Meanwhile, Tiny sat on top of a huge rock that towered out of the middle of the river. The sound of the running water beat into her troubled mind. Her shoulders shook as she cried uncontrollably.
“I can’t do this anymore,” Tiny murmured. “I just can’t go on like this.”
Shortly after Aunt Madge left Tiny alone that morning, the baby began to cry. Tiny took one look at the little, wiggling creature on the bed and shrieked in fright. Right before her eyes, the baby transformed into a monster. Gnashing its long, sharp teeth, the big, bulging, red eyes spun around wildly in its elongated head. The short frog-like legs thrashed around as it snarled at her. Tiny’s feet came alive as she fled from the house and down the hill, her eyes wide in terror. Dodging through the bushes and ducking around trees, Tiny ran toward the river. She had to get away from that scary thing.
As if in a trance, Tiny swiftly waded through the waist-high water, the angry strong current pulling at her feet. Upon reaching the tall, large rock, she slowly clawed her way to the top. With her legs folded under her body, her clothes soaking wet, Tiny shivered as she sobbed. She looked down at the seemingly small trees below and the little houses in the far distance and breathed a sigh of relief. She was safe from the creature.
And there Tiny stayed for the entire day; hungry, agitated, crying, and mumbling to herself.
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are,” Aunt Madge sang as she paced the floor, gently rocking the baby in her arms. A few minutes later, she placed the sleeping child on her own bed. As she changed the soiled sheet on Tiny’s bed, she kept looking at the doorway, willing Tiny to walk through it. But she did not.
Night fell like a black bedspread over the countryside and Aunt Madge began the worry. She lit the small kerosene oil lamp and waited. With both hands on top of her pounding head, she restlessly paced the small house and prayed fervently.
“Tiny!” Aunt Madge shouted through the opened window into the night. But the only sound she heard was the echo of her own voice. “I have to find her,” she muttered. “Please, God, don’t let anything happen to her.”
Aunt Madge took one look at the sleeping baby before she went and pulled on her shoes sitting at the top of the steps. Softly pulling the door closed, she walked outside into the kitchen. Aunt Madge quickly grabbed the bottle torch she kept in a corner and lit it with a match. The bright flame illuminated the darkness as a strong kerosene scent filled the air.
Peering through the night, Aunt Madge slowly made her way down the hilly terrain that led to the field. One hand held the torch over her head while the other clawed at the bushes to prevent her from falling.
“Tiny!” Aunt Madge screamed over and over as she made her way through the trees that slapped at her face. No response.
Finally, Aunt Madge heard the sound of water and knew she was near the river. She swallowed the lump that rose in her throat as she fearfully made her way toward the running water.
“Tiny! Tiny, where are you?” No response.
Standing at the edge of the river, Aunt Madge held the torch higher over her head, looking around frantically. Suddenly she spotted something up ahead in the middle of the river. Unable to see what it was, she stepped out into the water. Scrambling toward the object, her heart hammering in her chest, she struggled to keep her small body upright against the fast-moving water. As Aunt Madge got closer, a lone figure curled up on top of a towering rock came into her view. It was Tiny.
Relief washed over Aunt Madge. “Baby, come on down,” Aunt Madge said gently as she stared up into the haunted eyes of her niece, barely made visible by the lighted torch. “It’s going to be okay.”
Tiny shook her head and rose unsteadily to her cramped feet. With her arms outstretched at her sides like a pair of wings, her eyes dancing crazily in her aching head, she stepped closer to the edge of the rock.
Aunt Madge gasped. Her heart leaped in her chest. “Tiny. Please don’t,” Aunt Madge pleaded. “I won’t leave the baby with you anymore.”
“It’s not a baby,” Tiny’s raspy voice rang out. “I don’t want to take care of it.” She took another step closer to the edge.
“No! Tiny, please don’t do this,” Aunt Madge begged. “Please.” Aunt Madge glanced down at the shadowy water tugging at her body and shuddered. Beneath her feet and all around her were sharp rocks of various sizes and shapes. Also, the water wasn’t deep enough for a dive from that height. If Tiny jumped, she would no doubt break her neck.
“Tiny. Tiny. Listen to me, sweetheart.” Aunt Madge edged closer to the foot of the rock, rapidly blinking away the tears that clouded her vision. “Don’t jump. Please, I’m begging you, don’t do it.”
“I can’t take care of it.” Tiny’s voice was a little above a whisper, her vacant eyes still staring out in the distance. “Please, don’t make me.”
“I won’t,” Aunt Madge replied. “I’ll take care of her.”
“You promise?” Tiny asked in a childlike voice, her wide eyes locked with Aunt Madge’s terrified ones.
“I promise, baby,” Aunt Madge affirmed with a small smile, her free hand extended to Tiny. “Have I ever broken a promise to you?”
Tiny fidgeted as she looked down undecidedly at the outstretched hand.
Aunt Madge’s legs trembled as she waited nervously. “Please, God, don’t let her hurt herself,” Aunt Madge prayed softly under her breath. “Please, bring her down safely.”
A few agonizing seconds went by before Tiny slowly crawled down the rock, landing with a small splash in front of Aunt Madge. Instantly Aunt Madge’s arm reached out and pulled Tiny in a tight embrace, crushing her shivering body to hers.
“Thank you, Lord,” Aunt Madge said. “Thank you.” Tiny’s warm tears wet her neck as they stood in the middle of the river crying.
“Aunt Madge.” Tiny pulled away slightly from her aunt to look into her eyes. “Do you know that thing is not really a baby?” she whispered as if she was revealing some classified secret. “It’s an alien that’s trying to kill me.”
Aunt Madge’s mouth popped wide open. She saw the crazy look in Tiny’s eyes and became alarmed. “What?” Aunt Madge squeaked, her breathing labored as she took deep gulps of cool air.
“Yes.” Tiny leaned in closer to Aunt Madge’s ear. “As soon as you left for the market this morning, it tried to eat me.”
“It did what?” Aunt Madge croaked.
“Oh, yes. Don’t you see, Aunt Madge? It’s going to kill us. I think we better kill it, before it kills us,” Tiny said.
“The devil is lie!” Aunt Madge exclaimed. “Sweetheart, don’t you go anywhere near the baby . . . hmmm . . . it. Remember the Bible says thou shall not kill. You get it?”
Tiny nodded absently as if in a stupor.
“Come on, baby.” Aunt Madge took ahold of Tiny’s hand, and together they wobbled out of the water onto the riverbank. Wearily, they walked back home.
“The poor chile is acting crazy because she is not taking good care of herself,” Aunt Madge said to herself later that night after Tiny went to bed. “I have to make sure she gets more rest and eats proper food.”
With the problem diagnosed and a treatment plan decided on, Aunt Madge felt a little lighter in her spirit. But two days later, exactly a week after Baby Dupree was born, Aunt Madge found out that her prognosis wasn’t a good one.
Chapter Six
Tiny shivered slightly as she sat in the back of the bus staring out the dirty glass window. Clutching her knapsack close to her chest, she watched the trees and houses dash by as the bus zipped toward Kingston City.
Earlier that morning, Aunt Madge had taken the scary little creature to Mother Sassy’s before she left to plant yams in the field. True to her word, Aunt Madge never asked Tiny to tend to the baby again. Instead, she made arrangements for Mother Sassy to care for the baby when she was at work.
Soon after Aunt Madge left, Tiny withdrew her knapsack from under the bed where it was hidden. Yanking the
zipper open, she reached in and pulled out a wad of money. It was the money that she had saved from her affair with Officer Gregg. This was to have taken her away from the country to an exciting life in Kingston, but that was before she got pregnant.
Tiny’s mind flashed to her old friend Dolly. “I wonder if Dolly is still acting in Kingston,” Tiny said aloud. Suddenly a plan began to formulate in her mind. Tiny giggled excitedly. She hurriedly stuffed a few pieces of clothes and other personal items into her bag and in a few minutes she was ready to begin her new life. But first she had to make a stop.
As Tiny took slow, calculated steps up the long driveway, she barely glanced at the beautiful flowers and manicured trees along the way. Her sobered eyes stayed locked on the huge, magnificent house looming before her. “I have to do this,” Tiny repeated over and over. “Aunt Madge is going to need some help with the little, scary creature.”
Still unsure but fully determined, Tiny walked up the steps to the huge mahogany door. She knocked and waited, nervously wringing her hands together. Not getting a response, she knocked harder as an unexpected wave of anger invaded her body. “So you are going to kill me, huh? We have nothing while you and your wife have everything,” Tiny muttered furiously.
Suddenly the door opened and a smiling Mrs. Gregg stood before Tiny with her little bundle of joy in her arms. “Hello. May I help you?” she asked Tiny pleasantly as she gently rocked the baby.
Tiny’s mouth opened to speak, but no words came out. Puzzled, Mrs. Gregg stared at the young lady standing before her. She vaguely remembered Tiny from church and wondered what she was doing at her front door.
“He said if I told anyone that he is the baby’s father that he would kill me and my aunt,” Tiny said quietly as she stared unblinkingly at the beautiful woman before her.
“Excuse me?” Mrs. Gregg was perplexed. “What are you talking about?”
“Please, I’m begging you, talk to him. Aunt Madge is going to need some help with the creature. Hmmm, I mean the baby.”
Mrs. Gregg’s eyes widened as the impact of Tiny’s words slammed into her gut. “Little girl, are you saying that you have a baby and my husband is the father?” she asked.
Tiny nodded her head and looked down at the floor. The courage she felt a few seconds ago was slowly creeping away. “I’m sorry for everything,” Tiny mumbled, her eyes still fixated on the floor.
“You are sorry! Look at me when I’m speaking to you, little girl!” Mrs. Gregg screamed.
Awakened by his mother’s loud voice, the frightened baby began to cry. But Mrs. Gregg was too angry to tend to him right then. “Now listen to me and listen carefully.” Mrs. Gregg took a few calculated steps toward Tiny, and the terrified girl stepped back in fright. “Take your bastard child and go and find the idiot who knocked you up. Leave me and my family alone.” Her face became ugly with anger and hatred as she continued on her warpath. “If you ever go around spreading these lies about my husband, I will be the one to have you and your aunt killed!”
Tiny whimpered in fear. She turned away from the livid woman and quickly ran down the steps into the yard. Taking a frightened glance over her shoulder, Tiny screamed, her enlarged eyes glued to the big clay flowerpot flying at her head. Ducking in time, it zoomed by her, smashing in pieces near her feet. “Help!” Tiny yelled as she dodged another flowerpot that exploded in front of her.
“Help?” Mrs. Gregg shouted furiously. “You need help, huh? I got something for you.” With the shrieking baby draped over her shoulder, she grabbed another flowerpot with only one hand. Bitterness poured from her eyes as she took another shot at Tiny, hoping to have a better aim this time.
Tiny was yelling and hopping over sharp pieces of flowerpot as she tried to make a getaway. Constantly looking over her shoulder, she finally made it to the walkway where she sprinted away from the house and the pissed-off woman as fast as her legs could go.
By the time Tiny got into town, her blouse was soaking wet with perspiration. Huffing and puffing, she bent over with her hands on her knees, sucking deep breaths in her exhausted lungs. Now there was no doubt in her mind that she had to leave the community and she could not return. She knew if Officer Gregg did not get her first, then surely his crazy wife would.
Tiny hopped on to the next bus heading for Kingston and went and sat in the far back with her head held low. She did not want anyone who knew her or Aunt Madge to see her. Luckily for her the bus filled up quickly with passengers and in less than ten minutes she was moving away from a haunted life . . . and unbeknown to her . . . into a hellish nightmare.
Chapter Seven
The bus zoomed into the noisy bus terminal in downtown Kingston. Tiny stared wide-eyed through the window at the craziness outside and began whimpering in fear. It was her first time in the big city. “Maybe I made a mistake,” she whispered fearfully. “But I can’t go back home. Officer Gregg or his wife will kill me if I do.”
“Lady, are you getting off the bus or coming with us to the garage?” the conductor shouted at Tiny.
As if coming out of a trance, Tiny looked around the bus and realized she was the only one left on it. Slowly she made her way down the aisle and stiffly stepped off the bus, clutching her knapsack to her chest.
Her bright eyes expanded even more when she saw the hundreds of people rushing about in every direction, the loud animated voices ricocheting in her head. Tiny placed a hand on her forehead where a massive headache was brewing.
“Beeeeppppp!” Tiny jumped back in fright as the side of a fast-moving buggy car swiped by her leg.
“Get out of the road, fool,” the rude driver shouted at her before plunging on ahead, his hand planted firmly on his horn causing numerous people to jump out of the way to avoid being run over.
Tiny stood on the pavement trembling in disbelief. “But I wasn’t in the road,” she said to herself. “I was standing on the sidewalk.” But she would soon realize that no one cared. It was every man for himself.
Still visibly shaken, Tiny asked a passerby for directions to the Ward Theatre and hurried off down North Parade to find Dolly. Wait until Dolly sees me, Tiny pondered. She’s going to be so surprised.
Soon Tiny stood outside the huge doors of the big, white building of the Ward Theatre, staring up at the symbol of Jamaica’s rich cultural heritage in awe.
“May I help you, ma’am?”
Tiny turned around and noticed a short man standing a few inches away from her. He had a mop and a plastic bucket in his hands.
“Yes,” Tiny replied and walked closer to him. “I’m looking for my friend who works here.”
“Well, the theatre is closed to the public today,” the man informed her.
“What?” Tiny felt her stomach drop. She hung her head, wondering what she was going to do then.
“The casting director is inside working.” The man’s voice snapped back Tiny’s attention to him. “He’s been working here for over twenty years. I’ll get him for you. Maybe he knows your friend.”
“Thank you so much,” Tiny replied with relief in her voice. “I’ll wait here for him.”
The maintenance worker hurried through a side door, disappearing from Tiny’s sight. Moments later he returned with a tall, light-skinned, distinguished-looking man.
“Hello, I’m Mr. Edison,” the man introduced himself to Tiny. “How may I help you?”
“Hi. My name is Tiny, and I’m looking for my friend, Dolly Bell,” she said as she stared at him anxiously.
“Hello, my name is Dolly Bell, but I’m fabulously known as Rockin’ Dolly. And I am about to become your biggest star ever,” Mr. Edison mimicked Dolly. He flung his arms in the air dramatically, spun around, then posed with his hands on his waist.
Tiny threw her head back and laughed out loud. “Yup, that’s Dolly,” she said with a deep sigh of relief. “When is she coming to work?”
“Well, she doesn’t work here. In fact, she never did,” the casting director informed Tiny. “After
her audition I suggested she take some acting lessons and come back in a few months. But, of course, she wanted to star in her own play right then. So she stormed out of the auditorium in anger.”
Tiny stared at him with her mouth wide opened. Dolly was not working there? Lord have mercy on her now.
“But I did see her a few days ago,” Mr. Edison added.
“Really? Where?” Tiny’s face lit up. There was some hope after all.
“My cousin was visiting from Westmoreland and I took him to a club in New Kingston.” Mr. Edison looked away from Tiny, his face flushed. “Hmmm, Rockin’ Dolly works there.”
“Yes! Thank you, sir,” Tiny said excitedly. “Can you please tell me how to get there?”
“Sure. Wait here and I’ll go and write down the address for you,” he replied before walking off. He came back shortly and handed Tiny a piece of paper. “The club opens around eight p.m.,” he told her. “The buses are over there, across the park.” He pointed with his index finger. Tiny turned around and looked in that direction. “Tell the conductor that you are going to New Kingston. He’ll let you know when you reach your stop.”
“Thank you very much, sir.” Tiny had a big smile on her face. “I’m going to surprise her.”
“I bet she will,” Mr. Edison mumbled before he walked back inside the theatre.
She waved good-bye to the kind maintenance man who was trimming some trees at the side of the theatre before she skipped away.
Tiny decided to do some sightseeing around Parade before heading to New Kingston. The bar wouldn’t open until later that night anyway. Weaving around carts of roast corn and jerk chicken, Tiny stopped by some vendor’s stalls with jeans pants, colorful blouses, fancy dresses, shirts, and fashionable shoes. As she licked an ice-cream cone, Tiny looked on in fascination, her face tinted with excitement and curiosity.
Walking past the shops, restaurants, and stores, Tiny stared in amazement when she came to the two-story building which was Jamaica’s Supreme Court. “Wow, this is awesome,” Tiny said in a low voice. “I think I’m going to love Kingston.”
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