Tower Of Babel

I’ve decided to put some thoughts of mine on the blog, they may not necessarily be in chronological order, but who says they have to be? This is no examination. So here goes…

It was about 6:30 PM that I thought to myself, I really should go walk dis evening. I haven’t walked since Wednesday evening….Then I think, but it still so damn hot and humid….but then I am trying to lose weight, and the meat and vegetable ting by itself is not adeqaute. But me haffi walk alone, caw de man dem me used to walk with nuh migrate sah. Cho, screw dat, you might meet a kriss ting while walking. You have a goal. Self reliance rude bwoy, don’t depend on others to make your goal happen. If it nuh work out is only yuself you have to blame. OK, I going go walk, but me jus remember, I am on call…shyte! Means that I have to walk with the pager and the cell in case they need me. I hate to walk with anything on my person but the key for the yard. Then again, why complain? At least I can tek call from the yard. If I was on other services I would be confined to the walls of the hospital. Count your blessings rude yute.

So, I don mi shorts, a cut off T-shirt and the sneakers, along with pager, cell and keys. It is now 6:40 PM. I head up my road. I buss the corner and as I have nobody chatting to, I find miself looking at the ground a bit. What a whole heap o used cellular calling cards people discard on de road eh? Maybe the companies like Digicel and C&W could offer a sort of discount per number of cards dropped into a receptacle or suppem, rather than have all this trash accumulating, wah you seh?

Turn the corner and just about to head up the hill for the first time. In the distance I see a lady jus barely going walking, clearly if she is exercising, she not getting much done. I pass her, tell her, “Good evening,” and realize that she is pretty advanced in age. I wonder if she is well. Bwoy, sickness and old age is a hell of a thing! I continue on my pretty brisk pace up the hill. Trus me, when I did it the first time last year, me buss quick, I couldn’t go all the way. Eventually, I reach the top, and turn the corner. I continue to my turn around point. I would go higher up, but some mongrel dawg up deh weh nuh too friendly, and I don’t plan fe know wah dawg bite feel like! I turn around and cast mi eyes pon de ground. I see a used boots dash weh on de roadside. Yes, a man was a gwaan wid some rude bwoy business. I can understand why there still….at this point on my walk, the road is pretty desolate, the street light naw work, and there is a very nice view of Kingston….so you done know. Eventually, I buss the corner, and I see in the distance, the old Crowne Plaza Hotel. Yeah, the said one that our government sold to the US government for a money….FINSAC did bruck, so dem gie it weh fe likkle and nutten. Their gain, our loss. I used to drink juice at that bar when the hotel was in operation. I don’t know of any bar in JA that has such a nice view of City Kingston. Pity. Also, it was strategically placed…I could be home from there driving in five minutes max. Had no need to fret about getting stopped by the Babylon (Police for the foreigners) if I had a wee bit too many. I also see the stadium lights aglow in the distance…I wonder is what going on down there this evening? I know is not the Reggae Boyz playing.

I look down at Grove….the area in which I live…pretty place actually. I been living here for thirty odd years now. I know some people may find that hard to believe. The hills surrounding Grove are a testimony to the existence of the Almighty. They are a beautiful green to behold. I see a girl walking on the other side of the road in her tights, shape nuh look bad at all. Face is pleasant. She really is not exerting herself too much. I say good evening….feisty gyal don’t even have the decency fe reply! Maybe she is one o dem girl who tink seh she kriss and her shit can mek patty! Well, hear wah….Tastees nuh have no use fe u! Guweh!

I’m on the road that Mad Bull used to live on now and I pass his old house from years gone by. Nuff good times were spent there. In the distance I see a number of cars parked on the roadside. I smell BBQ smoke. Nice. Eventually, I realize that one of the houses is having a lime, nuff laughing a gwaan, man a drink juice and food a serve. Music playing….Shaggy’s ‘Wasn’t me.’ And you know seh de people never even invite me! Is arite still. Food and liquor nuh short a mi yard. Das why me buss me shirt and go work!

It getting dark now, should I go up the hill the second time? Yes man, the blood pumping, and you feeling good and have a goal to achieve….so I continue. It suddenly dawns on me that I have passed only about four cars moving so far….is Sunday nuh….a day of rest (for some, not all.) Eventually I make it up the hill and down the second time and go around Grove once more for the return leg of the walk. One likkle mawga dawg nuh a bark and try rush me! Listen me, if I gie you one rass kick inna you mout tonite you suck salt! I hurl a stone afta him and him run like lightening. Eventually, I see my gate in the distance, and my two mutts, Suzie and Friendly are at the gate wagging tails with tongues hanging out their mouths…yes, it is still warm though it is night and a bit cooler than earlier. Suzie jumps on me as per. Down! I say to her. She really thinks she is human you know.

It is now 7:40 PM…walk took an hour. My shirt is soaked and me nuh smell too ready. But, I got my exercise, downed a glass of water and shared my thoughts, good, bad and indifferent with you. Time to go hold a fresh and chill out for the night… for as sure as the sun shineth tomorrow, work deh bout. In fact, I have an elective admission booked for tomorrow morn already. Thank God for my job…though I may bitch about it from time to time, it pays the bills. How was your Sunday?

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 27th, 2004 at 9:38 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.