ENEMIES

My mother always told us, her children, while growing up that If our enemy is thirsty and asks for water and we have it we should give it to them. I grew up with that sentiment. I held it to my chest, because not only did my mother say this, Christianity drilled in the same, this was supposedly what Jesus wanted of his devotees. The first enemy I recall was Sophia Spencer, well perhaps I should say  Sophia Spencer and the whole fifth grade in primary school read here. This was my first experience with wicked people, although I had witnessed very often my mother’s fights with our neighbor who lived in our same tenement  in Jamaica, Hilda (pissa bed, bed wetter) Willis. I guess she was an enemy to my mother. They had many fights, not quarrel, I am talking fights, head bucks and fist thumps, my mother doing those actually, as Miss Will was a troublemaker but could not fight to save her life. She get plenty beat up from my mother. Before you read this and picture my mother as a virago, she was not, it was Hilda Willis who was the antagonizer, probably she did mad…….hmmm (tapping my jaw, and looking off into space). Regardless of the case let me give you some insight on her behavior and why my bad gal, can fight, wi buck you to de grung (ground)  mumma had to beat her up often.

Miss Will have been written about many times among many of my posts here before, read here. She was quite a character, but I must acknowledge that her personality has assisted me in using her as example of wickedness, tormentors, antagonists, mad woman and more. That was her reason for being I believe, her purpose (using her character) from which to learn and teach from while she lived among us here in this realm . I remember her and my mother always cussing and fighting, well my mother fighting and Miss Will running after her weak attempt at fighting back. This woman was tormented or perhaps crazy, because we had one side of the house which was a two bedroom apartment and she shared the other side of the house with some roomers. We had our own kitchen and bathroom while they all shared on the other side. On numerous occasions we would catch Miss Will running from our kitchen with meat that she had stolen from my mothers pot or watch from our window as she picked up dirt and looked around to see if any one was looking and throw it on the white clothes we had on a piece of zinc soaking up the sun.  My mother caught her one day running from our kitchen with a piece of chicken from out of our pot, the chicken burning her hand as she ran pass us trying to transfer it from hand to hand because of the burn. Miss Will was in her sixties at the time (I think) and an old sixty, not a young looking one, so imagine her sprinting like Usain  Bolt from our kitchen with mi mommy good up fry chicken in her hand leaving a renking (strong pee odor) smell behind. Miss will did not bathe and she had incontinence (a bladder problem), Jamaican people sey she piss up harself, so she had the smell (always) of a public bathroom where men only peed upon waking in the morning (trong man mawnin piss). Now tell me people, imagine cooking you dinner and stepping out for a minute only to come back and witness someone who you know for sure do not bathe and who suffers with incontinence and usually stink like “holy hell” (a saying I do not get, but it seems to fit here so forgive me any scholars who may be passing by reading this) running away with chicken she just stole from out yuh good good pot you have pon fire. I could spend hours telling you about Miss Will and her mischievous ways but let me move on to others.

Miss Will was a character, and feisty on top of all her mischievousness, which landed her as my mother’s and others in the community beating stick, she was cruel, sick, demented, an obeah worker and she hated almost everyone. She redeemed herself in MY eyes however, once, when she helped my mother who had just given birth and had gotten up in the middle of the nights with rock hard breasts filled with milk and excruciating pain. Hilda Willis heard my mother’s cry in the middle of the night and came knocking our door (3am) in the morning to help, and with her practical nursing skills, as she loved to brag about, she put water to heat and with a clean rag (wash cloth) and a basin,she helped my mother that night, relieving her of the pain she felt, but putting the hot cloth on the breast so that the milk would be released therefore easing the pain my beloved mother felt, as I stood close with my trusty finger in my mouth. For all she did, that night made me forgive Miss Will.

Enemies are often people who are close to you. Ones who suffer from emotions such as hatred, jealousy, (bad mind, as we say in Jamaica) and more.

They often times come from out of nowhere. Miserable people filled with hate and contempt (mostly for themselves, but they take it out on everybody else), sore about their own lives that they make other people’s lives distract them from trying to better their own, some are even better off than those they despise, yet they are never satisfied. They are the ones who are never satisfied, never happy, often with a smile that never lights their eyes, no warmth, no shine, no love. They are our enemies. They disguise themselves very well, and are often some of the nicest people (deceptive), at least to those who cannot tell. People views on Donald Trump are not nice and for good reasons, but at least we know what he is and his thoughts. Wicked are the enemies the secret ones, yes the secret ones. The ones who smiles,hugs and compliments, but are ugly and vile inside. The traitors, backstabbers, liars, wicked ones who break bread with you and call you out of the blue at times, just to check up on you, so they say, lol. What is yours should belong to them, even your talent which God has granted you, and they too have albeit different from your own. They look at your life and even when their own is filled with all that you do not have, they still find something about you to hate and despise, just because, just because. They know deep inside that they are wrong, but they convince themselves otherwise. Your laugh irritates them, the way you look, the way you comb your hair, your complexion, the way you walk, just because, just because. Their contempt for you will surely hurt them in the end because they insist to make you the enemy, when it would have been easier to make you a friend, for them at least. Because with all their evil, wicked and jealous ways, somewhere far off, the Universe watches and records their err. Their judgments, criticism, accusation and cruelty, contributes to the earth’s negativity. Their conscience rises up at nights or whenever they are alone. It tries to speak to them, to urge them toward goodness and love, self esteem, security, but they will not hear it. Many of them qualify their feelings with misguided stupid reasons, just to convince themselves that YOU are the wicked one and they are good. I have a sister who gloats at anyones hurt, malicious and evil she is, yet she seeks sympathy from everyone, and also goes out of her way to know your business so that she can use it against you. Evil is her middle name although not visible on her birth certificate.
What have you done to them? Nothing, you have done nothing. We can all agree to disagree, a friendly argument needs not to  cause a fight. The day must come and so will the night, both will have its time to shine, no jealousy is needed between the Sun and the Moon. One hand needs the other to clap, nuh suh? Iron sharpeneth Iron, or so says the word, which is indeed true, why must you hate me, when I don’t even know you? If is my husband you see and want, then why Obeah me for him, when your own desire is not my fault? Why are you upset because I went to school, to earn a degree, my mother warned me not to be a fool, so she made the effort and the sacrifice to grow me good, why is that a problem to you, how have I impeded your life? You called my phone and I was not home, I got real busy so the call was not returned, you tell your friends, that I have become brand new and spread rumors about me, and to this day I do not know what sparked this hate, a missed phone call? Is this your character all along? Why when the boss gave me a promotion based on my merit, my work, my abilities, my skills, why did you not rejoice with me as other did, instead I became a target of you hate,spite and ill will? I do not understand it why? Why hate me when I have never hurt you or caused you pain? When I have not even thought about you, I never once caused you unhappiness, hurt, nor does my heart hold you in disdain. I respect you, love you, I always greet you with a genuine smile, and you greet me back, a smile returned, fixed on you face. Yet you hate color, my skin, my accent even my very race, I have never wronged you, yet you are my enemy.

Enemies are alive and well, they have no care as to the venom that flows through their blood, many are born like that and will never change, some were brought up to hate, some have emotional problems which comes out through their actions, propelled by their thoughts. They can raise up at anyone at anytime. My own have taught me valuable lessons. The ones who are the cruelest however are the ones least expected. Who turn on you for absolutely no reason, at least no reason you can think of. I once met a young lady, who met me as Obara Meji. I liked her and thought she was on a path, a spiritual path. She was intelligent and funny and sharp. I thought she could be a friend. I do not usually do well with women friends, after a while they always turn on me, and to this day I have yet to figure out why. I once asked an elder in Africa about this, and she said “My dear, you are Omo Osun (a child of Orisha Osun) and as such will always be hated by women, as Osun was when she lived among humans, this is mainly because of jealousy, it is the same way Osun co wives and other women hated her, she was too powerful for them”, (Osun is real wife of Orunmila, his Apetibe). The Mother said, “Osun is everything that the other women wish they could be, she is well loved and respected and those ordinary women cannot accept, hence the jealousy”. I did not want to believe her, although I should, she was an elder and had lived a very long life as an Omo Osun.

The young lady and I were friends for about six months, until one day nothing. She removed herself from me, no communication at all. I was perturbed, bothered, because this was not the first time I had experienced this from women, and from ones who I really liked as human beings, I helped them also on their journey, showed them many things, and then ingratitude in the blink of an eye. One day I got an email from her to my surprise, shocked, and not one to hold a grudge I responded. She called me immediately and we began to speak, but I had to ask, and so I did. I asked her why did she stop speaking to me, what did I do. She said “nothing,Obara you did nothing. I became afraid of you, it had to do with your eyes, I became afraid of them, something with them scared me” this is what she told me. I did not buy it, but I said nothing. However I remember a woman long ago, who I liked as well. She was in the operating room with me, as a friend while I delivered my child by Cesarean section. How could I not love this person, who sat there with me while the wicked baby father was waking up from his womans bed as I delivered his child. One day she came to my shop, and told me Obara I cannot be your friend any more, I asked her why, because as she told me this, my eyes mist up, she was so nice, a very lovely lady. She told me the most peculiar thing, she said ” I cannot be your friend any more Obara, because you see too much”. I never understood back then completely what she meant, but I respect her, because unlike many she did not disappear without warning, she was honest, and for that I give her nuff respect. I will not love my enemies, I will not love them. I will seek out the message they taught me and learn from it. The bible says to love them, well I am not a Christian and do not have to adhere to anything written there. I will cuss them. I will pray against them, for there are many I do not know, but I will always beg God to let me have victory over them and for God to bind them and keep them away from me and mine. I will never wish bad on anyone, let God judge them, but I will never pray for their goodness, never will I do that. A very good woman told me, recently that I should “kill” my enemies with love. Bless her heart. I cannot do that, no, I cannot. By the time I realize that you are my enemy, and this is on you, because I do not offend people (on purpose, and if I do, I am not too big to say I am sorry, if you point out my error to me) for whatever reason you have began to fight me, I cannot be a hypocrite and shower you with love and kindness. This is just my personality. I will never cause you harm, and I may not even let you know that I know who you are, but I cannot shower you with love, nor will I hate you, I do not know how to hate, but I will always  be praying against your name to my God for victory over any cruel plans or thoughts you may have for me.

“Thou shall set a table before me in the presence of my enemies,” says the psalms, “with God’s guidance I will sit in the presence of them and they cannot harm me.” With this I can agree, because my people, know that from once you know that YOU are clean, and have not harmed those who are set against you, those who have persecuted you, those who have laid traps behind your back for you, those who wish you harm. Once you have a clean heart and conscience and have never hindered anyone, or their children, have not stopped their prosperity, have not cause them pain and suffering, homelessness or starvation, have not stolen from them, have not caused them to separate from their faith or stand in their way in any way, have not caused anyone to come to ruin or have never raised an evil hand or have had any wicked intent to any man, woman, child, or beast, then my beloved, your defense is sure! Your defense is sure. When an enemy shows themselves, be thankful to God, because he has allowed you to see what is before you, yet always pray against the secret ones who can cause you to falter along life’s way.

Below are some quotes on enemies. I had to cut the post short, because as usual I have too much to write.

I Love You All

Obara Meji

In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.

Dalai Lama

To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.

Sun Tzu

The worst enemy is one whose doctrines are founded in hate and are thus beyond debate.

Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas.

Joseph Stalin

“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.”
― G.K. Chesterton

You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.

Winston Churchill