Hoe Tales

Birth of a Yamhead Cont.

The sun was already setting when I got close to the shop on the corner. I looked to see if Dean was there, he wasn't. The men were laughing at private jokes and I walked passed them feeling disappointed and still very worried. Little did I know, the night would only get worst. Nothing remained hidden in the community. It was a time when every adult was a parent and played a part in raising all the children.

When I finally got home mummy was waiting for me with a belt and everyone gathered in the living room to see me get punished. My little nephew flashed his hands and grinned. Mummy found out that I was standing outside the school gate "waiting for someone," and she wanted answers.

"Weh yah come from dis hours?" Mummy demanded

I didn't answer. There was no escaping it, I was going to get beaten no matter what I said so I didn't say anything.

"Mi nuh ask yuh sitn?"

'Swish' the strap came down on my shoulder, my hand, my leg, everywhere.

"Which paat yaah come from?" Mummy was screaming at me while the belt was coming down hard.

It was the worst beating I had ever gotten and I was furious. I hadn't even gotten to see Dean but I wasn't going to tell my mother that I came home late because I was waiting for a man that never showed up. As I was walking to the bedroom to cry in peace I heard Marcia mumble something about me 'teking man'

"You fi talk! When a you a run road like a you name taxi." I shot at her

"You think you big enuh, gwaan chat,"
Marcia answered not looking at me

"Yes mek mi talk cause me waah fi know how the community mattress a talk bout me! Worry bout the pickney weh yuh dash weh and stop watch mi!"

Marcia shot up from her chair and jumped on me but she was no match for me. I was a tomboy who was always fighting as a child and I had just gotten beaten; I was a raging bull. I took out every bit of my anger on her, everyone had to hold me back and no one was on my side. I said the thing that we were never supposed to talk about.

Marcia wasn't stupid but she was simple. She believed what people told her. She thought every man could and would save her so she slept with anyone that gave her attention. The last man was a detective at the police station. He had his wife and children, he even had a daughter who was the same age as Marcia but she thought it was love. She ended up pregnant again. The man cursed her and disgraced her; he told her that if she had the baby he would kill her and it, because she wasn't going to ruin his family. It happened 2 years earlier when Marcia was almost 19. She didn't have any more boyfriends after him, not that anyone really pursued her. The wound was still fresh however and everyone talked about her, she was the community cautionary tale.

No one stopped me when I walked out of the house. I sat outside on the grass by the edge of the road, it was dark and the road was empty, I was alone. I wanted to run away but I knew there was nowhere to go. Sometimes I would daydream about going to Kingston and living with my brothers Fitzroy and Winston. Whenever they came to visit they talked about how nice town was, the parties were hype, the money was plenty and of course there was Kentucky Fry Chicken. Even though my uncle and my two eldest brothers had left, the house still felt crowded. I didn't really get along with Waynie who was 4 years older than me and Marcia and I never had much of a bond. So I always felt out of place, even mummy didn't pay much attention to me but I couldn't blame her, she and Marcia were just closer and Waynie was her baby boy. I was there but it's like I didn't matter.

I felt bad about what I said to Marcia but it wasn't my fault. They all ganged up on me and I was innocent. I was too young to realize that everyone was on my side. They didn't want me making the same mistakes they had made. They were only warning me, but in that moment all I understood was that I got cursing and beaten for nothing.