Bam Ba See Am Look Thing
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Otancia Kai Noel is a Trinidadian born writer and tutor. She holds a degree in Mass Communication and Literature from the College of Science Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago and an MFA in creative writing from the University of the West Indies at St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Her short stories have been featured in The Caribbean Writer Magazine, Hodder Island Voices Caribbean Contemporary Classics, BarBar online literary magazine USA, Lolwe Pan African Literary Magazine and Solar Punk online magazine. She says, “I write to keep memories alive and for my own therapy. I have always loved writing as a form of expression, creating a representation of ideas and memories for fiction and non-fiction from the Caribbean. Our narrative voice is unique and we offer the world a different side of language, history and culture.”
Otancia earned the 2022 Hachette and Hodder Education UK Island Voices Caribbean Contemporary Prize and the 2021 Vincent Cooper Literary Prize for Caribbean vernacular and a fellowship for the International Literary Seminars in Nairobi, Kenya. When not writing, she enjoys gardening, reading and cooking. Otancia’s upcoming projects include a novel and a collection of short stories.
Bam Ba See Am Look Thing
BY OTANCIA KAI NOEL
©2024. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
GLOSSARY (In the order of appearance in the story)
Bam ba see am look thing – Wait and you will see what is going on.
Jahaji bundle – Everything you own
Hototo – Plenty or a lot of something.
Bam ba yuh go see am – Wait and you will see what will take place, usually meaning something bad would happen.
Bobolee – A person who is considered stupid and is being used or beaten up on by someone.
Steeups – Loud sucking sound made through one’s teeth indicates sarcasm or vexation.
Agouti – An animal that looks a bit like a large rodent.
Cusumay - To let something soak or settle in.
Dua – A prayer made by Muslims.
Bacchanal – Confusion and chaos
Mang – Mangrove
Jab Molasse – A carnival masquerader character.
Nowehrians – People who have no fixed place of abode or who is always roaming from one place to the next.
Things in swing on The Compound; The Khalif and Abi, meh father, them is Lords in they own little world. Well, is more The Khalif is the lord and fellas like Abi them is knights or barons and then the rest ah followers is commoners. Well, allyuh get the picture, right.
Anyhow, Abi finally move we out ah the rat hole that was upstairs in The Compound apartment block; he did build he own house in the back ah The Compound. So, my mother, Umi, “cyar complain no more ‘bout moving from we big, nice house in south and coming to live in a rat hole.”
Well, yuh know they say way man go, woman does follow. So, beside Umi leaving she good place in south, following she man with she jahaji bundle ah chirren to come and live in this godforsaken land in town; hototo gul coming to take shahada now and join the ranks ah Compound wives. Time for Abi to get wifey number two, in line with The Compound fashion. Well, as the wise heads say bam ba yuh go see am with this ‘tory.
Abi take he second wife, Sister Rasheeda formerly Mona, and bring she to live with we. Yes, in we house; the one he build for meh mother. He put a extra bedroom downstairs, it was supposed to be a guest room. Well, guess what, I guess, Abi knew he had other plans. The woman Abi take as he second wife was young. Very young, a few years older than me at the time, I was fourteen back then. She claimed to be eighteen; although even if she was eighteen I still ent understand why a big hard back man like Abi want to marry a eighteen-year-old.
Well, some old man always like young chick even now that ent change. He new wife did look older than her age too eh, too much night dew. But since no one had checked her identification card, I couldn’t be sure. She and she sister had run into some difficulty where they were living in a house at St. Paul Street in town with some other young girls and a few fellas. One ah the fellas, who was she sister man, end up falling out with the others over some drug thing. He suddenly see God and had come to The Compound seeking rescue and refuge, bringing his girlfriend and she sister in tow. They found accommodation with Sister Wakila, who was a elderly matron living in one ah the upstairs apartments. She and one or two other families used to take in most ah the women that came, until they had set up one ah the apartments for new sisters who had nowhere to live.
This is how it used to go for women joining The Compound. It had classes on The Compound such as sewing and cooking, religious classes, health class; all collectively known as The Sisters’ Classes, one or two used to join the secondary school with us. We had we own private primary and secondary classes.
“So, our children would not get into the madness of that society out there,” according to our esteemed Khalif.
And so, our new sisters were quickly inculcated into The Compound life. Soon, it was time for them to find husbands. So, now, we come back to how Abi get he wifey number two.
Allyuh following me? I know it kind ah confusing the way I talking. But the best part ah the kuchur coming.
So, ‘tory around was that one ah them girls have she eyes on Brother Al Haqq the up-and-coming general ah The Khalif, meh father. They say he was checking out this chick from the corner ah he eyes because he did fraid meh mother.
But up to now, I don’t know one person who I could say did fraid meh mother she was so dowdy and quiet; “a complete bobolee when it come to Abi,” is not me say so was Grandma, she own mother, ok.
Anyhow, one Saturday after Sisters’ Class, sister Wakila tell meh mother she want to talk to she. Sister Rasheeda, one ah the new women, sticking to Wakila like she dress tail. Well, yuh know I sit down in the corner playing I minding the baby while they talk. But is big people business I really minding oui.
And this Rasheeda girl sitting down with them, eyes down blushing. Watch me, the baby I was minding couldn’t do a better job than she mamayo. If yuh see how them eyes did batting down and she neck draw in like fowl when it sleeping. But let me tell allyuh coral snake does look pretty and harmless, eh. She was a shorty, thick red girl, big, big breast and real bottom, nice enough face, she eye was big and doe-like.
Anyway, sister Wakila relating to Umi how Rasheeda is interested in Abi, and she thought she should come to Umi first as his wife and as an elder sister, showing respect nah. That is what do the trick eh. Umi feeling like a bite up shilling, watch this young girl who she sure could just wink at Abi, and he go fall; but instead, the girl come to she ‘respectfully.’ “Steeups,” boy even the baby who was in my arms smell that cock and bull ‘tory and could ah see wolf in sheep clothes, because he start to bawl for tea at that moment.
Anyway, when the idea of her husband taking a second wife was floated to her, Razia seemed to welcome it. I was stunned.
“The baby hungry and I have to go home and cook. Take a note eh Rasheeda, Haqq likes his food fresh and hot; we could talk later and see how things go.” Umi giggling like some seventeen-year-old and I wondering if meh mother done finally loss all she marbles in one game. Must be all them cuff she did get in she head from Abi now start to take effect.
Well, while we going home, I had to say something even though it might’a get me in hot water for ‘minding adults’ business.’ But like Umi was so taken up in she thinking that I get away from a buff.
“Umi is married she was asking you to married Abi, what wrong with she?”
“Oh gosh, the girl is a nice quiet girl. You just don’t like nobody. It’s good to help those girls. What yuh go do? Send them back on the streets? And your father will eventually start looking for a wife or The Khalif and them go look for a wife for him anyway.”
It all sounded very magnanimous of her until you understood her ulterior motives for promoting this crazy idea. Although, my father was a leader, senior, and founding member of The Compound, the community perceived him as a man who was under his wife’s control because he did not have a second wife. In my mother’s opinion “that is why he does behave so; sometimes because he feeling stressed and less.” The behaviour in question here is the kick and cuff that she does collect sometimes and all the machoistic, man is boss, and woman is horse nonsense that he spews.
Naturally, my mother saw it as her duty to fix this problem and to redeem her husband in the eyes of the gossips. As well as she told me, she wanted him “to feel like a man and not feel pressured as he did not have a next wife,” because other brothers poorer than him and in lower rank had two and three wife and, in her words, “this will make him less hostile towards me.”
“Yuh too young to understand when yuh get older yuh will see yuh does have to do things sometime make sacrifice for betterment” or so Umi said.
So, she tell Abi the ‘tory and tell him he should marry the girl. At first, he declined, “a little too saucy looking for me, not my type.”
“Boy yuh too chupid, that go make you look and feel good, she quiet man and pretty.”
Well, me ent really know who was the chupid one here, nah. Abi, for refusing or Umi, for suggesting. Make yuh pick. But Grandma used to say, ‘if people laying road for agouti to run, hell, it go run?’ If I was my father, I guess I would’a run wild, too. So, he eventually agreed.
Recognizing that my views didn’t count, I dropped the subject with Umi. Anyway, I couldn’t push meh luck with getting into big people business, again. Because I would’a surely get the rod of correction from Umi or worse yet from Abi.
Que Sera Sera, talk done, big wedding everybody smiling, Umi smiling the biggest smile, until she lips ready to buss at the seams. But remember that all skin teeth is not joke eh.
Second wife move in. At first, life was coconut trees swaying in the wind and beaming sunlight. With two wives, Haqq was no longer ‘a pussy.’ Now, he could call heself man. My mother was basking in her role as elder sister-wife, treating Wifey number two like a princess.
If anybody did ask me, I think it had everything to do with her trying to look all cool and supportive. Also, the idea that other sisters from The Compound could’a find solace and a good example in meh mother accepting, orchestrating, supporting her husband and ‘taking it like a soldier’ was an accomplishment for her. I mean the men was praising the effort of Sister Razia and letting their wives know to take a page from her book and some ah the women were also patting her on her back. Well, my two-pence is misery like company and some men does use whatever they have at hand to control women.
While that cusumay in yuh head, let me get to the cut arse that girl set me up for ‘bout two months after the wedding. Umi get permission to go spend some time in Arma because Grandma was not so well and according to Abi, “Razia, yuh finally show some guts and support me instead ah crying for everything, Yuh husband is well pleased with yuh.” I never see meh mother mouth broad so in all my life, except for at Abi second wedding.
But to me he was well pleased with his new domestic setup, two woman in one house; one to continue doing everything for yuh; down to running by the door when yuh come home and taking off yuh shoe and one to dress up and fan yuh night fire. And boy the pats on the back from them brothers up front, I swear the man did win a Noble Peace Prize or something. Well, it was a swearing in ceremony, I guess, he joined the exclusive pack ah two wives and the elite few who also had two wives living in the same house or in two joint apartments.
He was even pleasant and calm home, “Keturah, love come and recite some dua for your Abi, good just a little more attention to remember, ok.” And Umi face did not have a swell on it for a whole two months.
So, Umi and meh brothers went Arma. I stay with Abi and wifey two. It was the July holidays, I was doing a little technical class in the school next door, an electrical course.
Plus, I suspected that Abi wanted me to stay home too, Poor Man. After one day of experiencing his new wife’s meal-Umi let her cook a Sunday Lunch once- of lentil peas suspended in water with floating flecks of Golden Ray Margarine, served with a soup that was allegedly rice, and mushy sorry macaroni salted pie, I fully understood why he would want me to stay.
At age fourteen, I was with the program, no girl child of Abi’s was “going to be lazy and don’t know how to take care ah she house and man.” And being able to do domestic chores was one way to keep on Abi good side, so I was a budding Martha Stewart, taking pride in meh cooking, cleaning, washing, and ironing clothes. A real homemaker.
On this Friday night I had everything under control. With house clean and food cook, I was ready for the chicken and chips lime by Sister J down the apartment's corridor at the front of The Compound. Come out meh room in meh little fancy dan dan. Rasheeda on the balcony is ‘bout that time when the blackbirds looking to find they hole.
“You ent mind, I going in front for some chicken, you want? If I ent come back time Abi reach just tell him I up front buying chicken, thanks eh.”
“O’right, don’t worry, I will tell him I sent you and yes bring two pieces for me nah.”
I should’a know, eh she was all honey and cream. Twenty minutes later, I in the corridor waiting for meh chips. Abi voice come thundering, he barged into the corridor. “Keturah Al Haqq!’” He ranting, “how dear you leave my house for hours without permission from anyone.”
Woosh! Woosh! Belt in the air. Paw! Paw! as it connect to meh behind. Licks start to share like rain; He put a cut-arse on me in front ah everybody before hauling meh ass back home.
“A woman must be obedient not no loose cannon. Rasheeda is the woman of my house too eh; never in yuh life again disrespect her. Just walk out ah here like yuh turning your own key.”
I climbing the stairs after my long walk ah shame, Rasheeda in the balcony above looking down at me; a vine snake. It was just the beginning ah a pattern ah deceit which, to me, was calculated to divide our family and turn Abi against us. In her attempt to give meh father a more macho reputation among The Compound members, and better her life with him meh mother clearly had no clue about the forces she unleashed.
I couldn’t get over meh shame and Abi bark at me for the whole time and I was thinking that the two months licks Umi did not get he was about to make up for it on me. All he wife doing is acting like she in a five-star hotel ordering thing from me, keeping she fat arse in the bedroom and not she makeshift bedroom that they did make downstairs eh, upstairs in Umi them room. All night I hearing she and Abi ruction going on and, in the morning, I like Cinderella Haqq.
Time Umi them come home I was so happy, yes. But bacchanal was now going to start. Soon, Abi was getting back to he old self more than ever and the sneaky little lies of he new wifey start to creep in and pile up turning him more towards her and away from meh mother.
“Razia, yuh just jealous, ask Allah forgiveness woman,” was the mantra of the days whenever Umi even tried to defend herself or her children, even meh brother them start to feel the wrath.
Well, although she turn out to be younger than we thought, she had real big woman head. How we find out she age, fifteen, is a next tale for some other time- she was not at all the innocent meh mother had assumed her to be.
Anyway, since Umi was only acting up, Abi take Rasheeda by her newfound mother to give Umi a chance to get she self-back together. She mother, Miss Mavis, was supposed to be dead, but turn out to be alive. Abi misunderstood. Mind yuh, we never hear ‘bout Miss Mavis before eh.
Mind yuh, Abi never see she mother when he drop, she at the doorstep, I was with him. Still on he watch-list, he take me for the ride for “a father daughter talk.” ‘Bout five days after the same mother, Miss Mavis, show up by we looking for Rasheeda with a whole different story about she and how she end up on the streets. Long story short the mother say, “mister if you know what good for yuh let Mona come out yuh house she is only fifteen and she own way since I get she when she was nine.”
Abi and some brothers went and find she. The same house Abi did drop she by was the house way she and she sister was living with all ah them fellas before they come to live on The Compound. Miss Mavis was a woman that tried to keep Mona on the right path. They was friends who drop out ah school together, runaway went and live by man and went on a downward spree, until they end up on The Compound. Buju Banton was in town that week was endless party it had. Meh girl went and free up a bit. Abi beat she; I think it was more out ah shame knowing the big general young wife went and party out. After all that and Umi telling he to “let that underage girl go back way she come from.” She even try to frighten him with the authorities.
Of course, Rasheeda all sorry and innocent now. “I was frustrated and Razia keep harassing me when you not here,” was her cry to Abi. Abi done get back sweet on the pumpum; he not giving up he wife.
Plaw! Slap, Umi collect a next gift from Abi.
“Is your fault Razia you start to frustrate her with your jealousy, big woman like yuh, eh look see what yuh cause!” And he eat breakfast, get dress, and leave in a huff.
‘Eh eh, what Umi doing I ask mehself’ as we break the door me and meh big brother, Khalid come home from Quran class. Umi scampering around Rasheeda room like a mouse. Well, we gone upstairs, change we clothes and coming back down to eat, same time the two lovebirds come inside Abi did take Rasheeda to get some hijab in the Indian bazaar.
Umi in the kitchen me and Khalid, halfway on the stairs and Ham and the baby upstairs playing.
“As salaam wa alaikum”, Abi saying.
“Haqq this is the end; get she out ah here!” Umi come round the step in the little storeroom section, pot in one hand like a projectile missile and a bundle in next hand, some bloody looking clothes swinging from a piece ah string that was tying it up. It was looking like when yuh have a big roll ah thread for a cat to play with. Well, we like we in a trance on the step and Abi, like it taking him a few to get he bearings. And as usual wifey all quiet by he side.
“Look! look what I find in she room, the girl working obeah she trying to tie yuh.”
Then, lo and behold, she shake out the bundle and it look like one ah Abi vest that was roll up and tie up in a bloody panty or me ent know if it was red paint on it with some bush and smelling stink, stink; worse than one ah them concoction Grandma used to make when we sick.
“I find this stuff in she draw!”
And the projectile missile found its target. Watang! Clank! Abi and wifey cat spraddled out the door and we fly back upstairs. In all meh life I never hear or see meh mother behave like that; it was a different being in the house.
Next thing all we hearing is Clatank! Clang! Bang!
“Get out get out yuh devil. Oh God oh God oohhhhh!”
Khalid was brave he gone downstairs to see what happening and he see Umi was just pelting out stuff from the house. The mattress from Rasheeda room she drag it outside with a bottle ah pitch oil and light a fire. Plates, pots, pans, clothes, and anything she could ah move downstairs was pelt outside through the front windows and the door that she had mash up too. The smoke from the fire start to get thick and black and it was coming closer to the house. Umi still going at a pace and real cussing too.
Khalid fly back upstairs and me and he looking through the balcony from upstairs. We leave Ham and the baby in meh room. Abi like he so shock, he just outside staring at what Umi doing like he in a movie and then just so Abi start to choke Rasheeda right there in the yard way them stand up.
“Obeah! what you do girl audhbillahi min shaytan ir rajim, Allah help me.”
“Grrr ahh!” “Tongue hanging out, Rasheeda grab on to he hands but he to strong she beating up like a fowl, she big eye getting bigger and in two twos she pass out and Abi just let she fall to the ground. Then, Abi just gone running like he possessed, he heading for the mang. One thing with Abi he didn’t fraid nothing eh but mention that word obeah and he used to get green. He had a brother that did dead from that when they was smaller and he never like no kind ah obeah talk or thing round him.
We thought Abi kill she, and we had to get out and do something before the house burn down. Khalid move quick he run upfront to call some brothers and Umi friend who was living close did done hear the commotion and see the big fire and she come and take we. But she was frighten to try to stop Umi who was still going on a rampage inside, oblivious to anybody and anything. Rasheeda, she still out cold in the yard, I try to bend down to see if she breathing but Umi friend say, “don’t touch she.”
Time Khalid come back I peep through the door by Umi friend house, three brothers went in and get Umi they had to hold she down and she still ranting. Brother Mahmud, we doctor, was on the scene too he revived Rasheeda with some smelling salt. She look a little bang up and frighten but she was lucky. And he gave Umi some injection that make she get quiet, she looking like them mad people we does see looking through the window in St James by the madhouse.
The Khalif reach on the scene a few minutes after, if you see The Khalif he and all looking like he turn too-tool-bay when he see the happenings. Then, I see the broom pushing out the back door and he white thoub following it. Well, yes look The Khalif sweeping up break glass downstairs. I see some ah the brothers went down in the mang to look for Abi.
Next thing we see them coming from the mang with Abi. He was unrecognizable, looking like a pit-bull that had escaped and run amuck. With eyes red-rimmed and skin black and caked with stink mangrove mud from head to toe, all he needed was a set ah horns and a stick to become a Jab Molasse.
And after that episode that was finally the end of wifey number two. The Khalif them pack she out by she mother with a little settlement to help she out and I feel to shut she mouth. I tell yuh “Bam ba see am left nowehrians way you find them,” Grandma used to say.
Years later, I went to St. Vincent on a little holiday, but there did not have much Muslim. Of course, when people know way I from they all want to know if I did know anybody from the famous Compound in Trinidad and about what I think about the next wife thing.
“We hear them Muslim men there like to control and treat women really bad.” The questions and comments came at me fast and furious. As we discussed the ‘two wife thing,’ somebody mentioned a woman from Trinidad who had taken up residence in that island. Her story was that she had joined The Compound as a young girl and was given to a senior member of course against her will as a concubine. What followed was a tale of woe, beatings and all kinds ah abuse too horrible for your little ear. Some of it, the lesser of the evils mind yuh, her having to serve the first wife, do all the housework, as well as take-off the husband shoe, kiss he foot and wash he foot when he come home. She fled, afraid they will hunt her down, unfortunate thing and ended up there under the patronage of an old man, ahmm.
You want to guess who it was and what was the senior man’s name?
Hum, look tan ta nah here Lord…