The way the season started, I just was not feeling it. Murphy’s Law kicked in and everything that could possibly go wrong did.
It started with UG semester finals – late nights studying and exams hot, hot. Then it was rain every day, and rushing through whatever the weather to reach on time. I saw some women sprinting through the rain to save their hair. One day a lady nearly knocked me over, then she said sorry but she was trying to save her “Christmas special”. You feel Guyana has no match for Usain Bolt? You should have seen this lady.
Then after all that, when we get there sometimes they don’t even have any seats; so we have to run to another classroom and choke up. Another race and the poor guys always get pushed aside. Sometimes we have to jump over the campus mascots: the goats and dogs lying around.
Finally, we’re in the exams and the power goes out. This is real blackout. The place is so dark you can’t even see the paper – and it’s white—much less the guy next to you. Just now all of us will have to buy spectacles.
You’re at home studying and blackout; at work, blackout. Guess we will have to pay two bills in December—one for blackout and the other for lights!
I went to work the other day wearing a blazer and some shades. No reason really – just wanted to change the whole routine of t-shirts and jeans. Something told me I might be busy later down so I decided to walk to the mall and buy some Christmas Cards. In the time it took me to walk to the mall and back to the office I had to hear all sorts of things!
“Is whe he feel he deh?”
“Eh ehhhh ya’ll watch Michael Jackson!”
“You does know when Christmas barrel come!”
“One a dem dress up for Nelson Mandela though!”
I walked into Republic Bank the other day and there was a long, long line in front of me. It was like everybody wanted to see the green bill. That bill is dangerous though. I jumped into a bus on Regent Street and there was a big sign on the window “NOTICE: NO CHANGE FOR $5,000”. Oops! Jumped out again and walked to the park.
And that walking through Georgetown in that water?! Bear in mind, I wasn’t wearing rubber dinkies, but GT flood water powerful enough to erode your shoe soles and seep in. The next thing you know, my ‘foot bottom’ scratching bad, bad. I had to take that same green Christmas bill to get ointment for it. And guess what? The pharmacist said I have to buy a few more things to get change! Now I’m hearing that people are already making a counterfeit $5,000. Well I tell you!
So I got to the park and started my journey home. Oh the bus ride! I really jumped into the wrong bus! It seemed to have no shocks and given that the East Bank Demerara road is patchy… I had to bear it though. Finally, as I lay in bed after such a hard day, I felt my stomach as shift back into position.
Not me again next Christmas! Christmas in Georgetown is a hassle! (Jairo Rodrigues)
