Robert Lalah, Assistant Editor - Features

Miss Lelith in front of her shop. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

She had chocolate-coloured skin and thick dreadlocks that fell just above her waist. She stretched across the table to retrieve an envelope. After shaking it for a few seconds, she blew on it, giving rise to a cloud of dust.

"Mi a tell you, Rasta. Is a joy and a blessing fi really watch I children grow up in a good way," she said.

I was standing with Miss Lelith in a small, burnt-out building just off Washington Boulevard in St. Andrew. It's all that's left of her home, after a fire wiped out most of the building and almost everything inside, more than a year ago. Now, as you can imagine, after losing a home, Miss Lelith could have been one grumpy gal. But when I met her on a recent Friday morning, she was all smiles. "Welcome to the place, man. We give thanks fi see you a pass through," she said, with a wide grin.

Miss Lelith runs a small shop just in front of her home. I had met her only minutes before she started talking about her three teenage children.

"Yes, my brother. I put all a mi effort into making sure dat di children dem come out to something positive. I haffi struggle from a humble likkle life up there in the country and I want to mek sure that my children dem have a better life," she said. The envelope she had taken from the table held a certificate that her daughter got at school last year. "See it here. Most improved student. Mi a tell you, man. Mi proud a di likkle pickney, you see man," she beamed as she spoke.

Working for children

Miss Lelith was interrupted by a knocking sound coming from out front. She looked away and smiled. "Is alright. Is somebody want something to buy, but mi friend will take care of it," she said. "Anyway, as I was telling you. My children is just what I working for right now."

The burnt-out room we were standing in still smelled of smoke and there were pieces of burnt wood on the ground in a far corner. I asked Miss Lelith where she and her family slept at night. "Well, we have a container round di side. To be really truthful, I really sleeping on a car seat. But is alright. Hee hee! One day it will be better. I tell my children dem dat dem just haffi hold on and work hard at school and one day things will get better. I don't believe in giving up, so I make sure that my children learn that from me," she said, smiling.

I was rather taken aback by Miss Lelith's composure in the face of the adversity with which she was faced.

I asked her about this. "Well I am a Rastawoman, you know. Real Nyabinghi. Right now, I don't believe in negative energy and negative spirit. I don't believe in begging and fretting. I know that is either I going to work and get my family out of this or Jah will give I some assistance. Either way, I know that I have fi set a pattern fi my children dem," she said.

Miss Lelith is well known around town for the help she and her family often give to motorists on Washington Boulevard. Her husband is a mechanic and it's known that she wakes him up and pushes him out of bed to help motorists in distress, no matter what time it is.

"I believe as a Rastawoman that we must help our bredrin when dem need it. There is a lot of stigma around Rasta and I feel dat if I deal wid people right, then dat stigma will disappear. I don't ask for money from people when we help dem. Is just out of love. That is the way of Rasta," she said.

Struggling to rebuild home

I told her that I thought it strange that she doesn't collect money for these tasks, even as she struggles to come up with money to rebuild her home.

"Well I never raise to believe in the get-rich-quick way of life. I grow to believe in helping people who need it. My father was a likkle farmer and my mother was what dem call domestic helper. I see my father work fi what him want in life and I know that is the way to go. I haffi set a pattern fi my children dem follow. I don't believe that this will continue, so I not giving up. Giving up is like suicide and I don't believe in that," she said.

"I investing all I time into I children dem now. One day dem will rise up and be fruitful. Is I daughter was even studying with a candle and leave it careless why the house burn down. That is why I say it must be a sign. One day that same likkle girl going to build a mansion!" Miss Lelith chuckled.

A prouder mother you could not find. Miss Lelith's face glowed as she spoke of her children. "Yes, dem haffi be going through tough times now and mi really sorry dat dem nuh have a better place fi stay, but one day it will be better. One day Jah will give us a way out of this. One day. One day."

robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com