Red Cat and Di Croaking Lizard

Abstract

Marguerite and me we siddung in di one shade spot pon di veranda, sipping some crush fuit and ice from dese glasses she fetch fer we. It hot. It hot like di sun dere siddung wid us wid him yellow hat in him hand. Yuh can hear di ocean five mile below curl up smooth and sit down on di land. Like di ooman sighing after she work di long day come home and find pickney all bangarang. Marguerite pick dis ice cube outta her drink, slip it tween her lips, and suck. made di sound like di broken rug cleaner. Jesus, it hot, me seh, wiping di glass pon me face. The wet drip down pon me. It feel good. Ain't been hot like dis since di start of time, Marguerite a seh sly. pop dat ice outta her mouth and tek it tween two fingers. Rub it cross her face. curious to ask.What yuh know bout di start of time ooman? yuh study pon bout dat and not tell me? Me tell yuh everting me study pon right now, she a seh. Ah, yuh cyann know notten bout no start of time. We pickney one and di same and yuh remember dat. We go to di same school, study pon di same book, and me hear no notten bout no start of time cept di Bible. Still, me know, she a seh and smile. What yuh know ooman is notten but be licky licky housemaid fer some bacra massa. Me tell yuh gal! she a seh. make myself like me git up. quit your boderation and tell, or me got work to Siddown, she a she and after a lickle bit me do. take her time to start. Pull her tall, black hair back outta her face. Wipe di sweat off and drink. Well, ascorden to me madder, who give me dis story de way her madder give it a her, way way back when di world new, before dere be anybody here, before even dere was jablesses, or ginnal, or even Ananse to be fooling bout your bidness, dere was dis lickle red cat walk di world every day from sunnup to sunset long di road. It a long, long road full of notten but trouble. Be sticks, macca, and grang grang make her poor feet hurt like di fire burnin right below her. Hot like di sun standin over her wid him face all fire. But she walk it jest di same. Every day. dere looking bout to see what happen to di world, if praps someting, or smaddy come and be wid her... Where dis puss come outta? me seh. She walk outta di sun one sparkly morning, jest like jah pick up some piece of notten and toss it down pon di world. But jah mus git himself tired wid starting di world, cause he only put dat cat dere by herself... what happen den? me seh all curious. 'Quit your ignorancy and me be telling yuh. So dis here day she git up, lick herself clean from top a bottom, and git out on di road. be walking all morning and it be hotter den