Satiricus was relieved. He’d been hearing all this doom and gloom on the economy. And since he’d been seeing with his own eyes folks losing their jobs and businesses just not getting customers, he figured the reports were true. But now Satiricus’ eyes had been opened and he knew it was all one big mistake.
“How yuh know dat, Sato?” asked his buddy Cappo. “Look wha’ happen to abee sugar workers.
Dem throw 1700 a dem out in de streets, bai!”
“Budday, what you and me see is only a small piece of the picture,” said Satiricus as he looked around the Back Street Bar. “Like how we only see a few of the fellas taking a drink nowadays. It could be other bars are overflowing with people.”
“Well, chap…me na know ‘bout you. Even even me brudder-in-law in Berb-Ice who mo’ rich dan God, complaining,” replied Cappo. “De man na even gi’e he sistah wan present duh she birt’day.”
“Cappo, what you’re doing is taking “anecdotal” evidence and extending it to the whole country,” said Satiricus firmly as he sipped his beer slowly. No gulps nowadays. He had to nurse his drinks since Cappo had no money to stand his round. And his wife had cut back on his pocket money.
“Me na know ‘bout “a neck dote”. Me know wha me feel…and me feelin’ real strain now, Budday…real strain,” Cappo said feelingly. “Is wha’ mek yuh talkin’ suh much schupidness?”
“Is not stupidness, Cappo,” said Satiricus firmly. “The IMF tell the Finance Minister our economy is growing, boy. Growing. They looking at the big picture….which is the real picture.”
“IMF?” asked Cappo quizzically, “Na Burnt Ham bin call dem “International Mother F***er?”
“That was then,” Satiricus snapped impatiently. He didn’t like when Cappo questioned him.
“Me know dis time na laang time,” conceded Cappo. “But whe’ de IMF find growin’ in Guyana? A na de Finance Ministah bin seh even de drugs na bring in money nowadays?”
“Ah…but that is where the Finance Minister is a big man to admit he could be wrong!” crowed Satiricus. “The IMF tell him we producing more gold, budday! Gold!”
“But na all de prafit fram gold a guh to de country, whe’ de gold company come fram?” asked Cappo the canecutter.
Satiricus was struck speechless. He never did like Cappo arguing with him.
