Morgan was eager to get promotion in the Bauxite Company. He had seen a number of his colleagues get promotion before him. This caused him to become jealous and angry. He intended to get promotion to foreman one way or the other.

At age 47, he had worked for the company for 24 years. During this time men who had been employed after him were given promotion. Somehow they seemed to always overlook him. He intended to do something about it.
Only last week his friend Brent had been promoted. Morgan invited him out for a drink and asked him about his recent elevation.
“Brent is how you get promoted so fast boy. Like you and management real alright.”
“Na Morgan, I had fo do me own thing to get through.”
“Own thing?”
“Yeah boy I had fo get some outside help.”
“How you mean Brent?”
Brent hesitated and looked furtively around to ensure that they were not being overheard. He dropped his voice and continued.
“I had fo invoke a sprint to get promoted.”
Morgan was dumbfounded.
“Yo mean yo get jumbie fo help?”
“Yes, but it expensive.”
Morgan left for home cold sober even though he had consumed a large quantity of alcohol. He had a restless night and by the next morning he was certain of his next move.
Morgan called Brent on the phone and enquired about the invoking of a spirit.
“You have to contact Mr. Austin. He does do it.”
“Thanks Brent.”
Morgan called Mr. Austin and told him what he wanted. The man told him to buy a large bottle of Russian Bear Rum, two glasses and walk with ten thousand dollars. The next morning Morgan, Mr. Austin and an old lady went into the cemetery to choose and mark a tomb. Later that night they would return and invoke the spirit. They chose a grave and placed the rum and glasses on the grave. The party went away. All Morgan had to do was walk with two friends that night.
Later that day the cleaner in the cemetery came upon the rum and glasses. Smiling with glee he attacked the liquor with gusto. He proceeded to drink and work. As he moved from grave to grave he got drunker and drunker. When he was totally wasted he put the rum-half bottle-and the glasses on the nearest grave and stagger out of the graveyard.
Morgan decided to ask his best friend Patrick and his girlfriend Wendy. Both were frightened at the request but curiosity got the best of them. They met Mr. Austin and his assistant at the entrance to the cemetery. They entered the burial ground at 12 midnight sharp.
To their surprise it took quite a while to find the rum and glasses. Mr. Austin felt that it was a different grave but Morgan was adamant it was the same. Nothing was going to keep him from moving up. Morgan reasoned that the missing rum could mean that the spirit was pleased and had taken a drink. They decided to get down to business.
Mr. Austin had chosen the grave of a man who had been successfully promoted until reaching the rank of senior manager. Unfortunately the grave they were assembled at belonged to a thief, bandit and a real bad man. The ceremony began.
A deep circle was carved out in the ground around the tomb. Everyone was instructed to remain in the circle until the spirit came out and returned to the grave. They all agreed.
They held hands while Mr. Austin did his strange chants. Suddenly the breeze picked up and it got colder. Then from deep within the grave there was a low rumble.

“Aaaaaahhh!”

Morgan almost fainted in fright. He clung to the hands of his girlfriend on his right and his best friend on his lift. He was so confused that he did not realise they were as scared as he was.
“Who de hell disturbing my sleep!”
The hands holding each other around the grave were getting slippery with perspiration from fear.
“We need your help friend.”
Mr. Austin was communicating with the spirit. It was soon apparent that all was not okay. With a roar of anger the Jumbie decided to punish them for their transgression.
“Pow!”
“Ply!”
“Bam!”
“Wax!”
Slap, cuff, butt and kick start sharing out in full measure. Morgan’s girlfriend feinted on the tomb. His friend curled up in a foetal position and took his blows. De old lady helping Mr. Austin sit down on the ground and cry each time she got hit. Mr. Austin started to apologise. He realised that it was the wrong jumbie; not only that, he knew they were in big trouble if he couldn’t get the spirit back into the grave quickly.
Morgan forgot about ambition and promotion. He let go of the two hands holding him and ran for his life, jumping from grave to grave. Whenever he jumped on a grave he received a blow.
“AH!”
“Ow!”
“Oh Gawd!”
He disappeared in the darkness moving in the wrong direction; away from the entrance.
Mr. Austin used all his knowledge and experience to persuade the jumbie to go back to sleep then the party departed the cemetery sore from a good licking.
As for Morgan, they found his body in the back of the cemetery. He had been beaten to death.

(By Neil Primus)