Mel Cooke, Freelance WriterWESTERN BUREAU: A FULL and attentive house turned out at Redbones the Blues Café on Braemar Avenue in New Kingston last Saturday, for the launch of Lorna Goodison's
latest fiction work.
The collection of short stories, Fool-Fool Rose is Leaving Labour-in-Vain Savannah, is published by Ian Randle Publishers.
Professor Edward Baugh spoke of the writer's "linguistic dexterity, wit and humour", which gives the reader the chance to savour the skill of
storytelling. He noted that the stories in the collection do not just unfold spontaneously, as if being delivered orally.
He noted the touchstones of Jamaican social history that are employed in the collection, Chetolah Park and Garvey among them, saying that the
stories urge the reader to empathise with the characters, "look at their own smugness", to feel and respect.
Rose, by the way, is retarded.
APPETISER
With such an appetiser, the entrée had a lot to live up to which it did. Ms. Goodison read the first story in the book, Jamaica Hope which although it included references to the annual Denbigh Agricultural Show, was not full of bull. Jamaica Hope traced the inexorable prodding of Lilla that led to Alphanso proposing in a manner of speaking with healthy doses of humour, insight into human behaviour and Jamaican society along the way.
The couple had used the 'Denbigh money' for tangible purposes over the years, a
verandah and a daughter's
medical bill among them. This year, Lilla wanted it to be for her wedding. Alphanso was not so eager. In fact, he was downright reluctant and said so.
With the full attention of the members of the audience, the relationship tripped on Alphanso's infidelity with Shirley ("mi hear sey you an
her was going to grocery"), recovered its stride as he begged Lilla to come back home ("rum bottle start keep man wid yu"), then got bogged down in her insistence on being married, as she had heard that Shirley said she had no talk because she had no ring.
With a good blend of Standard English and Jamaican language, Goodison had the members of the audience in between sage nods and belly laughs as Lilla's mother advised "no man in Jamaica want to get married. Is woman have to force them", then Lilla herself sending Alphanso out of the house to the strains of if you thonk nobody else wants it/throw it out in the street while washing his clothes with extra vigour.
THE CLIMAX
The climax is urged along
by Cowboy Bob, Alphanso's brother, suffering a stroke and lying in his home where he lived alone. Alphanso wanders into a bar and the matter of marriage arises with the bartender. The wise man advises: "I don't know any Jamaican man married because he want to. Jamaican man married because dem tired. Tired to leave woman house early mek dew water wet them."
OCCASIONAL SMILE
The occasional smile and chuckle coinciding with the
audience's humour and singing Lilla's insistence Ms. Goodison outlined Alphanso's capitulation, as he went home and handed Lilla an envelope full of $500 bills. He says "see yu wedding money here". She replies "so is not your wedding too?"
"Anything you want," he replies.
"Yu no waan en' up like Bob," Lilla observes.
Christine Randle of Ian Randle Publishers said that for this, the 15th anniversary year of the
publishing house, they will be putting out one book on Jamaican history or culture every calendar month. Fool-Fool Rose is Leaving Labour-in-Vain Savannah, published in January, is the first.
