No Pain Like This Body by Harold Sonny Ladoo

the drum. The scorpions were making a run for it. But they couldn’t run from the drum. Nanna held the drum firmly, and pounded them bup bup bup.
    Rama was bawling, and the wind and the rain were shout­ing at Tola and pounding the earth; water came through the holes in the roof more and more. Nanna picked up Rama. He handed him to Nanny and Ma. Nanna took the drum and came out of the box; the scorpions couldn’t interfere with him, because he had the drum.
    Balraj was rolling in the water; he was twelve years old, yet he was rolling in the water. The whole house was spinning with noise and water. Nanna picked up Balraj. “Now hush!”
    â€œI deadin. Fire lightin in me hand.”
    Nanna told Sunaree and Panday to get some ricebags and spread them out by the tapia wall. Sunaree and Panday went into the bedroom. It was dark. They felt the ground, slippery and cold under their feet. They searched with their toes for the empty ricebags. They were searching quietly because they were afraid that an evil spirit was going to hold them in the bedroom.
    â€œI get one bag,” Panday said.
    He bent down and took up the bag.
    â€œNow shake out dat bag good, befo a skopian bite you,” Sunaree warned.
    â€œOright.”
    Panday shook the bag vat vat vat in the darkness. It sounded as if he was opening a dry coconut with a dull cutlass.
    Sunaree got a few bags too. She shook them and said to Panday, “Let we come outa dis dark place. I fraid if a lightnin cut out we tongues.”
    â€œWhy you makin me fraid?”
    â€œI not makin you fraid.”
    Nanna heard them arguing, so he said, “Come fast wid dem bags.”
    â€œOright,” Sunaree answered.
    When they brought the bags, Nanna said, “Spread dem bags by dat tapia wall. It not have no skopians dere.”
    Nanna placed Balraj upon the bags. Nanny and Ma rested Rama next to Balraj.
    â€œIt not have no dry coverlets for dese chirens to put under dey backs?” Nanna asked.
    â€œNo,” Ma said sadly.
    And Nanny: “Me God! Where you is God!”
    Nanna picked up a dead scorpion from the water. It was long and black. He took the light from Nanny and began roasting it. The scorpion went sooey soeey, then crack crack crack, as the flame licked the flesh. It smelt as if rubber or wet leaves were burning. The smoke came out bluish like. Then he removed the body from the flame; he blew it, then he broke out the end of the tail and threw it away. Then with a slow patience he roasted the body of the scorpion again. Nanna took the roasted scorpion and came near Balraj and Rama.
    â€œEat dis,” Nanna said, handing Balraj a piece of roasted scorpion. “It go do you good.”
    â€œI not want dat!”
    â€œEat it boy. It good for you.”
    â€œMe eh want it, I say.”
    Nanna reminded Balraj that he and Rama were stung by deadly scorpions; the poison was working fast; they were going to die if they didn’t eat the roasted scorpion.
    â€œSappose we eat it and still dead?” Balraj asked.
    â€œNever!” Nanna replied.
    Resting on the wet bags, Balraj and Rama ate the scor­pion meat. They ate in fear, because their eyes were wide open as doors. When they finished the meat, Nanna made his hands into a cup. He asked Balraj and Rama to piss in his hands. Rama coughed and said that he was too sick to piss. Balraj kept saying that his bladder was empty, because he had pissed when he went for the banana leaves.
    Sunaree and Panday were listening. They were looking on; feeling sorry for Balraj and Rama like.
    â€œI go pee in you hand Nanna,” Panday said.
    Nanna objected. He said that the piss was going to act against the poison only if it came from Balraj and Rama. “Now Balraj and Rama all you pee in me hand!”
    â€œI not!” Balraj said.
    â€œWell den you goin to dead! And Rama too!” Nanna shouted.
    When Balraj learnt that if he and Rama didn’t pass water they were going