The Heart Does Not Bend Read Free Page B

street came to our yard to join in the excitement. There were always crab races. I hear Uncle Freddie now, shouting above the voices of his friends as he egged his crab on: “Run, run, crab, run fi yuh life!” During the season, we ate crabs so often we forgot the taste of other meat. We ate crab run-down cooked in coconut cream, and crab fritters spiced with curry powder, and my grandmother’s favourite, crab shell stuffed with callaloo, sautéed onion, minced fresh hot peppers, then baked in an open wood fire. Uncle Freddie and his friends played music late into the night as we filled our bellies with crab.
    Aunt Joyce brought my mind back to the verandah.
    “Den, Maria, it won’t cold when him get dere?” she asked.
    “Ah think so, but Peppie and Glory will have clothes for him.”
    “Ah really going to miss him. Ah can’t lie, him is mi favourite nephew,” Aunt Joyce said.
    Mama sucked her teeth. “Yuh know how much money dat bwoy tief from mi? If me never smart and one step ahead of him, ah would be in de poorhouse.”
    “Nuh mind, Maria, him gone. Try forgive him,” Grand-aunt Ruth said.
    “Ah because you two never have no children or unnu would be singing a different tune. Yuh think it easy fi raise four pickney alone?” Mama’s voice was bitter. Neither of the grand-aunts answered, but a look passed between the two.I never found out whether they couldn’t have children or chose not to have them.
    I stole a glance at Mama. She took another drag of her cigarette and went on as if she had not said something vexing.
    “Mikey get a job, yuh know. Him working at Paul and Paul Fashion. Him get a job sewing dresses,” she said proudly.
    “Ah hear is a lot of fancy people go dere to get clothes mek. Ah wonder how much dem would charge to mek a dress for me?” Aunt Joyce asked excitedly.
    “Yuh can ask Mikey when yuh see him, ah sure yuh would get a good deal,” my grandmother said, her voice lighter.
    “Dat’s real nice, ah glad for him. Now wid God’s blessings all him need is to find a girlfriend,” Grand-aunt Ruth said, little enthusiasm in her voice. Then she added in the same lifeless tone, “How come him wasn’t at the airport?” I had never heard that tone in Grand-aunt Ruth’s voice. As far back as I could remember, she was the paddle in the boat. She never spoke much, but when she did, her words were always balanced and encouraging. She was as slight as the shoot of a tree, and hedged about five feet tall, yet she carried command. She had a long face and a straight nose, a big head of coffee-coloured hair and a honey complexion. She was also a God-fearing woman who went to church every Sunday.
    “Him have him business fi do.” My grandmother drew on her cigarette again, and a look of defiance crossed her face. I wanted to hug her, even though I didn’t understand. “Him did tell Freddie goodbye from last night. Him couldn’t go to de airport, him had to prepare for him job. Freddie understan’. Dem understan’ each other,” Mama said. I winced,for I could not remember ever seeing her so sad. I muttered that I had to tell Punsie something and disappeared through the front gate.
    When night was almost down, I heard Mama calling me. I washed off the dirt and excitement of the day, ate dinner, and then we went to bed. We didn’t wait up for Uncle Mikey.
    In Mama’s big mahogany bed, I snuggled next to her. She stroked my hair. Her cigarette breath was warm and soothing on my face. She squeezed me tight in her arms and I felt a tear fall on my cheek. I buried my head in her bosom, and in the dark she sang to me.
    My Bonnie lies over de ocean

My Bonnie lies over de sea

My Bonnie lies over de ocean

Oh bring back my Bonnie to me
.
Oh bring back, oh bring back
,
Oh bring back my Bonnie to me …
    It didn’t matter to me what she’d said to the grand-aunts about Uncle Freddie. I knew she loved him.

    I awoke to the smell of scrambled eggs and bacon fried to a crisp. The house was too