ME DEAR mam, de other day me a carry me son a school inna one piece a haste cause we did well late. Suh anyway, as me ketch dung a de crossing, de yellow light come on an me stop. Well, him gi out same time. Like me fahda him when him use to teach me fe drive an shif dung gear pon causeway bridge. An when de car a gillup weh backways wid me an him in deh cause it slip me seh clutch an brake a two diffrant sinting. Him behold de line a people pen up roun a back wid all kine a description a come outta dem mout. An fass like lightning grab up de han brake like him mad fe lif up de flooring. An missis ma, wid ebrybaddy a force wid dem one a nedda fe over tek me an a wonder a who leggo whole a two jackass(me an him) pon de road suh early inna de mawning. Missis, him begin bawl offa me fe stop said place. Let him out. Mek him walk go home. While me can go galang kill off meself. Cause not only couldn't him ansah de man dem weh dis buss up libaty pon him an gone bout dem binnis. But wid him favorite little wud k-k-faat him begin cuss how fram him bawn till now him neva know seh one smady coulda suh fool-fool.
Suh missis, wid de said fool-fool look pon me inna him two yeye, me son gi out, "Why yu neva drive gwone mommy an de light neva turn red?" Well, me memba papa same time. An wid me foot pon de brake said way, me kindly ask him a when him get licence. But missis ma, yu coulda lick me ova wid a feather when me hear de pickney gi out: k-k faat! An when me frighten ask him a weh him hear dat, him kindly mek me know seh a fram papa. An him nuh know weh it mean but papa always use it when joke sweet him. Massyful Fahda! Suh me dear lady, after de light tun green an me drive off, me an him hab a good talk seh a nuh ebry wud a pickney wud. An a nuh ebryting big people do pickney can do it. Dem haffi hide.
Although wid some late a days pickney dem tun man an ooman right in front a yu yeye sight. Well anyway, me begin update him little more pon we Jamaican culture an mek him know there are several bigger words. Some a dem join up. Some a dem stan by demself depending pon how hignorant de speaker get. While some a dem mek complete sentence wid no verb.
So me dear mam, me mek him know how when me was a pickney an me madda lan me a surprise tump because me wash me head fe ga school Monday morning but neither me neck back nor me aise neva wet. Me coulda neva even huppen me mout although one an few a de said wud dem did inna me mine. Suh me neva use to wile har. But used to get me revenge when me wait till she gone a market an sell all two an three pan a coal an pocket de money. An when she come back me look straight inna har yeye an tell har how notta soul nuh pass fram mawning. But after me well fegat seh one a de buyer did han me de money an seh she woulda call back fe de change. Later inna de day when me roun a back a play jax all unconcerned. A de buyer dat roun a front. A use several description to me madda how me is nutten but a little tief. An all when me madda kallah me same time an start beat me fe tief de coal. Fe pocket de money. Fe tell de lie seh me neva sell none. Fe tell a next lie seh nubaddy neva pass. Fe just plain wicked. Plus fe tell lie lass week Satideh how me did wash me head. Missis ma, as me explain to me son all me coulda do was holler an beg God fe tek me. Cause if one a dem wud did eva escape me mout smady inna de yard woulda haffi run go call Madden.
Well me dear mam, me seh all dis fe seh nuff yardie weh a raise dem pickney a foreign try dem bess fe root dem inna we culture. Whether is bout four yeye man. Poco. Or salt fish a shingle house top. For missis ma, dem haffi stay connected. Cause me really wouldn't like me son come a yard an a bicycle man tell him a big ole dutty bad wud an him tun roun ask him fe explain.
Tek Care!
Dr. Jennifer Keane-Dawes is Director of Graduate Studies at Norfolk State University in Virginia.
