FREE AS A BIRD (Part 5)

Dem-adda-banna suh disgust wid Ignorant Rocks…dey let-out one laang-suck-teet dat sung like if dey practice fuh do it all-together an dey all get-up an folla d Professa down d hill to d riva. Baje gettin-ready to guh wit dem, till-e look-back an tek-a-look at my face.

Baje change-he-mine…e-tun-back.

As fuh me? d ting tekkin-lill-time fuh sink-in….ah stan-up watchin Mista Ignorant Rocks walkin-way down d track to d crik wit-e-bird-cage. Dat tick-skin-sonufabitch strollin-off like ‘cool-breeze’ pon my lan – wit bird-cage-in-e-han; e-goin down to d crik to ketch bird pon me place, wen e jus-done-callin d rocks in my riva, IGNORANT!? Dat fool scratch-e-belly, belch, stretch-an-yawn-content afta eatin my food…now e WHAT? Ah stan-up dere like ah turn to stone, buh ah screamin in mih mine: No-no- NOOOOO!

Dis time is Baje voice in mih-eas beggin-mih:

“NO…you gotta take it easy pad…you gotta furgive them man like he…he only ignorant…he doanno how to act right, man…don’t commit yur-self….” Den Bage start-holla pon Ignorant Rocks:

“Haye…you-bwoy…yes, is you oy talking too…you with that bird-cage. Is where you think yur going? The man don’t catch burd on his place. You don’t see he have a sign put up? It got sign, man…look ovur there…right there in front of you man. You foolish or whut? Is why you don’t go down by the rivur with the bwoys and bathe?”

Ignorant Rocks stop-in-e-tracks an e-lookin back at Baje like if he doan undastan wat Baje talkin bout…it jus didden mek sense…

”He doan WHAT?”

Baje, ah seh between mih teet, yuh mekkin a BIG MIS-TAKE if yuh tekkin dat fool in d back-dam wit you; buh – do-mih-a-fayva ole-fren, jus get-e-outa-heah-quick, please? Ah gon come-see yuh, ah promise an we-gon get-a-chance-to-tawk, but now –

“Yur a mad-man pad! Oy not taking that man no-where with me. He hook-up at Woods…beg to come with we and turn back with the truck aftur it drop we off…” Baje say.

Dis time Ignorant Rocks caan-stop-runnin-e-mout:

“…is how you mean: he doan ketch bird pon his place…you hearing dem towa-towa? You know how much I could get – he selling, den? Is-ow much he want –“

“JACK-ASS! ur you HEARING whut oy’m SAYING? This man not selling burd…he –

“Well, why I caaan jus ketch one den? Is a bird…it free. A bird in the bush is a free, free ting, man. Nobody doan own dem. Is why I can’t ketch one? They …”

I turn an walk-away wit a voice in mih head tellin mih: dis asshole ain gon learn till-yuh- teach-e-a-serious-lesson. Is mih arrow¬-an-bow ah lookin-fuh – fugget d gun. Dis ting is between me an Ignorant Rocks. Ah doan waan dis-turb-d-peace…fryken d-birds. Ah could hear Baje warnin d yute-man: “Bwoy if oy was you, oy would keep getting-up off that man place befur he come back…”but d ignar raisin-e-voice…he holla-in fuh me hear:

“Why you ain answering me man…is how much you…?” –

Den-e-look-roun-an-see – ah-stan-up rite-whey-ah-did-wabunny–dat-day fuh dat chicken-hawk, but ah-mo-ready-dis-time-dough, wit mih bow-an- arrow aim straight-at-e-full-belly. Ignorant Rocks mout fly-open e-sup-rise, buh-e-tryin-fuh-play brave; e raise-e-right-han, point-at-mih, an start-fuh-seh-some-ting. Buh-befo- e-coulda-get a-word-out-e-mout? ah leggo-d-arrow. Dat arrow fly-pass-e-head an jook-up pon d yarula-tree jus-behine d ignar (exac-ly-weh ah did mean-it-fuh-be); an dat was d enda my problem wit Ignorant Rocks dat day.

Bout a hour latuh, all-a-we-trow-back-gyaffing…mosely bout goal-wurk…but Baje in mih hammock, e-caan-stap-laffin cause d odders bin down by d riva…dem didden see wuh Baje see an he caan stop laughin an sehin:

“Eh-eh! But oy nevur in moy life see a man take-off like labba so…”

Jus den d truck come-in to pick-up-d-crew. An d driva an d mechanic tellin we dat-ow it got a man stan-up-by-d-junction-waitin, an dis man tell dem dat some-baddy-in-heah tryin-fuh-kill-e an-e-ask-dem if dey could-please collec-e-bird-cage-an-e-bag. Wen e-did-keepin-gettin-up from d bow-an-d-arrow, Ignorant Rocks leggo-e-precious-bird-cage yuh sight? D-bag-wit-e-clothes still pon-d-grass whisside-e-leff-it wen-e-come-in- firse early dat mawnin.

Wen ah wavin-dem-off an promisin ah gon visit-dem in d back-dam some-time-soon; mih-fren-Baje caan-tawk cause e-still-shakin wid d-laughin.

Bout a month latuh, jus-yestaday, ah-fine- mihself-in-a GT pon a mission to buy supplies fuh – guess-wuh? – GOAL-WUK! Some-how all d tawk wit Baje affec my mine. Today ah-got-fuh-admit dat is true wuh bage did-sehin – wen yuh see a rich-timble dat ‘SEHIN’ in a tes-battelle? duh ting does affec yuh-mine jus-lika-alcoholic does-tink dat jus one lill drink wun-urt-im, yuh site? Is-suh-come dat a week afta Baje gone, d same-day ah complete mih crab-oil wuk ah-jus-cudden-resis tekkin-a-lill-shot; ah pick-up mih shovel, mih battelle an mih buckit an ah walk-down to d creek whisside ah did see d goal pon mih place.

Less dan a month afta dat…ahada-ounce-ana-haf an two pennyweight in mih kiddy. It didden come quick, an ah didden-bin-in-no-hurry eida. Ah tell mihself dat ah prospectin, das-all. Ah move-up d crik…ah choose a new spot ev-ry day, certain ah gon get a pennyweight or two or jus a few grains, ev-ry-nite-wen-ah-weigh…Ah was lucky to get only two interruption; one time a truck bruk-down on d way from Akaiwanna an d crew it transportin come-in to-see-d-place. As usual dey had dey feast pon my fruit- trees; papaw…mango… cashew an jus wen dey gettin res-less an ready fuh explore d place, dey hear d truck comin-in. D-odder-time ah hear dis hail-out coming down from d hilltop above mih…ah had time to toss-back ev-ry-ting in a rich battelle ah did-holin in mih-han wen ah hear dem comin-down to d crik. Was some experience poke-knocka banna come to buy some sal-fish; ah cudden-a-leh-dem get a look at dat…Still, dey was curious an dey askin:

“How it going bro?”

Ah tell dem, not a speck-a-indication man …ah jus gettin some practice yuh know? Ah plannin a trip soon…got mih mind pon a crik near Hiawa Mountain dat Captain Roy did tell mih… Buh before ah cud done-tell-dem mih story ah was hopin woulda distrac dey mine from my crik? dem-man tek-off like akuri pon dem own story bout d Captain –

”Yeah boy I hear bout dat creek too…’

“…yeah man, Capt tell plenty people bout it; he seh dat dat creek ‘SEH-ING’

“…but it far baaaaad boy…Capt did promise to draw a map fuh…”

“…Benjy did going but he find another place ‘fore he reach…”

An is so dey goin-on-an- on….Ah did know it wouda-appen-do; das-why ah mention Captain Roy Bowen name; ah did-know it gon tun-dem-on. Dat name got a ring- of-authority wen yuh tawkin bout goal-location in d Guyana-bush from Bartica to Yupukari in d Rupununi. From a lill boy of six, Roy Bowen use to trek-wit-e-fada ( a man dey useto-call “TALLEST MAN” cause he did-tall-baaad six-foot-six, an he use-to walk-wit-e-lill-son) to all dem far-away area like Perseverance Crik in d Siparuni. On dese trips Capt Roy seh dat-ow he didden waan-do nuttin but collec d quartz-rock from d gravel in aaall dem criks, fuh-e-sling-shot; buh-e-self didden even know dat same-time d lill-boy was gatherin a education lika en-cy-clo-P-dia bout d goal-bush. Duh lill-boy grow-up to be a expert certify Essequibo-Riva-Captain, ana guide, ana farmuh ana-prospecta- jus-like-e-daddy. Ev-ry-baddy roun-heah in d goal-bush respect dat knowledge; before dey set-off fuh look fuh goal any-where bout-here dey does check-wit Capt Roy. He was mih fren, mih i-dren; e-get-kill in Siparuni back-dam cause a jealous man (e-own cousin) kill-e-cause e start locatin a crik Capt Roy did locatin comin from do udda-end ; wen-e butt-up wit d Captain sign-board? is vex-e-vex mek e kill d man – is ting lika duh goal does cause.

Ah wonda wuh Capt Roy mus-be sehing seein me lika-dis-today; me-ain-gat- no-rite to be heah; is wuh I doin heah?…how-come I end-up heah? (TO BE CONTINUED)