Paul H. Williams, Gleaner Writer
Usain Bolt celebrates winning his third gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. - file
In a world of victors and vanquished, failure and success, there's an island whose shores are washed by the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. A mere sand bar it is, a dot on the map. The natives are mostly descendants of slaves. A feisty people they are. The blood of resistance boils in their veins; courage is their middle name. So when, on Beijing, they were unleashed, the 'Bird's Nest' was under siege.
Among them is a man of incredible speed and indomitable spirit; Quao, Cudjo, Jack Mansong, Paul Bogle, Sam Sharpe all in one. The world has never seen his kind, dead or alive. Usain Bolt is his name. In tribute to him, he who 'puss bruk coconut inna him yeye', the following is an excerpt from an article to be published in the Literary Arts section in the next Sunday Gleaner.
The audacity of Bolt
100m: From the hills of Trelawny he goes, running past BALCO, Montgomery, Gatlin and Gay, through the Beijing haze into the Nest. Run Bolt, run! Our time has come, for history shall not see us only as the vanquished, but as victors. Beat your chest and tell them 'catch me if you can', 9.69! It's no lie!
In your glory you too shall dance, dance to the rhythms of your native songs, bathe in the sheer joy. Oh you young, gifted and black, you have the right to cheer. Don't be afraid of Costas, Boldon and the Rogge. Nuh linga, creep the 'Gully Creeper'. Rock to the '90s, then back to the present, to Shelly-Ann, the new sensation.
200m: Tall, imposing specimen of a man, built like a Titan. There he goes around the bend, leaving every wannabe in his wind. For 12 years that record has lasted; now, it's the dearly departed. You are number one, you are number one! Wait nuh man! Why yuh hogging the cameras so long? Another Olympic record is about to die, by the one in the bud's nest hairstyle, the Walker, she who is the hurdler (more on Sunday).
The product of a rape
Last Monday, we concluded the two-part story of Jermaine, the product of an alleged rape. Having gone through emotional and psychological turmoil, and trouble with the law, he's in a good place now. However, he still yearns for his mother's embrace. That might not be coming for now, if ever at all.
For, as was discussed with Jermaine, he obviously reminds his mother of what happened to her when she was 19. It is difficult for her to love him and endear herself to a man who is the spitting image of another who allegedly violated her. So, like Jermaine, she too is having her own psychological issues. One of the email responses to the story summarises the effects of rape on some victims and products of rape.
It reads, "Many more stories like this need to be brought to the forefront. The effect of rape needs to be shown and discussed candidly. Too many women suffer in silence and too many children have been conceived under such circumstances and are mistreated as a result; creating more bitterness and an awful cycle. My nephew was conceived under said circumstances and was abandoned by my eldest sister. He suffered tremendously. She hated him because he was a reminder of what took place.
"I myself have been a victim of rape. It seems that rape is way more prevalent than it is perceived, because in most instances it's not reported. It's been an awful journey, the memory never leaves, it's another form of 'the killing of the soul'. Here, in the States, I share my story and talk with other women. Many are stunned to hear that, despite my outer beauty, I had lived in such a 'mental prison' because of this experience."
Kevin Williams shines again
In 2006, Kevin Williams, then a student at Glenmuir High School, in Clarendon, was the top Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate student in Jamaica, having obtained 10 distinctions. In the same year, he was also the recipient of The Gleaner Youth Honour Award for academic excellence. He and his successes were featured in 'His Story', on April 3, last year. Since then, he has received five grade ones in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) Unit 1, and another five in CAPE Unit 2, this year.
Last Thursday, he was officially matriculated at the University of the West Indies, Mona, to pursue degrees in medicine and surgery. He has the best grades of all new students and, as such, was selected to sign the matriculation register on behalf of all incoming students. 'His Story' is extremely proud of Kevin's achievement, and we wish him further success. Kevin, you are number one!
paul.williams@gleanerjm.com.
