Delroy: The Revenge of a River Mumma"

         

It was that time. Delroy had reached a pivotal point in his life, as he is about to complete his right of passage of transitioning to the after-life. He had been under the tutelage of his parents, as they tried grooming him to become one of the most fearsome duppies in the district. Inevitably, both parents wanted him to be just like them, which unfortunately had him in a pretty precarious position. His mother Matty, was the infamous duppy that haunted and tormented the people of the district. According to villagers, she would usually claim her place under the big banana tree that covered the stop sign at the end of the road. Apparently, this was her usual hang out spot for many years before she died.

Matty was a miserable young woman. Her neighbor's and the other villagers were shocked to the discovery of how young she was after seeing her obituary, which completely contradicts the age she portrays on a daily basis. She executed the decorum and rapport of an eighty year old widow, which made it even more surprising that she was just half that age. Matty start her daily haunting as early as six in the morning every day like clock-work. The young children of the district could hear her laughs and groans echoing behind them on their way to school each morning. The older folks, some of who knew her personally and understood a bit more about spirits and their afterlife, could even smell the aura of her favourite cologne permeating the streets on her birth and memorial days respectively.

“Matty a sweet up fi Mas’ Joe deh,” the villagers would say laughing as they try to mask the fact that she’s a terror by day and nuisance by night. Being so young, Delroy was never allowed to legally haunt any of the villagers until he had officially completed his transition and achieved his license. Nevertheless, being an only child, his mother spoiled him, as she was trying to woo him to choose her side over husband’s side. Delroy would take all the learning opportunities that he would get from his mother, and the little practice he received laughing at the children on their way to school, seem to have created a firm foundation for his development. Despite being the seedling of his fearless mother, who was a ‘coolie duppy’, which is considered to be one of the most lethal of the lot, Delroy was a bit of a coward in her eyes. Delroy being in his matriculating years, was afraid of gospel music, the cross, holy water…typically anything that was affiliated with the Christianity and or Jesus, as even in the grave, he still feared HIM. This was the only thing Matty and Mas’ Joe seemingly agreed upon in their many years of marriage, and even in their after-life. Even though they lived in a happy home in both realms, they were never able to see eye to eye on many things. The villagers often alluded that it was a result of Matty’s eyes still being stuck at her knees, and Mas’ Joe being as tall as a moon pon ‘tick. However, they still made the necessary the decisions to ensure that Delroy was raised in a loving, well-rounded and disciplined home.

Mas’ Joe on the other hand, was the complete opposite of Matty. He was jovial and well respected within the village among people of all ages. Mas’ Joe, Big Joe, Joey Boy and Mas’ J were just a few of the names he was affectionately called on a daily basis. He was the only butcher within the district, which takes three days to reach both ends from East to West, therefore, his fame and wealth knew no bounds. Mas’ Joe had hands of gold. Anything he touched was blessed abundantly. You could take a twenty pound hog to him, and he slaughter it so good that you received five pounds of bacon, ten points of ham, eight pounds of trotters, five pounds of pig’s tail, fifteen pounds of lean and ribbed pork, assorted sausages and hog head that would be able to feed your family for a month or two.

Mas’ Joe had a large farm with herds of cows, sties of pigs and coops of chicken with a neatly erected slaughter house in the corner of the farm across from the barn. Bougain Villea District had their village lawyer and priests, and Mas’ Joe was their village butcher. If you were ever in need and requested assistance, Joey Boy would gladly outstretch his hands offering you substance whether it may be food or words of wisdom. The more Mas’ J gave, the more his blessings overturned, and after he realized this, he gave more willingly.

Unfortunately, despite the many persons that loved him dearly, there were still a few that abhorred him for very strange reasons.

“How him can have that and me cya get it”, “him gwan like him better than people you see” “a muss teef him teef and start off so…” these were just a few of the comments riddled with jealousy that was aimed at Mas’ Joe for being the kind, peaceful man he was. This was also the reason why his wife Matty was miserable, as she would often hear how they tarnish his name behind his back, and smile in his face- they knew how to wear different masks well. Consequently, this evidently lead to his death as they knew how kind he was, unscrupulously went to him seeking assistance, and slit his throat. Mas’ Joe died within minutes after losing too much blood, most of which ran to his eyes, as his murders saw their reflections in the redness of his eyes. To no surprise, Mas’ Joe was buried soon after with a funeral as big as Bob Marley’s. Many even said it was even bigger, but as you know, statisticians don’t really do good checks in these rural areas. Shortly after his burial, his wife Matty, and son Delroy died, and there was an evident tremor when Mas’ Joe turned in his grave. However, to every dark cloud there is a silver lining, as he was once again reunited with his family.

Mas’ J would still tend to his animals on his farm after his death, as he camouflaged himself to one of his mightiest bulls, with horns of steel, a chain so thick that it could pull Titanic from the depths of its shipwreck, his eyes were red, blood red with the reflection of three men as his pupils, and his nose blew steam as hot an active volcano, with a huge ring on his septum- a Rolling Calf as they would say. His rage quadrupled since his transition to the afterlife. The once kind and compassionate man the villagers once knew, became the most dangerous of all the duppies in the past century. Acclaiming his post, and sitting on his pedestal, he tried his best to groom his son Delroy to become as success as him in the haunting industry, as he hoped that he would inherit the throne after he decides to retire. After all, he could easily hand the throne to his wife, however, the vengeance in her heart would wreak havoc on the villagers for the unfair treatment they allotted to her soul mate Mas’ Joe.

Delroy however, was fonder of his father’s teachings as he aspired to become as great as his father in all aspects of his life and endeavours. He never once portrayed a cowardice persona around his father, as the essence of Mas’ Joe gave him courage, so much so, Joe Boy gave him the opportunity to represent the family in their quarterly necromancy in St. Mary. Though it was illegal, it was their little secret as Mas’ J was grooming his son in the best way possible. Despite that, Mas’ Joe knew in the back of his mind that Delroy would not have been as powerful as he was, but at least he would be an incubus, ghoul or a poltergeist of some sort. Upon embarking at the gates of the afterlife, Mas’ Joe wanted to see what eerie demonic possession he had acquired innately in his transcendence to the afterlife, so he sent him on a quest to haunt the village pastor in an exorcism.

The pastor started to chant scriptures from the New and Old Testaments, the Gospel of Luke, The 12 Apostles, the resurrection of Jesus and the whole nine yards, but Delory held his ground and battles with the Christian-folk on their playing ground, as they prayed that this duppy would take itself away with its paranormal presence. Realizing that they were no match for a young, enigmatic duppy as Delroy, the village pastor sent for reinforcement in the form of his older brother, who was the leader of a Pocomania-Revival church. The Myal drumming could be heard from a distant with their distinctive sounds. “Boodum Boodum clap, Boodum Boodum clap” set the rhythmic tone for the shrieks of voices chanting in tongues, with their bodies gyrating to the beat as they made an impromptu balmyard for Father Frankie to perform his form of exorcism, with a J Wray and Nephew Quart bottle filled with white JB rum and Calabash leaves as his vial. As the kumina dancers continue to make the séance stronger, Delroy was starting to lose his concentration. After all, this was not something he was fond of…he just wanted to make his father proud.

Father Frankie could not be missed. He was dressed in a bright yellow and white robe, with a yellow and white scarf wrapped around his cranial lobes, with a pencil and ruler on either side. Father Frankie was obviously well trained in kumina, as he skanked differently from the others, which may be insinuated that that’s his way of harnessing his full power. The ebullient singing of Father Frankie’s choir ignited a circle of red candles surrounding the incumbent that Delroy had occupied, and it was at this point, Delroy had realized he was trapped. Mas’ Joe however, looked on from a distant and was preparing the defence of his son the moment he saw Father Frankie’s arrival to the scene. To this day, Mas’ Joe has been the only duppy to singlehandedly defeat Father Frankie and his troupe. This was when Delroy was just a baby duppy, and was only being used for simple tasks like blow and hold dung and them things. Mas’ Joe watched in admiration as his son had already impressed on his first spectre, and was ready to take over and set his son free before his mother, and the relevant authorities had find out, as Delroy was still too young to be out on haunting missions- and an exorcism at that. Mas’ Joe bottled up with rage and fulfilment from his son’s achievement, pounced upon Father Frankie, who was bamboozled at his arrival, dropped the glass vial that had trapped some of Delroy’s essence and ectoplasm, releasing him. They both disappeared instantly, with Delroy riding on his father’s back, as if they were holding hands.

As the time drew closer to Delroy’s transitioning to becoming a fully legal duppy, both of his parents were convinced that he would’ve chosen their side. Little did they know that even though Delroy had appreciated all that he had learnt from both of them, he had different intensions for his future. Ever since he was a baby duppy, Delroy always had aspirations of becoming a banshee, but, as you might know, you might understand the biological hindrances that stopped that dream. As the years went by, he began to explore his options, however, he was still unsure of what he wanted to transition to on the night of his metamorphosis.

One peculiar evening, he was on a routine haunting stroll with his mother Matty, when he overheard a conversation amongst the villagers, as they were gossiping about Mas’ Joe’s killers and their conspirators. He had heard so much that his decision of his metamorphosis was made there and then. Delroy found out that the three men who had murdered his father, gather at the river bank every morning before six o’clock, as they seek their daily staple of fresh water fish. He had devised a strategic plan to avenge his father’s death against these men, and he laughed hysterically all the way to his transitioning ceremony.

As he stood confidently at the Arc of the Crossover at the cemetery gate both his parents flanked him, confident that he would choose their side. To much surprise and calamity, Delroy had chosen to be a River Mumma at the end of the ceremony, which left Mas’ Joe’s bottom jaw visibly dropped below his hooves. Matty on the other hand, despite being shocked that her side was not chosen, was supportive of the decision of her son, and was proud of the fact that he had chosen a path for himself. After listening to the reason for his choice, Matty was even more ecstatic of his choice, and gave ideas on how he could possibly avenge his father.

After his transition, Delroy’s hair became more wavy and colourful. The coolie genes from his mother shone brighter than ever before. His ears resembled the gills of fish, and his nose bridge vanished, as if it had never existed and was replaced by two holes, and breathed air of fire. His teeth were elongated and pointy, and were so sharp, to the point they cut the breeze whenever he spoke, giving the appearance of him whistling while talking. His eyes became blood red, with the same pupil’s as Mas’ Joe with the three men who had murdered him, almost as if to say, they were marked for death. The other members of the purgatory stood in a mixture of shock and disbelief, as Delroy was inherited the shoulders and stature of his father, while maintaining the height of Miss Matty. The prince demon that was ordaining the ceremony was intrigued as he had ever seen such a transition, and was excited to see what terrors he can bestow upon the villagers.

The ceremony ended close to the usual time that Mas’ Joe’s killers would make their visit to the river in the district. Delroy, having a head start on them, made his way to what seemed to be their spot of luck, and submerged himself in the cool freshness of the river water. The further down he went, the more aquatic he became. As he swam around in the vicinity, the men made their way to the banks as he had anticipated. Mas’ Joe and Miss Matty had travelled behind their now legal teenage duppy son, and watched on the side lines. Delroy splashed his tail frantically, it sent chills down the spines of the men as they laughed and celebrated the fortune that awaited them. High fives and singing became gobbled up the air as they sang;

“Mas’ Joe dead and gone, and him nuh leff no will,

Only ting him lef, a di farm full ox-tail,

Pork and gizzard, chicken foot fi kill,

Beef mince and bacon, wid bout a dozen pig’s tail.

The more they sang, the more they laugh. Mas’ Joe and Matty however, started laughing as well. Big Joe, with his thunderous voice, laughed out “HA HAA”, while Miss Matty voiced her usual horrific laugh “Kehkeh kenkay”. This abruptly stopped the enjoyment of the three men as they try to discover from whence did these sounds came. As they turned in circles, the all were suddenly facing the river as Delroy, I mean River Mumma, emerged from the depths of the water with his blood red eyes piercing their souls and consciences. Suddenly, they remembered the name of the Lord and begged for mercy as they could only imagine what terrors were heading there way. In the blink of an eye, River Mumma had engulfed them with his presence, causing all three to piss their pants as they shook in fear. As they looked deep into River Mumma’s eyes, they relived that dreadful night when they murdered Mas’ Joe, and as they were about to beg for forgiveness, they realized that they were sinking deep in the realm of the dead, feasting on dead, rotten meat, infested with congo worms and fish guts. At this point, Miss Matty and Mas’ J was shocked at the extent to which their little Delroy, I mean River Mumma, had went to avenge the death of his father’s reputation and legacy.

Before long, Mas’ Joe had willingly willed the throne to River Mumma, as he had executed the characteristics of a true leader of the occult over time. Adding to that, Mas’ Joe wanted to finally rest in peace with the love of his life Matty, who had now found peace in the fact these men had been punished. It took the district two weeks to find where in the river Delroy had released the bodies. In a distance, they saw the three bodies floating faced down in the river, forming what appeared to be a triangular pyramid. As they tried to fish the bodies out the river, a huge rainbow coloured crocodile leaped over the bodies and stood guard, eyeing everyone that attempted to relieve them from the prison in which River Mumma had bound them to. This was the last time anyone from the village had made any attempt to remove or even view the bodies in the river. From that point, the members of the village could not recall any ghostly experience in and around the proximity of the bus stop at the end of the street, under the big banana tree. It was there and there, that the people of the district celebrated as Matty Duppy, Joe Rolling Calf, and River Mumma were all resting in peace.