By: Abdool A. Aziz

HE was 12, I was 15, but we were friends. Every afternoon I accompanied him as he took dinner for his father working as a ‘watchman.’ But on that day I did not, and I lived to regret it, Teddy my humble friend had a mysterious death.The DrowningAt the end of dinner, Teddy would go to a nearby canal to wash the dishes and return home, but that evening, he did not. An alarm was raised by his worried mother and the whole village turned out to search for their missing ‘son.’ I was going crazy. My heart fell to my feet.

We searched and searched but there was no Teddy. Then I decided to retrace his steps to the canal and to my shock and sorrow, I saw a bowl floating on the dark surface of the water. That was where Teddy was; I feared he had drowned.The DiscoveryMany men plunged into the cold, black water and searched, but they found no body. But we know he was down there as his food bag with other wares lay on the embankment; so, too, his cap.

The night was busy and folks wept and prayed for the beloved lad. His mother beat her chest all night, overwhelmed. His father watched in agony. Teddy was their only son; his pet and my dear friend. It was a night of sorrow and anxiety. The next morning, the authorities opened the koker door and drained the canal, and to our shock, the tiny body lay pinned under a submerged log. How did he get there? That log was not disturbed. Indeed, it was a mysterious death. A Hymac construction vehicle had to be used to pry the log from its bed. When the lifeless body was finally retrieved, tears and sadness were shared by the spectators. His dad broke down. I wept like a baby.

There was my friend – but dead. The post -mortemHe was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital for a post-mortem. It revealed that he had not drawn any water into his lungs, but his neck was broken. Who could have committed this heinous crime and why? What did this innocent child do? The funeral was the biggest and it was really heart-rending. His mother suffered a nervous breakdown and eventually died. His dad took to the ‘bottle’ to ease his pain. I couldn’t go to school, because I was crying all the time.

I still cry for my ‘Baby’ friend Teddy.Was it a mermaid?All suspected that it was a mermaid who took Teddy’s life. It was learned that the father dealt with them and that he had the golden comb. But something went wrong and Teddy paid the ultimate price. Dwellers of the back lands were warned not to go near black water creeks and never to pick up golden combs. It will bring fortune and eventual disaster. My take on this? Yes! I  believe that these magical creatures exist on land and in water. God placed his superb creations everywhere. But those particular ones took away my Teddy.