Moko Magic: Carnival Chaos by Tracey Baptiste

Author:Tracey Baptiste [Baptiste, Tracey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Freedom Fire/Disney Hyperion
Published: 2024-08-06T00:00:00+00:00

Misty

Brooke was frustrated that Mr. Abara hadn’t let them into his house, but Misty didn’t have time to dwell on that. She was too excited. Tonight was canboulay, one of Misty’s favorite carnival events. The celebration of the emancipation from slavery would be the perfect distraction from everything that was happening. She wondered how the performances they were going to see at the Brooklyn Museum would compare to the Canboulay Spectacular in Trinidad and Tobago. Also, it was going to be her first time inside the museum, and she was excited about that.

Misty pulled her mum around the stadium steps and to a series of glass doors at the entrance to the building. Brooke followed behind like a zombie. She hadn’t said much since they’d left their house. Misty knew she was disappointed about Mr. Abara, but she couldn’t worry every second. This was a chance to enjoy themselves. Misty caught Brooke’s hand and pulled her as well.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Misty’s mum asked, pulling back. “The festival’s in the courtyard.” She pointed to the line of people at the side of the building. Misty sighed. The inside of the museum would have to wait.

Large outdoor speakers were playing an old kaiso from the Mighty Chalkdust. Misty knew some of his music because her old maths teacher, Sister Anne, had enjoyed playing it. Like most old calypsonians, “Chalkie” only performed during carnival season; the rest of the year he had a regular job. New calypsonians performed year-round now, with Caribbeans scattered all over the globe and carnival happening somewhere almost every month. Misty’s favorite was Machel Montano.

The crowd vibrated with excitement in the museum courtyard. Misty loved the tingle she felt at being in the middle of all that energy. There were accents from all over the Caribbean coming from people of every skin tone, from blue-black to porcelain pale. The colors of everyone’s outfits were almost more riotous than the hues in Uncle Andrew’s sewing pile.

As the music played, people chipped their shoes on the ground, making a chh chh rhythm that matched the calypso beat. Among the hip-rocking, elbows-swaying, laughing crowd, Misty mostly forgot about the tangle of questions and worry she was carrying inside of her. This was exactly what she’d hoped for. Calypso music seemed designed to unknot things. She checked to see if the music was unknotting things for Brooke, too, but her cousin remained the only gray person in the colorful crowd.

The three of them found seats near the front. Uncle Stanley and Aunty Trish would be at the restaurant until late, but they hoped to make it for the tail end of the show. Uncle Andrew and Aidan had gone to help the Steel Biloko load and unload their pans for the event. They would be watching from backstage with the musicians.

Once again, Misty longed for her dad. She and her parents had always been inseparable, especially for carnival events. He would not have missed canboulay. Misty opened her mum’s purse and took out her smartphone.

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