eye pass. Jackie tied the goat to the trunk of an avocado tree and passed two letters to her father. The goat set about exploring the ground, checking if there was anything worth nibbling.
“How is David, me one gran’son?” Neville asked calmly. “Why him don’t come look fe me ’pon ah Friday evenin’ like him used to do? Me still have so many t’ings to teach him.”
“Him busy y’know,” Amy answered, wondering when her father would discuss Joseph.
“An’ Hortense an’ Jenny?” Neville queried. “Dem alright?”
“Yes, Papa. Dem fine.”
Neville’s eyes narrowed, like a slowly-closing oyster shell. “Amy! Wha is wrong wid ya swift-tempered mon?” he barked. “Preacher Mon ah come down to me yard an’ ah complain ’til me ears start burn! Him tell me dat he was giving ah mighty welcome to Joseph becah him ah t’ink dat Joseph come to settle dem differences. ButJoseph ah strike him down before Preacher Mon coulda offer him ah liccle rum an’ ah handshek. Don’t Joseph realise dat him affe be careful? Some people who live down ah hillside still waan to string him up. People aroun’ here don’t forget not’ing!”
“Nuh believe everyt’ing Isaac ah tell yuh, Papa,” Amy defended her husband. “Isaac always love to mek long-tail alligator outta small bullfrog.”
“Amy, Preacher Mon show me him bruise. Him face swell up like water melon wid too much water. Yuh affe talk to Joseph, Amy. Him cyan’t jus’ lick down everybody who ah vex him. Me like Joseph but him too crazy.”
“So, Papa. Yuh never see de swelling ’pon poor Jenny’s face. She never stop bawling ’til she reach home an’ me give her ah box juice. Isaac don’t ’ave any right to strike down pickney dat him seed nah produce.”
Giving himself a further toke from his pipe, Neville had long ago realised that Amy would always stand up for her husband, no matter if he was in the wrong. He would never reveal it to anyone but when Isaac stormed into his house, complaining about his son-in-law , he felt a certain satisfaction, wishing he had struck a blow on Isaac’s jaw many seasons ago when he decided that Isaac didn’t deserve the prominence and respect his role as preacher afforded him. He would also never admit that he still felt like a failure for only producing daughters. But now he secretly admired Amy’s ‘talk-back’ ways and she was now his favourite. She had ah ‘mon tongue’.
“Alright, Amy,” Neville dropped his angry tone. “Not’ing cyan change now but when me sight Joseph me will say some strong words. Me will deal wid de goat inna while an’ chop off him head. Ah fine goat dat. It well an’ truly should feed many mout’. Me woulda leave de work for Jackie husband, but only de Most High or Old Screwface know wha’ crazy time him reach home from liquor bar ah night time.”
Kissing her teeth, Jackie made a mocking sucking sound, stormed off and barked at her children, ordering them to halt their game and start their chores. Amy, stifling a snide grin, remarked, “me alwayssay Reuben too licky, licky.”
“An’ ya Joseph ah wear him skin too t’in,” retorted Neville, pointing at her with his pipe. “One day ya husband will find himself inna mighty trouble wid him quick-fire temper. Him like crazy bull inna blood-grass field. So before yuh laugh after ya sister, t’ink about dat.”
“Joseph don’t trouble anyone who nuh trouble him,” Amy replied.
“Yes, dat true. But der is somet’ing inna Joseph dat ah eat him up from de inside. Sometime me sight dis inna him dark eye. Somet’ing dat is deep inna him soul. De African spirits ’ave told me dis inna me dreams. So me know fe certain. Yuh know dis fe true, Amy. Me been asking yuh fe long time now, but yuh affe find out about him past. Becah dat is de key to Joseph. If yuh waan to know de secret of ah mon yuh affe study him childhood. Me tell yuh dis before, Amy. Fe years an’ years me mind been concentrating on dis very
“How is David, me one gran’son?” Neville asked calmly. “Why him don’t come look fe me ’pon ah Friday evenin’ like him used to do? Me still have so many t’ings to teach him.”
“Him busy y’know,” Amy answered, wondering when her father would discuss Joseph.
“An’ Hortense an’ Jenny?” Neville queried. “Dem alright?”
“Yes, Papa. Dem fine.”
Neville’s eyes narrowed, like a slowly-closing oyster shell. “Amy! Wha is wrong wid ya swift-tempered mon?” he barked. “Preacher Mon ah come down to me yard an’ ah complain ’til me ears start burn! Him tell me dat he was giving ah mighty welcome to Joseph becah him ah t’ink dat Joseph come to settle dem differences. ButJoseph ah strike him down before Preacher Mon coulda offer him ah liccle rum an’ ah handshek. Don’t Joseph realise dat him affe be careful? Some people who live down ah hillside still waan to string him up. People aroun’ here don’t forget not’ing!”
“Nuh believe everyt’ing Isaac ah tell yuh, Papa,” Amy defended her husband. “Isaac always love to mek long-tail alligator outta small bullfrog.”
“Amy, Preacher Mon show me him bruise. Him face swell up like water melon wid too much water. Yuh affe talk to Joseph, Amy. Him cyan’t jus’ lick down everybody who ah vex him. Me like Joseph but him too crazy.”
“So, Papa. Yuh never see de swelling ’pon poor Jenny’s face. She never stop bawling ’til she reach home an’ me give her ah box juice. Isaac don’t ’ave any right to strike down pickney dat him seed nah produce.”
Giving himself a further toke from his pipe, Neville had long ago realised that Amy would always stand up for her husband, no matter if he was in the wrong. He would never reveal it to anyone but when Isaac stormed into his house, complaining about his son-in-law , he felt a certain satisfaction, wishing he had struck a blow on Isaac’s jaw many seasons ago when he decided that Isaac didn’t deserve the prominence and respect his role as preacher afforded him. He would also never admit that he still felt like a failure for only producing daughters. But now he secretly admired Amy’s ‘talk-back’ ways and she was now his favourite. She had ah ‘mon tongue’.
“Alright, Amy,” Neville dropped his angry tone. “Not’ing cyan change now but when me sight Joseph me will say some strong words. Me will deal wid de goat inna while an’ chop off him head. Ah fine goat dat. It well an’ truly should feed many mout’. Me woulda leave de work for Jackie husband, but only de Most High or Old Screwface know wha’ crazy time him reach home from liquor bar ah night time.”
Kissing her teeth, Jackie made a mocking sucking sound, stormed off and barked at her children, ordering them to halt their game and start their chores. Amy, stifling a snide grin, remarked, “me alwayssay Reuben too licky, licky.”
“An’ ya Joseph ah wear him skin too t’in,” retorted Neville, pointing at her with his pipe. “One day ya husband will find himself inna mighty trouble wid him quick-fire temper. Him like crazy bull inna blood-grass field. So before yuh laugh after ya sister, t’ink about dat.”
“Joseph don’t trouble anyone who nuh trouble him,” Amy replied.
“Yes, dat true. But der is somet’ing inna Joseph dat ah eat him up from de inside. Sometime me sight dis inna him dark eye. Somet’ing dat is deep inna him soul. De African spirits ’ave told me dis inna me dreams. So me know fe certain. Yuh know dis fe true, Amy. Me been asking yuh fe long time now, but yuh affe find out about him past. Becah dat is de key to Joseph. If yuh waan to know de secret of ah mon yuh affe study him childhood. Me tell yuh dis before, Amy. Fe years an’ years me mind been concentrating on dis very
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