“Tanty, you hear it having an eclipse tonight?”
“No. I didn’t hear that. When it having one you say?”
“Tonight, tanty, from about eleven o’ clock to one o’ clock.”
Mala’s husband had brought her to visit an old woman. Tanty still lived in the small village, but her husband left to live in San Fernando when he was twenty one. His parents died when he was sixteen, and he lived with Tanty while he went to trade school. Mala had disentangled herself from her family when she married. They did not want her to unequally yoke herself to someone who followed no religion.
Tanty adjusted her orhni. Slowly, gently, she patted Mala’s belly. She spoke to Mala’s husband.
“You can’t let she watch the eclipse tonight you know. She not supposed to watch eclipse if she making baby.”
“How come, Tanty?” Mala’s husband believed more in science than myth.
“You could watch the moon tonight, son. Just don’t let yuh wife see it. And don’t let she use no scissors or knife. If you pregnant and cut things, your baby does born with a mark, or with something cut off.”
Mala’s husband could be mischievous sometimes. “What going to cut off? His hand? His foot?”
“When I was pregnant with meh fourth child, I was cleaning chicken in the kitchen when it had a eclipse. I lucky. Only piece of his ears was missing.”
It was true. The cartilige at the top of Kawal’s left ear had not formed properly, giving his ear a clipped look. But if that was the only thing wrong with Kawal, Tanty would be a lucky woman indeed. Kawal had been in and out of jail for petty charges for most of his adult life.
“Tanty, they calling it a BLOOD moon, you know.”
Tanty’s hands tightened on her ohrni. The orhni was white and gauzy. The hands were brown and papery. “A Blood moon? Lawd have mercy. You does have to prayer plenty when it have a eclipse you know.”
“Prayer? But it does have an eclipse every month.” His lips curved upwards. He could almost be smiling, except for his eyes.
“Every month, son? For true? All kinda thing could happen when it have a eclipse. You must make sure to say your prayers. When you say it happening?”
“Tonight, Tanty. The eclipse is tonight.”
“This is your wife? She nearly ready to have a baby. Make sure she don’t watch the eclipse tonight eh. And she can’t use knife and scissors.”
Mala’s husband took Tanty’s hand in his. He gently touched them both to his wife’s belly. “You will say a prayers for my wife and the baby then? Since the eclipse is tonight?”
Tanty prayed for them. Mala closed her eyes. She focused on the sound of the old woman’s voice, and the feel of protective hands over her womb.
“Thank you, Tanty.” It was the first time Mala had spoken. Her words always carried a quiet power. Mala was never wasteful with them.
Before they left, Tanty asked, “Remind meh what is your name, son?”
“Tanty, it is me. You don’t know me?”
Mala brought her eyes up to meet her husband’s, and spoke again. “Tanty, we going to have a little girl. Parbatee, just like you.”
Mala saw warmth flash in her husband’s eyes. Tanty’s brown hand became still against the white orhni. “Parbatee?”
“Yes Tanty. Parbatee, just like you.”
