 to a story to tell. The first of what I hope will be many stories about people who want to share a little bit about themselves. My first guest today is Monica Rowe Abbott who lives in St. Croix and has written, among other things, a very moving story about George Floyd. And full disclosure, Monica is married to my former husband. Welcome, Monica. Hello, Monica. Hello, Leslie. Thank you. Well, I'm really, really happy that we're here together today. And I wanted people to know that, okay, you live in St. Croix, but you're not from there originally. No. And tell everyone where you're from. I am originally from the Highland of Jamaica. The Highland of Jamaica? Yes. So what town would that be up there? I was born in the city of Kingston, but I was raised on the eastern slope of Jamaica in the parish of Portland. Well, and I am from Portland as well. Yes. So it's a different, very different Portland. Yes. And I know a little bit about Jamaica having lived there for a while. Yes. And I fell in love with Jamaica and the people and the culture and the food. And when you came into our family, it was really a delight because you brought some of that feeling that of a culture we fell in love with to our family. Thank you. Yeah. Now, I know that you lived in the States for a long time and your work is in health care. Yes. Yeah. Do you want to talk a little bit about that and just how you transitioned into writing or? Well, it was always been my desire to write. I always tell myself that whenever it is convenient, the time is convenient, I would write because I like writing. Although I've never really write a book before, but I used to write letters to the editors. And I also was good at was very good at writing papers in in college. I wrote a paper once on chemical dependency in college. And the professor was so impressed by it that he asked for my authority to to use my paper in some of his other discussions. Oh, wonderful. Yes. But I've never write books before. But I say when I when if God's pure my life because everything depends on the grace of God. So I always say if God's pure my life and I get to retire and I live to retire, I am going to write. And that's what you're doing. That's what I am doing. Before we continue on the writing, I just want to share with everyone this wonderful book that I have Mondays at 10. And it's the Writers Circle of St. Croix 2020 anthology. Now, this is what the first I heard of your writing as well. I think the kids knew, but I didn't. And Tyson shared this with me at Christmas time and I went right out and ordered a copy. And tell us how moving to St. Croix, how you found this group Mondays at 10, the writing group? Well, a few months after I moved to St. Croix, we had to have some work done on our house. So a plumber came here to do some work. And he this this plumber was a former NGO. And we were talking because he was in Africa for a while, you know. So we were talking and about writing. He's also a writer. He and his wife. And he was the one who told me about this group. And he is a writer with the Caribbean Writers Association here. And he also published things, books and stuff too. So he told me about it. And that's how I get to know about it. So I went there to see them and I introduced myself. And so they gave me something to write. They told me to write something and to send it to them. And I did. And they really like what I did. And I was accepted. And that's how I became a member of that group. And the group is is made up of people from all over the world. Yeah, from diverse backgrounds, people from diverse background. The leader of the group is originally from London, England. But our father was in the diplomatic services. And so she has lived in 12 countries. And you have me, who is from Jamaica. And Lenny, who is from St. Thomas. That's one of the Eritreous Island. And various other people from the various states in the United States. Some of them professional writers. Yeah, it's quite impressive reading about all the people who were in the book. And you submitted stories for the anthology, I think. Everybody was asked to submit something if they so desired, I guess. But there were so many submissions. They were 85, I believe. And they chose 50. And four of them are yours. Well, I had submitted five originally. And one was disqualified, I think, because of the nature of it. A little too much for the group, right? It was the selectors and the selectors and stuff. But anyway, I got four out of five. So that's great. Very good. Well, I want to talk a little more about it. But one of the stories in there is about George Floyd. And I read that, and I was so moved. I mean, it really brought me to tears. It captured so much of what happened that day in this wonderful story. And you chose to write it in patois. Do you want to say a little bit about why? Well, I do things by inspiration. And this morning, the morning question I walk up, because I like to write in the mornings early, early before everything gets too busy. So I got up and it's like I hear a voice said to me, right, as I was contemplating about what I should write, like I hear a voice clearly write something about George Floyd. So I take up my pad and I start to, you know, scribble. And the next thing I heard in my mind was write it in patois. I said to myself, I don't know if these people understand patois or are going to understand patois. But anyway, I get the urge to write it in patois. So I wrote it in patois. So I wrote them and then I started my editing, you know. So the leader of the group called me and asked me how everything was going. And I told her, well, I am inspired to write something about George Floyd. I was thinking about the present climate in the United States. At the time, all that was going on you have, we were, we are, and we are still in a pandemic. And we also have the election fever, the upcoming election that just went by. And then all these killing of, you know, black men in the United States. So I said, okay, I think I should write this paper because all my life, all my adult life, as a matter of I was taught from a child, you know, to stand up for what is right. And I ate injustice of any kind. You know, injustice is wrong. So I didn't like all that was going on with this killing, you know, of black men. And so I decided I have to let my voice be heard. So I called my, the head of the group, my leader. And I said, well, I was inspired to write this, but I wrote it in pattern. I don't know if people will understand it. And she said, that sounds good, Monica, do it. So, so, so anyway, when it was, when I submitted the pieces, the, the selectors sent it back to me and asked me to tone down the patrol a little better, you know, so that it is more understandable. So I worked on it. And I toned it down. And I sent it back. And when I received it, they said it was perfect. Well, I think it is, I don't, you know, I think having it in the patois makes it even more impactful. And what I would like to do is have you read the story to our viewers because, you know, I read it to some friends and I cannot do patois. I did my best, but, but I would love for you to do that now. And then we'll talk a little bit after. Okay. Thank you, Monica. You're welcome. Memorial Day 2020. May we wake up this morning with a heavy heart. What may turn God that may still alive. For my brother, George Floyd, never get the same chance. Memorial Day May 25, 2020. George Floyd is very happy if he spend the day with him family. He got to the shop to buy cigarettes and pay the shopkeeper with a $20 bill. The shopkeeper, same money, no good. The bill phony and call the police to take action. Four police got to the shop with them, gone drones and handcuffs in at them hand. But they never investigate if the claim did right around them. Uncle Floyd and chewing on the ground with him face down. One of the four officer Derek Chauvin put him knee on flight neck and kept pressing it down. Flight Cal Fee Mooma in data and her family flight begging please, please make him breathe. But the more flight played the harder Derek Chauvin squeeze. When the pleading stop flight, take him last breath and couldn't breathe no more. Next thing we know, then pronounce him dead. Another black man by the dust. One more natural Chauvin belt for kill another innocent black man. But flight murder cars big upster for enough people on the street and in the store and some of them in a damn car and SUVs. See the old thing and record it on them phone. Then push the same button to Facebook, WhatsApp, face chat, use your zone, Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter and Google too. And in a matter of minutes all words see what happened. Another black man life soon off out in a cold blood panic on East 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in the city of Minneapolis by the same people who have a duty to serve and protect them. For the first time in the history of America why people take to the street in a vast numbers and raise them vise against the killing of George Floyd and all the other black people that then kill without a cause against police brutality and the brutality that being unleashed by black people by white supremacists for over 400 years. Night per night then demonstrate and protest in every city and state across the old nation. Then call for an end to police brutality, police racism and lack of police accountability all over the world, good white people and good people of every race, color, creed, gender, nationality and sexuality. Giant hand in hand with black people and march in a solidarity. May applaud everyone all over the world for the standard of what is right. Philosopher Edmund Burke once said, once said, I'm a quote. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. April 16, 1963 in a letter, Martin Luther King Jonah write infamous words. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. War, a song by Bob Marley and the Whalers in 1976. It said, until the philosophy which old one raised superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned everywhere is war, may say war. To bond white is privilege. To bond black is disadvantage. Lord may God, I win this, I will stop. The world hate me because I how you make we. We can't escape with the skin color, not much that have the white supremacy. Everywhere we go, they want to kill we. Them gone, we don't in every city, state and every town. If we skin black, I will skin white. I will skin brown. We can't escape and we can't turn round. We can't understand all human beings can eat one another because of the color of them skin. Something them not have no control over. It be hundreds of years now since them have been lynching, reaping and killing we. Only God almighty know what make them eat we. Thank you for reading it. Thank you for writing it. I think the patois adds a lot to it. It's such a beautiful way of speaking and it's from the heart. It's passionate. It's real. I thank you for writing it. I think that I've read your other stories as well and they're terrific. This one just I get shivers through my body hearing it. Now the patois is that I know I've heard, I heard an interview with someone and that patois isn't the same in every place. It's a little different. Yes, but in the Caribbean and a whole, we all speak different dialects but we all, we grew up hearing it called patois. Now some people are of the opinion or believe that patois is French, the Creole French, you know the broken down form of French. But well in the Caribbean we all grew up hearing that we, they don't say well we speak in dialect, they say we speak patois. So you know to each his own whether it's dialect, patois or whatever but it's wonderful. It is wonderful. And I am glad that I'm able to speak it. And you know going up my grandfather would not allow me to speak patois in the house. Oh yeah because whenever I speak patois he said the Queen English police that's what he would say because you know we were from a, we are from a colony of England. So I was really born a British citizen because you know we were colonies of England. So and I was very upset because I like the dialect or the patois but I was forbidden to speak it. But when I grew up I understand that in order to find yourself in a good situation you have to learn English. So when you learn English yes you can speak patois and you can write patois or writing patois you know because you already know English. So what he was saying when I grew up I realized he was trying to tell me the right thing. So I understand that and I appreciate it. Yeah so you're bilingual really. I don't know. Well you know they have translated the Bible in patois or dialect. They have and yeah it really it really sounds nice to me when I hear patois you know and there are people in Jamaica who does not speak patois. If you hear them speak you think you were in London or Birmingham or somewhere because whether or not they know it I don't know and they must know it because they're born and grew up there but they just don't speak patois. Well they have lovely sayings too. I remember you know when someone when people part the term me soon come. Me soon come. I love that. Yeah. It means I'll come back again. We'll be together again. It means I am coming soon. Yeah I love it. Yes. And the other thing that seemed so moving to me is the term a dead yard when someone dead yard. Okay. Yeah I remember that because we knew someone who had died you know there was a death and they said oh there's a dead yard and it just seems to say a lot about his face and the family and and the community really. As you mentioned about that if you have not been to a funeral in Jamaica you have not seen a funeral. It's something to be seen. Yeah it goes on for a long time and yes it go and from the day the person died and you have the night night what from that day the person died every night people gather the nine night which is a nine night after that is the big night you know lots of cooking and heating and domino playing and this and that and ban nowadays it's nowadays that they hire ban to sing or music set of you know whatever but if you have never been to a Jamaican funeral you have not seen a funeral. Well I haven't I did see some recordings of one of your relatives who died I think some videos several years back. Okay yes. I don't know if one of the kids was there or but it's sort of like in New Orleans or in Louisiana where they do the the funerals because there's a lot of people from the Caribbean who settled there and speak patois as well but I I wonder if you know your book and George Floyd the story and and our country was was really experiencing a dead yard when that happened. I agree. We need and I think the the funeral celebration is the people taking to the streets. Yes. I just find it what you wrote just so so meaningful and I think we're gonna probably say goodbye now. We soon come. I hope that you will come here soon and maybe when you do when this is viruses all over because we share grandchildren so you will come here that maybe we could have a reading. Yeah. Some people would be lovely. Yeah and I look forward to reading more of your writings and your group they're all so talented. Oh it's a very very talented group of people and very nice because you know when I when I look into it we have two blacks in the group and everybody is treated the same yeah there's no difference so you know that's something I appreciate you know. It makes a difference that when people look at you for who you are not the color of your skin or your race or your your gender preference you know it you know it's it's why we're all the same we all have blood and bones and hearts and it's I don't know I I think your story hopefully will remind people of that and thank you Monica for being on this first show of a story to tell and and we all have a story to tell and I hope other people will share theirs with me as you have. Yes thank you Leslie and I appreciate it and you have a wonderful day. You too in the sunshine we've got a little 11 degrees here but well um you can go outside all you do all you have to do is put on some warm clothes. Yes exactly it's the clothes you wear not the weather right. Exactly. Thank you Monica. You're welcome thank you and you have a wonderful day. You too.