By Abdool A. Aziz

THIS is one of the stories my late grandfather told me, fished out of his memory as a veteran pork-knocker (miner). Gabby, known as ‘Dribble Mouth’ decided to try his luck at gold mining. With no experience (a tender foot) he found it hard to join a camp, so he went solo. He heard of the wild animals and bush spirits. He was afraid. During the night he heard the growl of a jaguar and he raced to the tent’s flaps and tightened the strings. He kept the machete by his side and cowered in fear. Then the howler monkeys went on the rampage. It shattered his ears. He corked it and went to sleep.
The next night, he heard someone asked, “Ah who you?”

He sat you and held his cutlass. The voice came again. Gabby peered out of the tent. There was no one there. Again, the question came. Gabby stormed out, “It’s me, Gabby man from Haslington. They call me ‘Dribble Mouth’. Me come to ketch me hand as a pork-knocker.”
Silence…
He retreated to his camp. Just as he lay down the question came again, “Ah who you?”
He got angry. He bolted out of the canopy “Ah tell you, me ah who. Me nah come to rob anybody. Me got right to be hey.”
“Ah who you?”
“Why you want to know? Me trespass hey? Man go way. Mind you business, you see this weapon? Ah go chap you in pieces if you ask one more question.”
Silence again then the voice came closer. Gabby’s eyed pulped out and the voice came closer.
Gabby’s heart pounded in fear. He stared into the nearby bushes. No one there yet there was the irritating voice. “Oh my God! Oh my God! It’s the bush jumbie!”
Gabby galloped to the nearest camp, petrified. My grandfather, the camp leader asked, “What’s de matter fella?”
Another camper said, “He look like he see bald-head ghost.”
Another said, “Perhaps he see himself!”
The entire camp laughed. Gabby was the image of a gargoyle. “Jumbie man, Jumbie! All night he asking ‘ah who me?”
“And wah you tell he?” Mocked the men, swinging in their hammocks.
“Ah tell he everything, yet he keep asking, he can’t mind he business!”
“Oh yeah, he is in charge, you got to appease him!”
“Ap….ap… wha you mean?”
“Kill an animal and give he the blood to drink.”
Gabby stared at my grandpa. “Man, me ah Christian… me nah go do dah tomarra me gone from here, dis place haunted.”
The next day the men drafted Gabby into their workforce and found the bird that drove him to fear. It was the Hoatzin bird calling its mate. Gabby exclaimed, “A bird!”
“Yes countryman”
“Ah used to sleep in a cemetery. Me never frighten dem spirits. Now a bird chase me? Me shame man, ow ah you nah anybody.”
“That bird is one of our National pride, he voice can scare anyone, almost sound like a man.”
Just then the call was heard.
Gabby smiled, “Me nah ansa you dis time.”
Many “tender foot’ go to the bush got scared by the weird sound. Take note prospectors. It’s just a bush bird but respect it. Answer the question, don’t run. Gabby remained in the bush until he died from malaria.