Instead of Fragrance

Instead of Fragrance is a dramatic, suspenseful narrative rooted in the spiritual realities, oral traditions, and cultural atmosphere of rural St. Mary, Jamaica.
Told through the witty, observant voice of Renae, a sheltered seventeen-year-old girl raised under her mother's fierce protection, the story contrasts a family's grounded faith with a neighbours reliance on dark spiritual practices (Obeah). When Miss Pam, an estranged neighbour with a history of malice and weaponising scripture, faces a agonising, solitary end, she summons Renae's mother to read a specific passage of judgment: Isaiah 3.
The story reaches its climax when a life-threatening medical emergency; a sudden ruptured appendix, strikes Renae immediately following the encounter. What ensues is a tense battle between the lingering shadow of a neighbour's parting declaration and a mother's decisive, prayerful intervention.
Ultimately, the narrative is a triumph of light over darkness. It serves as a testament to maternal vigilance, divine protection, and the resilience of a young girl whose life, marked by a permanent scar proves that no targeted malice can overrule a higher grace.