Truth will always surface

by Ekaterina Major (United States of America)

Making a local connection Jamaica

"Be careful out there baby, Queen Nanny doesn't like white people" - said uncle Mike when I was packing and was about to leave to Moore Town. It took me a while to figure who I was speaking to - uncle Ron or uncle Mike. They are identical twins with the same exact voice, body language and style. A birth mark gave uncle Mike away. I caught myself thinking I've achieved quite a milestone by recognizing that one birth mark among others on their always relaxed faces. "Jamaica no problem!" - that's what people who live there always say. Uncle Ron and Mike have probably said it once or twice, but rather than talking about having no problems during challenging times, they would embody serenity and some sort of zen while gracefully going about their day. Some people may refer to their living situation as a total creative mess and that was obvioulsy the last thing on Earth they would worry about. If they ever worry. Having been born and raised in Jamaica and having moved many times from one part of the island to another, attended multiple schools, kicked out for being bad boys, they have eventually become sound engineers and music studio designers well known for their quality production within the music circles in Jamaica and the States. Being an artist myself, I was thriving in their space filled with amazing soulful reggae, jazz, old rhythm n blues and multiple artists of different caliber passing through. Both uncle Ron and Mike have lived in the United States for a while and they both have families and children there. Uncle Mike even has a wife. At some point they chose to come back to their roots to live a quite and simple island life again. They both are in a non-traditional long distance relationship with their families which all parties have agreed to. When people think of Jamaica, one of the first things that comes to one's mind is marijuana, it's availability and its scent in the air. Both uncle Ron and Mike claim they are allergic to the plant and its smoke. Smoking absolutely anything is a taboo in their home and a sign of disrespect. This rule is extended to all annoyed family members, artists and anyone else who wish to be around them. Looking in their eyes you see their inner children smile and sometimes smirk at you. They both can see people through. They were always proud of this special ability and always enthusiastically supported their claims with life experiences and tales from the past. As the time went by I was more and more honored to have had an opportunity to stay with them and get to know them better. Uncle Ron and uncle Mike are not my real uncles. Home is where your heart is. People you love and who love you back unconditionally are family. Or fambily, as they say in Jamaica. Queen Nanny is the only female national hero. She led the movement against British colonizers and had succeded in securing freedom for the Maroons as well as land where Moore Town still stands. She was said to be an obeah woman and she didn't like white people indeed. Neither did the local mosquitos. Extreme care was required to get down to the majestic place Nanny Falls is. The energy of the place is so powerful and grand, it feels like time doesn't exist anymore. All you are left with is that magnificent beauty, serenity and your body and emotions in the raw. As I submitted to the power of crystal clear water running down, some sort of energy was forced out of my body and was accompanied by me screaming in agony for a few minutes. It was getting dark fast and I was getting weak and sleepy due to the energy cleansing I have experienced. I was walking back in complete darkness with the man who's smoked Mary Jane right outside of my uncle's house and who they said was "no good" for me. They really meant it when they said they could see people through. I had to grow to accept the truth eventually.