James Marlon - John Crow's Devil

The crowd laughed in uneven rhythm. Some had never felt tension so tight.

“Bligh. Bligh, stop embarrassing yourself. Stop embarrassing the God you serve. He forgives you. I forgive you. In good time Gibbeah will forgive you. And you know what? I’m sure somewhere deep down in Hell even your brother forgives you. Did he trip, did something he saw push him over, who can tell these days?”

No sound came from the crowd.

“God was there, Bligh. God was there the day your brother died. It must have felt really — what’s the word I’m looking for? What, what, what. Noooo, not that one, no that’s too … no … I know! I know the word you would use. Heavenly. Le petit mort . The little death. Must be something for a man to see his preacher brother mounting his wife like a dog bucking a bitch. You see this man?” York shouted. He was circling Bligh as he spoke. “Everybody in Kingston knows this man! Everybody know the destruction this man unleash from his pants! Everybody know about you and the in-law!”

“She wasn’t a bitch … th, th, that have nothing to do with this.”

“But it has everything to do with this, you uncouth negro.”

The Apostle continued to circle the Pastor as he spoke, but then stopped right in front of him. Close enough for Bligh to see the scar below the Apostle’s lip.

“You think that because your clothes are washed clean suddenly your soul is white as snow? You think purity comes from washing soap? Why don’t we all do it like you, Hector? Here we are sanctifying ourselves before the Lord, covering ourselves in the blood of the lamb, when all we needed to do was take a bath. But I believe your story, you know, Bligh. I think he just tripped. Ever hear a neck break, Bligh? You think there would be a crunch because of bone, but it’s almost like when you snap a carrot.

“Thwock!”

The crowd jumped. The Apostle’s face was less than a foot from the Rum Preacher. He whispered.

“But I’m sure he forgives you. I’m sure the woman would write a letter to you right now, if she could get two sentences out without crapping herself. Did you know she was in Bellevue? Stop making a spectacle of yourself. Please. I could let this town know all about you, but you know what? Even I believe in redemption, Bligh, and you’re an old man. Show some dignity and stop embarrassing God.” The Apostle York turned his back to him and walked to the church. Mid-stride he turned around, smirking.

“Besides,” he shouted, “I’m sure we can find some way to occupy you in church! Maybe a broom to sweep the floor. You’re already doing it with your arse.” The man in black walked away while the man in white held his ground.

Lucinda followed behind the Apostle quickly, stopping once to glare at Bligh.

“Ye are of your father, the Devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do,” spoke the Rum Preacher.

The man in black stopped.

“He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in truth, because there is no truth in him.”

“Bligh.”

“When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh his own: for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

“Hector Bligh, by all that’s Holy.”

“Not a damn thing bout you Holy, but I know you.”

“I serve the way and the truth and the light,” countered the Apostle.

“Your light blacker than black. I know you.”

“You know me? What do you think you know? Half of your mind you already burn away with liquor. You who throw your dung on God’s altar. Backward Kingston boy lost in country, what do you think you know?”

“I know bout your red books and your black books. And I know why you come here.”

“Rhetoric, rhetoric, so much rhetoric. Tell me, does God have His hand up your arse? You being a dummy, I figured, but God a ventriloquist? This is new. You’re mad, Bligh. Such a sad development. There was a time when people smiled when they spoke of you. Now they laugh.”

“Then let them laugh. Who laugh last, laugh best. Soon there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. But I will deal with you first.”

“Deal with me? You know who I am? You—”

“I know who you come for.”

“Bligh. Don’t come near this church again or I’ll—”

“Ephesians Two, verse twenty. Ephesians Three, verse five.”

“Bligh.”

“Second Peter One, verse twelve to fifteen.”

“I swear I will …”

“Jes—”

The Pastor hit the ground before the Apostle felt the spit and blood on his own knuckles. He raised his hand to punch Bligh again but stopped suddenly and turned away laughing. He laughed all the way back into church and closed the doors. They swung open and he grabbed them quickly, forcing them shut.

It was soon coming Easter.

The Apostle tell we to chop down plenty coconut leaf, cause the next Sunday is Palm Sunday. Him goin make the pickneys put on show right in the church! We no see so much excitement since Miss Fracas dog give birth to cat. Anyway, it was soon coming Easter.

Everywhere did lay down with coconut leaf. From the pulpit, right down the aisle, all the way out the door, down the step, and out the road. Some of we who never used go to church now go every Sunday cause you know you goin see signs and wonders! We see man who couldn’t talk, talk, and man who couldn’t walk, walk. Is Jesus Christ Himself who send the Apostle to Gibbeah.

The Apostle tell we to sit down. But that is lie, him never tell we. All him do is look at we and we know. That is how the Apostle good! Him know we before we know we! When him want people to do something, him just look pon them a certain way and them do it quick. Anyway, we sit down and the old man who play organ start play. Then Lucinda get up and run to the door. She waving her hand and telling somebody to come inside.

Coo pon the show! As soon as she step aside, the first two come in wearing pretty purple cloth, the expensive one that the shop have to order and take three week to come. Then two more little pickney come in. Them have candle in them hand and sheet over them head that tie round the forehead. Them look like little angel. Two more come in and still two more, a girl and a boy. You should a see what come next! A big boy come in the church pulling something behind him with rope. Him pull and pull, him even cuss pon the quiet, but the rope don’t budge. Then him make one almighty pull and lo and behold, is donkey him pulling into the church! People start clapping like clapping goin out of style. And who fi deh pon the donkey, but the nicest, sweetest, prettiest, beautifullest little boy. We did think that only Mr. Garvey nephews did so cute with nice skin and pretty hair, until we see say is wig the boy was wearing. A long brown wig on him head and cotton balls pon him chin fi make him look like Jesus. Talk bout excitement!

All of them line up at front of the church and start to sing My Cup Is a Running Over. The Apostle wave to the choir and everybody start singing too, but the little Jesus was the loudest voice. Is was the sweetest thing! So sweet that we never hear him right away, but then little by little some of we notice that one sound wasn’t goin along with the music. Is then another wave start roll over the church. This wave did tell you say something did wrong and was getting wronger. In no time all church did quiet cept for the little Jesus who nobody did tell fi shut up. Soon is was just the two of them, the Jesus boy singing My Cup Is a Running Over at the front and the Rum Preacher screaming bout the pit of Hellfire and damnation at the back. Him come in when everybody was looking at the pickneys, so nobody see him. Now him standing in the middle of the church aisle and pointing to the pulpit.