Flowers and Obeah
As an example, I want to share with you her answer to my kindergarten age
questions concerning why her skin was black and mine was white. On one
occasion, she thought for a moment; then with a deep sigh said to me,
"My son. Please bring me all de flowers you can reach and put dem here
on dis table."
An eight feet high hibiscus hedge bearing hundreds of different varieties
surrounded our back yard in which we sat. With a quickness that could only
be equaled by another seven-year-old, I deposited 25 flowers of different
sizes and colors in front of Miss Georgia.
"See the milk," she asked pointing to the weeping sap. "Flower blood.
De stems, dem, dey bleed. Now see the center," pointing to the stamen.
"Dem all have yellow powder on dem. Count the petals, dem.
On every one der be five. Now boy, pull off the petals and get to
the center, de heart."
In every flower I found the same sticky, banana like, quarter-inch length
'thingy' in its center. The one some kids stuck to the end of their noses
in church to embarrass their parents. Georgia nodded knowingly as I finished
the last flower.
"My son. All dese flowers, dem have white blood. Dem all the same shape.
Dem all have a long point with yellow on it in front.
Dem all have de same heart. Five petals grow on all de flowers.
But, my son, de petals dem all be different colors.
Dat is why your skin be white and mine be black.
We be like flowers -- we have the same blood, de same shape,
de same heart -- we just be different colors."
Was she an Obeah princess? I think she was.
An old woman from the West Indies, Barbados to be specific took care of me when
I was a child in the Panama, Canal Zone. It was rumored she was an Obeah
princess, and a master of the British Island voodoo use of herbs and potions.
She became frustrated when the doctors were unable to deal with my semi-annual
bouts with tonsillitis. Her use of herbal teas to shrink my inflamed tonsils
baffled the medical profession but sure saved me a lot of pain. All the maids
in our neighborhood were convinced of her skills and she taught me so much.