Pao

even though things changing in Jamaica we still not yet at a point where it don’t matter which school you go to, because right now in Jamaica it is still the darker-skinned Jamaican that is digging the road, and the lighter-skinned Jamaican that is running the office, and the Chinese that is selling the groceries, and the Lebanese running the dry-goods stores, and the Indians growing the vegetables. And even though, over time, all of this is going to change, we are not there yet. But since he understand my situation with Fay and Immaculate maybe I should consider some other schools. And that Alpha Academy is a fine school and St Andrew is a very good school even though it not Catholic.

So that same evening I go see Gloria and I say to her that maybe she could consider St Andrew or Alpha Academy because I hear tell that they both very good schools.

I say to her, ‘Our girl will do fine at either one of them.’

But whereas I expect Gloria to be glad with the news, she not. She vex.

‘You think Immaculate too good for Esther because she so dark?’

‘No, Gloria. You know it not like that at all.’

‘I know you think you enlightened because you got me all these years and your little gang of black boys you run with. And I know you think Independence done change everything, but honest to god, Pao, sometimes I think you just live in your own little world and you can’t see what is going on right in front of you no matter how much you think you open your eyes. Is like you don’t know you in Jamaica and it 1962. More like you think you in China and the workers just done winning the revolution.

‘But there wasn’t no revolution, and the workers didn’t win it. The same thing that was going on before is the same thing that is going on now. The British take all the profit from the plantations, and they still taking it. And now the Americans and the rest of them going take the big profit from the bauxite and all the hotels and factories they busy throwing up all over the place, and Jamaica going to be left exactly where we always been.

‘Jamaica look good on the surface, but unless you make sure you daughter get a good education she going end up with the same choices I had, the same two choices that is waiting for her because she is a woman and because of the colour of her skin. And I don’t see her wanting to be no domestic, not any more than I did.’

Well, that whole speech really take me by surprise. It knock me back because I never hear Gloria talk so much in one continuous stream before, so it tell me that she feel real strong ’bout all of this. So that is when I say to myself if she really want the child to go to Immaculate then I just going have to figure out how I going tell Fay ’bout the whole thing.

But as it turn out, Gloria not that way inclined. She was just trying to make a point with me. She agree that St Andrew is a good school and she go get Esther’s name put down. Esther got to take a entrance exam and she pass it. So they ask Gloria for the school fees and I pay it. The day they go get the school uniform Gloria make Esther dress up and come show me the white blouse and little red and grey check skirt thing. The child look genuinely happy but after she finish twirl ’round in front of me she just walk off, so I reckon there wasn’t nothing she wanted to say to me ’bout it.

So what with all Gloria’s talk ’bout money and everything she make me feel nervous and make me think that maybe I should be putting something aside for a rainy day, or for when things turn really bad.

I dunno what to expect any more with the way she carrying on, but it seem to me that the island doing good with tourism and the bauxite and all the foreign investment bringing jobs and training. We getting all the latest new-fangled equipment from America and they say our gross national product is growing. We doing good. The place even look good.

But anyway she frighten me enough to make me think I go build myself a safe because I sure as hell not putting any of my money in any bank. Next thing you know they asking all sort of questions ’bout where it come from and I definitely not getting into any kind of conversation over a thing like that.

So I decide the best place is under the shower. Ain’t nobody going to think of looking there. I tell Hampton to dig the hole and fix it up, and make sure it watertight. But it cause so much commotion I couldn’t stop everybody in the house from taking an interest, especially Mui who seem happy to spend all day just sitting on the little bench in there watching Hampton sweat and strain.

18

Opportunity

Well now, the Jamaican woman feeling on top of the world because they convinced Carol Joan Crawford going win the Miss World competition, which will be the first time a Jamaican do it. So every one of them start fetch up like they think they the most beautiful thing that grace every man day even if him minding him own business just walking down the street. And you can’t do nothing with them they all get so feisty. Not that they need much encouragement in that direction.

And if that not enough to make the nation feel proud they decide to hold a anniversary celebration for Independence Day just in case we didn’t get enough chance to sing and dance and eat the first time ’round.

This time they planning a military and police parade from George VI Memorial Park all the way up to Cross Roads. And they hoping we not tired of cheering because they think we going line the route and wave the flag for the whole thing again. And the jewel in the crown? The prime minister going take a salute at the march past.

I can’t make up my mind whether to go or not. I think that maybe I must have something better to do than go stand up in the street in the hot sun and watch them congratulate themselves, because I start think to myself that maybe Gloria right. They keep telling us ’bout all the progress they making and sure enough I can see they building the Esso oil refinery downtown, and the big hotels in New Kingston and suchlike. They got cement pouring outta the Carib works like there is no tomorrow. But I also hear some heavy rumblings from West Kingston ’bout unemployment and how the people over there poor and vex. So what I figure now is, Independence is good for the young and the old but only for some of them, the ones that already got something to invest in the progress because they are the ones that going reap the prosperity. And what happen to unity in all of that I not quite sure.

So the Friday night before the anniversary celebrations the telephone ring. It is Morrison. And in truth it is more like one o’clock in the morning.

‘What you doing ringing the house at this time of night, man? You not got no bed to go to?’

‘I have just received a telephone call from Captain Meacham.’

‘I thought he left when the British army make their retreat last year.’

‘He is back for the celebrations. He brought his daughter with him to show her Jamaica.’

‘So what this got to do with me?’

When I finish talk to Morrison, I get dressed and get in the car and take a ride ’cross Windward Road to Club Havana. The parking lot got cars park up every which way and the Cuban salsa is pumping out so loud I bet they can hear it halfway ’cross the Palisadoes. But since there nobody out there it no matter.

I circle the car park a couple of time to see what I can see and then I park up on a verge and get out. I got a flashlight in the trunk. The car park not that big which explain why it so pack. So it not long before I see it up in a corner sorta nearly under a bush. But it not actually hid as such. I just take my foot and ease it over and when the body slump on it back that is when I see him face, and then my eye catch sight of the knife. It look like some kinda butcher knife just laying there on the ground. I get out a kerchief and pick it up by the point and I throw it in a old crocus bag I got in the back of the car.

I drive over to the Blue Lagoon and telephone the police, and tell Clifton Brown to come meet me there.

When Clifton turn up a good hour later he already been to Club Havana and he already got the name and address of a waitress that run off this evening before she finish work. Him tell me he got to go back to the scene , that the way he say it, because he have to catch up with what his men doing. So I say for him to meet me at the waitress house in an hour. Then just before him leave he say to me, ‘Is two bodies down there, yu know, not just one.’

I get back in the car and I drive up to New Kingston where Meacham holed up in the house he rent for his vacation. When I reach the house he open the door before I even knock it. Morrison is sitting in the living room with a glass of Appleton in his hand so I reckon he just forget again that he a Presbyterian.