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Short and sweet for yah, Pepper. 
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Port Royale – Jamaica (June 1692)
Maggie lounges on the verandah chair, but the late afternoon breeze does little to break the ominous heat. Anxious for the others to arrive, she goes in the house for another shot of whites, carrying the half empty bottle and four glasses back with her. A few moments later, Maggie hears Katia ride up. Tessie and Moni arrive shortly after, and she pours the rest of the bottle in all four of the glasses.
‘Oonu noh seh whattagwaan.’ Maggie looks to each of the woman, who in turn, nod their head. ‘Fadda James gawn a bush inna mawn. Nuff tings agwaan up yah soh. ‘im naah hexpect fi reach bak ah chree day dem. Wi hab ongle likkle time fi dweet.’
‘Eberyting criss, my gurl.’ Katia kisses her teeth at the worried look from Tessie. ‘Wayne noh wah fi do. Yuh tink im reach rank fram run chupidness.’
‘Fadda James naah tink ah wi weh im tief dem tings.’ Moni adds, before raising her glass. ‘Wi haffi dweet.’
The rest of the women join her.. even Tessie, but as she drains her glass, all she can taste is the fires of hell.
Early the next morning, Father James leaves the church on schedule headed in-country to St. Elizabeth. A few minutes later, Wayne’s crew arrives at the church to find Katia already waiting for them. Now dressed in her black nun’s habit, Sister Katia looks neither the saucy wench from the previous day… nor the calculating conspirator.
‘Carry come quick!’ Katia waves the trio over to the side door of the rectory. ‘Oonu tink fi tan inna road weh smaddy si yuh… cho!’
The group piles through the doorway and Katia carefully peers down the street, before she is satisfied no one is looking, then locks the door behind her.
Maggie, Tessie and Moni are waiting in the rector study. The group rises when Katia and the crew enter, but Wayne stops short of the door and suddenly peels into laughter.
‘Lawx oomen - mi belly ah buss.’ Walking up to Maggie, he lifts her nun’s habit up to her ankles before continuing. ‘Coodey pon alla oonu laaang black frock dem. A who guh deaded?’ He laughs at his feeble joke, but the serious undertones – and the purpose of this meeting - are not lost of Maggie.
‘Wayne! Weh yuh mannas?’ Katia scolds her brother, licking him on the head. ‘Yuh greet di sistas propa!’ Although the leader of a shotta crew, Wayne has spent a lifetime getting licked by Katia. However, he knows better than to cross her and his laughter dies, as he does as she bids.
The four nuns sit down at the study table as the men pull up chairs from around the room. ‘Disyah eberyting im hab.’ Maggie starts, pulling a piece of paper from her habit, laying it on the table. ‘Wi stawt wid di ting dem upstair. Ah chree ‘our wi haffi gawn.’
This is the first time Katia has seen the complete list of items Father James ‘teif’ from the parish. Maggie has been busy, she muses. The list she saw nearly 4 weeks ago was only half as long.
‘Yuh noh who all dem tings fi reach? Wi ongle hab chree day!’ Maggie smiles and pulls another piece of paper from the folds of her habit. ‘Eberboddi pon disyah list ‘ere.’
In a little over two hours, the first part of their plan is complete, and shortly after Wayne and his men leave with the wagon of items. The four nuns hurry from the church back to Maggie’s house. Changing into regular clothes, the women quickly load up their own wagon and head to their rendezvous with Wayne.
No one speaks until they are well out of town, and Tessie cannot hold her question any longer.
‘Yuh tink God figive wi?’ No one offers to answer her question and she doesn’t bother to ask it again.
However, Maggie firmly believes He does. They are merely giving charity back to the poor and oppressed. That she would be gaining a great deal in the process… was only an added bonus.
‘Poverty and obedience stawt at home.’ Katia muses. ‘And Fadda James gwine hab wan vex homecomin’ fi troo.’ She adds laughing. ‘Im tink fi hole chastity pon di wickedest city inna di worl’. CHO!’
‘Mi gwine dance an wineup soh tonite.’ Moni coos. ‘an buy wan red frock….’
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Port Royale – Jamaica (June 1692)
Maggie lounges on the verandah chair, but the late afternoon breeze does little to break the ominous heat. Anxious for the others to arrive, she goes in the house for another shot of whites, carrying the half empty bottle and four glasses back with her. A few moments later, Maggie hears Katia ride up. Tessie and Moni arrive shortly after, and she pours the rest of the bottle in all four of the glasses.
‘Oonu noh seh whattagwaan.’ Maggie looks to each of the woman, who in turn, nod their head. ‘Fadda James gawn a bush inna mawn. Nuff tings agwaan up yah soh. ‘im naah hexpect fi reach bak ah chree day dem. Wi hab ongle likkle time fi dweet.’
‘Eberyting criss, my gurl.’ Katia kisses her teeth at the worried look from Tessie. ‘Wayne noh wah fi do. Yuh tink im reach rank fram run chupidness.’
‘Fadda James naah tink ah wi weh im tief dem tings.’ Moni adds, before raising her glass. ‘Wi haffi dweet.’
The rest of the women join her.. even Tessie, but as she drains her glass, all she can taste is the fires of hell.
Early the next morning, Father James leaves the church on schedule headed in-country to St. Elizabeth. A few minutes later, Wayne’s crew arrives at the church to find Katia already waiting for them. Now dressed in her black nun’s habit, Sister Katia looks neither the saucy wench from the previous day… nor the calculating conspirator.
‘Carry come quick!’ Katia waves the trio over to the side door of the rectory. ‘Oonu tink fi tan inna road weh smaddy si yuh… cho!’
The group piles through the doorway and Katia carefully peers down the street, before she is satisfied no one is looking, then locks the door behind her.
Maggie, Tessie and Moni are waiting in the rector study. The group rises when Katia and the crew enter, but Wayne stops short of the door and suddenly peels into laughter.
‘Lawx oomen - mi belly ah buss.’ Walking up to Maggie, he lifts her nun’s habit up to her ankles before continuing. ‘Coodey pon alla oonu laaang black frock dem. A who guh deaded?’ He laughs at his feeble joke, but the serious undertones – and the purpose of this meeting - are not lost of Maggie.
‘Wayne! Weh yuh mannas?’ Katia scolds her brother, licking him on the head. ‘Yuh greet di sistas propa!’ Although the leader of a shotta crew, Wayne has spent a lifetime getting licked by Katia. However, he knows better than to cross her and his laughter dies, as he does as she bids.
The four nuns sit down at the study table as the men pull up chairs from around the room. ‘Disyah eberyting im hab.’ Maggie starts, pulling a piece of paper from her habit, laying it on the table. ‘Wi stawt wid di ting dem upstair. Ah chree ‘our wi haffi gawn.’
This is the first time Katia has seen the complete list of items Father James ‘teif’ from the parish. Maggie has been busy, she muses. The list she saw nearly 4 weeks ago was only half as long.
‘Yuh noh who all dem tings fi reach? Wi ongle hab chree day!’ Maggie smiles and pulls another piece of paper from the folds of her habit. ‘Eberboddi pon disyah list ‘ere.’
In a little over two hours, the first part of their plan is complete, and shortly after Wayne and his men leave with the wagon of items. The four nuns hurry from the church back to Maggie’s house. Changing into regular clothes, the women quickly load up their own wagon and head to their rendezvous with Wayne.
No one speaks until they are well out of town, and Tessie cannot hold her question any longer.
‘Yuh tink God figive wi?’ No one offers to answer her question and she doesn’t bother to ask it again.
However, Maggie firmly believes He does. They are merely giving charity back to the poor and oppressed. That she would be gaining a great deal in the process… was only an added bonus.
‘Poverty and obedience stawt at home.’ Katia muses. ‘And Fadda James gwine hab wan vex homecomin’ fi troo.’ She adds laughing. ‘Im tink fi hole chastity pon di wickedest city inna di worl’. CHO!’
‘Mi gwine dance an wineup soh tonite.’ Moni coos. ‘an buy wan red frock….’
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