Dara Healy
A worn mas Christmas
Dara E Healy
“I am the Pierrot
With word abilities fuh so
I am an orator from prolonged up to now
And bonjay, I might fight too!
Me and my band of pierrot
Utter we space
We defy colonial masters
And take over the roar
With we bois and speech
We safeguard we culture
Something forgotten
By this tiring evening robber
Neatly, is Christmas time
And he in suppose
Let we seek if he coast endure in thoughts
Who he the truth is alleged to be
The protector of we neighborhood.”
MIDNIGHT ROBBER stood in the alley blowing his whistle, making halting steps. It became as soon as 3 am and the light yellow of the boulevard lights cast eerie shadows.
“Boy, hush with that noise, nah!”
A gallery light flicked on.
The neighbours were passe to his behaviour when he couldn’t sleep. On the total, his classes would ultimate closing except he worked out no matter became as soon as troubling him. became as soon as troubling him.
But this time became as soon as a form of. Michael the Middle of the evening Robber had lost his ability to dance.
It occurred some months up to now. He became as soon as liming with guests, some he knew from schooldays. They moved in a pack, retaining up contributors, most steadily annoying cash from potentialities or breaking into homes.
It started as a shaggy dog sage, however then Tony, or Gold Teet, as all people known as him, began to escalate. He and J, his on-and-off female friend, challenged the others to take vehicles, rob groceries; they even beat up an aged man and stole his pension.
After they left the aged man for tiring, they ran laughing to one among their spots, an passe abandoned constructing in a rundown allotment of the neighborhood. Though J became as soon as mute at faculty, Michael realized she became as soon as allotment of a community of criminals with gain admission to to remedy, weapons and more.
As they were counting the cash, J took out a gun, a 9mm pistol. The others oohed and ahhed after they saw it, passing it spherical, brandishing it. “This proper ailing, J,” acknowledged Maljoe. J handed the gun seductively over her physique. “Robber, obtain it, nah. Help a proper gun.”
Quickly after, Michael obtained a job to entertain childhood for a Christmas birthday celebration. He blew his whistle and gave a speech he had written about being honest and kind.
But when it became as soon as time to flip and twirl, his physique refused to respond. Quickly, his lack of ability to dance began to beget an tag on his writing and, at closing, his sleep.
The solar began to come up. Michael felt defeated. He walked to the dinky creek on the fringe of the neighborhood. He sighed closely, took off his hat and lay down on his relief. He closed his eyes and, for the first time in months, he slept.
Then he heard a noise. Standing in entrance of him became as soon as Tiny, his mom’s cousin, who stood over six toes. Uncle Tiny became as soon as one among a prolonged line of tiring evening robbers in the family. Seeing images of him in costume had inspired Michael.
“What you doing, boy? You attempting to disgrace me or what?”
Michael tried to talk, however Uncle Tiny cut him off.
“That hat you wearing, you don’t even realize it come from royalty in Yorubaland.
“Allyuh worn masqueraders don’t take care of to read relating to the ting. A girl call Leave out Warner-Lewis recount how a truly great guests in a Orisha Competition in Nigeria does put on the hat with the fringes. She even recount that dem hats is what Egba chiefs from the Ogboni society does put on.”
Uncle Tiny talked for a truly prolonged time relating to the warriorhood and which arrangement on the support of the tiring evening robber masquerade. About how the dance of the tiring evening robber is also found amongst obvious peoples in South Africa. Sooner or later, he pleased Michael to stop running with the team and focal level on therapeutic and conserving his neighborhood thru the masquerade.
Michael urged his mom relating to the conversation with Uncle Tiny. She sat down by the kitchen table.
“Chile, Uncle Tiny tiring ’bout ten years now. I am hoping he convince you to replace yuh ways. God knows ah attempting.”
Michael placed on his tiring evening robber costume, his cape and hat – gently touching the fringes. He hung the whistle spherical his neck however left the toy gun.
It became as soon as Christmas Eve and the childhood were outside. He blew his whistle and began to proceed and proceed except he disappeared into a cloud of filth.
The childhood stopped taking part in and gazed on the majestic tiring evening robber. They’d by no arrangement viewed one thing as ideal.
Dara E Healy is a performing artist and founding father of the Indigenous Creative Arts Community – ICAN
