Daniel

Daniel

By 

Jane Pierce

Daniel used to mek me laugh and Ah de like when he come ‘round. He de tall, red and he hands de always black with grease. He used to look older dan he age. He face de deep with wrinkles and underneath he eyes had a set o’ lines. Daniel was only 30, but he does look like 45. Daniel was a mechanic. He used to wuk wid de man next door. Daniel seh how he boss man does pay good and how he gat nuff, nuff money. When Old Mommy adopt Daniel, it feel like he was apart o’ de family, but Daniel always sehing, ‘Ah don’ belong hay. Ah ain’t belong noway, me home is in de next life.’ Ah de ask Daniel wha’ next life he talking ‘bout. Daniel seh, ‘De one dat don’ punish ya, de one where darkness is a good thing.’ Ah feel it musbe Auntie Romona, who used to mek Daniel feel like he is nah we family. She use to geh vex when Daniel come ‘round. ‘Wha’ he doing ‘round hay,’ Auntie Romona always used to seh. Dat was she favourite t’ing to seh when Daniel was around.. Daniel used to move away when he hear Auntie Romona coming. She was de only person, who coulda mek Daniel feel bad ‘bout heself. A time Mommy tell Auntie Romona, ‘Ah know de bai do wrang thing in he life, but everytime he come ‘round Romona you ain’t gat to push it in he face.’ Auntie Roman suck she teeth and seh, ‘Try deh with ayo thiefman.’ Daniel drop he head to he chest when Auntie Romona seh dat. Mommy tell Daniel fuh don’ bodda wid Auntie Romona, but Ah don’ t’ink he coulda do dat. Mommy and Daniel used to gaff nuff. Ah figure it was cah he had de same skin colour like she. Mommy was fair. De rest o’ she siblings de brown skin or black. Ah always wonder why Mommy de fair and all she brother and sister din stay suh. Ah de ask Grandmother a time but she geh vex and chase me out de bedroom. Adults like keep t’ings from lil chirren fuh some reason — it wasn’t a bad question to me. One time Ah ask Daniel why Mommy suh fair. Daniel seh, ‘Boy is different sword went in de hole.’

‘Daniel wha’ madness ya talking.’

Daniel smile at me and seh, ‘it muss be nice fuh be a chil’ nah.’

‘Nah really, we does geh licks.’

‘Licks nah, but yall does geh taken care of and plus people love ayo, when ya geh big nuff people ain’t gat time fuh love ya. Lemme tell ya dis, don’ hurry fuh grow up, ya gon see t’ings dat ya not suppose to see and ya gon feel t’ings dat ya ain’t wan’ feel in dis life bai.’

‘T’ings like wha’ Daniel?’

‘When ya geh big and yah wan’ have man to man talk, we gon talk ‘bout dem t’ings.’

‘Wha’ age Ah gat to be Daniel?’

‘Das a good question Tommy, some chirren is don adults, I turn adult when I was ‘bout 9.’

‘Daniel yah got to be mo’ big fuh be adult, don’ tell me no stupitness.’

Daniel used to always seh strange things and den he’d light he cigarette, smoke and look away. Sometimes it used to feel like he forget Ah was next to he. De good t’ing was, he hardly used to behave suh all de time. Most o’ de times Daniel used to deh pun nuff kicks. Other dan Sharmona and Auntie Charlene, Daniel was de only adult, who never tell me do dis and do dat. He used to bring corn curls, sweety, chico, plantain chips and mek jokes wid me. Ah never see Daniel geh vex, so Ah coulda be meself ‘round he. De only time Daniel used to geh lil moody was ‘round Christmas time. He seh he hated Christmas and he don’ believe in Jesus, cah he mother dead pun Christmas day. Ah din know how fuh t’ink or feel ‘bout dat. Mommy de tell Daniel how is not Jesus mek he mother dead pun Christmas day. Daniel suck he teeth and seh, ‘Jesus is a cross.’ Das de only time a see lil anger in he and before dat, a din t’ink he even know how to geh mad, cah he was always so playful. Ah remember one time Daniel come and jeer de shop seller when he buy butter. Daniel mek he voice like a gurl, bend he wrist, wiggle he fingers, put de next hand pun he hip and tip-toe like if he wearing high-heels. He seh, ‘would you like one lump or two lumps of butter.’ Ah used to laugh so hard when Daniel do dat thing. Me Grandmother used to laugh at de joke too and den seh, ‘but dey see dis bai behaving so from lang, and dem ain’t try to correct he, ow man.’ Daniel seh, ‘ya can’ correct dat.’

Ah t’ink me favourite joke Dat Daniel used to mek was about smelly Samantha. She use to go and call me Uncle Junior at turning point. Daniel would cock out he bamzie, push out he chest like he geh bobby, walk, fast, fast and seh, ‘Deen boy is wha’ you doing here so late drinking, you suppose to be home with you woman and you deh drinking, is wha’ wrang wid you Deen boy.’ Daniel seh he used to feel sorry fuh me uncle, cah de bitch used to come and embarrass he in front o’ all he friends. Mommy used to always ask Daniel to imitate Smelly Samantha. He used to always deh kicksing out wid she. De only time Daniel neva wan’ talk, was when Mommy used to always bodda he ‘bout gun. Daniel de finally answer mommy, after she ask he bout a hundred times.

‘you still gat gun?’

‘Ya ain’t tired asking me dah gurl?’

‘Daniel who Ah gon tell?’ Daniel turn away he face from Mommy. Is like Daniel de hoping dat she forget de question.

‘Wam Daniel you nah gon answer de question?’

‘No gurl, Ah ain’t got gun no mo.’

‘It was simple question Daniel, meeno wha’ you shame fuh.’

‘Whaeva gurl.’

‘You ever kill anybody?’

‘Gurl, like you don’ fed up?’

‘Wam Ah jus’ wan’ know?’

Daniel de look sad when Mommy ask de question. Ah din wan’ she ask Daniel no mo’ question, but Ah de wan’ know if Daniel ever kill anybody too. Daniel look down at de ground, kick some bricks and den answer. ‘I kill people yes...but I couldn’t really avoid dat and in me line o’ wuk, sometimes you does gat to do t’ings you ain’t wan’ do. I didn’t wan’ kill nobody, I didn’t like killing dem people, but I had to do it.’ Ah coulda feel Daniel strain heself to seh dat. He and Mommy stap talk and all yah coulda hear was de crickets chirping. Mommy slap a mosquito pun she hand and break de silence.

‘Ah like you Daniel, Ah glad you ain’t deh pun dem nonsense no mo’.

‘Nah I don wid dah, too much headache, and jail is not a nice place to be.’

‘Ah glad ya know dat.’ De place geh silent again. No mosquito ain’t come dis time. Daniel walk away, went across de road, sid down pun a stump and smoke a cigarette. Mommy din even call he back. Is like she de know to leff he alone. Ah keep staring at de small light pun he cigarette, other dan dat cigarette light ya coulda neva tell a man sid down pun a stump. De place de jus’ dark dark.

Ah de still like Daniel even after Ah find out he kill some people. He look sorry to me and Old Mommy seh, ‘If ya really sorry fuh something God gon low ya in heaven.’ Everybody used to always judge Daniel cuz he was a thief before, but Ah know Daniel wasn’t no thief no mo’. He de tell me how he done with dem things and he really trying to change. Ah tell Daniel das good and thiefing not nice.

‘Yeah I know, but ya circumstances does mek you do some things sometimes bai.’

‘Circumstances Daniel?’

‘Oh, das when ya ain’t gat money fuh live in ya own house and buy ya own food.’ Ah feel real bad fuh Daniel. A man should get always geh food and he own house. But den, Ah t’ink about it and Grandmother used to always gee Daniel food, plus Old Mommy neva mind if Daniel sleep in de house. So Ah din really believe dat Daniel had bad cirumstances, Ah de just feel he used to like thief. But he de different now. Thiefman coulda never be as nice as Daniel. When Daniel Cigarette light disappear, Ah couldn’t tell if he still on de stump or if he move. Ah stop wonder if he still sid down pun dat stump and go in ma bed.

De next morning, a loud rapping, jump me outta me sleep.

‘Is who’s dat pun dis early marning man.’ Auntie Romona seh, while rubbing she eyes. Ah follow Auntie Romona and it was Daniel Boss man and a police.

‘Daniel deh hay?’ De policeman seh.

‘He don’ live hay? Why, wha’ happen?’

‘Ya know after Ah treat dat man suh nice, he come in ma house, thief out all ma money and gone away wid all ma tools?’

‘Well, you din know Daniel was a good fuh not;ing and a thief? Oh but ya wan’ give he chance?’

Old Mommy come out she bedroom when she hear de commotion. Auntie Romona de talking loud.

‘Romona is wha’ happen?’

‘Not’ing Mommy, ya nephew jus thief up he employer’s t’ings.’

Old Mommy sid down in de chair and look at de man. She ain’t seh a word. It was Old Mommy, who help Daniel geh de job. She de beg de boss man to gee Daniel de job. Old Mommy de seh, ‘ Daniel turning he life around.’

‘Muds when Ah find Daniel, Ah gon tek more dan ma money ya know?’ Daniel boss man seh.

‘Don’ break not’ing fuh he, is still me son, ow, Ah really pray to God to guide he, but like de devil jus’ wuking.’

‘Is not de devil Muds, is he alone do de thiefing.’ 
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