And I say, ‘Yes.’
‘So what happen?’
‘I do it.’
She turn ’round and look at me with her eyes open wide, and then she say, ‘Yu all right?’
‘It not so hard as yu think.’
‘Only on di soul, darling. Only on di soul.’ And then she ease up her body and walk into her room and close the door.
So I shout, ‘He leave the money on the table.’
And she shout back, ‘You tek it. Yu earn it.’
Beryl was in her bed for near on three weeks with what, we don’t know. The medicine she get from the hospital didn’t do nothing at all. So I go down to Chinatown and tell the herbalist how she ailing and he mix up some dry dis and dat that I tek home and boil and give her to drink three times a day ’til she get up. And then I carry on do it another week just like he tell me. And after that, Beryl was back. And Sunday become Sunday again.
All the time Beryl sick I was helping out. Just wid regulars. Not no strangers walking in off the street. That way it mean they didn’t lose no custom. But even though these men familiar, it was a different thing now. Different from when I used to just say a good morning or afternoon to the British army man, or sailor from the US base, or the almost white wee-dropper that run the dry goods store ’cross town, or the red-skin office manager or bank clerk. And the black men whether they peeling off the notes or digging deep in their pocket for the pennies and ha’pennies that going mek up the change they putting on the table. It was different. But it was also the same because I become what I had always been in their mind. A source of satisfaction that whether they get from me or Beryl didn’t matter. To me, it was routine. It was business. It stop me from pretending to myself that I was special. Resisting what been waiting for me ever since Barrington Maxwell. The men, they were all a blur. Except the ones that mek yu laugh. Whether they mean to or not. And the ones that would pass an evening exchanging a few words on their favourite topic. How to put Jamaica right.
In truth, it seem sorta natural. Me a full and proper member a the house. Bringing in money. Not just running after Sybil and Beryl and hoping for the best. I could join in now, and add my tuppence to whatever they talking ’bout.
And even after Beryl get better it seem we all three a us busy as ever. So the liquor was flowing and the music pumping, and the money was rolling in. But then, and I dunno if it to do with how unemployment bad, or mawga wages, or everybody on strike and the war prices so high, but as we go on it seem more and more was asking for favour. Like they want do it today but they nuh want pay ’til next week. We know it not a good state of affairs. But when some a dem start ask us to lend them money that is when we realise how bad the situation get.
Sybil say we cyan carry on like this. She say we got to put down the rates, or get more customers. Better still, she say, ‘Get these men some money.’ And that is when I think a Henry Wong.
When I go to the wine merchant to see him Henry was eating a bowl a rice and a omelette cook with scallion. And some chicken soup that he was slurping straight from the basin without even bothering wid no spoon. He look up from behind the counter and wave for me to sit down.
‘Gloria, you want soup?’
‘No thank yu Mr Henry.’
‘You call me Henry. That is enough.’
So I say it, ‘Henry.’ Like I testing it out.
Him tek him face outta the soup and wipe him mouth wid the little white cloth napkin he got tuck in him collar and hang ’round him neck. I don’t know how to start so I just say him name again, ‘Henry.’ And him look curious at me like he know something big is coming. So he put down the bowl and tek the cloth outta him shirt and fold it neat and rest it on the counter. And then he settle himself.
‘This is about money.’ Henry nuh say nothing. ‘Yu have money Henry, that is the thing.’
‘You have something ask me, Gloria?’
‘It not easy Henry. It delicate.’
‘Delicate? Money not delicate. Money is money. You make it, you win it, you lose it, you count it, you spend it, you plan for it, you balance the in and out of it, and then you think how you going make some more. But you never break it. That is the one thing you never do with money. Money not delicate like a flower. It sturdy like the land.’
‘Henry, we got a problem over the house that I think yu can help us wid.’
‘I always look help you, Gloria, but you know how I feel ’bout business you girls carrying on over there.’
‘It not to do wid that Henry. The thing is I was wondering if yu would think about lending us, or me, some money.’
‘Lend you money, Gloria?’ So I tell him what happen and he listen and then he start eat the omelette and rice again. And drink the soup. And after some long time he say to me, ‘I don’t want lend you money, Gloria.’ My heart sink because Henry Wong is the only person any a us can think of that got the money and half a mind to even consider giving any a it to us. And then he say, ‘But what I will do is this.’ And he tell me.
When I go back to the house I explain to them how Henry going put up all the money that anybody want to borrow, but is us that going have to do the transacting. That is what him call it because he don’t want nobody knowing he got anything to do wid it in case it ruin his reputation as a upstanding businessman. And for our part we going get 30 per cent a the interest. But we got to make sure we secure the loan. That is what him say. So people know they got to settle up and nuh think they can just skip town or pay us nuh mind. Especially wid us being a bunch a women. And right then Beryl just say ‘Trevor’ and Sybil smile and say yes.
The house we living in own by Pops next door. That is who we paying the rent to each and every month. Pops got a son, Trevor. He a big man, Trevor. Plenty muscle but no work. So that was it and when Beryl go ask him, Trevor give her a big grin and say he would be honoured to help us. Beryl say he even tek off him hat and do a little bow when he say it.
‘When the sun first shines its light.’
Business was booming when the war ended. By that time Henry done buy himself a house up on the north coast outside Ocho Rios because that was where he live when he first come to Jamaica, and the four a us save a pile a money that one day we going use to buy the house from Pops next door. Plus, Henry say, I need to learn to talk and act like a lady. So every Saturday morning I was teking the tram to Constant Spring Road where this old English woman with grey hair and wrinkle hands was busy trying her best to mek something respectable outta me, suffering every minute a that hour because me and learning never get on too good. She tek her time wid me though and every week it seem she tell Henry I was meking progress.
I say to Henry, ‘Why yu decide to pick me off the street and help me this way?’
‘You not need help?’
‘Yes I need it. But that nuh different from the dozen other women yu must have pass on the road that day. And don’t tell me it was all because I was carrying a Hong Zi grocery bag.’
‘I see bag before I see you. And when I see bag I know you sensible girl.’ And he laugh. But it not that funny. And it not no answer. But then Henry don’t like to give no answer ’bout anything. Like when I ask him why he keep telling me he got a daughter like me he say, ‘Fay same age maybe as you. But Fay not like you. Fay not work. Fay spend. Fay not care for little sister. Fay care for Fay. You Gloria, you not take nothing for nothing.’ But that still don’t explain to me why Henry keep talking ’bout me and Fay in the same breath. So I reckon there is something that he see ’bout how me and Fay is the same. He just not telling me ’bout it.
Then one day some sailor bwoy decide that he not going pay back the money he owe. He overdue three, four weeks now, and nuh matter how much I talk to him it nuh seem like he going put his hand in his pocket for one penny. He don’t even seem to care that the interest is adding up all the time he fuming ’bout how we tek advantage a him.
‘Not nobody tek advantage a yu. Yu come and yu ask me for the money and I give it to yu. I explain the terms and yu accept them. Nobody beg yu to come tek the money. If yu wasn’t such a drinker and gambler yu wouldn’t have get yourself into such a state. All me do is help yu because it seem yu cyan help yuself.’
Henry say we should do something. But then another two week pass and still nothing is happening. We nuh see trouble like this before. Usually one visit from Trevor would do the trick. But not with this one. Henry say we need something more than talk so I tell Trevor to tek a friend and go find the sailor in the bar downtown he always drinking in and tek him out back and show him that we not going just sidung and let him play the fool wid us. So that what happen. Trevor just rough him up little bit. But it turn out it mek the sailor so mad he decide to come up the house and give us some worse trouble than we give him.
So two days later he come and find Marcia on her own in the house because since she finish school she got nothing to do. Half the time she cyan even raise herself to go to the interviews I arranging for her. Good clerical positions wid men we already know. But she nuh care. She just lazing about every day and that is how he find her, and beat her. He beat her so bad we have to get a ambulance to tek her to the hospital. I feel so much to blame I didn’t know what to do wid myself except stay there and hold her hand while the slime and blood was thickening on her puff-up face. After they finish look at her the doctor say she got a broken arm and two broken rib. And that was on top a all the cuts and bruises she get from where he punch and kick her all over her body. She covered. Her back, arms, legs. Her face such a mess I couldn’t even recognise her. And she cyan see nothing because her eyes swell shut.
Henry say the situation bad outta hand. Not that I need him to come tell me that. He say we got to go get some proper help, and that there is a man down Chinatown that do this sorta thing for all the shops and such like down there. That we got to go talk to him to get some protection.
‘This not the same as protecting no grocery store from all the thieving and burning that go on down there. This is a different thing entirely. Yu think he going care ’bout us?’
‘You got suggestion? You know somebody make sure you safe?’ I cyan say nothing because all I can think about is how Marcia laying in the general hospital smash up like a rag doll and fighting to get the breath back into her body.
‘You go see.’
‘The Chinaman?’
‘Yes, Gloria. You go see. He see you he be kind. Take pity. Give good price.’
But I know Henry not just worried ’bout the money. He fretful for us as well. So I say OK, I will go. But that not enough for Henry.
‘You wear blue dress and head wrap.’
‘I am not going down to West Street dress in a get-up like that! Yu mad? Yu think I going get off the bus in King Street and walk down Barry Street dress like that? I wouldn’t even mek it the two blocks to Orange Street without some man trying to grab a piece a me and dragging me down into the gutter. Never mind how many women would be cutting their eye at me because they tek one look and decide they know my business. No man. It dangerous.’
Henry so fix on the blue dress he decide to tek a buggy and come wid me. He say the driver going drop me nearly outside the shop and he going wait ’round the corner ’til I finish.
The day we go down there it was hot-hot. And the dress so tight I was boiling up like a live lobster inside a it. I couldn’t hardly move without oozing six ounces a water from every pore. But that is what Henry want and that is what I do.
When I get there I just stand up in the doorway and stare at the three a them sitting there wid the beer bottles in their hand. The one Henry send me to see was wearing some shabby old cotton pants and a vest that he should have had the good manners to put a shirt on over. How Henry think this man can do anything to help us I don’t know. It seem he cyan even dress himself decent.
They jump up when them see me and brush themself down. I look straight at him and I say, ‘Yang Pao?’ I know it is him because he a Chinaman and the other two black African.
‘What can we do for you miss?’ Which is the big muscle one that decide to talk to me. So I look at the Chinaman direct and I say, ‘I understand you will sometimes offer a hand of help.’
‘What kinda help would that be?’
‘Help with a US sailor following an incident with my sista that put her in the hospital all beat up.’
‘So what he beat her for?’ the muscle man ask.
‘Just go see her,’ I say to the Chinaman. ‘That is all I am asking of you.’ And then I look directly at him firm and steady and I say, ‘Can you do that?’ And he say yes so I give him the piece a paper with the hospital details and tell him that if he want to help Marcia will let him know how to get hold a me. And I turn ’round and walk out.
Henry waiting in the buggy ’round the corner and tek me straight back to East Kingston where I go strip down and tek a shower and put on a fresh, cool housecoat.
Three days later Trevor come running into the house like a bat outta hell all full a excitement and jubilation.
Beryl say to him, ‘What fire catch your ass bwoy?’
‘The sailor tek a licking. Good and proper man.’ Trevor flicking his wrist and clicking his fingers so to make that sound a the lash of leather on skin.