Jamaica

As most parents would know, children are famous for bringing home all sorts of unidentifiable objects. This is why it is so important for parents to remain on task, scrutinizing their children's belongings when they come home from school every evening.

I can recall the first time that Granny taught me the importance of cherishing your own items and never borrowing items from someone else unless they were an extremely close relative.

At the time I was in Kindergarten and my close friends and I, China and Natalia formed a little girl's club where we used to exchange each other's jewelry. At first, we decided to keep it a secret, because as most Caribbean children would know, West Indian parents scoff at this sort of thing. For us, it was fun to pretend that we were shopping in a jewelry store on our recess break. The idea of the club actually came from my friend Paulina, whose father had owned a jewelry store on King Street, so she taught us the finer points in buying jewelry and how to be good Shop Keepers.

One day, after playing "Jewelry Shop" in the school yard for several hours after school, we all scampered home forgetting to return each piece of jewelry to the respective parties. My Granny had come to retrieve me to take me to her house for the remainder of the evening, so I left school in a hurry.

Once I got to Granny's house, both my Grandfather and her would scrutinize my belongings. They went through each book, page by page. They wanted to make sure there were no cryptic notes or letters from the teachers that I may have forgotten to pass on. They examined my hair to make sure that the clips and bows I left with in the morning, were the same ones I returned with in the evening.

Granny also made sure that the hairstyle I had in the morning was the same style I returned with, and that no one had taken the liberty of re-styling my hair.

Granny and Grandpa were like the Immigration Officers at the airport, there were no foreign objects allowed in their house. Unless it was a gift by a family member. They even investigated the candy bars or goodies that we got during the course of a day.

They would even verify information with family members just to make sure that they were all on the same page.

As I sat outside on the front step watching my Granny water her plants, I saw her looking at me strangely. I wondered what had gotten into her. She turned to me and said. "Ms. Mags where you get that necklace from?"

I looked at her quite surprising, not realizing that the borrowed jewelry that I had wore home was peeking through my school uniform. I had my friend's necklace and she had my bracelet in return.

"Granny what do you mean?"

I looked around my neck, there it was, "force ripe" China's very grown-up necklace around my neck. My two eyes bulged out of my head in dismay. I had to come clean.

"Granny, we made up this game where we exchange each other's jewelry. We call it jewelry shop."

Feeling quite proud and entrepreneurial, I sang the praises of my childhood make-believe establishment.

Granny turned to me quite seriously and said, "Come, get your belongs, we are going straight to the school this moment. You are going to return this piece of jewelry now!!!!"

Then she looked at my wrist.

"Where is your chaparita that your Auntie gave you?"

"China has it Granny."

I had a look of fear in my eyes because Granny was in rare form. I had never seen her get so wraughted with anger over a situation. She started scolding me.

"So tell me something, China's name is Margaret? How can China wear a bracelet that has your name on it. I'm surprised her parents are not raising cane yet."

"Granny, I really don't know why. We just play the game for fun."

"Fun eh? Now suppose this little child go home and tell her parents that you take her necklace. Just like that you are in a mix, Come, hurry up! Put yourself together we are going to see the Headmistress right away!"

Granny dragged me by the hand all the way through the streets until we reached the schoolyard.

Everyone saw Granny coming a mile away. By the look on her face they could tell she was not a happy camper. People were running and dispersing like they heard news. Granny asked me for my friends' names.

"What are their names, especially the one who owns the necklace?"

"You mean China Chung? Then there is Paulina Rampersan and Natalia Mazouca."

"Alright, go and look if you see them romping in the school yard."

I took a quick survey of the school's property and I did not see my friends anywhere. It was late, and music students were the only ones left there waiting for their parents to arrive. I hoped that Granny would forget about the whole issue and I would exchange the jewelry the next day.

At that age, I had not gotten a good "grasp" of my Granny yet.

She asked to see the Headmistess and took me along to her office.

Granny began her tirade, "Ms. Headmistress, my grandaughter and her friends have started a silly game where they have been exchanging each others personal items for fun. In our family we do not condone such a thing. Margaret knows better than this and I am asking of you to please call the parents this moment so we can get matters straightened out."

The Headmistress apologized to Granny. She told her that they try to do a good job monitoring the children, however, it was virtually impossible to catch every little thing that they did. As most parents would know, children can be quite cunning when they want to.

The Headmistress called the parents but they were either not interested or not home. Granny was seething with upset at this time. Then she remembered, on occasion, a driver would pick us up from school and take us to our respective homes. Granny asked me if I remembered the route.

"Ms. Mags, since we have not been successful here, let's follow the driver's route and go to China Chung's house, night is not going to fall and you still have this child's necklace. Not as long as I am your grandmother. Besides, I don't even think that your grandfather will even let us in the house if we come back with the necklace."

Granny and I re-enacted the school driver's route and we were able to find China Chung's house. China's mother was sitting on the veranda sipping a glass of lemonade. Granny went over to her and introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Sister B and this is my grandaughter Margaret, your daughter China goes to school with her. Apparently, they have been playing some silly game where they exchange jewelry and this evening I noticed that Mags had on a strange piece of jewelry. Strange in the sense, that I had not seen it on her person before. She tells me it belongs to China, and that China has her chaparita."

Mrs. Chung was quite shocked, "A gwey give dat pickney a slap cross her head, how many times a tell her not to borrow people's tings, China! China! Come here!! Dat chile tek out mi good, good necklace . Gawn go parade it at school. I gwey gi ar sum licks yu see.!!!"

Poor China was timid and clinging to the walls, she did not want to face her mother. From the looks of Mrs. Chung, you could tell that she was a typical Jamaican parent. You just knew that at any moment China's hands and bottom was going to be blistering with pain. It was a tense scenario.

Granny immediately ordered me to give the necklace back to China.

"Mags give China her necklace, now China, we would be very pleased if you gave Margaret back her chaparita."

China began to bawl, because she lost the chaparita on her way home.

She looked at her mother, as if begging for mercy.

"Mummy, I don't have the chaparita. I lost it coming by the gully from school."

Her mother exclaimed, "Lawd Jesus Christ! I gwey bust you shut in here today! Go bring me de strap!"

Granny looked sorrowful and began commenting, "You see, this is why I tell you not to mess with other peoples' things. When you go a- borrowing, you go a-sorrowing. Mrs. Chung please don't punish your little daughter because of this. Just let it be a lesson to all the girls that they are not to exchange each others' items. There are plenty of other games they can play. I have spoken to the Headmistress and she understands my point of view. I don't think that this will ever happen again."

Mrs. Chung was grateful that Granny was very understanding. She offered to replace the bracelet, but Granny told her it was not the same. The sentiments that were behind the bracelet could not be replaced. It was just an expensive lesson that was learned.

With that note, Granny thanked Mrs. Chung and departed with me back to the house.

All the way home Granny kept yammering, "When you borrow things from somebody, sometimes you bring down crosses on yourself, that's why you should not use other peoples' things. It has energy of its own that can be transcended to you."

In my mind I was thinking, "Lighten up lady, I'm only in kindergarten."

Back then it seemed like a dreadful situation that made my Granny go off the deepend, but today I am thankful she made the dive.

How many times have we heard in society that someone was wrongfully accused of a crime because they were wearing an item belonging to someone else or perhaps driving their car.

I have heard horror stories of children bringing home guns and drugs from school and the parents have no idea until a tragic event occurrs.

These are only a few of the reasons why I sing my grandparent's praises everyday, if it weren't for their homemade, scientific, detective skills only the Lord knows what horrors would befall their children and grandchildren when they stepped outside the door. So as an adult whenever I go and return from somewhere, I always make sure, " that everything is everything", like they say in Jamaica.

People may try to set you up by planting contraband on you, but if you dot your "i's" and cross your "t's" they will have to rise to the occasion.