THE NIGHT DOUGIE SANG SOPRANO

DOUGLAS or Dougie, as he was well known, was a hard-working father. He was married and had seven children. Money was never enough. He planted vegetables and sold them at the local market. Then a devastating flood hit his community and the small farm was obliterated. The water never receded enough so his farm became a mini swamp.
He attempted to do a different sort of business venture. He took a loan and bought clothes, shoes and cosmetics. He tried to sell them in the market but the entire venture was a bust. In frustration, Dougie took the easy way out. He began to plant ganja on a plot of land that he illegally took possession of. It was deep in the bush so he was confident that he would not be discovered.

Being a farmer at heart, he found the cultivating of his new crop to be an easy exercise. Soon the plants began to shoot and grow at a very satisfactory rate.
Every other day he would go to the farm and inspect his crop. His first two checks went without incident. The third one, however, was one he would not easily forget. When Dougie arrived at the farm all the plants were missing. He stood there gasping in disbelief. Anger, shock and confusion hit him at the same time. After he had collected his thoughts he proceeded to plant a second crop. This time he checked daily. The first two inspections went well but the third took the exact pattern of the first. When he walked onto the plot all his plants had vanished.

Dougie flew into a rage. He strode angrily back to the village hoping to find out who had stolen his crop.

What he found out was stranger than any heist. According to the elders, the land once housed an old mission church. Many good souls died there from diseases over a hundred years ago. The place was said to be haunted. Dougie knew better. He was convinced that one of the local bums had stumbled onto his farm and helped themselves to the plants. He would keep his ears to the ground. Maybe he would discover who the culprit was. When he found out the crook would pay dearly.

Dougie returned to the farm more determined than ever. He replanted his crop but decided to remain on site so as to ensure the safety of his precious farm. He pitched tent and settled down to wait. That night he had a fretful sleep. He tossed and turned in the unfamiliar surroundings. Dougie woke up during the night cold and cranky. Something or someone was nearby. He grabbed his large cutlass and advanced to do battle. He was in for another shock. The land lay bare in the moonlight. His plants were nowhere to be seen.
Dougie flew into a rage. He ranted and raged. Then he began to drink He had brought a bottle of Vodka to help him pass the night and now he drank with gusto. He was soon drunk and all his bottled-up anger was unleashed at the thief.

“All yo thiefing dawgs! Come an face me na, I would chap yo up! Wa happen all yo fraid?” he challenged.
No one responded to his tirade, that is, until he uttered some very unfortunate words.
“All yo like thief! Well, a gon give yo all some serious wuk! When yo thief I gon plant even more! We gon see who gat mo belly!”
Those words seemed to cause a cosmic change in proceedings. Suddenly there were people moving all around him. Shocked by this unexpected chain of events he looked around sizing up the entire scenario.
“Who is allyo?” he bellowed in rage.
No one paid him any mind.
“Dis is private property! Get off me land!”
“YOUR LAND?”
The voice seemed to make the air vibrate and caused Dougie to tremble. Then something bizarre occurred. People began coming up from below the ground and all were staring at him in an unfriendly manner.
“Dis place belong to we. Stop planting drugs here!”
The warning was clear
“Me ain’t fraid a none a yo all!” Dougie screamed at the top of his voice, his cutlass held at the ready. “ I gon start planting again tomorrow!”
All movement stopped and an eerie silence gripped the place.
In the blink of an eye, everyone had a weapon in their hands. There were cutlasses, hoes, pitchforks, axes and a few old-fashioned guns. They surrounded him and charged as one body.
Dougie began to scream. Dougie knew that he was about to die and survival mode kicked in. Slobbering and in tears with his cutlass thrown to the ground, he surrendered and he begged for his life.
“Ah sarry! Ah very sarry! Ah promise ah gon stop. Please don’t kill me! Ah got a wife and seven children!”
All the weapons disappeared. They looked steadily at him, a clear warning in their eyes. Then they returned to the ground and soon the field was empty. Dougie wasted no time in vacating the plot. He sped off faster than you could say “Good night.”

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