Jennifer Keane-Dawes, Gleaner Writer

KEANE-DAWES

Me dear mam,

Me fine dis new place a fareign weh me try-walk-fass-but-can-bayly-go-more-dan-so early a mawning time. Fe convince meself an anybaddy weh a drive pass me seh de way me a flash me two han like soldier, me deh pon form. For yu know weh me get fe realize?

Once upon a time when lilly pickney ansah yu "yes mam." Yu smile an gi dem icy mint or mint ball for a mannas dem hab. But nowdays, when a smady, weh g'a primary school wid yu gran uncle a come ansah yu "yes mam," y'haffi put a stoppage to it. Suh, me dear mam, while Massa God mek it clear seh we cyan add one day to we life, Him naw stop we fe try help weself wid de quality. But anyway, back to me an de walk a mawning time.

Me dear mam, me lib a dis place weh all kine a nationality lib. Like dis Indian man weh hab on de same shut day een day out. Or dis two ooman wid dem head veil up hot or cold an ongle dem four yeye a peep out. Well, me always lucky fe buck up dis brown skin ooman wid curly hair. Bout fe me age group. A walk roun an roun de road like juice inna flat slippas a plap plap so-so noise pon government asphalt.

Mad smady

Suh one mawning now, me wid fe me friendly self, see har a walk an decide fe walk fass fe ketch har up. When me reach near de ooman neck back, all me coulda hear was one piece a "croom-bala-takalaa-ju-loololo-reketekeh" a tumble dung outta de ooman mout. Frighten me! Me tink a mad smady! Suh de draw me draw back quick she spin roun, si me, an me tell har mawning. De ansah she try ansah me, me realise she is a definite foreigner or a definite mad smady.

Suh me pass har now. Aise cock. Me notice everything quiet fe a while. An den me hear de "reketekeh-croom-bala-taka-laka- start up again pon one piece a cussin an kiss teet. Suh wid just me an she roun de road, me decide fe walk little extra fashish for day neva light out suh good. But me dear mam, talking dis an talking dat, if truth were to be told, talking to weself is a very common ting.

But we need fe start pay attention to weh we a tell weself. For de majority a time, is a problem we a try fix. Like "How me a go manage dis month? An light bill doan even come yet?" or "A hope dat deh tiefing one she try bring good banana a market dis week. For lass week a so-so skin me pay fa." An suh we talk to weself, get bex, an continue talk. All we do a sen up we blood pressure an doan even know seh it sky high. For we naw g'a dactah. For dactah him is awright till fe him dactah si him.

Life shawt

Suh yu know weh me realize? Life shawt. An talking to meself is a muss. But through de grace of God, me mek a choice fe choose weh drap eena me mind an wah come outta me mout. An it nuh easy. Das why me use de wud Grace. Suh mek we do as Massa God seh, encourage yuself.

When yu cyan find de money, instead a fret, seh: "My God will supply all my needs." Instead a cuss God inna yu heart when yu cyan fine Him, seh " I will bless the Lord at all times." When people lie an wicked to yu, seh: "No weapon formed against me shall prosper." An when yu sick, tek yu medicine an memba weh him seh "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Missis mam, happiness is a choice. We only haffi believe an memba Massa God wud.

Tek care!

Dr Jennifer Keane-Dawes has been appointed Interim Dean of the School of Graduate Studies at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a constituent institution of the University of Maryland System. Send your email to: jkd876@yahoo.com.