Monologue by Brittney Welsh
(Setting- Courtroom)
Welcome to Jamrock – by Damian Marley plays
A form of abuse, I came here for that- di likkle one, two slap slap pon har back
Believe me, she knows it was all for the best
I told her not to do it but she keep a test, test
If you nuh hear, you a go feel (audio of elderly person saying it)
A suh mi granny used to say
But it wasn’t really bad
Not a scratch mi nuh get
I learnt my lesson and so should she
At school, we teachers teach them to be
Respectful, not forgetful because yes, they are the key
To the future
A future with less violence and crime
A dat we a pree
(audio of crowd cheering loudly)
Judge (audio of judge banging his gavel and saying “order in the court” x2)
I am sorry your honor but as you can see
A lot of adults in here do not disagree
Children need discipline and (defendant says psshh) time out won’t do it
Your honor, this child is a troublemaker!
She punched a boy in his head and I just had to shake her
She lies, she cheats so what am I to do?
A detention, a demerit, a suspension wouldn’t do
I called her parents. They came and said,
“Do what you must”.
We are tired and fed up.
We are on the brink of sending her to a child psychologist, but we want to try one last thing. Let’s resort to the old ways and we’re not saying to abuse our child but to merely give her a slap on the wrist for any of her wrongdoings. If that does not change her, then we’ll just have to resort to the tactic of embarrassment by disciplining her in front of the whole school. We really don’t want to do that but if it calls for it then…..”
Now tell me your honor, what does that mean?
And I am not indicating that I abused her because here’s what happened:
After she had fought with and cursed at a classmate for asking if she’s stupid, I called to her and said, “That is not the way to do things, Vanessa”. What came next was a big shock to me, she said, “Mi nuh care” and shouted an expletive right in front of me and the whole class. My blood boiled. I could feel it. My anger was rising like a volcano that was about to erupt, but I kept my cool. I held onto her and said, “This is it. You are coming with me. Don’t you dare argue or you will see.”
I began to whisper under my breath:
This child…..Oh Lord…..This child!
God cover this pickney!
I feel it for her parents enuh! I feel it for her parents
It’s like nothing and nobody can help her
Maybe she needs psychiatric evaluation enuh
Maybe….
But let’s get back to where we were going
As we approached the principal’s office, she started to squirm
“Vanessa,” I called
She looked at me with contempt. Then, with a mischievous glint in her eyes,
the child bit me!
Taken aback, I let her go and she ran away like her life was at stake
When she was far enough she shouted something that made me think
What a disrespect!
In less than five minutes the principal was out
I just gave her a look and she knew who it was about
“Vanessa?” she asked
“Vanessa,” I confirmed
Ten minutes later one of our school guards had arrived with a scowling Vanessa standing right behind
I held on to her but then she said, “Mi feel like you a lez enuh, weh yah hold on pon mi suh fah. Yuh waan mi or sumn?”
I was appalled at her bravery
Done giving chances and so I did what any teacher would have done
I held my plastic ruler firmly and gave one slap!
Her face became distorted and down came the cow bawling
“Watch weh ago happen!” she said with anger laced in her voice
And here I am at Court defending my final action of disciplining a student
Judge and jury, I plead not guilty
For if we do not stop them when they are young,
What is to say of when they grow older
All I have to say and no disrespect is
Hmm! Hmm! Dog ago nyam yuh suppa!
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