Trinidad

Chapter 1

Standing under the street light, a shadow casted forward, two headphones in my head, 82 BPM. I Stand their leaning on the median placed on the pavement. At my crossroads, between what I know I haft to do and what I am doing. In the distance flashing amber lights in synchronization with the beats being pumped into my dome, my home, my inner sanctum, where all my devious thoughts manifested. The vengeance of 400 years of slavery or maybe just the anger of stomping my toe. A high pitched buzzer passes as an all too familiar sound enters my ear. Two bright lights, in the distance, come up from the slop, past the amber lights and pass me within a split second, not even acknowledging my existence. I mutter to myself, “selfish”, their I go an evil thought enters my mind. Looking west I see bright lights filled with hope and promise, and then east I see darkness and here I am in the middle. I think to myself funny how it is, church was actually east in this place that looks so gloomy at night, whereas nightclubs lay in this brightly covered area. Loud horns distract me from my thoughts as I hear screeching sounds, I enter this vessel, new air conditioned vessel, I plant myself on the singular seats and look around. Houses walls, parks and factories as seem to pass by in the blink of an eye, unless other patrons enter or we stop by lights. I close my eyes for a second. “Big man, ehh big man, yh reach. ” were the words that caused me to resume thought, “hard lucks day from puna.” I said as I handed the man $5. Here I have arrived at the gate, of this hub of business and commerce, stereotypes would place this as a little village with people swinging on vines, but no this was the powerhouse of the Caribbean, large towers that declared our dominance, while in other countries their towers have fallen our own are still standing. Bright lights everywhere illuminate the night sky, as I walk through the large gate with large food companies conducting business in this structure, the land aspect of the nations transit system lays in this structure. As I exit the structure I enter the promised land, 3 main buildings stand overlooking the city as the guardians of this nation, twin brothers with their sister dressed in blue looking at the sea. The rest of the city is a powerful metropolis with large illuminated billboards, banks, shops, and telecommunication buildings. I walk into this mechanical paradise and spectate at its magnificence. Then the stark realization of the city’s sound enter the ear canel, an onslaught of sounds come crashing into the brain, car horns, bus horns, the engines of cars, people cursing and laughing, loud street vendor music. Crossing the street, i touch the cold button to cross, i remember when i was a child, mother would always say look left and right before crossing the street. Memories of my childhood, no more worries, and memories of Aaliyah, every-time i see her vivid images of my childhood rush into my mind, one may almost say that she is a symbol of my childhood. Riding bicycles, running up and down the side of the house, childhood conversations that make no sense. Someday i wonder if i am in love with her or weather i am in love with my childhood. "RINGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", i watch left and right as i cross the street and walk towards my home. Two headphones in my ears,a black hoodie, dark blue jeans, and a pair of Pro Keds, thats what dad used to call them, my friends knew them as chuck T's. The expression on my face that of a killer, real bad man doh smile, or at least that's what we like to think. Keron was a bad man often times he would smile, real bad man, killed more people than i had finger's, i would never understand why though, graduated from Cxc with 7 ones or so he says, an educated gangster, now that is something you don't hear everyday. Talented basketballer to say the least, not affraid to slam drunk on you but this man, would smoke, between weed and cigarets i cant say for sure but he used to just smoke. Cool for a gangster though, always had advise to give on problems we face as men of course while shooting a 3 pointer. One of the things i would never understand in life Keron. Independence Square, is what this was called, pride enters my spirit when i walk on these stones, they represent the struggle and conquering that the Red white and Black has faced. Chopping off the umbilical cord to mother England, and saying that we no longer need your support, and live under your "protection," much more than that it is saying no to the exploitation that Caribbean nations faced from these 'superpowers,' England, Spain, places that didn't really care about us as a people but cared about us as a resource. The sweat and toiling of my forefathers converted and refined into the chocolate that their children enjoyed. Crates of sugar cane going over seas, to these large factories fueling the hunger of the English, Dutch and Spanish. How Trinidad and Tobago has matured from the crates of sugar cane in the 1700's to the oil drums of 2000's, Trinidad and Tobago once a slave colony known or unknown as La Trinity, emerged into not only a Caribbean superpower, but the Caribbean superpower, the electricity of Power gen flowing through the Artery's of the nation and in the veins of the people. As the machines drill for oil so does the heart of every Trinidadian and Tobagonian drill for his or her national pride at birth.