Pynter Bender by Jacob Ross Page A

in me head. It come like a realisation. I can’t forget it. Now I going to pass it on to you. “Find your own words” – that’s what he say to me. “You done have all of dem inside you; you just got to take dem out and put dem in de order that make your living and your thinking and your feelings make sense.” Y’unnerstan?’
    Pynter nodded, even though he wasn’t sure he did.
    â€˜When you try to steal a pusson words, s’like you trying to steal their soul. You want to make words work like that? Then feel with your eye and see with your heart.’ He elbowed Pynter gently. ‘Now tell me, Uncle – what is the colour of my eye?’
    Pynter looked at him, a shy sideways glance. ‘Black.’
    Paso shook his head, worked his mouth as if he’d just munched on something awful.
    â€˜Nuh! That’s seeing with your eye, not feeling with it. Now feel – turn your mind to all the things the old man must ha’ tell you about me. Talk to me, fella, jus’ … ’
    â€˜Night.’
    â€˜Wha’?’
    Pynter smiled, tentatively. ‘De colour of your eye is night.’
    â€˜You sure?’
    â€˜Uh-huh.’
    â€˜The colour of yours is water. History too – a lot o’ things looking out at me from dem eyes o’ yours. What’s the taste of cane? Think of your mother, think of all your people down there. What’s the taste of cane?’
    Pynter lifted dreamy eyes up at the Mardi Gras. ‘Bitter. Cane is bitter. An’ dat mountain up dere is ah old, old man, quarrellin with God.’
    He felt Paso’s eyes on him. ‘Them your words?’
    â€˜Dem my words,’ Pynter told him.
    â€˜Well, dem is words – y’hear me, Uncle?’
    They laughed out loud together.
    For the second time that day, Pynter watched his nephew walk away. So strange. So different, so, so … bee-yoo-tee-ful.
    Â Â Â 
    The next morning Pynter’s sister called him to collect the old man’s breakfast. He came out and took the plate. He noticed an extra helping of sweet potatoes. The food was also warm. He didn’t trust her smile. The rest of her face wasn’t smiling.
    â€˜Gideon stay with y’all a long while,’ she said.
    â€˜Yes, Miss Maddie, with Pa not with me.’
    â€˜First time you meet him?’
    â€˜Yes, Miss Maddie.’
    â€˜He talk about a lot o’ tings?’
    â€˜Fink so.’
    â€˜You think so – you didn’t hear what he say?’
    â€˜Culatral,’ he said.
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜Culatral, o’ something like that.’
    â€˜Collateral – the sonuva …’ Her voice retreated into her throat and kept rumbling in there. ‘He say for what?’
    â€˜Say what fo’ what?’
    â€˜Collateral – he say collateral fo’ what?’
    â€˜Don’ know.’
    â€˜Is the land, right?’
    â€˜Which land?’
    â€˜Never mind, you hear de word “land” come from deir mouth?’
    â€˜Who mouth?’
    â€˜Paso say you smart – I wondering which part o’ you he find the smartness, cuz …’ She sucked her teeth and began walking back towards the house.
    â€˜Thanks for de two extra piece o’ fry potato,’ he called after her, remembering his manners.
    She stopped short, shook her head and continued walking.

6
    W HENEVER GIDEON CAME , Pynter left the house for the gully. Now he knew he shared Eden with two people. They came from the other side of the hill, where a cluster of small, brightly painted houses were huddled beneath a line of corse trees whose branches swept the sky.
    They arrived together, the woman holding the front of her dress high above the water grass and crestles. The man was the colour of the mahogany chairs inside his father’s house. His hair rested on his shoulders. The woman stepped onto the boulder so that she was like a giant butterfly