By: ABDOOL A. AZIZ
THE PURELY indo-Guyanese community of western Leguan woke up one morning to see a stranger in their midst and they felt scared. This was no ordinary Negro man. He was burly, over 6 feet tall and in tattered clothes. Who was he? Where did he come from? Why is he here? All were concerned and scared. A giant patrolling the red brick road so early in the morning. He wore a smile, hardly talked and begged for food. An abandoned boat-house by the river bank was his “Hideout”.

CLEVER TRICK
It was harvest time for the rice crop, and paddy was being loaded onto trucks. Big G as he was called walked up to a farmer. “Me lode da bag in da truck fast, fast, but gimme some food.” The farmer complied, happily. But when Big G finished gobbling down the food he lay down. “Gimme, a five, leh this food go down” He stroked his enormous belly, before he dropped off to sleep. When he got up he barked: “Ah ready now!” As soon as he stepped on the ramp, it broke. He laughed “Build back a strang wan and me gon come back.” He left, never to return. Many days he turned up at other rice fields and used the same strategy. He never loaded a truck, but no one dare to confront, though gravely upset.

WRONGFULLY ACCUSED
One morning, a farmer discovered his tractor battery stolen. That very morning, Big G boarded the ferry to go to Parika. In his hand was a huge canvas bag weighed down. He returned to Leguan in the afternoon with the empty bag.
That night five guys ambushed and beat him to a ‘pulp’, leaving him with broken limbs. He had to be hospitalized at the West Demerara Hospital. On discharge he stayed at Parika. He hadn’t stolen the battery. It was a seat-up to get rid of him. That bag contained dusty paddy he took to sell at Parika Market. He stole from no one.

THE REVENGE
Every afternoon he would stand by the Parika Stelling and search out his attackers. One by one, he pounced on them in revenge. Completely satisfied, he sought a job with a cattle rancher aback of Parika. He hunted down rustlers one day he caught one; the Boss’ own son. The culprit try to bribe him. Big G would have none of that. He brought him out of the bushes and laid him at his boss’ feet. The angry father called in the police. For his honesty, the Rancher began to foster him, like a son.

THE TRAGEDY
Out of jail, the felon decided to murder Big G. In the back-lands, with the help of thugs, they brought the Giant down. He was beaten to death, his tongue chopped off. His assailants were never caught. It took a fork-lift to move the corpse. The Rancher buried him in the private cementry. Part of the family mourned his death, especially the children, Big G loved kids. He would always do comical acts to amuse them and give them fruits and candy. The Rancher built a children’s park as a memorial called ‘The Giant’s Play Park’ And on his tombstone were the words: “A Giant of a man with a kid’s heart.”

No one knew his names and where he came from. He was scary from the outside but gentle on the inside. Kind and generous and humane. The Parikans remember the day he waded into the river to pick up a corpse, no one wished to touch. And he did it for free. Instant hero! Just as his size In mortality, he stood taller.