Read Online No Pain Like This Body by Harold Sonny Ladoo - Free Book Online

night was
    turning and twisting like a black spider; and the thunder, the lightning and the rain were ripping up Tola as if the sky God was mad.
    Nanny was in a rage; Rama was vomiting; Ma was bawl-
    ing; and Balraj was getting on and getting on and getting on. “Now you go and get dat horse cart!” Nanny screamed. “But how I goin to cross dat river wid dat horse cart?”
    Nanna asked in a high voice.
    Nanny told him to get a horse cart in Rajput Road, then go up to Atkinson Settlement, cross the iron bridge, then come to Tola Trace through Karan Settlement.
    â€œBut if I go all dat distance wid de horse, by de time I come back day goin to be clean out. Dat go take too long. Lemme pray a little more and see if it go help.”
    â€œGo! Go! Go!!!” Nanny screamed.
    Nanna left same time.
    Ma was bawling, “De poison cover up me chile!”
    And Nanny: “Don’t get on so! You is a big woman. Wen you get on so you makin de chirens fraid.”
    And Sunaree: “We done fraid like hell Nanny!”
    Ma felt grief; her grief was not as shallow as a basket, it was deeper than a river; deep like the sea; like a sea without fishes.
    â€œBring some coconut oil Panday,” Nanny said.
    â€œI fraid like hell to go in dat kitchen Nanny. I fraid a jumbie hold me and eat me.”
    â€œGo wid him,” Nanny said to Sunaree.
    Sunaree walked in front. Panday followed her, but not too close because he was afraid of the jumbie. It was dark, but Sunaree knew exactly where to find the coconut oil.
    â€œWot God Join now?” Panday asked.
    â€œHe watchin from de sky.”
    â€œBut de sky black like coals.”
    â€œGod still watchin.”
    â€œWell God playin de ass now!”
    Sunaree told Panday that God was going to make the Devil eat him cries cries. Panday ran out of the kitchen. Sunaree brought the coconut oil and handed it to Nanny. Nanny removed the brown paper cap. She took some oil and rubbed down Rama. Then Nanny moved over a little and rubbed down Balraj too.
    â€œDat trove up on dem bags smellin wost dan cow pee!” Panday said.
    â€œGod go bite you,” Sunaree warned.
    â€œAll you shut all you mouts!” Ma shouted.
    Nanny felt good. She felt just like a doctor. She put the oil bottle to Rama’s lips and told him to drink. Rama drank. But he started to vomit again; he wasn’t vomiting anything; just the coconut oil that went green in his stomach.
    â€œGod! Dis time me chile deadin!” Ma bawled.
    Nanny trembled. “Hush! De chile go live. Just now de horse cart comin. Keep corage.”
    And Ma: “Me chile deadin!”
    â€œStop gettin on so!” Nanny shouted.
    Ma listened to her. She stopped the bawling, but she couldn’t remain quiet; she sobbed and sobbed and sobbed, and the tears just rolled down her face.
    Nanny didn’t know what to do. The rain was falling and the thunder and the lightning were walking all over the vil­lage; just walking all over the place. Nanny took the hand drum and beated and beated and beated until Nanna came.
    â€œYou get de horse cart?” Nanny asked doubtfully.
    â€œYeh,” Nanna answered.
    â€œWhere it is?”
    â€œOver de river.”
    â€œBut how you goin to take Balraj and Rama over dat river?” Nanny asked.
    Nanna explained how he couldn’t go all the way to Atkinson Settlement with the horse; it was a waste of time. He just borrowed the cart from Rajput Road, came up Tola Trace, swam the river, and came to carry Balraj and Rama to Tolaville.
    â€œBut how you goin to carry dem over de river?”
    â€œI go swim wid dem.”
    â€œBut sappose dey drownd?”
    â€œDen I go drownd wid dem!”
    There was no time to waste. Nanna took up Balraj and Nanny picked up Rama. They walked out of the house. Ma,
    Sunaree and Panday walked behind.
    The sky rolled as an endless spider and the rain fell like a shower of poison over Tola. The darkness was thicker