Yes, I am back at my home-away-from-home, the Silver Spur Guest Ranch! Just came up for a visit this week and am so happy and grateful for the friends I have here!
Today's guest, Joan Simon visited us with her book, Long Time Walk on Water here on June 28th but she's back with another great excerpt during our Rocking Summer Romance blog hop!
So without much further ado.....Here's Joan....
Emily Thompson, Rose to her friends, emigrates to the motherland, England,
in search of a better life. It will be hard work for the young mother in this
rich man’s country; above all she must also come to terms with this unknown
phenomenon; di Hinglish dem.
James Dunbar. Jack is what he answers to. Picking his way through the
mucky incidents of life, he consoles himself that things will get better.
They happen to meet at a bus-stop, Emily and Jack.
A tale of how the
humble live whilst waiting for their dreams to come true.
*
Letters were read and
written with relish. In the novel they provide further glimpses of an Outsider
view of England:
London, April —, 19—
Dear Junie,
How are you? I’m sure you are fine and One-foot is fine. I
hope Marlene is fine and Leroy is fine. Give them my love.
I cross over safely. England is very cold. It’s raining all
the time and there’s no good sunshine. With weather like this the people bound
to be miserable. I already miss Jamaica. The address I had is correct when I
get to England. The houses are really small and squash up together. Never mind.
A roof is a roof. I am so tired after the journey, but I think, let me sit down
and let you know I reach safe. Tomorrow I must go and look work. London is so
big there must be work for everyone. As you know I have a job promised to me. I
hope him don’t forget. You know how them say the streets of London are paved
with gold, well, there’s not one word of truth in it. But I hope all the same
that things work out how I planned and that I don’t come here for nothing.
Hear this. I get off the plane go to customs or immigrations
or something like that. Him ask me, is this your passport? What a stupid
question! Me say, of course is me passport. Whose passport it suppose to be?
Hear him; it could belong to anybody for all he know, we all look the same. I
glad One-foot wasn’t there or him would box off him facety head. Generally the
white people friendly enough. So many of them stop and ask me if they can help
me at the airport. I didn’t know what to do. All I had was the slip of paper
with the address. Some of them look at me a bit funny but is ignorant them
ignorant. One woman take me to the taxi and tell the taxi driver me is a friend
so him not to drive no long route but take me direct. Me nearly die laughing!
The English taxi them peculiar you see! Big and black like a bug and you got
room for a whole heap a luggage in the back with you. Them even got one
clapdown seat if is more people. We drive a long long time before we get to
London. Them got one big red bus them call double-decker. Take you everywhere
you want to go, the taxi driver tell me. The taxi driver nosey you see! Him
want to know where me come from and how long me going to stay. I just smile and
tell him little bit. You can’t be unfriendly. Tell One-foot I still got my
head.
I am very tired and I’m going to sleep a little bit. I will
write you soon. I’m surprised, I see quite a few black faces here in London.
Say hello to everybody for me and let them know I reach safe.
Junie, Marlene, Leroy, One-foot, goodbye and God bless.
Yours,
Rose.
Rose Thompson, the
protagonist, epitomizes the strong, funny, suspicious nature of the Outsider
daring to go for a new life in a foreign country. She epitomizes the strength
of dreams. She’ll reveal to us a lot about how the Jamaican family works and
although she'd never use the word feminist it’s still true to say that she is
all about independence, equality and betterment.
(Joan Barbara Simon,
interviewed by Sezoni Whitfield for Writer’s Kaboodle)
If you, too, enjoyed reading this, here’s where you can read
more:
