by Judy Powell
“Are you sure,” she whispered. When Fred nodded she said, “But why? Why would he do that? Gloria loved him so much. And…and so did I.”
“Yes, I know. And Mama knew that too. When she found out what was going on she immediately shipped you off to Kingston because she did not want that to happen to you, too. She heard him starting to call you his princess and she realized what was going to happen to you.”
“Is that why he left soon after I did?”
“Yes, that’s right. She told him he had to leave the house or else she would report everything to the police and he would be locked away for good.”
“So, it was not because of money that she sent me away or…because she did not like me.” Beth’s voice trailed off.
“Well, money had something to do with it but it was more the situation with Papa. She wanted you to be safe. Later on, when she was able to manage a little bit better she wanted you to come back home but you refused. That time you were about seventeen and you said you had a nice job in Kingston and you weren’t interested in coming back home so eventually she gave up.”
Beth did not respond. She just sat there, trying to absorb the shocking news. The father she had revered had been a devil all along.
“You know, it was really hard on her when Papa left,” Fred continued. “That is why she gave me away to Pastor Simpson. He sent me to one of his cousins in England. It’s the same cousin who sent for Gloria. They let us work in the house and we were able to go to school in the evenings. That is how we survived.”
“She gave you away, too?”
“Yes, she did. She had to. She was all alone and it was hard for her.”
“So why didn’t Gloria tell me what was going on?”
“She knew how much you loved Papa, and Mama knew too. They were so
ashamed. They were afraid to tell you what he was really like. I think he was sick.”
Beth sighed deeply. Her heart had slowed to a steady pounding and her heads were steady in her lap. “So all those years when I thought you all didn’t want me in the family and I kept avoiding all of you, I was wrong.”
“Well, you were wrong about why you were sent away, and you were wrong in thinking that we did not love you. But we were wrong, too. We should have never taken your statements at face value. Even if you were doing well, even if you said you did not need us anymore and your life was great, we should have insisted on being a part of your life. We should have tried to be there for you. I guess we were just taking the easy way out.”
As Beth heard her brother speak she could feel the remnants of her exterior shell crumble. She had always put on this strong, determined face in front of everyone but deep down inside she had been crying for the love she felt no-one had ever given her. She desperately wanted to be loved.
“All this time I have been resenting my mother and all this time she really loved me,” she said softly. “I thought she was jealous of me because Papa loved me and called me his princess. But she was just protecting me and I didn’t even know it.” She bit her lower lip. “And I drove you all away with my stubbornness.”
Fred put his arm around her. “Don’t blame yourself, Beth. You were innocent in all of this. You didn’t know what was going on.”
“I didn’t know, but I could have given her a chance. I could have given all of you a chance. I was so stubborn.” She rested her hand on Fred’s arm and looked up at him, wondering if he would ever understand. “All that time I stayed away, rejecting the family, it was because…I felt I didn’t belong. Sometimes I didn’t even know who I was.”
“Beth,” Fred whispered, and bent low to squeeze her tight to him, “with all your stubbornness I know who you are. You’re a Gordon, through and through.”
With tears streaming down their faces brother and sister hugged each other tight, and cried.
EPILOGUE
At the time of her birth the island had been gentle and kind. At the present time she is far from that. In recent years Jamaica has had one of the highest murder rates in the world, jockeying with countries like South Africa and Colombia for the top spot. In the years following Independence she has been plagued with economic recession, high inflation and currency devaluation. She sheds tears daily for the children she has lost to the HIV epidemic.
Jamaica has had more than her fair share of trials. However, like Beth, this woman has weathered the storms of life. Through it all she is still smiling, still achieving, still growing.
Even as she cries for her children she has room in her heart to welcome the children of others. Jamaica’s tourism product attracts visitors from far and wide and as the industry has developed so her people have progressed. Her people are educated (88%) and are communicating – among themselves and with the world – with mobile telephone penetration of 95%...and growing.
This woman, so petite and yet so powerful, has influenced the world in so many ways. She has been a leader in music. 1970’s Dancehall Reggae was a great influence on the now celebrated African American Hip Hop music, also known as Rap Music. The music form has two components: rapping (MCing) and DJing (production and scratching). DJ Kool Herc (Clive Campbell from Kingston, Jamaica who emigrated to the Bronx, NY) is known as the ‘Father of Hip Hop’. He started out with his sound system, ‘toasting’ to the music of Jamaican reggae artistes such as U-Roy and I-Roy. He later used funk records because of the growing demand for his toasting. Later, the relationship between Dancehall and Hip Hop was renewed with the music of Yellow Man, KRS-One and Shabba Ranks. Today, Sean Paul and Shaggy c ontinue the legacy. The relationship between Jamaican Dancehall and Hip Hop remains strong.
Her son, Bob Marley, continues to dominate the music world decades after his death. Time Magazine voted his album, Exodus, the most important album of the twentieth century. His anthem, One Love, was designated Song of the Century by the BBC. This ‘dreadlocks Rastaman’ brought the plight of the Third World to all nations through his philosophy, his lyrics and his refusal to be dominated by ‘Babylon’.
Coming out of this musical heritage is Jamaica’s love for dance which has been so infectious that some of her moves have been adopted into the dances of other nations. Clive Campbell’s influence did not only reach the music but dances were created as well: Break-dancing is still popular in the urban American community and can be seen in countries as far away as Slovenia. Dances created by Jamaican locals, such as the Butterfly and the Bogle, are sometimes seen in American music videos.
Jamaica’s Dancehall culture has also led us into the risqué world of Dancehall fashion. One only needs to watch a few of the popular music videos to observe some of these fashions on display. For its part the Reggae culture, with Bob Marley at the helm, has influenced the hair style of many persons of various nations, with many people of black, white and Asian heritage now choosing to wear their hair in dreadlocks.
In the field of athletics there is no denying that Jamaica is a world leader. Her reputation as the “sprint factory” is cast in stone. She is the mother of famous Olympic champions such as Donald Quarrie, Merlene Ottey, Deon Hemmings and Aleen Bailey. Even those who were adopted by others remember Jamaica as their mother: Donovan Bailey and Ben Johnson of Canada, and Lynford Christie of Great Britain. Her sons, Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt, have excelled on the track, with Usain breaking world records at the 2008 Olympics in both the 100 and 200 metre races and grabbing the coveted title of “fastest man in the world”. Not to be forgotten is her first Bobsled team which competed in the Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada in 1988. They competed with determination despite their handicap of having to train on the sandy beaches rather than in snow.
Jamaica has also made her mark in the political arena. Jamaican national hero, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, was the founder of the United Negro Improvement Association, the first important Black Nationalist movement in America and the largest African American organization in that country’s history. He sought to end imperialist rule and to encourage travel and trade between black
businesses in the USA and Africa through the shipping company, Black Star Line. More importantly, though, this son of her loins taught Black people around the world to have pride in their heritage, and was one of the earliest catalysts for the American Civil Rights Movement. Marcus Garvey was one of the most influential black leaders of the twentieth century.
On top of all this, our lady is a great cook. Her jerk seasoning, an inheritance from her original inhabitants, the Tainos, is known around the world. Her beef patty, hard dough bread and spiced bun can be had in numerous countries and her rice and peas and curried goat have graced many a sophisticated table. Her cuisine is a fitting representation of her motto, “Out of many, one people”.
In short, this woman – Jamaica, land of love - she little, but she “tallawa”.
And her story continues…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Judy Powell is a Jamaican writer and marketing consultant living in Canada. She has lived and worked in various countries including Jamaica, France, Puerto Rico, the USA and Canada. She has also travelled extensively in the Caribbean and Latin America. Her novels include ‘Coffee, Cream and Curry’, ‘Hot Summer’, ‘Hot Chocolat’ and ‘Some Like It Hot’.
In addition to writing Judy is also in love with learning, which is reflected in the diversity of her studies which includes Master’s degrees in Spanish, Marketing, Literature and Creative Writing, and a BA in International Business/ Foreign Languages.
Judy enjoys hearing from her readers so please e-mail her at [email protected] or contact her through her website: www.judypowell.com
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