Ilka Hilton-Clarke

ilkahiltonclarke@gmail.com

<<Macaw

There is Light in her Soul

By: Macaw


Copyright© Macaw,1958

 

Macaw Stories

 

Sunday evening Claude arrived home from a hard day at the beach to find his house in darkness, his wife sitting in the dark gallery rocking, and no visible signs of dinner.
To some of you this may not sound so extraordinary, but to Claude it was like the end of the world. His wife possesses that rare quality in wives - she knows her place- and always has his dinner hot, no matter what time he comes home.

Claude's immediate conclusion was that Millie had gone mad.

Cautiously he approached the rocking chair and inquired:

"Millie, wha' happen' ? You feelin' awright ?"

Still rocking, Millie heaved a deep sigh, " Boy ,ah now start to be awright."

" Why the house so dark? Wey mih dinner ?"

" Boy, the house ent dark, it have light in my soul".

***

Claude was thunderstruck; Millie had never shown any signs of madness before. He was greatly concerned about her.

"Buh ah want food, man. Ah starvin',"

"I ent see about no food. I went an' see Billy Graham."

"Billy Graham ? Is who name so ?"

Millie heaved another sigh.

"Who name so ? Billy Graham is the man what save my soul, yes. He tell me to watch and pray."

***

Satisfied that his wife was not so much mad as carried away, he began to get a little tough.

"Look woman, you bes' had watch and pray ah doan lick yuh dong here tonight. I ent know who is dis Billy Graham tes', buh ah see he go get you in trouble."

Milli flew into a rage.
"You cyar call he a tes'. He came quite from America to save mih soul. Before I leave here dis afternoon I was a sinner, an' whole day ah was sinnin', buh he tell me he doan mine how ah sin, he go save mih.

"He tell me to akcept. An' ah akcept. An' he save mih soul."

Claude hurled an alpagat at her:

"He save yuh soul but he ent go save yuh skin. Ah givin' yuh las' chance. Go an' get mih dinner, ah say."

But Millie was too new a convert to bother about a little thing like blows. All she said was:

" De en' a de worl' comin' and yuh studyin' dinner. Yuh dinner on de stove cole, go ahead an' eat it. Buh when the angel arks yuh wey you was when ah did bring home de message, ah hope you tell he you was eating callaloo."

Having delivered a last warning, Millie burst into a song, or rather a hymn, the chorus of which warmly invited one and all to "Come to the Fold".

***

She was still at it when Claude finished his callaloo, cold as it was.

"Look Millie", he said, " ah tellin' yuh straight, ah really doan feel like beating you tonight, buh if you doan stop rocking and singing dat hymn, an' if you doan shut yuh mout' about soul and sinner and t'ing, ah go really have to go against mih nature an' rough cuff yuh."

"Cuff mih, nuh," Millie replied " I ent care bout mih body; is only mih soul. Ah was comin' home to make you see de light an' get you to akcept, but I ent worrin' again.

"I goin' an' encourage yuh to sin-up yuh soul. Ah go see you doan redeem. Because when yuh see ah go up in heaven, I doan want yuh dere harassin' mih."

February 4, 1958, Macaw

to the top