NEWS got around fast — big group meeting down by de calabash tree that growing in de middle of de cemetery! Baccoo, Old Higue, Water Muma, Moon-Gazer, Dry Bones, Jumbie and Dutch Man reach up one cold full moon night to discuss a topic of mutual interest.

TOPIC: Development Coming Fast!

Moon-Gazer: “I didn’t mind development. Moonlight dea all over, so I good with dat”.

Water-Muma: “De sea, ocean, canals and trenches criss-cross dis land. I have nothing to worry about”.

Baccoo: “People stop believing, so I does got fo get on real bad. I never going back in no bottle, not even fo me mother! Wherever me master or mistress go, I bound to follow.”

Dutchman: “Times are getting real hard now. People are disturbing all my relatives and friends; this development is really bad for me. Nobody respects the dead anymore.”

Old Higue: “I like it! People stop believing, so it better and safer for me. All I does hear is “Mame, look a get a hickie.”

Dry Bones: “I does really suffer a lot. Ah have to move away from hey I need darkness, late walkers, drunks and junkies, and long distances fo dem to get home.”

Jumbie: “I doing quite ok. People don’t even realize that I doing me thing. They does blame it on bad luck, or say dat somebody cross dem.”

Dry Bones: “We should all stick together and help out each other.”

Old Higue: “No way! Wat is mine is mine! I don’t want help from nobody!”

Water Mama: “All allyo frighten water, so yoall can’t help me.”

Moon Gazer: “Ok, let’s mark out our territory: All water world – Wata Muma; corked bottles and fast flies – Baccoo; moonlight anywhere – Moon Gazer.”

“No! No!” Not moonlight! De moon itself!”

“Okay don’t be so touchy.”

“All sugar estates and former sugar estates; all cane-fields, past and present — Dutch Man.”

“Men, women, especially children, and even animals is fair game fuh Old-Higue”

“No way! Stick to children! We all have to live, yo know.”

“Late-night walkers, especially women. They can’t pass crying babies, kittens or puppies — Dry Bones.”

Baccoo: “But on a more serious note, other spirits beginning to encroach.”

Old Higue: “Who they?!”

Baccoo: “Kanima, Masakura Man, Bush Dai Dai and Bush Devils. Every now and then yo hearing something bout one a dem.”

Dutch Man: “Don’t be too harsh. As development increases, situations might force some a-we to end up in deh territory.”

Dry Bones: “Is true. Lef dem. They not doing any real damage. Is a big country, so we all got fo learn to survive.”

Old Higue: “Dat ok fo now!”

Moon Gazer: “Old Higue, you mus stop flying so high pon dark night. Nuff time yo does fool me. Got a big man like me gazing at a stupid ball a fire.”

Dry Bones: “You Wata Muma, stop yo late walking. Nuff night yo got me bawling me guts out. Only when a smell yo I does realize is spirit a trying to attract.”

Dutch Man: “You Mr Baccoo, mind how yo pelting. You hit meh grave plenty times. One of these days……”

Baccoo: “Me ain’t frighten you! I is a descendant of an African slave. You is a slave master. We never fraid you all. Try something an is hell to pay!”

Wata Muma: “Youall stop dis bickering and focus. We all have to work together. Spread the word to the others who could not make it tonight: Charile, Sukante, Granny Melange, Old Man Paw-Pee, Yard Master and Yacoob.”

Zip! Poof! Splash! Swish! Zap! Everyone took off for darker pastures, except Moon Gazer.
 

By Neil Primus