and handsome."
"If you find him please let me know, Jayne."
"Mantel is totally into you, aunty."
"What do you mean by that?"
"It's the way he looks at you. He definitely loves you."
"He's a good man."
"I can tell you like him too."
"I need to contact your mother to let her know that you are safe with me."
"Can't I stay here with you tonight, aunty?"
"I need to get permission from your mum first."
"Please can I stay aunty?"
"Only if you're mum approves. She must be sick with worry."
Naomi spoke on the phone to Jill. Jill was relieved to know that her only daughter was safe. She talked to Jayne for hours about the past. They both were overwhelmed with grief. Jill and Jayne agreed to make a fresh start and to become transparent and honest with each other for the sake of their mum.
"Did mum agree that I could sleep here tonight?"
"Yes. The first rule is all lights out at 9 O' Clock unless you are reading a book."
"Say what."
"The second rule is no viewing of TV after nine."
"How boring is that?"
"We can talk to each other, Jayne."
"Why don't we have a pillow fight, aunty?"
"Okay. You grab that pillow and I use this one. Let the battle commence."
Jayne was considerably stronger than other girls of her age. She was always chosen to be the anchor person in the tug of war. Jayne team had never lost a battle. The contest between Jayne and Naomi was unevenly balanced in favour of Jayne. Naomi knew Jayne was stronger than she was but she had the upper hand in terms of skills, speed and surprises. She bombarded Jayne with a flurry of pillow blows knocking her off the bed.
"Okay aunty, you win."
As soon as Naomi was relaxed and her defence was lowered, Jayne hit her with the pillow across the forehead.
"Ouch! That hurt me, Jayne."
"Sorry aunty I didn't mean to hurt you."
"Go to bed now," demanded Naomi."
"When I turn 16 I will be leaving home" and "I will be old enough to make my own decisions."
"Don't make any rush decision, Jayne. You will live to regret later."
"It's my life, aunty. Home is like a jail sentence. You are told when to wake up and when to go to bed."
"Life is very much a routine, Jayne" and "Your pain will go away when you open up the channels of communication with your mum."
"Goodnight, aunty."
"Goodnight, Jayne."
Naomi reassured Jayne that everything was going to be alright in the end.
"You are coping very well, honey."
"Sweet dreams, Jayne."
"I can't sleep, aunty."
"Do you think two rice cakes and jam will make me be fat, aunty?"
"No Jayne."
"Are you sure, aunty?"
"Yes, Jayne. There is hardly any fat in rice cakes and jam."
Naomi played monopoly with Jayne and told her stories about granddad. He grew up in the parish of Clarendon in Jamaica. Fred quoted the verses from the bible every day with a passion and conviction that was electrifying. In his youth, he was a bit of a ladies' man, tall, dark brown and handsome. His father was a mixed race man with the largest nose in the parish. He was a well-known lay preacher. The villagers were fascinated by the size of his nose and they called him Pinocchio. Thousands of people throughout the whole of Jamaica came to hear him preach as well as look to at his nose.
Fred's father was a fiery evangelical preacher who did not compromise the teaching of the bible. He was popular with the lower classes and he taught that men and women were equal in the sight of God. His teachings drew wide public criticisms from upper and middle classes because he challenged the inequalities within the status quo.
Fred's dad had enemies within the leading establishment. There were rumours of death threats made against him but they did not deter him from his ministry. One day, he straddled his donkey with one roast breadfruit and a basket full of ackee. Witnesses saw him heading towards Mona. He never did reach Mona and his body was discovered in Andy Gully.
"I think the rich people killed Fred's dad?"
"We don't know that for certain, my darling."
"We know that the Governor of Kingston was involved in his assassination, aunty."
"We don't know that too. God know who killed him, Jayne."
"Yes. God knows all things and see all things. Nothing is hidden from him, aunty."
"There are some mysteries in our lifetime that will remain unsolved. For instance, some people are still unconvinced that James Earl Ray killed Dr. Martin Luther King Junior."
"Do you think he did it, aunty?"
"I just don't know, Jayne."
"Did you know that grandma rescued her boss from the burning bakery?"
"No."
"Mum told me yesterday."
"Did she?"
"Mum said the boss was working in the bakery after closing time and she was trapped inside of her office when the bakery was set on fire. Nan saw the burning black clouds hovering over the bakery and knowing how kind gran was, she went back to the bakery and she pulled the boss woman out of the fire."
"Wow!"
"She was so brave in risking her own life."
"Some people said she was foolish to save the life of a bitter elderly white woman."
"Listen to me, Jayne. Gran took the bible literally and she loved her neighbours."
"There are neighbours who are totally vile, aunty." "The bible tells us God allows the sun to shine on the righteous and wicked?"
"Why doesn't God bless me with a smaller nose?"
Naomi reassured Jayne on how beautiful she looked and that her beauty is defined within her culture. Jayne became more confidence with Naomi's encouragement.
"Hunger is killing me, aunty. Where is the food?" shouted Jayne.
"It will be ready in five minutes," said Naomi.
"Do you think two rice cakes and jam will put weight on me?"
"No, Jayne."
Naomi cooked curry chicken served with white rice. She was an excellent cook and was taught well by her mother.
"It's not a lot dear and we'll eat it in smaller plates."
"Does the food taste alright, Jayne?"
"The food tastes sick, aunty."
"Thank you."
"How much fat is in this meal, aunty?"
"Not a lot."
"Gran would be crossed with you, Jayne."
"Why?"
"You haven't chewed the chicken bone. She was pleased when we chewed the bones. It meant we enjoyed the meal."
"I hated biting into the marrow of the chicken bone. Dad loved the bone too. Do you think the food will put more weight on me?"
"No darling and stop repeating yourself."
"Are you sure it won't put weigh on me?"
"Yes."
"Gran was a little bit sensitive about her food. She had false teeth and was unable to chew the chicken bone."
"Gran had a real love of cooking meals for other people and she enjoyed playing her gospel music."
"Gran had a record collection of Jim Reeves," inquired Jayne.
"Yes. I have grandmother collection of Jim Reeves sacred records."
"Gran played them on a Sunday."
"You don't have to wait for Sunday to play gospel music, Jayne. Every day is the lord day," argued Naomi.
They spent the next hour examining Naomi record collection from reggae to gospel.
"I feel tired, aunty. Will you read me a bedtime story to help me go to sleep?"
"No problem, Jayne."
Naomi read the story of Joseph to Jayne. After reading about the death of the baker Jayne started to snore.
"Go to sleep, Jayne."
"Good night, aunty. I'm really sleepy now."
Jayne mumbled a few unrecognisable words before falling asleep. She was quiet at last. The bedsit was peaceful again. You could hear a su
dden thumping noise of the boiler and radiators before the thermostat was automatically switched off. Naomi spent the rest of the night washing plates and picking up Jayne's clothes off the floor. Naomi liked everything to be put into order and she was manic if anything was not in its rightful place.
Thirty
Back at Phil's house, the deacons of the church met for an urgent meeting called by Elder Jack. There was something different about this meeting. Everyone was there apart from Mantel. The last time they ever held a fully attended meeting was when Naomi's father and his close inner circle of deacons resigned from their posts.
The deacons sat around the Italian vanished formica table in the dining room. Those present around the table were Brother Phil, Sister Margaret, Elder Jack, Sister Ruby, Brother Rueben, Sister Edna, Brother Jeff, Sister Jan and Evangelist Zoe.
The dining room was stoned cold. The chairs and sofas were chilled and the radiators were switched off. Brother Phil was worried about the increasing prices of gas and electricity ever since he was made redundant. They were struggling to pay the bills. This winter was exceptionally severe with heavy snowfalls. The weather was playing havoc with Sister Ruby's rheumatism. She couldn't bend her knuckles which made her feel even more miserable at the meeting. The rheumatism was killing her.
"Can you turn the central heating on?" asked Sister Ruby.
"No problem, Sister Ruby," said Margret.
"I can hardly talk when it's so cold and my fingers are stiff."
Margaret thought to herself they wouldn't be able to hold further meetings at the house if they wanted to keep in line with their household budget. A grumpy looking Phil reluctantly turned on the gas fire on.
"That's much warmer," declared Sister Ruby.
There were a variety of fruits in the bowl ranging from plums to apples. Sister Ruby asked Sister Margaret for a banana to help boost her sugar level. "I'm diabetic and I need to eat before I take my insulin,"
"Sure," said Margaret.
"Thank you, Sister Margaret."
"Does anyone else would like to have a fruit?"
"Can you get a glass of cold