James Hackett

When last we heard, Keston and Kayla were pondering possible solutions to get rid of Redman and the other creatures of the night who had mysteriously resurfaced. A new girl called Rhonda offers a solution, after their teacher refuses to accept that jumbies exist….

There was an old story told where Alwin caught a soucouyant sucking blood from his daughter. He immediately raised alarm chasing the creature into the night. Hearing his cries, other villagers joined the chase. Alwin found the soucouyant’s decrepit house at the edge of the village and immediately set it ablaze. As the old shack burned, the creature (realising that she would not be able to get her displaced skin) cursed the villagers. Deceit in her eyes, the creature fled, her awesome flames lighting up the night sky. All the villagers decided to forget that night hoping that it would be lost in time.

One villager however did not forget the threat and he taught his daughter about it as she grew up. He armed her with the knowledge of self and strength of spirit to deal with the Soucouyant’s evil when next it came…

“And that girl was my mother,” said Rhonda, ending her story.

“What! “Serious?” both Keston and Kayla exclaimed. Rhonda was more of an enigma than they thought.

“So what do these things that happened with Keston and me and Anton mean to you?” Kayla asked.

“Soucouyant come back, duh!” Rhonda said and stopped walking. “Yeah, she here and she around for a while too. But she moving smart.” The skies had been overcast for most of the day and the drizzle was getting worse. The three took shelter under a tree. It was the only real shelter close by. As they settled in, Rhonda continued.

“My mother and my grandfather told me that all I need to do is look around. There is evidence of her work, subtle, sneaky. She is absorbing the life from our country, in mas, and in the music.  Wasting them, making them waterdown nonsense. She tricks our minds in advertising, making the people believe in false ideals and ambitions. I understand most of what she says, but sometimes she goes off on a tangent and…” She shook her head wearily. It was understandable that someone her age could not fully comprehend a plot of such magnitude. She looked up at Keston and Kayla. Rhonda now appeared different -weaker, softer-and looked more the teenager she was, and less of the woman she portrayed herself as.

Kayla shared her pain, but was still indifferent to the girl and unsure of what to do about her feelings. Kayla held back. Instead she asked: “What is your mother doing about all this? I mean she learned about all these things right? And your Grandfather, he still alive? We could talk to him? That’s why you came to us right? -So we could work on this thing?” Keston cut in “Kayla, give the girl ah chance nuh. How much questions yuh go ask she?” Rhonda wiped some water from her forehead. The rain was getting heavier. They would have to find some shelter or get soaked.

She took the woogie out of her hair and shook her dreads loose.

“Look…” she said, pausing to wipe another raindrop from her face, “…My Grandfather died, and my mother kinah lose it after that. Everyday I pray that she could find the strength she used to have.”

“So why did you come to us Rhonda? You must have some idea as to what we can do to get these things from taking us over?” asked Keston.

“For real, gyul.” Kayla said, hoping that they were on to something. “ If it is that the soucouyant out to destroy the country…it must have something we could do, right?”

The rain came a bit harder, on the brink of a serious downpour. They were, for the most part, soaked to the bone. Rhonda looked around, not so much worrying about the rain, but because she had plenty on her mind. Her mother was old and tired, her fire had died when Grandfather did. They were poor and had wanted for lots of things. At school she needed to be her best because she had to get that big work to support them both. The rain was cool now and not as bothersome. She had not bathed in the rain since she was a child. She looked at Keston and Kayla -she was beginning to enjoy their company. A playful smile came across her face, “We have to find Papa Bois.”