Road March

 

Satiricus was smiling as he eased into the Back Street Bar. The joint was jumping, since it was Saturday night, but that was not the source of his good humour. He told the waitress the next round was on him — along with a fresh serving of “Bunjal Duck” — as he passed her on the way to his table at the back, where the fellas were already seated with a set of empties.

“Suh how come yuh a skin yuh teeth?” asked Bungi sourly. “Yuh get somet’ing a house or wha’?”

“’Victory is mine!’ says my Minister,” Satiricus announced as he sat down. “I always getting something at home, Bungi!”

“Yeah, right!” replied Hari with a grin. “Which one of your ministers you talking about? Bungi is pretty upset with Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat.”

“OK Bungi, you first,” said Satiricus generously, as the beers and cutters arrived. “What did my leaders do this time?”

“Well, Nagga Man bin a Rose Hall fuh rememba how dem bin shoot and kill 15 cane cutta,” Bungi said. “And he nah even tell dem he guh close dong dem estate!”

“But maybe they won’t close it down now, Bungi,” responded Satiricus. “Give the man a chance! And what did Rum Jhaat do?”

“He went to Wales,” Hari butted in, since Bungi was getting visibly angrier, “and tell the cane cutters the Government don’t have $300M to pay the 300 cane cutters’ severance.”

“But the Gov’t REALLY don’t have money!” pleaded Satiricus to Bungi. “What you want then to do?”

“Suh how come dem gat money fuh pay $300m EXTRA OVER PRICE to dat Trinidad company fuh drugs?” demanded Bungi.

Satiricus was stumped. Hari tried to smooth things over, and asked him, “So what was that victory one of your ministers won?”

“Well, Patto just put a clamp on Smart Man City Parking,” Satiricus said. “He stop them from having meters on Main Street. Is a Government road.”

“Suh he bin fuget de bigges’ street in town all dis time?” asked Bungi.