NEWS OF THE DAY
Gossip is the single most popular activity in Dominica. Religion and politics run a close second, but
nothing tops the who does what and with/to whom.
Each morning when I stop by McDowell's Bar I get a bulletin
on what has happened overnight. Who has
been arrested, who was evicted, who dropped dead, who ran away, who was lost at
sea, who spent the night in the police cell, who was robbed, cheated or cut
with a cutlass for some perceived insult.
Then in the afternoon, on my way home
when I stop in at the Bar I get the daily news:
who has been diagnosed with diabetes, who didn't get paid, which shop
has empty shelves, who lost something, who said what, told what or did what.
Along with this often comes the amazing litany of family
ties and relationships going back for generations. What is amazing is that everyone can recite
the genealogy of everyone else's family, not just their own, including the land
they own, sold, lost or are farming. It
is convoluted because people have multiple partners and babies with all of them. So I will hear about the sister of a grand
aunt who 'made' seven children, 3 went to America, one went to England, two
went to Guadeloupe and the other went to jail.
Then there is Granny's cousin (same mother, different father) who stole
land belonging to the family, or Uncle's mother (same father, different mother)
etc. Quite dizzying. I used to scoff
whenever a Dominican would say, "Oh, yes, he is my cousin", but no
longer. It is true. Eventually they are
all related however remotely, and if you question it you will get the whole,
long story in detail. Dominicans
certainly know who they are.
Dominicans are talented story tellers and often accompany
their tales with actions, so listening to the news of the day is usually quite
entertaining.
