Native Crucian Eugenie Golden Kelley published her second book, “Caribbean Fantasy,” and she is working on her third.
Kelley is a retired educator who has been writing all her life, and the octogenarian has not slowed down during her retirement. Her stories give readers a view of the island life Kelley grew up with and the oral traditions she listened to as a youth. “They are the stories our forefathers told us that changed from one generation to the next,” Kelley told the Source with a laugh.
Kelley’s career began in the Virgin Islands Education Department, where she taught cosmetology at Central High School. She soon followed her heart and earned a master’s degree at the University of the Virgin Islands on St. Croix. She went on to teach at Evelyn Williams Elementary School, where she later retired.
“I love Anansi stories and I would make them up when I was teaching. I liked using dialect. It was a good teaching tool,” Kelley said.
It was important for Kelley to instill in her students the pride of their local dialect, and the knowledge of its standard English equivalent. “We need this to prosper in this world,” she said.
“Caribbean Fantasy” is a collection of four short stories that display the customs and life traditions of the people of St. Croix. The narratives give the reader a taste of Crucian culture that reveres homegrown wisdom, teaches manners, and shares down-to-earth experiences that youngsters will carry with them through their lives, Kelley added.
According to one reader, “This is a book that can be read by adults and older children, who will enjoy reading to their younger siblings and friends. ”Caribbean Fantasy’ is enlightening and entertaining.”
Kelley realized that she had written an abundance of stories that she shared with other teachers and she began throwing some away. Her colleagues stopped her in her tracks and reminded her of their value. Kelley listened. Since then, she has been compiling her stories that relate to each other and to reading age. Her third book will be geared toward the teenage reader.
The short stories in “Caribbean Fantasy” keep the reader engaged by Kelley’s use of the animal kingdom as her characters. They represent the human beings we know and meet every day with their strengths and frailties, their personality traits, and their values.
Anansi and the Snappers, Melleh in de Market, Soldier Crab and Snail, and Bobby Blind Snake are the four stories in the “Caribbean Fantasy” collection.
An Excerpt from Melleh in de Market
Mamita, Bella and Comsee are selling their produce in the market.
Two tourists from the cruise ship enter the market.
“How much are your limes?” the woman asked.
“Wait, what time ah day is it?” asked Mamita.
“Why, it’s morning,” answered the woman.
“Well, that’s wha we say when we meet someone dis time a day—marnin,” said Miss Mamita, “Now we ken talk.”
“You still haven’t told us the price of the limes,” said the man.
“Ah can’t tell you the price,” answered Mamita.
“But you’re selling them, said the man. “You should know!”
“You see the cross fuh me?” Mamita asked Comsee.
Then she said to the tourist, “Look man, the lime marry to pepper!”
I’ve never heard of such a thing,” said the woman.
“Well, Buckra, you on the island now, and lime marry to pepper, that means if you want lime, you have to buy pepper,” said Mamita.
“If you say so, madam, we need the limes. Guess we can throw the pepper away,” said the man.
“Whatever suits yuh fancy, that’s what some man does with deh wife when deh have no more use fuh dem,” said Mamita.
Comsee and Bella burst out laughing.
Each story has a section:
Before Reading – Words to Know: gives the meanings of words encountered in the story.
After Reading: asks the reader questions about what has been read.
Creative Extension: invites the reader to create a story with illustrations. The sections are a technique that Kelley developed as a teaching tool.
Kelley’s love of writing stories stems from her history. “Storytelling has been an essential part of Caribbean culture. On sugar plantations on St. Croix, enslaved Africans and their descendants would gather around open fires or beneath the moon, spellbound by the storyteller’s tales. These stories brought from the Motherland or woven from the sights and sounds of their daily lives were more than just entertainment. They were a lifeline, a connection to their roots, and a testament to the power of storytelling.”
Kelley also shared her knowledge of how each storyteller embellished and presented the story uniquely while preserving the only thread that kept them attached to their homeland and the Griots of their African villages.
“Caribbean Fantasy” is vividly illustrated by Bowie, who is a native Crucian, a freelance artist and webcomic Killer Hunter Kain creator. He is also Kelley’s nephew.
Kelley’s first book, “Masego’s Special Gift,” was published in 2015. It is a historical fiction about the slave trade with Denmark. It traces the life of 16-year-old African Masego from Ghana as he goes through the Middle Passage to life in Estate La Grange on the island of St. Croix. The name Masego means blessing. The book is currently available at the Botanical Garden on St. Croix.
“Caribbean Fantasy” is available:
On Amazon
The Botanical Garden on St. Croix.
For more information:
Eugenie Golden Kelley, 954-665-4195
