushed to hug them just as her youngest daughter's head slid from its body and hit the ground."
This book is not recommended to be read last thing at night!
"In Jamaica" says the storyteller Lester Jenkins, "people know 'ow fi protect dem self against dem love ones after dem dead"...a woman "should wear red underwear turned on the wrong side for three nights after (her husband) has passed on".
But what can a man do to protect himself from a loving wife who has passed on? 'The Lovers' is an exquisite story, beautifully told and very romantic.
TAME TALE
'A Rainy Night' is a rather tame tale. It is told by young Cecil (Lester's son) as he attempts to establish himself as a storyteller following in his father's footsteps.
It ends with the comforting thought that "when yuh love and serve God, no duppy or evil intent in a wicked people mind can trouble you. Yuh protected at all times...dem cyan hurt yuh because God is with you."
'Danzo Guzmore' is a good story, "guaranteed to give even the experienced reader goose bumps" in the words of actor, performer Oliver Samuels.
DUPPY STORY
This is the tale of a Jamaican man who was killed in the Kendal railway crash but whose 'duppy' cannot rest because part of his "lef han' an 'im foot crush up an' dem cyan fine some a 'im toe dem".
Storyteller Jenkins Danzo's friend visits the obeah man Bredda Bokorta and pays him to help Danzo find rest. Danzo, in gratitude, warns Jenkins to avoid traveling on a bus that was headed for an accident.
'Duppy Bird' is a story about himself told by Lester Jenkins.
We read that duppies hate being called 'rotten belly'. "If you rub your stomach energetically with your left hand while calling them 'rotten belly" they become nauseous and soon vanish away.
He also says that "Good spirit travel all around us but never trouble us. Dem nuh turn into bird and come where a boy with a sling shot will shoot dem". This is a really chilling duppy story.
'The Grave Next Door' is a good 'ole time' duppy story about Liza Knight whose navel string is buried under a spreading cotton tree by the road side and a duppy who cannot rest until the navel string is relocated.
ROMANCE
'Dawn' is the chapter that opens up the romantic side of Cecil's life as he realiss he loves this girl. Eventually, she becomes his wife.
The final story 'The Dead Litte Baby' is filled with intrigue, obeah, murder and death but has a relatively happy ending that the reader will find on page 143.
Unfortunately, this interesting book is marred in places by poor editing and several grammatical and spelling mistakes.
