Celestine's Dilemma
by
Austin Mitchell
“Mind you
kill him, Celes,” Eugenie shouted to her sister-in-law, as she came through her
gate. The woman had a big belt in her hand and her youngest son, Selvin’s face
was soaked in tears. There were marks all over his body.
“I was
passing and head the noise up here so I came to find out what’s happening.”
“I can’t
find some of the money that Sweetie sent for me. I feel that it’s one of them
who stole it, but nobody wants to talk.”
Eugenie’s
brother and Celestine’s husband, Ralston, had met an untimely death two years
ago in falling off a ladder and breaking his neck.
Sweetie,
was Eugenie’s and Ralston’s youngest sister, who migrated to England some
fifteen years ago. Most holidays but especially at Christmas she would send
money and clothes for her siblings and in-laws.
“I
changed it up at Mr. Roy’s shop,” Celestine informed Eugenie.
“Are you
sure you didn’t put it somewhere and can’t find it, Celes?”
“I know
where I put it under my mattress. I don’t have any man coming to look for me so
it must be one of them who took it.”
“Are you
sure that it wasn’t one of those boys from about the place.”
Celestine
considered for a moment.
“I went
down to Miss Birdie’s shop and when I returned I found the back door open. All
of them were at school. It’s from that time that I missed the money.”
“Celes,
you can’t put all of the blame on your children. It could be one of those boys
from out the road.”
“I’m not
one hundred percent sure. I’m not going to call the police because I don’t want
them to rough them up.”
“If I
return from Kingston this weekend the money is still missing they will have to
call police on me for what I’m going to do,” Celestine threatened and a shiver
ran through Eugenie.
“Celes, it’s tonight we have turning out for
Miss Zella and Sunday is Mister Benjie’s funeral,” Eugenie reminded her.
“I can’t
miss Miss Zella’s turning out and I have to be at both Mister Benjie set up and
his funeral,” Celestine replied as Eugenie left for her home to start preparing
dinner for her husband and children.
***
After
Eugenie left Celestine examined the big ring on her right hand ring finger. She
wore the ring after meeting some hard times at the market. She had gone to see
Cracker Jack, a science man living in Duffield district, five miles from their
village of Coffee Field. On at least three Saturdays she had gone to market and
sold not a single piece of produce. She was facing ruin as she had to fork out
money to pay people whose goods she had taken.
“Your
enemies are near, if you turn around, you must see them.”
Celestine
was puzzled by what Cracker Jack said.
Nevertheless,
she turned around only to see the big smile on his face.
“They are
the same blood and they are your best friends.”
“It’s
Cassetta and Merlene! They are doing this to me. I can’t believe it and look
how we live loving. Look how long we have our stalls beside each other.”
“They
sell off their produce every week, and you have to throw or give way your goods.”
It was
true, she hadn’t noticed how quickly they finished selling their goods.
“You have
to protect yourself from them. I am going to give you this ring to wear, but it’s
going to cost you. You can pay down on it and you’ll get it when you pay off
the balance.”
“I will
give you half the money now and bring the other half next week.”
Celestine
went into her purse and counted out the money before giving it to Cracker Jack.
He counted and pocketed it.
“All
right, once you have it on they can’t do you anything. What you want me to do
them?”
Celestine
considered for a minute or so.
“Let them
stay, Cracker Jack. They will know that their
plan has failed when they see me striving.”
“You are
a good woman, you don’t have a wicked heart. I will see you next week then.”
Cracker
Jack had given her the ring to wear and every other weekend since, she sold off
all the produce she took to Kingston. She saw the sullen looks on the two
women’s faces and knew that they were now her enemies and were to be feared.
Cracker Jack had recently strengthened the ring.
“He gave
me this ring and said that it was Cassetta and Merlene who were doing it to
me,” Celestine explained to Eugenie.
“You know
what, I think I’d better get one for myself. I don’t like how Miss Dulcie
behaves especially when I sell off before her.”
Celestine
told Eugenie how much the ring cost.
“He
should be able to make a cheaper one for me.”
Eugenie
sold in a different market and she reported to her the remarks being made since
she started wearing her guard ring but hadn’t paid them any mind
***
As
Eugenie finished walking the half mile separating her home from Celestine’s she
saw her sister, Precious, waiting on her.
“I am
just coming from Celes’ house. She lost some of the money, Sweety sent for her
last month. She says it’s one of her children who stole it. At the same time
she says that it could be one those boys from about the place.”
“She
probably spent it off or put it somewhere and don’t
remember. If Celestine ever makes Cracker Jack do anything
bad to any of those children, watch me and her.”
“All I heard her say is that if she returns
from the market and the money is still missing, she’s going to beat the truth
out of them.”
“How is
she sure that’s it’s not one of those boys from out the road? Why doesn’t she call police?”
“You
would want to put police on your children?”
“That
would a better than what Celestine is planning for them. She has beaten them
already. It’s Cracker Jack she is going to. But as I said before if she ever
let him harm any one of them, I must find the biggest science man in this
country and make him do her something.”
“Neither
me nor you know what Celes plans to do. So please don’t bother start issuing
any threats.”
“I have
to start dinner now as Joseph and the children will soon be home,” Eugenie said.
Precious
looked at her watch.
“It’s
almost two o’clock. I never know that it was so late. I’d better try and reach
home too,” she said.
“I will
see you tonight at Miss Zella’s turning out, Precious,” Eugenie told her as she
made her way into her kitchen.
As
Precious made her way home, she thought about
what was happening. Several persons in their village had
told her to go and have a look into her brother’s death. They felt that
somebody had pushed Ralston off the ladder and Celestine was to blame. Precious
had gone to a science man living near Coffe Field, by the name of Purcell.
“It was
she who killed Ralston. Watch the shadow pushing the tall man off the ladder.
You ever think how a man on a ladder picking coconuts off a dwarf coconut tree
could just drop off and break his neck?”
Precious
shook her head.
“I know
that it was she who killed him.”
“What do
you want me to do?”
“I have to check my older
sister first because it was she who sent me to you.”
“All
right, go, but if you want me to do her anything you have to come back
quickly.”
***
“You must mad or something, Precious. Cracker Jack is
the most powerful science man around. The blow you would send after Celes, would
come straight back at you.”
“He said
that it was Celes, who killed Ralston.”
“It’s
money Purcell looking to buy rum. He’s no good, do you see anybody going to
him? I am warning you, don’t bother to try anything against Celes.”
Precious
didn’t return to Purcell.
***
“Have you
found the money, Celes,” Sylvia, one of her friends, asked as they attended
Miss Zella’s turning out.
“No, but
now I’m not so sure that it was any of the children who took. I heard that last
night, Scully was down at Princess’ bar buying drinks for everybody,”
“What!
Old thief, broke pocket Scully, where he got money from?”
“That’s
what I’m wondering too.”
“Celes,
you should have reported it at the police station a long time ago,” Sylvia said.
On her
way home Celestine knew that if she reported it to the police, they would want
to know why she took so long to report the robbery. She would have to tell them
that she suspected her children.
Friday
evening the children helped her move out her load to the roadside for the
loaders on the truck to take it up. So Celestine left that evening for Kingston
her mind made up to punish whoever it was that had taken her money.
***
Celestine
arrived home that Saturday evening. She was in a sour mood as the market had
been bad and when she made her checks she was just about breaking even. All her
children were out there to meet her and help her take home her baskets with the
goods she had bought at the market in them.
Her eldest son, Bobby, had been to see her and
denied that he had taken the money. He was not Ralston’s child, but the latter had married Celestine when he was
a toddler.
She
attended Mass Benjie’s setup, but hardly socialized with the other villagers
and returned home in a sour mood.
On Sunday
morning Celestine went to church. Then she attended Mass Benjie’s funeral.
After she returned home and had dinner, Eugenie and Sylvia came to look for
her. They had also attended the funeral.
“So Bobby
said that it’s not him who took the money,” Eugenie stated.
Bobby
worked in a department store and was making rapid progress. He was being viewed
as a future manager and had gotten several promotions despite his youth.
“All of
them said it wasn’t they who took the money, but I’ve asked Sylvia and I’m asking
you, Eugenie to let your children spy on them for me.”
“I heard
that while I was in Kingston, Scully was spending big, he all got drunk. I heard
that Bello was spending big, too.”
“It
doesn’t have to be your money they were spending, Celes,” Eugenie remarked.
Celestine
had to agree with her.
“Bobby
should be here so that you could question all of them at the same time,” Sylvia
suggested.
Bobby was even more defiant when she told
him that she was going to make Cracker Jack reveal the thief to her.
“I will
tell my children to look out and see if any of your children are spending any
big money,” Eugenie said.
“I’ve told
my children already,” Sylvia stated.
“I asked Scully
and Bello if it was they who took my money and they told me some bad words.”
“I don’t
think it’s too late to call the police,” Sylvia advised.
Read the full story in 'Bring back the good old Days'.
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