Trinbagonians talk. (130) Words can Hurt so much.

Every time ah hear de words, ‘‘Yuh eh go amount to nothin’”, Ah does feel upset. One of meh frens’ mudder did shout out those words to she an’ it did ring meh ears. Every day, we use to walk to an’ from school together. One mornin’ ah stand up outside she house, waitin’ for she. She mudder look out de window an’ tell me to walk on. Ah didn’t want to leave, buh meh manners play on meh mind, so ah start walkin’. As ah walk away, ah hear meh fren mudder shoutin’ at she. Everybody who pass me dat mornin’ was talkin’ an’ laughin’ about it. Ah walk slow, slow hopin’ dat meh fren go meet up wit me. When ah turn round an’ ah see she comin’, ah stop walkin’. De first t’ing meh fren say to me was, “Ah hate she.”     Ah say, “Nah! Yuh doh hate she.”          “Yes! Ah hate she!”   “It is wrong to hate yuh mudder. Ah t’ink yuh jus’ hate de t’ings she does do.”        “Yuh not listenin’ to wah ah sayin’! Ah hate dat ‘oman ah does call mudder! Mudders suppose to talk good about dey children, not bad about dem. Me mudder does always talk bad to me an’ about me.”         Ah kno’ if ah did say anythin’ more, she go get vex wit me, so ah shut up. We walk de rest ah de way to school wit out sayin’ a t’ing. When we teacher call on meh fren durin’ class, she did not answer. Ah kno’ she was still upset, so ah stood up an’ ah tell we teacher dat she not feelin’ good.     We teacher tell me to shut up an’ sit down then she went on sayin’, “Speak when yuh are spoken to! Answer when ah call yuh!”    Ah did feel real bad because de class start to laugh at me. We teacher went on to scold meh fren. Meh fren sit down real quiet, listenin’, until we teacher say, “Yuh eh go amount to nothin’.”   “Did yuh talk to meh mudder? She always says dat to me. Yuh an’ meh mudder might be right,” Meh fren did say in a sad, sad voice.     We teacher walk real quick to she table an’ sit down on she chair. Everybody in de class room was quiet. Ah smile because we teacher look like she was feeling shame.

Every time I hear the words, ‘‘You will amount to nothing,’ I feel hurt. One of my friends’ mother shouted these words at her and it echoed in my ears. Every day, my friend and I used to walk to and from school together. One morning, I stood in front of her home waiting for her. Her mother looked through the window and told me to walk on. I didn’t want to leave, but respect for adults was playing on my mind, so I started walking. As I walked away, I heard my friend’s mother shouting angrily at her. Everyone who passed me that morning was commenting and laughing about it. I walked slowly, hoping that my friend would meet me soon. When I turned around and saw her coming, I stopped walking. The first thing she said to me was, “I hate her.” I said, “No you don’t hate her.”     “Yes! I do!”         “It is wrong to hate your mother. I think you just hate the things that she does.”      “Are you listening to what I am saying? I hate that woman I call mother. Mothers are supposed to talk good about their children not talk badly about them. My mother always talks badly to me and about me.”   There was no getting through to my friend, so we walked to school in silence. During class, she did not participate when the teacher called on her. I knew she was still hurting, so I stood up and told our teacher that she wasn’t feeling well. Our teacher told me to shut up and sit down, then she went on, “Speak when you are spoken to! Answer when you are called!”         I felt embarrassed because the class started laughing at me.      The teacher went on to berate my friend. My friend sat quietly taking it all in until the teacher said, “You will amount to nothing.”     “Did you have a conversation with my mother? She always says that to me. The both of you may be right,” My friend said sadly.  Our teacher walked quickly to her table. She looked a bit upset by my friend’s statement. Everyone in our class got very quiet. I felt good that our teacher was humbled.