Jennifer Keane-Dawes, Contributor

KEANE-DAWES

Me dear mam.

Satideh mawning gone me deh pon de road a tek me own sweet time a drive go look bout me little bisniss. For, when yu lib a certain place, otherwise name bush. Although everything green an pretty, yu haffi drive an look out fe deer. For missis,a yard, a nuh nutten fe car clabba mawga dawg an lef him fe de next ten man. Righteous or nuh righteous. Weh neva sight him in time. Galang houtta horder an faisty after dem dis run right ova him. But missis, a fareign now, if dem deh bad head cow hawn sinting deh weh name deer. Eva gillup through yu wind screen. De hearse weh a go come, a nuh fe dem. But stick a pin. A me go talk bout hearse. Missis ma, as me drive lilly more, nuh buck me go buck up pon dis hearse, park up wid de dearly beloved. A buy gas? While de procession a wait pon him? Wah dat?

big belly laugh

Said time now me mine run pon me good-fram-pickney-days-fren a yard name Carly. Well, anybaddy weh tek taxi inna Kingston 13 or love play domino know Carly Lamont. An how him awzwail (nuh always) a tell a story wid a big belly laugh. Well, since me fahda pass off, a Carly response fe carry me madda g'a church. An everytime me come a yard, if a nuh me Cousin Denny, a him carry me go bout. But hear de joke when me ask him weh him charge. A him dis, a grin an a rub him two han miggle togedda: "Wah kine a question dat Moom? How me fe go charge yu Moom? Suprize me man. For me awzwail love it when yu suprize me." Ginal ya! But me love him said way. Anyway, Carly is a man weh gas tank awzwail empty. For him buy gas fe lass him two mile at a time. Suh me awzwail (nuh always) haffi warn him fe buy gas before him come fe me. For me cyan tek de me-soon-shet-off-an-a-weh-de-next-gas-station-deh-bisniss. Well, Carly mek me know seh him naw go mek nuh criminal tief him jalopy wid gas fe tek him pon no excursion roun de whole island a Jamaica.

great white granny

Well, as me mine flash back pon Carly an de hearse man. Me continue drive a galang. When all on a sudden. Up comes dis car a gillup towards me. Notta ambulance! Wid smady great white granny at de control. Inna flash, me witness har two shoulder blade pon one piece a war fe control de steering wheel or popy out. An Missis, when de ooman breeze pass me at bout hundred miles per hour an ketch to de school crassing. Slow dung? She gi de piece concrete weh mek de sleeping policeman one clapper claw wid ebry piece a zinc weh mek up de car. Me heart lip. For believe yu me, when me see de car a get weh fram de ole ooman. Like dem big bull a rail fe fling off Mexican man offa dem back. Me heart lip again. For who to tell if she coulda eben see? Or if she did tek har dizzy medicine fram mawning? Who to tell if har generation did even know she missen outta de yard? Fe come now come tun danger to John Public an government deer? Plus de wuss part a de story was dat she hab dis ole man passenger side a har.

Well, after she clear de field an gone like mussy mout. Me seh to meself seh we see motor vehicle pon road. But we cyan know de tawt a de man behind de wheel. But between yu me an de door post, de haste weh dat deh ole ooman did eena. She an de ole man did hab dem binnis well plan.

Dr Jennifer Keane-Dawes is a profesor of communication at Elizabeth City State University, a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina System. Send your email to: jkd876@yahoo.com