A bowl of porridge……
You know, one thing I must say is true. Even though I live in Jamaica, there is still much that I don’t know about my island home. As they say, we live and we learn. Anyway, so as not to get too long winded, let me get to the meat of the post.
Yesterday, I was driving off the hospital compound in order to get lunch at at fast food Chinese place down in Liguanea. I had curried shrimp which was good indeed. (I actually did not feel like going back to the clinic after, but that is life I suppose.) While driving back up to the hospital, I decided to tune in to some news on the car radio. Now, I often don’t listen to news or talk shows when driving as I find that the stories frequently only add to your stress level. Its bad enough that we have to watch out for the raases on the road who ‘bad drive’ you and think nutten of it. Indeed, everyone here does NOT obey the road code.
I prefer to listen to CDs or the stations that play music…it helps to take my mind off the stressful events of life.
Anyway, I’m still rambling. I’m listening to the news and hear an article about a PORRIDGE VENDOR that was killed. Now, I knitted my brow, as I had not known before yesterday that people cook and sell porridge on the roadside in order to make a living. Call me sheltered if you like. I just didn’t know this.
For those of you who don’t live here, many people sell all manner of consumer goods as roadside vendors in Jamaica. Clothes, shoes, food, dry goods, water coconuts, soup and cooked food like jerked chicken or pork are amongst the wares to be had. Now, I HATE porridge, and though I did on occasion eat rice porridge when I was a child, I always hated cornmeal porridge….especially when it got a bit cold and that sort of layer formed on top of it. YUCK!!!
Now, the news item continues to report that this porridge vendor had apparently set up shop in the morning as usual, providing customers with their breakfast. Along comes a man who wishes to have some, but apparently does not have any money. The vendor refuses to give the man the porridge because he has no funds, and as a consequence, a fracas ensues. A weapon (if I remember correctly, a knife) comes into play and the poor vendor is stabbed rahtid DEAD by the man!!!
Killed over a bowl of porridge!! Can you believe it?? What the rass has our country come to?
Now, perhaps you might say that the man was hungry and the vendor could have sympathised with him and given him the porridge. True. But, you also have to see with the vendor as well. This is how he makes his living. Suppose everyone who came along gave a hard luck story of being broke and hungry? At the end of the day he would have nutten to carry to him yard. No funds to turn over to make another day’s worth of porridge to sell. It seems so senseless to me though. To lose one’s life in a dispute over a simple bowl of porridge.
I tried to find the article in our newspapers but I didn’t see it. I wonder if it made the Friday Star? God help the people of Jamaica land we love!
February 21st, 2004 at 6:44 pm That is insane, but as you said, sad developments that a person would take another person’s life over porridge. It isn’t just in Jamacia senseless murder’s happen which is so sad!! I’m like you I don’t listen to the news while I’m driving either it is either music or my never ending talking daughter in the back.
February 21st, 2004 at 6:55 pm Well, I didn’t see it in the Friday Star Online, but maybe it was in the print version, I can’t say… I knew there are porridge vendors. I have seen one in New Kingston when I’m really early… he sells porridge to the guys who wipe you windshield. I hope it wasn’t him.
February 22nd, 2004 at 5:44 am I heard that bit of news on Friday on power 106 FM and I was shocked to say the least. It surely scared the living day lights out of me as well as got me rather upset to think that a man was killed over a bowl of porridge
February 22nd, 2004 at 11:51 am So sorry to hear about the vendor…such a senseless death… I am with you Doc, I hate any form of porridge!!
February 22nd, 2004 at 6:35 pm When I lived in Phoenix there were a bunch of homeless people getting killed. I guess someone thought it was fun to run over the homeless people who ask for work or food on the side of the road. It was some kind of a “gang sport” and they were finding hit and run victims everywhere. That’s why so often I just hate to watch or listen to the new. I like porridge but only if it’s hot. We used to call it “mush”!
February 22nd, 2004 at 8:58 pm I wondered if your cornmeal porridge was the “mush” my mother served us when I was a child. Doc….there are so many senseless reasons for death. I can’t understand how someone can let road rage talk them into taking another person’s life. Drive by gang shootings, where a stray bullet kills a child in his own home are another example of senseless death. The list goes on ad nauseum. I’m saddened for the porridge vendor and his family.
February 23rd, 2004 at 1:43 pm I think it has reached a stage where life has no real value. I listen to two guys talking the other day (from a neighbouring community) and realized that one who was shot and lost an arm was still in the crime runnings. His view is that whatever he does, is for today and “if im dead trying to knock off a man for a food, den is jus im time.” He made no bones that the amount of money to “do a job” was irrelevant as long as he is paid what is promised. Living for today…. Desperate times Doc.
February 23rd, 2004 at 1:57 pm scratchie…. nice to hear from you, but I suppose we share similar sentiments. I’ve heard that you can have a man ‘hit’ for the price of a tin o bully beef and a hard dough bread!
February 24th, 2004 at 3:37 pm I know that often we share different points of view from many other Jamaicans, due to our middle class status….but I remember a time, when although there were stll many poor people in our beautiful island, it was safe to walk (mostly anywhere) at anytime of day or night. I wish that it was still that Jamaica that I could show to my children…but at the same time, i am glad that my children do not have to live in the present Jamaica. Not to say that everything is great here in Canada. In the 19 years that i have been here the crime rate in Toronto has zooommmed upwards amazingly. Even in my little “out of the way” town, things have changed. When we first moved here there were no robberies or anything of that kind…sadly that has been becoming a more noticable thing in our town now too. (though no where close to the big cities around us!) Progress is a hell of a thing eh? No matter what, it always comes with a down side!
February 24th, 2004 at 9:59 pm Dearest bro, first of all happy to be here after such a long stint away
February 24th, 2004 at 10:03 pm Doctor and brother - here am I after so long!