Di Oprait Revalooshan: Er Wai Hyoomanz Waak Oprait

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Belize Kriol

Ivory Kelly with assistance from
Silvaana Udz and Ubaldimir Guerra

Wahn lang, lang taim abak, hyoomanz doz waak pahn han ahn fut jos laik ada foa-fut animal. Hyoomanz mi faasa  dahn hyaa, lepad, er rainasaros. Han ahn fut mi kloasa dahn eni ada badi paat: dehn mi ga di sayhn kaina jaint, shoalda ahn hip; elbo ahn nee; angkl ahn ris; faiv finga ahn toa wid finganayl ahn toanayl. Ahn di finga ahn toa dehn mi lain aaf sayhn way, fahn big toa ahn tom tu lee toa ahn lee finga. Bak eena dehn dayz, di tom mi yoostu deh kloas tu di ada finga dehn, sayhn laik di big toa. Han ahn fut mi kaal wananada fos kozn. 

Dehn doz help wananada kehr di badi eniway paat ih waahn goh: maakit, shap, op ahn dong chree ahn mongtin, eniway weh di badi mi need fi goh. Eevn eena waata dehn doz werk tugeda gud-wan fi help di badi float, swim er daiv. Dehn mi demokratik ahn chreet wananada eekwal. Plos deh kuda mi baro tingz weh di ada aagan dehn mek, like song fahn mowt, hearin fahn ayz, smel fahn noaz, ahn eevn sait fahn di aiy dehn. 

Dehn ridm ahn smood, perfek moovment tugeda mi mek di ada badi paat dehn jelos bad. Dehn mi hayt how dehn haftu len fi dehn speshal skilz tu di too kozn dehn. Sayka deh soh jelos, dehn neva eevn kansida seh da han ahn fut kehr dehn bowt. Ahn dehn staat tu plat gens di too payr dehn.

Tong baro wahn plan fahn Braynz ahn staat werk rait away. Ih staat tu wanda, di taak haad wan, bowt hoo ga moa powa, han er fut. Hoo schranga, ih wanda. Now di too lim kozn dehn, weh neva yoostu kay weh di ada wan ga er ku du, baro song fahn mowt ahn staat tu klaym seh dehn moa impoatant tu di badi dan di ada wan. Den kwik wan di aagument ton tu hoo pritiya; han staat bregin bowt fi-hihn lang, slim finga dehn ahn staat teez fut bowt fi-hihn shaat, tik toa dehn. Ahn toa, fi mek shoar hihn geh een fi-hihn shayr, ansa bak bowt maaga finga dis ahn haaf-staavin dat ahn aal kaina ting. Dis kantinyu fi dayz, ahn sohntaim ih kaaz dehn fi kyaahn eevn werk gud tugeda. Ih mi aal bail dong tu di kwestyan a powa. Dehn ton tu di ada aagan dehn fi setl di mata. 

Da-mi Tong hoo sojes wahn kantes. Wahn brilyant aidyaa, evribadi agree. Bot wat? Sohn a dehn sojes wahn reslin kantes—mek fut ahn han resl. Sohn adaz kom op wid soard-play, jogl, ron-rays, er wahn gaym laik ches er chekaz. Bot den dehn disaid gens eech wan a dehndeh bikaaz dehn mi eeda tu haad fi aaganaiz er ih neva fyaa tu eeda wan a di lim dehn er di ada. Da mi Tong agen weh, afta baro taat fahn Braynz, kom op wid wahn simpl solooshan. Eech set a aagan wahn tek tern fi kom op wid wahn chalenj fi di ada wan. Han ahn fut agree.

Di kantes hapm eena wahn klayrin eena di faris, kloas tu di riva. Aala di aagan dehn kip wahn shaap aiy owt fi eniting weh mait kech di badi bai sopraiz, now dat di aagan dehn mi-di schrogl mongs dehnself. Aiy skyan di hoal ayryaa, far ahn nyaa, fi di slaites lee daynja fahn eni distans; noaz klayr ih noazhoal dehn gud soh ih ku ditek eni daynja weh eskayp di aiy ahn ayz dehn, ahn di tong mi redi fi hala ahn skreem, daynja.

Breez spred di nyooz bowt di kantes eena di foa kaana a di faris ahn eena di waata ahn ayaa. Di foa-fut animal dehn da-mi di fos wan fi gyada rong, lat a di big wan dehn di hoal green chree lim fi show dat dehn kom peesful. Da-mi wahn kalaful krowd wid Lepad, Cheetah, Laiyan, Rainasaros, Haiyeena, Elifant, Jeraaf, Kyamel, lang-haan Kow, shaat-haan Bofaloa, Aantiloap, Gazel, Hyaa, Moal, ahn Rat. Waata animal, Hipapatamos, Fish, ahn Krakadail, spred di tap haaf a dehn badi pahn di riva bank ahn lef di res eena di waata. Di too-fut animal dehn, Oschrij, Gini-fowl ahn Peekak, flap dehn wing wid eksaitment; bird cherp fahn di chree dehn; Krikit sing ahn sing. Spaida, Wom, Sentipeed, Milipeed krawl pahn di grong er chree. Kameelyan di waak bowt slai-wan, kyaaful, di tek ih time, wail Lizad di dash bowt, kyaahn kip stil. Mongki, Chimpanzee, Gorila jomp fahn lim tu lim. Eevn di chree ahn bush dehn sway sloa sloa fahn said tu said, den dehn tek tern di bow ahn kip stil, bow ahn kip stil. 

Mowt oapm di kantes wid wahn sang:

Wi du dis fi bee hapi
Wi du dis fi bee hapi
Wi du dis fi bee hapi
Bikaaz aala wi 
Kohn fahn wan naycha.

Han ahn Fut swayr dehn wahn aksep di rizolt eena wahn graysful way; no tanchrom, chret, bwaikot, schraik, er goa-sloa.

Han hib dong di fos chalenj: dehn chroa wahn pees a wud pahn di grong. Di fut—eeda di lef wan er di rait wan, er di too a dehn tugeda—mi fi pik op di pees a wud aafa di grong ahn chroa it. Di too fut kud kansolt wid wananada eni taim joorin di kantes, ahn deh kud yooz dehn toa, eeda wan-wan er aal tugeda, eena eni aada, fi akomplish dehn mishan. Dehn chrai fi ton it oava, push it; dehn chrai all kaina kombinayshan bot dehn jos kudn pik it op gud. Ahn taak bowt moov it? Cho, di bes dehn kuda mi du da kik it wan-er-too inch. Wen dehn si dis, Fingaz baro song fahn mowt ahn dehn laaf ahn laaf. Di han dehn, di chalenja, staat tu parayd dehnself bowt laik dehn mi deh eena byooti kantes, di shoa-aaf dehn slim luks. Ahn den dehn pik up di pees a wud eena aal difrent kombinayshan. Den dehn tek it ahn chroa it far eena di faris, ahn evribadi, spektaytaz ahn kantestants, let out wan big sai a admirayshan. Dehn shoa aaf ada skilz: dehn pik smaal lee pees a san fahn wahn bowl a rais, dehn chred needl, dehn mek sohn lee puli fi moov heviya pees a wud, dehn mek sohn spyaa ahn chroa dehn far far far—moovment ahn akshan weh di toa dehn ku oanli jreem bowt. Aal weh fut ku du da sidong ahn admaiya di skilfulnes ahn limbanes a deh slim kozn. Di spektayta dehn han klap tonda eena admirayshan ahn salidariti wid dehn felo han dehn. Dis beks di fut dehn bad. Bot dehn neva gat no intenshan fi giv een: eevn az dehn di sidong deh, di luk aal poatingfai, dehn big toa di jraa lee serkl eena di san, dehn mi-di chrai figa owt wahn gud gud chalenj.  

At laas, da-mi fut ahn toa tern fi chroa dong fi dehn chalenj. Fi dehn wan, dehn seh, mi kwait simpl. Han fi kehr di hoal badi fahn wan paat a di serkl tu di ada. Wat a schupid chalinj, di hai ahn maiti finga dehn seh tu dehnself. Bot den, kohn si dehn: evriting bowt di badi ton opsaiddong. Han toch di grong; di aiy dehn deh kloas kloas tu di grong sotay dehn nayli kyaahn si notn; dos gaan up eena di noaz-hoal dehn ahn kaaz dehn fi sneez; di fut ahn toa dehn di float op eena di ayaa: nyayo juu, di spektaytaz dehn hala, wail dehn di sing ahn play rong.

Nyayo Nyayo juu
Hakuna matata
Fuata Nyayo
Hakuna matata
Turukeni angani

Bot dehn kip dehn atenshan pahn di han dehn. Di aagan dehn weh oanli wahn kopl minits agoa mi-di shoa aaf aal kain a ingkredibl skilz ku haadli moov wan yaad now. Too, chree steps ahn di han dehn baal owt wid payn; dehn staga, dehn wabl, ahn den bambrigidim—dehn mek di badi jrap. Dehn res op lee bit ahn chrai agen. Dis taim dehn spred owt di finga dehn fi chrai hoal di grong beta, bot oanli di tom dehn mi ku schrech owt. Dehn chrai kyaatweelz bot dat geh diskwalifai kaaz fi du dat di fut dehn haftu geh involv tu. Now da-mi di toa dehn tern fi laaf. Dehn baro sohn balahu laaf faah mowt fi kanchras gens di lee skweeki laaf weh di finga dehn mi yooz. Wen dehn hyaa di kantemp, di han dehn geh bex bad ahn dehn mek wan laas desparayt atemp fi kehr di badi. Bot dehn kudn manij wan step. Di fut dehn mi hapi fi display dehn atletik talents: dehn maach lef-rait, lef-rait, chrat, ron, mek wan-ahn-too hai jomp, sohn lang jomp, widowt mek di badi jrap wahn singl taim. Aal a di spektayta dehn fut stamp di grong fi shoa dehn aprooval ahn salidariti. Han rayz iself op fi proates dis onspoatslimship, di play laik dehn figet seh da dehn sayhn wan mi staat di gaym. 

Bot den aal a dehn, inklyoodin di spektaytaz, noatis sohnting schraynj bowt di han dehn: di tom, weh mi schrech owt wen di han dehn mi-di chrai kehr di badi, stay rait soh, far weh fahn di res a finga dehn. Di raival aagan dehn jos mi wahn staat tu laaf agen wen dehn noatis sohnting els: di tom, weh separayt now, insteda dat kaaz di han dehn fi bee les ifishent, ih mek dehn ku grip ahn grab ting eevn beta. Da weh dis? Ting weh gaan bad ton intu ting wid nyoo powa!  

Di dibayt mongs di aagan dehn fi disaid di wina kantinyu fi faiv dayz, di nomba a finga ahn toa pahn eech lim. Bot noh mata how dehn chrai, dehn jos kudn diklayr wahn klayr wina; eech set a limb mi bes eena weh dehn du bes; non a dehn ku du widowt di ada. Wahn filosofikal diskoshan staat op: Weh da di badi eniway, aal a dehn ask, ahn dehn reeyalaiz seh di badi da-mi aal a dehn tugeda; dehn aal di eena wananada. Evri aagan haftu di werk gud fu mek aal di res werk good. 

Bot fi mek wahn kantes laik dat noh hapm agen eena di fyoocha, ahn fi mek dehn noh geh eena wananada way, aal di aagan dehn disaid dat fahn den di badi wahn waak oprait, di fut dehn flat pahn di grong ahn di han dehn op eena di ayaa. Di badi mi hapi wid di disizhan bot ih disaid fi alow pikni fi waak pahn han ahn fut fi mek dehn noh figet weh dehh kohn fram. Dehn divaid op di werk: di fut wahn kehr di badi rong bot wans dehn reech di destinayshan, di han dehn wahn du aal di werk weh kaal fi mek er hoal toolz. Wail di fut dehn du aal di hevi-jooti chranspotayshan, di han dehn wahn reech owt ahn yooz dehn skilz fi werk di invairament ahn mek shoar food reech di mowt. Mowt, er raada ih teet dehn, wahn choo di food ahn sen it dong di chroat tu di beli. Beli wahn skweez owt aal di gudnes ahn poar it eena di sistim a kinel dehn weh wahn dischribyoot di gudnes to evri nuk ahn kaana a di badi. Di beli wahn kehr di yooz-op mateeryal eena ih soorij sistim, fahn weh paat di badi wahn geh rid a it eena bush er beri it eena di grong fi mek di sail rich. Plaant wahn groa ahn byaa froot; di han dehn wahn pik som a it ahn put it eena di mowt. Oa yes, di serkl a laif. 

Eevn gaymz ahn entatainment mi divaid op: sing, laaf ahn taak da di mowt jab; ron ahn play futbaal da di fut jab fi di moas paat; meenwail baaskitbaal ahn baysbaal mi rizerv fi di han dehn, eksep dat di fut mi fi du di ronin. Eena chrak-ahn-feel, di fut dehn fi ga aal di feel fi dehnself, fi di moas paat. Bikaaz dehn shayr op di layba prapa, di badi da-mi now wahn powaful masheen weh ku du far moa ahn far beta dan eevn di biges a animal.   

Bot di badi aagan dehn reeyalaiz dat dis permanent araynjment weh dehn mek kud kaaz chrobl mongs dehn. Laik how di hed deh op deh, dat mait kaaz ahn fi feel dat ih beta dan di fut dehn weh toch di grong er dat ih da maasta wail di ada aagan dehn weh deh ferda dong da oanli servant. Soh dehn schres dat wen ih kohn tu powa, di hed ahn wateva deh anda it eekwal. Fi andalain dis, di aagan dehn mek shoar dat wen eni wan a di aagan dehn feel payn er jai, aal a di res wahn feel it tu. Dehn waan di mowt dat wen ih seh mai dis ahn mai dat, ih di taak az di hoal badi ahn no az di oanli oana. 

Dehn sing:

Eena wi badi
No servant noh deh
Eena wi badi
No servant noh deh
Wi serv wananada
Wee fi Wee
Wi serv wananada
Wee fi Wee
Wi serv wananada
Di tong da wi vais
Hoal mee ahn Ai hoal yoo
Wi bil wahn helti badi
Hoal mee ahn Ai hoal yoo
Wi bil wahn helti badi
Byooti da yooniti

Tugeda wi werk
Fi wahn helti badi
Tugeda wi werk
Fi wahn helti badi
Yooniti da powa

Bifoa lang, dis ton intu di Aal Badi Antem. Op tu dis day di badi sing it, ahn dis da weh mek di difrens bitween hyooman ahn animal, er di wan dehn weh rijek di oprait revalooshan.

Rigaadles a weh aal dehn mi si, di foa-fut animal dehn rifyooz fi ga eniting wid dis revalooshan. Datideh singin bizniz ridikyoolos. Mowt mek fi eet, noh fi sing. Dehn faam di kanservativ paati a naycha ahn stik tu dehn wayz ahn neva eva chaynj. 

Wen hyoomanz laan fahn di netwerk a badi aagan dehn, dehn du gud; bot wen dehn si di badi ahn di hed az difrent paat weh di waar gens wananada, wan tap a di ada, dehn kohn kloas tu dehn animal kozn dehn weh mi rijek di oprait revalooshan.

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Ivory Kelly is the author of Point of Order: Poetry and Prose and Pengereng, a short story collection that includes the first major work of fiction written entirely in standard Belize Kriol. Her works have appeared in journals and anthologies in the Caribbean, the UK, the US, Mexico, Brazil, and Belize. She currently teaches in the Languages and Literature Department at the University of Belize and is a founding member of the Belizean Writers Guild. 

Silvaana Udz is an assistant professor of English-as-a-second language, teacher education, communication skills, and Kriol studies. Along with other member of the National Kriol Council of Belize, she was instrumental in developing and promoting an orthography of the Belize Kriol language and the Kriol-English dictionary. She writes a weekly Kriol column which appears in The Reporter newspaper [Belize]and online at belmopanonline.com/belizean-kriol-language. 

Ubaldimir Guerra holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Belize and a Master of Arts degree in English with a concentration in Multicultural and Transnational Literature from East Carolina University, North Carolina.  He has been a full-time lecturer in the Faculty of Education and Arts at the University of Belize since 2006, where he teaches courses in literature and composition.