Jennifer Keane-Dawes, Gleaner Writer

Me dear mam,

De other day me siddung a yard ova me bowl a cornmeal porridge a think a all kine a tawt. Like how me teacha a de year sister Joan, hawda one pot a cassava dumpling from we returning resident bredda Wayne, fe lass har fe two day or maybe less. Depending pon how much work she hab a school. Den me begin think bout U turn.

How U turn sign pon government highway come een like cow an him tail. Meaning seh yu nuh know de use a it till yu cyan find it. Like some place a New Jersey weh people haffi go pon excursion dis fe fine a spot fe tun back.

Road a crasses

Den me move fram dat to how me life did deh pon a road a crasses an destruction. An me begin fe thank Massa God fe show me de Pupa Jesus U turn das slow me dung an tun me back to a life now weh a Him run tings.

For me dear mam, me used to hear bout God fram de days me granny used to mek we kneel dung har bedside, an she thank Him fe every ting including de beaten weh me little sista Valerie get fe tell we madda seh calalloo an white rice a hog food. An she a one hog weh naw eat it. Plus, me granny used to beg God fe tun to good use de spirit eena me little bredda Wayne fe count de dumpling while me madda a drop dem eena de pot. But me granny dead an gone. An me live fe see me bredda walk offa him good good police wuk. G'a fareign go get eena worries. An come back eena mama kitchen a sell dumpling wholesale to him sista. (When saying suh still, me put een fe me back hawda fe Christmus).

Fegat Him

Suh missis, a fram dem deh days, truth be told, me not only hear bout Him but me did know Him. For a me said sista dem memba me how me used to barrah bench, collect up every bayfoot pickney inna de lane a Satideh or Sunday evening time, an teach dem bout Jesus Christ. But fe de years between de time me lef high school, graduate from University of the West Indies an den married. If Massa God tun up or dung eena my life, a doan know. For weh yu believe did happen? Me fegat Him. An not only dat, me used to run up an dung wid people who used to hate Him. An read Bible? Fe wah? When me coulda listen me horoscope pon RJR an read it fe meself eena Gleaner? But Him neva wile me. One day, Him mek Satan tek weh everyting fram me. Except me lilly bwoy. An de house me end up a slave a fareign fe kip offa auction block.

Beg figiveness

But missis, dat Sunday mawning when me couldn't tek de bills an de heap a problem nuh more, an me fine meself eena Hunter AME Zion Church, go kneel dung a de altar inna de miggle a de people dem service, fe beg Massa God figiveness an tek me burden, me dear mam, Jesus Christ did already up deh a wait pon me. An fram dat day till now, a go eena eighteen year, although me still go through some rough time, a neva live one day fe regret it.

Cause me better off. For de U turn wid Jesus weh available to every baddy, come een like when y'a drive fram country inna pitch darkness. An nayly kill yuself for yu sight a ting eena de road an nuh sure a wah. But because de smady side a yu seh "Go easy man. A nuh duppy. A cow a flash him tail." Y'a go glad a nuh duppy, but still frighten under de quiet, y'a go cuss how de cow spiteful. But y'a go keep on going.

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.