By Abdool A. Aziz

‘CHINEE’ would sit on his concrete fence every Friday at 13:30hrs. He would watch the Estate’s Land Rover pass, on it was the metal canister containing the workers’ wages. He has a bout of Adrenalin Rush. HE MUST GET THAT MONEY!

He planned a heist but needed an accomplice, and found one in Kendo. A kleptomaniac and ex-con Kendo was recently released from jail for burglary. He jumped at the idea.
At a lonely spot on the Ruimzeigt Highway, at about 12:45 hrs, Kendo will lie on the roadway as though dead. The rover will stop; the armed guard will jump out to investigate. Kendo will spring up and wrestle the gun away.

‘Chinee’ will take over the driver’s seat, he will drive the vehicle away to some bush on a lonely road. And the money will be all theirs. When they executed the act, the gunman was feeble; he was no match for the burly Kendo. The driver ran for cover – scared to death.

With the shotgun, they blew open the ‘strong box’ and the minted notes dazzled their eyes and set their hearts on ‘cloud nine’. ‘Chinee’ dipped up a few wads and placed them in a bag. He told Kendo to hit the train line. ‘Chinee’ threw the empty canister and gun into the swamp. He took his money. To where? No one knows to this day.
‘Chinee’ went to the estate a few hours later, he saw the rage of the workers demanding their pay. He asked “Wah appen, wa appen?” One worker said “Deh Tief we money. Whiteman got to find money to pay we.”

“Who tief money?” asked the bare-faced bandit
“Me Nah no!” They said.
Kendo strolled on the train line singing. He saw a policeman with a gun. “Hello affisa! Anything wrang?”
The constable said, “You see anyone with a gun?”
“Nah man. Only Police carry gun,” Kendo walked on. “Ah gwine down to Parika to get some wuk.”

“Carry on,” barked the Officer.
Kendo began to sing, but then the policeman reacted “What you gat in de bag?” Kendo dropped it on the tracks. “Some old clothes and stale bread.” The cop opened it. “Ah ha! Drop to your knees!”
It didn’t take long for the criminal to ‘sing’ following some scare tactics, and the mastermind was grabbed. ‘Chinee’still wearing his off-white vest and wooden slippers zipped his lips. No question answered. No defense offered at the trial. TOTAL SILENCE.

Both bandits were sent to the Mazaruni penitentiary. Years of hard labour and lashes with the horrible cat – o – nine tails [a whip with nine leather staps]. This form of punishment ‘breaks’ a man. ‘Chinee’ died a cripple in prison. Kendo came out a ‘skeleton’ dying later at the hands of villagers who caught him stealing fowl. To this day no one knows where ‘Chinee’ hid the loot.

It is rumoured that one of his cousins used the money to open a lemonade factory. Only one-third went back to the estate. The cat – o -nine- tails was banned. CRIME DOES NOT PAY!