kagablog

They said he was coming. Some who knew who he was winced and held their
jaws.Others scurried about not thinking about the idea of seeing him coming
riding down the hill on his cb100 motorcycle his larger than life
sunglasses, tooth pick in his mouth and flashy polyester shirt. The children
were excited as they played marbles in the front yard.

Granma by this time stood outside just by the dead cotton tree bowed
over, girgling a glass of salt water, When she was done she spat it out over
the grey hard rock of the yard.
She had been bowed their for long time and we all didnt quite understand
what she was doing. The more she girgled the more blood came.

At long last the man on the motorcycle pulled up to the gate. He was
followed by a dozen or so children with dirty feet and dirty clothes..
panting and pointing at my granma who by this time was seated and moaning.

“Lawd”,she said, me sey me mouth a hurt me you see. me neva feel so much pain
not even when me was givin birth.”
The man on the shiny motorcycle by this time had dismounted and was setting
up a portable table. He had a big bag and in that bag he had all these
instruments that looked more like tools for a car .
They were shiny and glistened in the daylight..

The children meantime, stood gasping and holding their mouths. Granma
moaned, steadily her eyes closed and head turned up to the sky, not paying
any attention to the children or the setting of the table around her. In the
distance cocks crowed and goats nayed.A small transistor radio gave scores
for the west indies test match with England..

I brought a pail, like i was asked, and set it at my granma’s feet. The man
thanked me and went off to wash his hands. When he came back, he was dressed
in a white apron with strange stains on it.. It looked like the butcher’s
apron only shorter and much cleaner.

Now aunt sista,he said, what can mi do fi you,Granma looked at him and
rolled her eyes, the cloth in her mouth was filled with blood.She removed it
to reveal two big crooked stubs .. the children were silent .I stared on
listening to the doctor bird nearby sucking on the blossom of a banana tree.

The man stared for a long time at her mouth and moved it up and down. He
poked and pushed and asked ..dis hurt, dat hurt.. granma responded with
ohh’s and ahh’s.

When he was done he turned and picked up one of the shiny instruments and
proceeded to stick it in gran’s mouth pushing and pulling. Gran’s eyes
rolled back in her head as her feet kicked against the rocks. The children
all gasped and covered their eyes.

Not I though, i just stood their and watched as the instrument pulled the
two stubs, blood trailing.I heard the ping as they fell in the white pale
all bloodied.

Then just like that it was over.He packed his instruments back in his black
bag.. took his bloodstained apron off,took the money from granma, and rode
back up the road with the children running behind him..Granma meantime held
her jaw and was in deep pain.
When she saw me looking at her ..she said..ahhh mi pickni it hurt but mi haf
fi bear it.”
She tried to laugh but instead just dribbled all over the stones..