I gave this answer to the boy. And he

Made a very solemn promise to me:

That if he lived, he’d do what I asked him

To do, no matter what it was. Now, in

Sight of all Windward people: on my life,

Maroon boy, you swore I’d become your wife.

You know dyam well I saved your brown backside.

And if I’m lying, tell me how and why.

Now when YOUNG MAROON speaks, he sounds less like an eighteenth-century soldier, and more and more like a young man from The Ends.

YOUNG MAROON

Oh, mate … How is this even happening?

Have you seen yourself? Look, I’m promising

I’ll give you something else. Choose anything.

You can take all my creps, my diamond rings,

But please leave my body! It’s my body.

OLD WIFE

Say this, and a curse falls on you and me!

I may be too old and ugly and poor

But there’s nothing in this life I want more

Than to be your wife. Won’t swap it for all

The jewels in your ear or creps in your hall.

I mean to be your wife, and even above

That, I mean to be, Maroon boy, your love!

YOUNG MAROON

Your what now? Er, you can’t be serious?

I am a Maroon. We’re imperious

People: we control our own destinies.

I can’t marry a … hag. Nah, that ain’t me.

ALVITA

So he said. But it made no difference.

He had to marry her – he’d no defence –

He took his old, poor, muss-muss wife to bed.

Now, some theatre-critic types will say

That I’m lazy and should add to the play

A scene from the wedding. With all the joy

And beautiful outfits the hag and boy

Wore, and the feast, and all that. Let’s be clear:

There weren’t no joy. Only sadness and fear.

He wed her in total secret, next day.

And all day after that he hid away

Like a mole, from his poor, old muss-muss wife,

Desperate and sad at the state of his life.

He was so cut up about it when he

At last came to bed, he thrashed in the sheets,

While his wife lay there watching all the while.

And she said – while wearing a great big smile –

OLD WIFE

Oh, my likkle husband, blessings to you!

Do all Maroons treat their wives like you do?

Can this be the law in Queen Nanny’s land?

Does each Maroon wife have an awful man?

Young’un, I’m your love. I’m also your wife.

I am she that come fi save yer dyam life!

You and I know that I’ve done right by you.

So how you ah go treat me like me foofool?

Yuh a gwaan like seh yu head nuh good.

Please tell me what I did to you? You should

Explain – Lawd knows – so I can fix it up.