Milk in Bush Tea
Photo by Professor Richard Robertson, UWI Seismic Research Center. Fieldwork in the Leeward side of the red zone.
Content Warning: Homophobic slurs & violence
Bryna Baptiste duh pray. He only want one thing from life – grace. But the universe know fuh multiply Bryna’s desire by three, ‘cause what he really want is ah thriving farm, ah good woman, and ah boy pickney fuh take over he business.
When Bryna hear ‘bout the Orange Hill Smallholder’s Program, he grabble the opportunity fuh occupy he own space miles away from he endless uncles, aunts and cousins. He move ine ah living shanty pan he new property; dragon bush and passion fruit walls, bamboo roof, and dirt floor.
Bryna’s son, Alston, born right on Baptiste Farm in the two-story bungalow he wife, Sonia, draw on the shanty floor the first time she sleep with Bryna. The bungalow have ah concrete roof, because Sonia want to walk ‘cross she roof and look down pan the farm. Whatever Sonia want, Sonia get. So when she mention water storage tanks, Bryna oblige too. “Yuh haffuh invest in yuhself, Bryna,” she tell him. “A lil independence never hurt nobody.”
In five years, the Baptiste Farm carry ah solid reputation as top grade producers of plantain, banana, yam and dasheen. Things nice, except fuh lil tension between Bryna and Alston.
“Why he haffuh laugh like antiman?” Bryna want to know.
Sonia ready fuh war when it comes to Alston, “Alston laugh like me. So me sound like antiman?”
“He done look like you. Why he cyar laugh like me?”
“Bryna, yuh muscular and tall enough fuh the whole ah Orange Hill. The universe only trying fuh balance things.”
“Enjoy yuh ‘mini-me’ Sonia. Me go do way me can fuh mek him ah man.”
By the time Alston graduate college, Sonia is ah professional peacemaker. She husband and son always on the edge of explosion. She corner Alston after Bryna mek he pack fifty crocus sack ah dasheen in the storage shed by heself.
“Yuh father duh mean no harm, Alston.”
“But Ma, he blah-blah-blah ‘bout ancestry without lifting ah finger fuh help.”
“He just wah yuh understand yuh heritage.”
Sonia stand up, deepen she voice and push out she chest. “Estate owners trace they family tree to Lords and Ladies and all kindah ladi-dah, but you descend from noble lines…”
Alston join Sonia in ah low, bass mimicry ah he father.
“Yuh have ah Garifuna Chief in yuh blood, ah Kalinago Ouboutou in yuh spirit, ah Igbo Igwe in yuh skin…”
Sonia cackle till she choke pan she own spit, but she find the strength fuh warn Alston that Bryna coming round the corner behind him. Alston soak up Sonia’s laughter, inhaling it like oxygen. That sound sustain him after Covid-19 hit Baptiste Farm like ah thief in the night and ease off with Sonia.
““Yuh have ah Garifuna Chief in yuh blood, ah Kalinago Ouboutou in yuh spirit, ah Igbo Igwe in yuh skin...””
*
Sonia and Soufrière headlining ‘The Vincentian’ weekend newspaper. The usual suspects react to the front page pan Hot97 Friday morning mayhem. Tom, the vaccine expert, explain how ah fully vaccinated woman catch corona virus. Dick, the volcanologist, clear up what all the smoke spewing from Soufrière mean. And Harry, the conspiracy theorist, speculating ’bout everything.
Bryna and Alston decide fuh honor Sonia with the Baptiste Farm annual Easter cookout. The customary pot ah callaloo soup and goat tripe simmering over ah open fire-pit. The cooler full ah vita malt, ginger ale, bitter lemon and mauby. Jackfish well season up waiting fuh the grill. Breadfruit done roast since before cock crow. They ready fuh the cookout crowd.
Only Edmond Hoyte and he son Eddie show up toting two big fowls, ah crate ah eggs and ah case ah Hairoun beer.
“Yuh nah hear the Big Man give evacuation order Baptiste?” Edmond ask Bryna.
“Well Hoyte, the Big Man bin say “vaccinate”, and we jump like monkey. Whey dat profit Sonia? Eh?”
Edmond suddenly busy with the grill. He nah bother respond.
Alston and Eddie plucking the two fowls over ah pot ah hot water. Alston heart nearly drop out he chest when he feel Eddie hand pan he shoulder. He body sore from all the push-ups Bryna insist he do at the crack ah dawn, so Eddie’s touch is ah balm. He squeeze Eddie hand. Quick. Before they fathers glimpse the going-ons and blow up like the volcano towering above them.
Alston giggle fuh the first time since Sonia pass on. He favorite memory with this kind ah happiness was the last time he mother tie up he father in he own argument.
“Soufrière is we guardian. He dozing right now, but he ready fuh action at de slightest touch. We fellas cyar help it.”
“He? Yuh figure man can handle de level ah pain Soufrière feeling? You self say Baptiste Farm under Soufrière bosom. Which man yuh know have bosom?
Bryna start sing, “Rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham…”
Sonia laugh. “Well, leh we agree fuh disagree. Soufrière is neither man nar woman - just Mother Nature’s rage.”
Sonia wink at Alston. He chuckle with pride and wink back.
*
The cookout in full swing, ‘till ah shadow move ‘cross Baptiste Farm, as if ah mocko jumbie step in front the sun. The ground trembling, the dogs howling like they seeing duppy, and judgement start billowing out the top ah Soufrière in ah plume so magnificent, it put all paintings of the second coming ah Christ to shame.
Bryna douse water on the fire. Edmond leave fuh go safeguard Hoyte Farm. Alston stare at the massive mushroom cloud, whispering in awe. “Majestic. Ma would ah love this.” He find it hard fuh believe something so pretty could stir up so much dread. Bryna voice pull him out he stupor. “Alston! Boy, help me get the things inside!”
Three hours later, the shadow deepen to darkness and midnight replace midday. The place so gloomy, Bryna not seeing Alston directly in front him. They retreating to the house after Bryna haul Alston outside fuh help secure the dogs in the big shed. Something hot smash into Alston bald head, in the spot Bryna accidentally nick when he trim off Alston hair before Sonia funeral, talking bout she no longer around fuh plait it. The blow bound fuh leave ah scar. Alston give ah lil whimper and grab he father hand. Bryna pull way he hand. “Control yuhself boy! Dis nah time fuh no antiman antics.”
Stones start raining down as if Soufrière trying fuh outdo the seventh plague ah Egypt. Bryna remember the tenth and final plague he learn in he Sunday School days. He wonder if he go survive without he only son, and without warning, he scramble up Alston in ah hug so tight, Alston wonder if he father losing he mind.
By sunup, Soufrière have the country inside out. Bryna cyar recognize he farm; the North Pole like it move to Orange Hill, bringing heat instead ah cold. Bryna expect Santa Claus pan he doorstep when he hear muffled knocking, only to behold Edmond and Eddie up to they knees in ashes. Edmond snort like ah donkey at the end of ah marathon, and start bawling.
“If yuh see me place, Baptiste! Not ah cluck nor bah-gawk. De chicken pens bury under ashes. Everything gone. Passion fruit, mango, guava, coconut, golden apple – everything!
Bryna present the best remedy fuh the situation, ah bottle ah Sunset Rum, left wide open from the day before in all the eruption excitement. He serve four shots; Alston and Eddie too stunted fuh refuse the offering. Nobody mention the ash swirling round in the rum, like powder milk in ah hot cup ah bush tea. The boys couldn’t get further than ah light sip. The men drink till ah quart disappear.
Edmond tipsy, but he still pining. “Me house roof drop ine under de weight ah hail stones. Me nah sure how long the shop roof go last.”
Bryna never more grateful fuh Sonia’s foresight than now. “Alston, you and Eddie shovel de roof deck. Edmond, leh we go see ‘bout de animals, dey cyar release demself.”
“Nobody mention the ash swirling round in the rum, like powder milk in ah hot cup ah bush tea.”
Art by L.E.M., Intersect Antigua
By evening the yard pack ah cattle, sheep, goat, and pig. Most ah dem belong to Bryna, but Edmond have one or two cattle in the mix. The grass buried under ashes, so not ah thing fuh the animals eat. The river is ah steaming canal ah hot flour pap. Is ah good thing Bryna have he own water tanks, not ah drip ah water in the main pipelines.
Just as the animals settle, the earth start shaking again. “Soufrière like it catch corona now?” Edmond joke. Nobody laugh. When stones start blasting again, Edmond could only manage ah mournful, “We dead now.”
The new cloud column hanging over the Soufrière crater remind Alston of ah nuclear explosion; he anticipate serious damage long after the fallout. The sky is ah fiery orange hue, lightning zig-zagging between the clouds like the devil hang ah glitching disco ball in the midst ah he welcome party, and thunder clapping so loud, it vibrating in Alston soul. He frighten, but he busy heself with the cookout leftovers while he patiently wait out this latest venting session.
*
Bryna and Edmond head fuh Hoyte Farm when things quiet down. Edmond knees buckle when he catch sight ah he shop. The pain in he heart worse than when he behold all he chickens under ashes. He stare at the gaping holes where windows and doors used to be. The shelves empty, and the fridge door hanging pan one hinge.
Ah news van pull up long side the road, and two men jump out; ah redskin stocky teen straining under ah camera, and ah stringy hairless reporter brandishing a microphone. “This is Dick Francis for Searchlight News,” ‘Stringy’ say to the camera, “I can’t go live because there is no signal whatsoever here in the Red Zone. It’s about 10 o’clock am. I am currently in Orange Hill and I will take the opportunity to interview these men who did not leave.” He pushed the mike in Edmond’s face. “So, what is your name sir?”
Edmond step back. “Edmond Hoyte.”
“Why do you linger in the Red Zone, Mr. Hoyte?”
“Well, this is my home. Why you here?”
The reporter glance at he cameraman and switch tactic.
“How was the experience for you so far?”
“Well you can see the destruction ‘round yuh. It terrible. I lef my place - not even ah whole day, and dem bruck me shop and gone with everything like dey wuk fuh it.”
“How long do you think this will last?”
“How me fuh know dat?”
“Suppose it goes on for weeks?”
Edmond look at Bryna. “Weeks, months - we staying put! Dis is we livelihood!”
“Well, in case you change your mind, you can take advantage of the Coast Guard boats the PM sent to Owia, but you will have to get there on foot…”
Soufrière mirror Edmond mood, groaning in annoyance and shaking the ground. ‘Stringy’ approach Bryna. “What about you? You hear the rumbling?”
Bryna duh feel like entertaining no reporter. “Of course! Me nah geh ears?” “So when you hear the rumbling, what comes to mind?”
“Nothing.”
Bryna walk way.
The ash fall get heavier. ‘Stringy’ look like somebody dump ah bucket ah chalk pan he head. “Okay. This is Dick Francis. These guys just confirmed looting in the area. That is the situation in the Red Zone.” He flick he hand ‘cross he throat and ‘Stocky’ stagger to the van with the camera like he carrying the weight ah the Soufrière itself.
“Soufrière mirror Edmond mood, groaning in annoyance and shaking the ground.”
Ah few days after the reporters leave the scene, rain crank up. Bryna in goat heaven, he so glad. He shut off the water tanks; no filtration system in the world could manage the downpour ah slush assaulting the ashy ground. It transform to ah dense cement mixture that keep sucking off Bryna water-boots every other step as he sludge through he yard rescuing the smaller animals from the concrete muck.
Bryna have enough foodstuff fuh last months, but, except fuh the cloudy bottle ah rum, he personal bar empty. He and Edmond decide fuh go Georgetown fuh restock the drinks. Them get as far as Rabacca Bridge. The slight incline leading down to the bridge is now ah steep cliff; big stones, dead animal, tree trucks and all manner of evil flowing past in a brown sulphuric torrent.
“Way de bridge gone?” Edmond ask, peeping through the mist obscuring parts ah the riverbank.
“Yuh feel de heat? Bryna sound like he stifling. “Dat ah the ‘pyroclastic flow’ dem boys talk ‘bout dis morning. We might as well backtrack. Dat ah instant death.”
They head for Orange Hill without another word.
*
Three weeks after the big boom, Edmond and Eddie still at Baptiste Farm. The place look more like ah grey nightmare than ah winter dream now; the plantains and bananas limp and scorched, the dasheens resemble wilted lettuce, green grass nonexistent and every step raking up clouds ah ashes like miniature dust storms
Police set up checkpoints at the Red Zone’s entrance. No one allowed in, and the authorities threaten fuh arrest anybody they find in the area. The Orange Hill farmers like them flying over the checkpoints, ‘cause they coming home one by one. Desmond Toby swear he not going back to no shelter. He wife Hannah say she regret the day she mek she husband evacuate, especially after she hear horror stories from she own mother ‘bout the condition ah the shelters during the ’79 eruption.
“Worse experience ever! Me nah tink dat shelter bin ready fuh people. We scringe up on de floor pan some tough pallets, de toilets bruk down, de kitchen dutty like dumper and half de louvres cyar close. Some Samaritans appear, say dem lending assistance, so me go collect de two piece ah bodow dem say dem ah donate. Next ting me know, me family on de news looking like refugees. Me never know dem well video me!”
Randolph Sutton and he family visit they organic vegetable holding fuh assess the damage. Water come ah he eye when he spot the wasteland that use to be Sutton Farm. He wife console him, “Randolph, things good by the shelter. We have we own space with brand new mattress and cots. We have we pick of meals for breakfast lunch and dinner - thanks to volunteer chefs. Hairdressers there to fix meh hair. The children have teachers coming in early, and they have movie-evenings to keep them occupied. We don’t have to force weself to get home. Not now anyway.”
Hannah struggling fuh contain sheself. “It sound like alyuh in heaven and dem dash de rest ah we in hell. Whey really going on?”
“Some ah you sabotage yuhself with all de politics alyuh posting on social media.” Mrs. Sutton smirk.
“So wait, just because me show de world de shithole dem calling shelter, me sabotaging meself?” Hannah walk forward like she intend fuh annihilate the whole Sutton family.
“Next ting me know, me family on de news looking like refugees. Me never know dem well video me!” ”
Bryna catch Randolph eye. Randolph hurry he family in he pick-up and vanish.
Bryna and Edmond spend the bulk ah they time repairing Hoyte Farm, while Alston and Eddie in charge ah the animals at Baptiste Farm. Thieving rampant more than ever so it make sense the animals remain close to home. Plenty people in shelters, and to be fair, ah lot ah them have no home fuh return to. Most roofs, like Edmond own, drop ine, but at least the walls standing. Some houses implode like wet cardboard boxes.
The river not as milk-white as before, but it have ah long way fuh go before it crystal clear again. Vegetation taking ah while fuh recover, but some green bush springing up between the ashes.
Government water trucks duh come near Orange Hill; how them fuh turn up in ah neighborhood that supposed to be evacuated?
“Yuh hear ‘bout de special stimulus package fuh farmers?” Edmond probe after ah long day ah fighting with he house roof. “Me go use it fuh get some cement. Me taking ah leaf out ah Sonia book fuh me new roof.”
Bryna smile. He miss Sonia’s cooking the most; pelau, fry bakes, pepper-pot, fish tea and fungi. He even miss she lil intervention when he and Alston butt heads.
“Me go decide what to do with this stimulus package when me see it. Me nah mek plans pan no man promise.”
Edmond know better than fuh debate with Bryna. They head back to Baptiste farm in comfortable silence.
Alston and Eddie take they responsibilities serious. They spend hours looking fuh grass ‘mongst the desolation Soufrière leave behind. They no longer on edge though, they holding hands without expecting the world fuh fall apart ‘round them. They wrestling in the dead grass in front the house when they fathers reach home. None the boys realize they have ah audience till Eddie decide fuh kiss Alston head scar, and Bryna interrupt them with one loud “Ah wah kinda antiman ting dis?”
Edmond start pelt slap pan Eddie. Bryna turn karate master pan poor Alston, shelling out ah kick fuh every slap Edmond deliver. The ground start shaking. All man freeze.
Bryna look up at Soufriere. “Sonia, yuh mean yuh still stepping in eh?”
Edmond confuse. “Whey happening?”
Bryna pull Alston to he feet. “Everything happening, Hoyte.”
Bryna prepare ah coconut boileen with dasheen and yam fuh dinner. No meat. He set the dining table he never use even when Sonia was around, pour four shots ah Sunset rum, and raise he glass towards Soufrière.
“Lemme propose ah toast to dis place, to all de tings me learn from me wife and to…” Bryna pause, and gaze pan Alston. “Cheers to me son, Alston.”
Edmond mouth drop open. Alston and Eddie grin. Bryna throwback he head and cackle. There was no mistaking Sonia’s tinkling laughter blending with Bryna’s baritone contentment. This time, the boys drink they Sunset and hold out they glass fuh more. The rum have ah nice kick to it. The ashes musse add something real special.