Wakanda News Details

Baby Doll gets her Christmas wish - Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

Dara E Healy

A traditional

mas Christmas

'Oh ho! Don't play you didn't know

I am a pierrot, like the griot from long ago

They say I am French, but only in name

My clothing and speech are from Africa I proclaim!

From the Yoruba came the strips of cloth

In honour of the egungun

Or those who have passed

Enough about me for now

Let we get to the story

It's Christmas time

And Baby Doll in a quandary

There is something she wants more than anything

If you want to find out

Listen to me!'

BABY DOLL sat down on the pavement in front of a block of buildings on the eastern side of the city. As usual, in her right arm she cradled her baby. The child, with light skin and blue eyes, was a symbol of her struggle, but also her resilience.

Like many of the other young girls in the community, Baby Doll was fooled by men who promised her everything. But in the end, after their fascination with her youth and beauty faded, and confronted with the reality of a child, they would leave her with nothing.

Baby Doll managed as best as she could, although it was difficult as a single mother to care for her child and meet all her other commitments. She sat on the pavement lost in her thoughts, ignoring the cruel comments from passers-by and the fussing of the baby. Christmas was coming and what she wanted more than anything else was a family.

'Whappen to you gyurl?' Paul was a blue devil from Paramin and Baby Doll's best friend. They met one Carnival when Baby Doll was being harassed by a group of men, just as Paul and his band of blue devils were passing. Well, I don't need to tell you what happened. Licks! Fire and brimstone! The fellars ran off bawling and screaming for the police. Baby Doll and Paul fell down in the road laughing hard. Anyway, back to the story.

Paul started poking Baby Doll and sticking out his bright red tongue. But this time Baby Doll didn't fall for his charms. 'What you doing for Christmas?' she asked?

'What we does always do. Come down in town to blow fire and make people shopping for Christmas pay de devil, heh heh. Why all of a sudden you so interested in Christmas? I thought all you wanted to do was look for the child father. Maybe you looking for something that right in front ah yuh.' Paul winked at her suggestively.

'I serious Paul. This Christmas…ah want ah family. And ah want to put away meh place, like everybody here does be doing. Ah ask Ms Jane to help meh, but she busy because she man Surisima home these days.'

Suddenly, Paul saw his friend differently. His heart felt full. He stood up and put out his hand. 'Come.'

'Come where?' said Baby Doll. 'Just come.'

Paul took her to his home in Paramin. His mother had almost finished putting away the house for Christmas - new curtains, the floor and furniture freshly polished. And the smell! Fresh bread baking, black cake, ham ready to be cooked Christmas Eve, sorrel and ginger beer in the fridge. It was just like Baby Doll imagined. She felt her eyes burning with

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