Tower Of Babel

Earlier this week, there was an article of news that I read, about the discovery of the dead body of a young woman. Now, the body was found in a gully very close to the Medical Centre where I do private practice on a Thursday evening.

This evening, I went there as usual, it was a bit slow, five patients, but, I’m not complaining as I’m a bit tired anyway. As is the usual practice, the Security Guard for the Medical Centre follows me to my car when I am leaving in the night. He does this with all the doctors in fact. He’s a very likeable guy, and he dresses in ’street clothes’, not a guard uniform. We chat as usual while walking to the car. So, I was rapping with him tonight.

I asked him if he had heard about the discovery of the woman’s body. He said, “Yes Doc. I actually saw when the Police were removing the body from the gully. Of course you know seh nuff crowd did deh bout!” So, I asked him if the woman was from the community. He said yes. However, he said he did not know her. You see, being the guard at the Medical Centre, he knows most of the folks who live in the community that come there for medical attention.

He continued. “Doc. I hear seh dem claim seh she a infarmah!” (Doc. I hear that they claim she reported somebody!”) Apparently, the rumor was that she may have been either witness to or have some information about a crime, and she reported the alleged wrongdoer to the Police!

The guard said, “So because she inform Doc, dem duss her out!” He went further to say, “Doc. It frig up a way still. Imagine. We live inna a country where tings so blood claat rough, dat if you witness a crime, you just haffi see and blind and hear and deaf. Oddawise, dem kill you rass if you talk.” (Doc. It is screwed up when you think about it. We live in a country where things are so rough, that if you witness a crime, you have to play blind and deaf. Otherwise they will kill your ass if you talk.)

I had to agree with him. Anyway, I got into the car and bade him farewell until next Thursday when I go back there.

I was thinking about what he said while driving on the way home and that is what stimulated this post. It is not only in this type of area that this sort of thing takes place. You see, the Medical Centre is not in ‘upscale’ Kingston, but it is not quite a ‘depressed’ community either.

Late last year, a prominent businessman was murdered at his businessplace. I have also heard that the story behind his death was related to his being an ‘infarmah’ as well. Sad shit if you ask me. Now, I know that if I witnessed a crime and I could help to solve it, my instinct and morals would want me to become an ‘infarmah’ as well. But, alas, when I think about it….. Would I like my life to be ended prematurely? Would I wish my home to be terrorised or some other sort of crap?? No! But, then again, I would want to be able to see the criminal put to justice. My conscience would bother me if I did not, and that is difficult to live with. Wouldn’t you feel similarly? I guess this is another situation of damned if you do as well as if you don’t. You can’t live with yourself by keeping quiet if you know something. But, if you talk, your life may well be ended. What about witness protection? I don’t know how comfortable I am with that.

I guess I will end by saying, life is sweet, but, there is a lot of friggery going down in the world today. Help me out with your thoughts on this one. How would you feel or act if you were put into a situation where you could become a potential ‘infarmah?’ And BTW, I won’t buss (report) on you either, as I certainly want you to be around in the land of the living to return here and comment in the future, seen?

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 20th, 2003 at 9:19 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.