The title of my story probably conjures up thoughts of my Granny spewing tunes while backed up by an amazing band, however, I am actually referring to Household help in Jamaica.
"Helpers" were always a very important part of Jamaican life. They enabled families to go off into the world confidently to seek careers, while providing for their loved ones.
My Granny was always a stay-at-home mom because, my Grandad only wanted Granny to care for his children and make sure that the household was running properly.

Although Granny was raised in a household filled wilth helpers for various chores, after marriage, Granny wanted to be a "Do-it-yourselfer". Granny wanted to raise her children herself, take care of the house herself and cook for her family. It was definitely a destination she had never journeyed to before. Nevertheless, she was determined to succeed. Granny realized her goal was a bit unrealistic, once she had eight children and became involved in her church activities. That's when Grandad intervened and instructed Granny to get helpers, so she could be more available to her children.

Here goes Granny's account of, "An Array of Helpers". Granny used to always tell me, "Ms. Mags, being a wife is a hard task, it is not just fine china, good times and skylarking. Sometimes you may have to enlist help, and believe me, it is no picnic!"

So I sat down and listened to Granny intently as she recalled the early years.

"Mags, the first helper I got to help me with the babies, guess what she did?
I had to go to church for a meeting, I asked her just to fix up some fish for me and feed the babies dem cornmeal porridge. Simple enough...right? Well, my dear child, she fry up the fish with the scales still leave on them, and the porridge she boil and give the children was not cooked properly. My children stomach puff up like a popcorn bag. You know how Grampy was particular about his food? So when Grampy came home, I don't know how the roof never fall off.It was a hurricane! Well, let's just say that the first helper retired prematurely."

"So what happened Granny?" I asked eagerly.

"I went to church and ask my church sisters to recommend somebody. They sent me this woman name Queenie. That should have been a hint. One evening Grampy and I went to a tea party, so we left her in charge of the brood for the evening. I wasn't feeling so well, so we came back home early. Ms. Queenie was having a one woman fashion show in my frocks and hats, and she full up the children dem belly with sweetie and icecream so they wouldn't talk. Sweetheart, those children were so wired, all two weeks later they were running up and down like" lego beast". You know, in those days we never gave our children junk food, so to introduce them to such mass quantities in a short time, was ridiculous! Lord have mercy! Your Grampy chase her all the way down to Mountain View Road. Suffice it to say that Queenie had to abdicate her throne without a successor."

"Boy Grandma, how did you and Grampy manage to find someone?"

"Alright, so I decided to pray and fast to ask God to send us someone caring and reliable. Finally, one day when I was shopping at the market , I met this lady who was looking for days work. I think her name was Ms. Sylvie. She was o.k., until one evening your Grampy came home early and caught her calling the baby a nasty wretch for wetting his diaper . I never see anyone pack so fast in my life. Your grandfather was livid! You know that when it came to his children, he did not joke at all! Ms. Sylvie run so fast, she run out of her shoes and leave dem in the middle of the street."

"I guess you decided to give up on getting help then Granny? Anyway, didn't Jesus send this Ms. Sylvie?"

"Yes darling, Jesus sent her, but the devil got a hold of her and that was that!"

"Anyway, I wrote my mother and father and told them the difficulty I was having to find good help to care for their grandchildren. Well, in less than no time a lady name Ms. Florrie showed up on my doorstep. She was a gem. Except for the fact that she used to school the children about voodoo, seance and duppies. But I took care of that, I took her to church with me a few times and she became saved by the Lord. She never talk about that tripe again. Praise God!"

"Granny, what a warm time you and Grampy had, just to take care of your children, eh?"

"Getting helpers is sometimes the easy way out, but if you find somebody who is great. What a blessing! Ms. Florrie stayed with us till the children dem was grown.

Once my grandmother's children were grown, she refused to have help, because she always insisted that whatever they could do, she could always do it better. And you know what? she did. It wasn't until she started getting on in age, that she finally decided that she would seek help once more.

The first caretaker that came expected my Granny to feed herself. By that time, Granny was an arthritic old lady, stricken with alzheimers, how could she? Granny never lost her spunk though, she fought back by saying, "What's the matter with you? You hands join church or something? Feed me or else I gwey tell my children and granchildren. Hmm....what a bam-bam that is going to be!"

Well, apparently this young woman preferred watching the soaps instead of taking care of Granny. I don't think she planned on Granny being so vocal, so her conscience moved her to do the right thing...leave.

The next lady who came to take care of Granny in the daytime insisted that the reason that she was not able to feed Granny was because she refused to "work" with her. HELLO! My Granny was ill, it was your job to take care of her!

Granny took care of her though, she said, "Work with you? What am I an actress? You're not filming a movie and I don't need to have motivation! Get thee hence!" Well, that took care of her.

Then God stepped in and sent two Angels that cared for my Granny until her dying day. The quality care she received could only be determined by the life she led. For that, we are all very grateful. So to the people who have helped to care for my Granny along the way, she's shouting praises of Thank-you's from heaven.