Urban Folktales Flash Fiction Friday. - Cue: Origin Story

Well the real shit is how I end up in the middle of a cafe in Belmont in a towel tuck into a panty.

"I lose mih bag I lose mih hat i lose mih clothes I lose mih keys i lose mih wallet."

"yuh lose yuh bag yuh lose yuh hat yuh lose yuh clothes yuh lose yuh keys yuh lose yuh wallet? Jesso jesso? yuh wallet? jesso?"

"he lose he bag he lose he hat he lose he clothes he lose he keys he lose he wallet? Jesso jesso? He wallet? jesso?"

Allyuh yuh know is shit we like so by the time the third somebody repeat it you know is because they make a whole rhythm section and man wining like this ain't one of the saddest and most peculiar things they ever did see: a grown man stand-up normal normal in the middle of a stranger kitchen in a towel and a panty.

Well yuh remember how the Corona come and mash up Carnival 2021, so the government decide to treat the big football match and dem like it was a small carnival nah. So say come and all the teams come in the country and is bacchanal in Port-of Spain. Girl instead of bands in costumes it was all the people in their t-shirt or volunteer team outfit for whatever job they was doing for the big event. Anybody who was anybody was in town mixing and mingling with all the nobodies. I wasn't in no section or team. It was a spur of the moment thing when I bounce up mih two good good friends Fatty and Christophe by QRC. Hear nah is wine wine wine wine all d way up until we reach right by Cadiz road there. Fastness nah because yours truly foot start to burn and the best wine turn into a small limp. By the time we reach all by Gerningham it was real pressure.

"I go ketch up with allyuh just now".

"I now saying you reach real far".

"Yeah better you sit down here and wait, it have a Bus in d back for all the Tanty and dem day cyah make".

"Why yuh doh haul yuh ass? I ever Tanty with you?" All this time I cyah even laugh good because I breathing hard. "Yeah I go wait here. The crowd not so big man, the bus soon come".

When I tell you is knock out I knock out clean. When I open my eye the place empty; No bus, no music and no evidence of any parade or festivities.

"Strange". I get up and test mih foot.

"You ain't tellin me".

Well hear nah if I had to shit I woulda drop it right there and then. The fright that run up my back was almost as strong as the sudden grip on mih vocal chords that only allow me to let out the smallest "eep!" as I jump and turn a full 360 to see where the voice had come from. Today, today the gymnastics people couldda send me for gold. Standing quietly right next to where I was sleeping was a little old man. His purple volunteer T-shirt about 5 sizes too big and drooping all around him made even more ridiculous by his extra slim-fit jeans on his extra skinny legs.

“Sorry Uncle” he look more scared than me. “I was just wondering where everybody gone”.
“Me too yes boy. The last I know they was by the hospital and I was hustling tryin to meet them”.

I stop to take him in as he raised his hand and gestured in the direction of the hospital. Gold bangles caught the sun and clinked quietly as he moved. He had a strip gold sequined cloth tied loosely around his neck.

“Thanks Uncle I going to look for dem. I hadda find mih friends”. I stepped away and started down the road. About two steps in his bangles clinked quietly behind me making me stop and turn. “you comin?”

“Nah nah I go stay here”
“yuh sure?” My eyes stopped on his little gold boots that matched his neck tie. He swell his chest and stamped his feet lightly,
“Dese leave over from when I used to play king sailor for carnival. Yes I sure. I will stay right here man.”

“Arrite Uncle well I gone.”  I reach about two buildings when I hear him call out
“Doh worry ‘bout me. Dey does always make sure I find mih way back home!”

I didn’t have time to study if it was the boots he was talking about because I was more worried about why the road was so quiet. The closer I get to the end of the hospital I start to hear a little music so I feel good. They must be turn and decide to go over Piccadilly side. I run een a side street that I see a couple taxis use when they trying to avoid midday traffic and reach over by the plannings quick. I say I go reach on the next side quickly to at least catch a glimpse of any stragglers or maybe the same said bus. Place just quiet. Not a straggler in sight and to be honest I beginning to think that I run up the wrong street.  I turn and start back down the little street and I see a little narrow stairs running down between two break down houses yard that look like it lead back out to the main street right by the corner with the clinic. Nice. I run down in there. The passage was tight and I end up having to turn to the side to make it out on to the street. Thank God for Gravity. Mih clothes was dirty but I make it out turn left and start to walk toward the music. Wrong Street!

Well now I really don’t know where I am. Why I didn’t just keep mih fat ass on the street I know. Now I hadda go back up the stairs to the next street and follow It out back to where I come from. I wonder if I was go make because to burst out of a small spot with yuh weight pushing you is one thing. To stuff yuhself back in is something totally different. Chile I turn around to head back and there they were. They were so still that I didn’t see them at first; the three of them. No telling when they got there no telling where they come from. Did I stumble in on them or did they come looking for me? Either way I freeze dead in mih tracks. The only reason I stay quiet is because the one in the middle lock mih two eye and trap me in the gaze. As a child yuh hear about them, you remember? The spirit people they say livin under the all dem ruins in the hills of Belmont? I always throw it away as just chirren stories but I was watching them here plain as day. I watch dem and dem watch me. They looked to be covered in red clay. The small chirren couldda been boys couldda been girls. Same little white tunic that come down to their knees. They were so tiny that it couldn’t have been more than a yard of cloth between them. Same little round heads with tight curls and everybody skin clay red with white symbols look like they write in chalk. I wouldda say same face too but the eyes on each tell a very different story.

The one in the middle, still holding me in that gaze get up and walk toward me. The only thing keeping me together was a big big feeling of peace I was feeling in dem eyes. It was like Peace was on a loud mic then. I makin sense? It was only about four steps but it might as well had been one hundred. I kneel down under the weight of the peace and the three of dem start to sing. Quiet quiet. It was in mih ears like it was a secret for me alone. Peace reach up and touch mih forehead mih eyes and the little hand stop to trace a symbol right where mih neck meet mih chest. Is all I could do not to cry. I get a little ease and I stand up. Peace and the other two was already walking away from me some red dust lingering behind them, obscuring dem. It was back to me in a face-off with the small stairs and a long ass journey to end up in that damn café in a towel and a panty.

Gimme some ice water and I will tell you everything!


Life - It ain't easy but it sweet!