By Neil Primus
Hazel was a gossip. She was loud-mouthed and vile. When she got angry and began cursing, look out. She boasted about her bravery and skill as a fighter. Many people feared her.
Secretly she was a coward. She was afraid of almost everything. Cockroaches, spiders, butterflies and dragon flies were only a few of her mortal enemies. But that was her secret. To everyone else she was a trained killer. She claimed she was an expert in Karate, Kung Fu, Judo and Tai Kwan Do. People avoided conflict with her.

Whenever there was a fight Hazel would always be present. While the battle raged she kept her distance all the while throwing kicks, cuffs, karate chops, butts and some potent expletives. All the above was directed at the spectators. Very often people ended up watching her more than the pugilists because she ended up looking more menacing than them. Her major accomplishment during those clashes was maintaining a safe distance.
Then a Jumbie moved into the small village of Chance. People claimed that Quincy brought it with him. Hazel spread the rumour that he had collected it from Suriname and intended to use it on all of his enemies in the village.

People now had something other than Hazel to fear and to talk about. This made her very jealous. Strange things began to occur. Someone was slapped by the spirit. Another was chased all the way home. Old Mr. Barrow complained that the Jumbie kept knocking on his door all night. He could not sleep. Eventually he removed the door and put drapes. The knocking stopped.
Everyone was scared except Hazel. Whenever someone related their horrifying experience to her she would launch into a scathing attack on the poor spirit.
“I not afraid of no Jumbie! Let it come! It would be me and it. Look I would beat it like a snake!”

She even showed villagers that she had a stone for the hapless spirit if it dared to cross her path. She ranted, steamed and fumed hoping that it would attack her. One fateful night she got her wish.
That night Hazel went for her usual walk hoping to encounter the Jumbie. She strolled around the lovely, dark area of the community scaring a few couples, two cats, three dogs and one wayward individual, intent on stealing. Her encounter happened so innocently that she did not realize until it was too late.

The road leading to the back of the village was full of large potholes, black like Kiwi Polish and lonely. People kept away from there because it was one of the hot-spots where the spirit usually appeared. Hazel went there bravely and nonchalantly. No Jumbie could frighten her. She intended to put a stop to the haunting business.
A movement to her right caught her attention. She turned ready for action but it was only a child. The girl was thin, short and delicate. She was around eight years old and dressed in an old soiled dress.

“Hi sweetheart. You live at the back here?” Hazel enquired.
‘No!”
“You visiting someone?”
“You can say that.”
The child smiled and Hazel could not help but like her.
“Look dear, it’s not safe to be in this area at night.”
“What about you?” The witty child countered.
“I am a trained professional Martial Arts expert.”
“You must be famous.”
“Yes. Everybody in de village frighten me.”
“But why you in dis place auntie?”
“I want fo meet dat Jumbie dat everybody frighten. I would beat it to a pulp!”
“But auntie people can’t beat Jumbie because is a spirit.”
“Wat you know bout Jumbie and spirit?” If I catch that dotish Jumbie I would give it some of this!”

Hazel proceeded to show some of her best moves to the little girl. All the girl did was watch and giggle.
“Look, lea me teach you a few things”
. Hazel began by demonstrating her punching. After a few examples she asked the kid to give it a try.
Pow!
Hazel hit the ground hard. It took her a few seconds to realize that the girl had hit her. Embarrassed she scrambled to her feet and made a silly excuse about slipping. The punch hurt. She then moved on to the kicking. After her demonstration she encouraged her little friend to try it. This time Hazel kept her eyes on the girl. She wouldn’t be caught unaware twice.

She never saw it coming.
Bram!
Hazel blinked and found herself on her backside with the girl looking down at her. Reason took over. She knew that there was no way a child with such a small body- weight could hit so hard.
Something else was amidst. As she struggled to get to her feet the child’s appearance changed. When Hazel came erect she got the shock of her life. Standing in front of her was what appeared to be a woman. The only problem was the woman had a slowly revolving head. Every time the face came around there was an uglier expression printed on it.

In shock, desperation and temporary insanity, Hazel lashed out at the figure. What followed was an epic encounter that saw Hazel throwing only one punch; the first. After that it was ‘luck gone bad.’
Next day villagers saw Hazel bandaged, swollen and broken. She refused to disclose the source of her pain. Everyone suspected that the Jumbie had give Hazel a real cut-ass.