The Parrot is by no way a religionist. Yes, I do try to make an effort to visit the “house” of the man who is high up above. Yeah right. Who am I kidding? I seldom go. However, this frequent absence from the public “presence” of the omnipresent by no means diminishes the general knowledge imparted during years at learning institutions and compulsory “Sunday School”. Then, more than now, there was seemingly a bias for one particular “church of thought”. This, in some way, may have worked to my advantage. I can now boast of being fairly familiar with stories pertaining to Jesus, Judas, Job, Jonah, Joshua, Jezebel and others, including the infamous Prodigal son.

These stories which occurred centuries ago still influence millions of lives today. Often phrases like, “Girl, you have patience like Job”, “I feel trapped like Jonah”, “my mother-in-law is a Jezebel” and “don’t worry with him, he is a Judas”, serve as the best description of a person and, by extension, a situation. The pellucid harmonious relationship that exists between the All For Corbin (AFC) party and the People Now Challenging Robert (not the Minister, the other one) (PNCR) party, smacks of the tale of the Prodigal son. The son inferred is the leader of the said All Following Corbin party; the Trot-man boy. Dem boys seh he “ruff” and, like typical Guyanese, they find a name fuh he; “Ruff-fella”.

“Ruff-fella” ruff; ruffer than “chicken-n-de-ruff”, just listen to him. Some believe that he’s bitterly ruff. A check at the “Bush Tea” (not George) stand by the market confirmed this; “Karila bush” done; all gone, ruff leaves and smooth leaves; gone to Hadfield Street, “Ruff-fella’s” party’s quarters. Not only that stand has a “No-Karila Bush” sign, but all dem plenty other “bush” stands (again not George) with the signs. The signs so plenty that there is no cardboard littering the city. The city is being deprived of cardboard-littering material. The Overripe Mayor not talking about this. He talks only about the money he claims he is being deprived of. Tacky, eh? He only speaks of issues that interest him. But that’s another squawk.

Anyway, Karila bush plenty in Hadfield street, so plenty that, “Ruff-fella”, in his usually bitter generosity, has been providing a steady supply of the now scarce bush (well, could be George too) to Uncle Bob and his not-so-merry man and women over at Palm Tree jungle. It’s bitterness at the top of Hadfield Street and at the top of Sophia. Its amazing how bitterness was responsible for the “Son” (“Ruff-fella”) leaving his “father’s” home (Place of CONgress) and for re-uniting them. Together, they produce and spew high-density carbon bitters that will challenge Angostura and Uncle CN.

During one of their now customary collaborative “strolls around the city” (protest), “Ruff-fella” painted a bleak picture of Guyana. He said, among other things, “…people are dying…”. Well, ahem…Uncle CN makes plenty money from death announcements. So yes, ah…people are dying. So he’s right. If he looks at world news, plenty die everyday in Iraq; seven hundred last week in Nigeria. He’s right. People die. What’s that got to do with him boycotting parliament and protesting? Well, he is just providing the “straw” for his mentor, Uncle Bob to hold on to. Or it is himself?

Once a loyal son, always a loyal son. Uncle Bob is assured of his loyalty. That explains the sharing of bitters. In the same way, it explains why Hammie didn’t comment on the absence of the cardboards and didn’t call for the signs to be demolished. He would have been acting against his “son”. Remember how the father welcomed the “prodigal” son with open arms? That’s loyalty on behalf of all three. Moral and spiritual revival, Hammie? Happy I’m not in your church. What you calling him? Judas? Call a Pastor. I gone. Squawk! Squawk!