No Pain Like This Body by Harold Sonny Ladoo Page A

with­out opening her eyes.
    â€œGet up woman! You son in de kiss me ass house!” Jasso shouted.
    â€œDis woman son dead and she drunk,” Pulbassia added. “She lucky she have a husban like Babwah I tell you. He just wastin he time wid dis dry ass woman.”
    Ma didn’t move.
    Pulbassia took a cup of water and threw it vash in Ma’s face. But it didn’t help. Ma didn’t even open her eyes.
    â€œWell I never see dis modderass ting!” Jasso swore.
    Nanny walked into the kitchen same time. She heard Jasso’s remark. “Why all you womens dont shut all you tail! Me dorta is not a rum drinker like all you nuh. All you Madrassi bitches is de biggest rum drinkers in Tola. All you forcin rum down she troat all night, and now all you sayin she is a drunk­ard. But it have a God in dat sky. He seein all you.”
    The women didn’t talk back to Nanny, because she was talking the truth. Nanny went to the rainwater barrel with the enamel dipper. She got some water and came back inside the kitchen.
    â€œWhich part I is?” Ma asked.
    â€œYou in de kitchen.”
    Pulbassia and Jasso giggled.
    â€œIf all you womens have to laugh, den go in de road and laugh. Dis house have a dead in it.”
    Nanny held Ma’s hands. She lifted her a little. Pulbassia and Jasso watched. Ma stood up. She leaned against the earthen wall. She breathed deeply through her mouth; her breath smelt of rum. Nanny led her out of the kitchen. With great care Nanny helped her to the ricebox. Ma leaned against the ricebox, and Nanny sponged her face again.
    Ma said, “0! 0! Me head spinnin me.”
    â€œTouch Rama head. Dat is all you have to do.”
    When Ma heard Rama’s name, she shook her head; opened her eyes; looked down.
    â€œO God . . . “
    â€œDe woman drunk and de woman mad!” Pa shouted. “Move she away from here!”
    And Ma: “You kill me chile. Rama was well well. You is de cause me chile dead today . . . “
    â€œI tell all you de woman mad!”
    And Pulbassia: “All you move de woman away from here. She drink rum and she only goin to make trobble.”
    Ma stooped down. She touched Rama’s forehead; she touched it easy easy, then she grabbed it real hard. Nanny pulled her away; Nanny had a hard time pulling her away; Ma was strong; drunk and strong. Ma had fire in her eyes and the strength of a cow. But Nanny held her and pulled her as if she was tugging a bundle of green paragrass. Ma was strong strong. Nanny had to pull and pull. Ma gave up. Nanny guided her into the kitchen. Pulbassia and Jasso followed her into the kitchen. As soon as Nanny went into the backyard to see about the coffee again, Pulbassia opened a bottle of rum and pushed it inside of Ma’s mouth. Ma made a lot of fuss, but Pulbassia put her knees on Ma’s chest and poured the rum into her mouth. Then she pulled out the bottle. Ma shook her head from side to side; some rum fell on her thin neck, then she dropped flat on the ground.
    At first Ma was a little restless; she turned from side to side like a sick dog; saliva leaked from her hard mouth and tears rolled out of her sad eyes. The women watched her as if she was a bad animal. Pulbassia spat on the ground and said, “If she just try to get up one more time, I go pour de whole bottle of rum in she mout.”
    Sunaree and Panday were sitting on a potato crate by the tapia wall; sitting and watching the villagers; sitting and watching Rama all by themselves. They were not crying; they were only sad like.
    Nanna walked up to them. “All you want coffee?”
    Nanna didn’t even wait for an answer. He went in the backyard and got two cups of black coffee. He carried the coffee by the tapia wall. Sunaree took hers, but Panday said, “Me eh want none Nanna. It have a dead in dis house.”
    â€œTake it boy.”
    â€œMe eh want none.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œBecause I not want