Satiricus walked over to the Back Street Bar with an added bounce to his step. His old buddy Cappo was back, and it wasn’t just that he was taking care of the beer, he was giving his friends the lowdown on life in the Big Apple and beyond.
“Budday! Ah wan good t’ing me lef,” Cappo said as they settled down to bend their elbows. “Look how dem maan close de estate!”
“But now you’re back, what will you do?” asked Hari. “They’re looking for cane cutters at the remaining estates!”
“Cut cane?!” Cappo snorted so vigorously his beer almost vented through his nose. “Wha’ me guh do dah fa?”
“Well, what else will you do?” Satiricus asked in concern, even as he polished off his beer, and Bungi joined them.
“Me an’ me fr’en Bungi guh tu’n contracta,” said Cappo with a smile, as Bungi greeted him with a slap on the back. “Abee guh buil’ house.”
“Contractor?” exclaimed Hari. “What the heck do you know about constructing houses?”
“Wha’ yuh t’ink me bin a do since me lef’ Guyana?” asked Cappo. “Me l’arn fuh buil’ house in wan place name Ske-neck-tady.”
“Really?” asked Satiricus sceptically.
“Ske-neck-tady like how Wales an’ Rose Hall guh tu’n,” Cappo said gravely. “Dem use fuh gat wan fa’ktry da does mek big-big generata. But ‘e close dong an’ 30,000 people lose dem jab!”
“Jesus Christ!” exclaimed Hari. “What happened?”
“Well, most people lef’ and de res’ start fuh use drugs and t’ing,” Cappo reported. “De whole tong tun run dong, like Wales a’ready.”
“And…?” prodded Satiricus.
“Some Guyanese fram Richman’ Hill buy up plenty house fuh wan dallah a piece, an’ start fuh fix dem up and sell dem to adda Guyanese!” said Cappo
“You kidding me!” exclaimed Hari.
“No really,” insisted Cappo. “Today Guyanese rebuil’ mos’ a Ske-neck-tady. And da how me get wuk and larn fuh buil’ house!”
“Let’s drink to that!” said Hari.
“Leh abee pray fuh Wales an’ Rose Hall,” said Cappo sadly.
