Heroes Day duppy story

Carolyn Cooper, Contributor

• CHAKA-CHAKA SPELLING

Lickle after Miss Lou cross over pon di other side a di road a life, she start walk-walk all bout heaven a look fi Bob Marley. Den a no must heaven dem deh! So Miss Lou a walk, a so she a sing out when she buck up her fren dem weh did gone lef her, "Dis long time gyal mi never see yu, come mek mi hold yu hand, mek wi walk an talk, an wheel an turn til wi tumble down."

She did see plenty a her man-fren dem to. An she mek dem know seh she glad fi see dem. But di man dem never mek up no song bout ou dem glad fi see dem one another. Dem too coward. Dem fraid people tink all kind a ting bout dem ef dem a walk an hold man hand. Much more wheel an turn an tumble down. So Mis Lou naa put di man dem in a fi her song.

Anyhow, Mis Lou walk bout-walk bout, an a kiss-kiss, like seh she a Sista P. After she go round an come round an no see Bob Marley, she stop sing. She start wonder if Bob down a hell through im did smoke so much spliff. So she go a di gate, an she ask di guardy, Peter, ef im know weh Bob deh. Peter tell her seh Massa God gi Bob one special work fi do. Im deh a one top-secret lab a experiment fi mek one kind a ganja seed fi drop down pon Jamieka, weh chemical can't kill.

God coulda dis talk an di seed come same time. But yu see heaven, it lickle boring fi dis a sing-sing whole day an a play harp. Even fi Bob Marley. An unu know im love fi sing. So God gi people work fi do, stop dem head from gather water.

Peter tell Mis Lou seh she wi soon get a work, but she fi rest herself lickle bit. Cau look how much work she done do fi help Jamieka people see seh dem no ha fi shame bout fi dem language. Di hard-ears, board-head one dem never listen her. Dem tek her fi eedyat. Dem want know ef Miss Lou no know seh in a dis ya time, nobody no want member dat deh bad-breed, old-time sinting.

Miss Lou no mek dem stop her. She dis laugh an gwaan do her ting. She know seh fi wi language done gone to di world. Look how di tapanaaris England people dem a nyam up demself through dem pikni a chat fi wi language!

TIME LONGER DAN ROPE

A long time Miss Lou did write one poem weh she call 'Colonization in Reverse'. She seh Jamieka people a turn history upside down:

What a joyful news, Miss Mattie

I feel like me heart gwine burs

Jamaica people colonizin

Englan in reverse

Time longer dan rope. Nuff smaddy eye open. An dem see seh Miss Lou supposen fi turn national hero. Fi culture. Nuff rispek due!

Peter pinch an tell Miss Lou weh di lab deh. Wen she ketch up deh, she see Bob a smoke one hell of a big splif. In a heaven. A di holy herb fi true. Miss Lou mek lickle joke aks Bob ef im toe grow back. An di two a dem burst out one piece a laugh. Den Miss Lou aks Bob ef im hear seh plenty people a Jamieka tink seh im shoulda turn national hero fi di whole heap a work im do fi tek reggae music all over di world. Bob gi one lickle half-a smile an im seh, "Yu see Rasta now, wi no have no fren in a high society. So dem naa mek all like mi no hero. But is love still."

Duppy story done. Put fun an joke aside. Wa mek Mis Lou an Bob Marley cyaan step up in a life? Di whole a dem official national hero woulda welcome dem in a di club. Marcus Garvey woulda skin im teet. Im done tell wi seh culture a di root a di nation.

• PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN

Likl aafta Mis Lou kraas uova pan di ada said a di ruod a laif, shi staat waak-waak aal bout evn a luk fi Bob Marley. Den a no mos evn dem de! So Mis Lou a waak, a so shi a sing out wen shi bok op ar fren dem we did gaan lef ar, "Dis lang taim gyal mi neva si yu, kom mek mi huol yu han, mek wi waak an taak, an wiil an ton til wi tombl dong."

Shi did si plenti a ar man-fren dem tu. An shi mek dem nuo se shi glad fi si dem. Bot di man dem neva mek op no sang bout ou dem glad fi si dem wan anada. Dem tuu kowad. Dem fried piipl tingk aal kain a ting bout dem ef dem a waak an uol man han. Moch muor wiil an ton an tombl dong! So Mis Lou naa put di man dem in a fi ar sang.

Eni ou, Mis Lou waak bout-waak bout, an a kis-kis, laik se shi a Sista P. Aafta shi go roun an kom roun an no si Bob Marley, shi tap sing. Shi staat wanda if Bob dong a el chruu im did sumuok so moch splif. So shi go a di giet, an shi aks di gyaadi, Peter, if im nuo we Bob de. Peter tel ar se Maasa Gad gi Bob wan speshal wok fi du. Im de a wan tap-siikrit lab a eksperiment fi mek wan kain a gyanja siid fi jrap dong pan Jamieka, we kemikal kyaahn kil.

Gad kuda dis taak an di siid kom siem taim. Bot yu si evn, it likl buorin fi dis a sing-sing uol die an a plie aap. Iivn fi Bob Markey. An unu nuo im lov fi sing. So Gad gi piipl wok fi du, tap dem ed fram gyada waata.

Peter tel Mis Lou se shi wi suuhn get a wok, bot shi fi res arself likl bit. Kaa luk umoch wok shi don du fi elp Jamieka piipl si se dem no a fi shiem bout fi dem langwij. Di aad-iez, buod-ed wan dem neva lisn ar. Dem tek ar fi iidyat. Dem waahn nuo ef Mis Lou no nuo se in a dis ya taim, nobadi no waahn memba dat de bad-briid, uol-taim sinting.

Mis Lou no mek dem tap ar. Shi dis laaf an gwaahn du ar ting. Shi nuo se fi wi langwij don gaahn tu di worl. Luk ou di tapanaaris Inglan piipl dem a nyam op demself chruu dem pikni a chat fi wi langgwij!

TAIM LANGA DAN RUOP

A lang taim Mis Lou did rait wan puowem we shi kaal 'Colonization in Reverse'. Shi se Jamieka piipl a ton ischri opsaid dong:

What a joyful news, Miss Mattie

I feel like me heart gwine burs

Jamaica people colonizin

Englan in reverse

Taim langa dan ruop. Nof smadi yai opn. An dem si se Mis Lou sopuozn fi tun nashinal iiro. Fi kolcha. Nof rispek juu!

Peter pinch an tel Mis Lou we di lab de. Wen shi kech op de, shi si Bob a sumuok wan el av a big splif. In a evn. A di uoli orb fi chruu. Mis Lou mek likl juok aks Bob ef im tuo gruo bak. An di tuu a dem bos out wan piis a laaf. Den Mis Lou aks Bob ef im ier se plenti piipl a Jamieka tingk se im shuda ton nashinal iiro fi di uol iip a wok im du fi tek rege myuuzik aal uova di worl. Bob gi wan likl aafa sumail an im se, "Yu si Rasta nou, wi no av no fren in a ai sosaiyati. So dem naa mek aal laik mi no iiro. Bot iz lov stil."

Dopi tori don. Put fon an juok asaid. Wa mek Mis Lou an Bob Marley kyaan step op in a laif ? Di uol a di ofishal nashinal iiro wuda welkom dem in a di klob. Marcus Garvey wuda kin im tiit. Im don tel wi se kolcha a di ruut a di nieshan.

Carolyn Cooper is a professor of literary and cultural studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona. Visit her bilingual blog at http://carolynjoycooper.wordpress.com. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com.