Again!

Hi readers! We shift gears for the next three weeks as I present the first of a three-part true account in narrative form, which records personal events prior to hurricane Hugo in 1990. I believe entertaining materials can offer some guidance especially during the hurricane season.

"Again! Me ca believe it, God not so wicked"

"Jah not so wicked!" a Rastaman blurted out.

"Blows pan de evil doers, dem ha fe run Jah Rastafari"

"Rasta for a while" a passer-by resorted.

This Rasta, as myself, had experience one of the most devastating hurricanes ever, David in 1979.

" Is al you so that say al you not eating swine oui, when David blow in all you backside, even Goliath zor ca mange"

Imagine that day was Friday and I was at work planning picnic with my fellow workers. Man propose and God dispose.Dey playing like they doe know what it is , like they never see storm. Dey forget about hurricane David and is picnic they want to go. And to make matters worse –moonlight picnic on beach- Salisbury. Well I tell the president of the outing committee to call it off. Deliberation start. One girl call to say that she already buy half of the thing for the picnic and she ain't turning back.

"All you doe even sure if hurricane coming our way"

A next partner say he not taking no chance because he know a man in Soufriere his name is Hugo, same like the hurricane and he bad. He does beat his wife and everybody in de village .Confusion start. The president say to put it to a vote. Just like the House of assembly, the I's had it.

Some of the guys abstained from voting and they vote me down 15 to 1. They say the storm 450 miles off St Lucia. Others say if it arrive before we will just have a small party.

They leave me in charge of the coals to bar –be-que chicken. Oh God my $20 in fire plus the other $20 I pay for my girlfriend. I wanted to claim a refund but was afraid so I go along 'cause majority rule! One o'clock on Friday meeting end ...they will get picnic in their tail.

I gobble down my lunch fast because my boy Kiki was by his grandmother and I was glad. His mother was coming down this afternoon. All of us will be together when Hugo strike. Is God that talk to me to make him spend them two weeks with my mother because if he was with his mother in Glanvillia...I would be worried like hell.

So I decided to work late that day- i have to buy batteries, candles, juice and milk for de boy. Doe worry I have torchlight already. As a matter of fact I have three- one for me, one for me granny and one for whoever.

I thought I would be late but when I reach the china store- Nassief, where we does get all the cheap things, one crowd of people everybody stoking up. In half an hour 250 lamps gone, 135 pairs of big , medium and small batteries gone. Torchlight gone, blue, pink, white starbrite batteries gone; like the hurricane already blow dem off the shelf. Everywhere I pass people busy, busy, busy.

I opened the door to work 2.45 pm; no time to give supervisor excuse, no time for good afternoon.

" Fellas , we cannot have dat picnic you know" and like a chorus in unison they sang

" How is dat!"

"How you mean, how is dat, look outside al you doe see how de weather looking?"

"Aye, take it easy" the Clint Eastwood of the group said calmly"

"Sam all you mad" I continued to protest, "All you doe se everybody stocking up for hurricane and we planning beach picnic, eh!" "All you can Bar – be- que chicken under rain? "

"All you doe need deaders man" a potential dread called Benji casually remarked.

"Anyway doe say I did'nt warn all you"

4'oclock come- weather looking tense, is like it was saying beware the hour is at hand........