Jennifer Keane-Dawes, Gleaner Writer

Me dear mam,

yu did know seh promas is a ting weh mek fe kip? Like when we offer fe pay fe one a de brides maid frack. An realise now seh wedden a two week time, we fuss bex. Or when we promas fe throw back de three han a pardner after we done get draw. We come wid all kine a lean mout crasses story how, because donkey did pass remarks how cow mawga dung to nutten. An because cow fine obeah man fe serve donkey a sauce fe mek him mout cyan shet proper. An because a hog did recommend de obeah man to cow an donkey fine out. Fight bruck out between de three a dem. An after donkey who fa mout still couldn't shet nayly kill hog wid murderation. An after hawse dead an cow get fat, nuh overtime neva run.

Suh missis, a bruck promas is not a nice ting. An some bruck promas hotter dan some. For when, once upon a long time, one a me good fren did come back come tell we how one a fe him fren did box a ooman right crossway har face. Nayly bline har. Everybaddy inna de room jump frighten. For, dat was a outta horder behaviah bisniss. Well, ascordin to de story, de man did married. An de ooman him box was not him wife, but did want him fe spen New Year's Eve night wid she. For she claims him did promas har. Well, de news was dat de man, Missa Boxer, seh no. Him a go home to him wife. Whereupon, de ooman, Miss Boxee gi out: "Galang to yu bad wud bad wud wife!" Well a suh comes, inna one sudden back han, de box deliver an receive one time.

Promas bisniss

Suh, dis promas bisniss was inna me mine when me meet a heap a Jew people de other day. An a reflect how Massa God did still a kip Him Covenant of promas das Father Abraham descendants would be more dan de sand pon de seashore. An looking pon Abraham an Sarah heap a great pon top a great gran pickney wid no end in sight! All me coulda seh was Massyful Fahda! What a God fe keep promas!!! An even though nuff a dem generation, de Israelite dem weh Moses did lead outta Egypt an hab so-so worries wid. Till God en up a kill off nuff a dem.

Like when dem couldn't satisfy an Him gi dem de meat weh fasten eena dem teet an dem kin ova dead. Me nuh hab no remarks fe pass gainst dem. An even when Isaiah prophecy bout de coming a de Messiah. De Messiah, Pupa Jesus, come, walk earth like man. Get crucify but raise from de dead. Show Him two han miggle weh de nail bore. Yet, some a dem still nuh believe.

But again, dat a between dem an God. For Him mek it plain seh dem a Him Chosen People, and "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you." (Genesis 12:3) An since Massa God is God weh kip Him promas, me nuh hab a ting fe seh for me nuh able Him go kill me. Plus, fe me bread butter. For although me a nuh Jew, me just a Gentile, me chosen to, for me well kibba under de New Covenant of Promas. For fe me Bible tell me seh:

"Therefore, remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh, without Christ, being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." Ephesians 2:11-13. Suh missis, dis a Massa God promas. An me a stan pon it.

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: d876@yahoo.com.