Commentary
Dara Healy
DARA E HEALY
Times so hard you cannot deny
That even saltfish and rice I can hardly buy
As the war declare with England and Germany
Ah can’t drink a little bit a milk in me tea
But I would plant provision and fix my affairs
And let the war continue fighting ten thousand years
– Let them fight, Growling Tiger, 1942
THE PEOPLE peeped out of their windows and emerged from the alleys and crevices of the city. After months of conflict, it was hard to believe that peace had finally come. Mya walked out of the small apartment on George Street that she shared with her grandmother and little brother, surveying the devastation. She thought about her friend Sean, a fisherman who was killed during an attack at sea. She missed him and the plans they used to make. With Sean gone, her future seemed uncertain. “What we going an’ do now Mikey?” Mya looked at her brother and realised she would have to sort out her future later. It was a week before Christmas and she wanted to make it special for him. But how?
At just 19, Mya was used to having responsibility thrust on her. After Michael was born, she asked her mother where her father was. Her mother pretended not to hear. Not long after that her mother went to the US to work, saying she would send for Mya, Michael and Granny. But her mother never came back – Mya was eight and her brother, four.
Still, Mya finished school and was now studying for a degree in theatre arts. Living in East Port of Spain, she saw how important pan, Carnival and the arts were to keeping young people focused and away from crime. Plus, Granny was always humming old-time calypsoes from people like Lord Kitchener, Atilla, Growling Tiger, and Roaring Lion. Mya loved how they commented on everything that was happening in society through their music. She often longed for the days when there were calypso tents all over the city like Victory Tent, Calypso Palace, Young Brigade and Calypso Rendezvous.
Mya felt that something bad was coming when Sean was killed. The night before he went out to fish, they were texting each other. He was teasing her as usual about being an old woman in a young body because of her love for old-time calypsoes. And naturally, Mya informed Sean that he was weird for loving parang.
Mya made the best of Christmas for her grandmother and brother. They put up the little tree, sang old calypsoes with Granny and parang in honour of Sean. The new year was quiet, as many people stayed indoors. Carnival happened and just when it seemed that the tension had eased, the city exploded. Gunfights among rival gangs in the streets, police raids, looting and rumours that foreign troops were coming.
For months, schools were closed, then reopened, then closed again when tensions flared. Garbage collection declined and there was limited access to fresh fruits and fish. Blackouts happened regularly. There was some connectivity, but systems across the country were under tremendous strain.
As Mya walked through the capital, her mind cleared. She went to the major panyards and shared her idea. She reached out to the growing number of Venezuelans and other Spanish-speaking people living in the city, some of whom she had met through Sean. Everyone agreed to be part of her plan to return joy to the city for Christmas, starting with cleaning up their spaces.
On Christmas Eve, Mya, Granny and Michael headed to All Stars panyard. Mya had organised a traditional Christmas walkabout, with pan and parang moving from community to community. At the start, she spoke about the power of unity and kindness. People applauded, marvelling at the vision and confidence of this young woman. As Mya spoke, the parang band, made up of singers from TT and Venezuela, assembled behind her.
Granny hugged Mya tightly. “I so proud of you Mya.” And of course she started to sing an old-time Christmas song by Lord Kitchener. “So, what we waiting for?/Honey, leh we celebrate/Fill meh glass with more/I can hardly wait/Darling, this is Christmas Day/So leh we drink and say/Merry Christmas! Cheers to all of us!” Mya pulled Michael and Granny close. “Thanks Granny, I love you. Love you Mikey. Merry Christmas.”
Dara E Healy is a performing artist and founder of the Idakeda Group, a cultural organisation dedicated to empowering communities through the arts