So imagine, a motherless boy. No mooma, no poopa. Only had his Grandmother on his mother side. He was born in St Ann’s but when he got a scholarship to the secondary school in town, they moved from high up St Ann’s Hill to Maraval. At first the boy didn’t like town, too noisy, too much people, but he always loved the music. Seemed like every street had somebody making music. Beating tamboo-bamboo, playing guitar, singing kaiso. And when his grandmother couldn’t afford the books no more, and he had to leave the secondary school, he was glad. Cause that is when he get to hang around with the fellas from the kaiso tent. And is them man, teach him how to step in town, bouyah under his jacket, and chooker in he left pocket. And the boy could see himself becoming a kaiso man too. Like Lion and Tiger, Houdini, Pretender. He wanted to be like them man. Called himself, Young Instigator. But it was Parrot people name him. Mighty Parrot. Cause, he didn’t have the singing voice.
Anyway, after a time the boy found a work in a chemist shop, in town. He was a big boy now and most afternoons, one girl or the next would pass in the shop to laugh and sweet talk with him. And he didn’t mind, if was Rosita or Clementina, Louisa or Milta. He was one of the saga-boys in town.
Now, the man who owned the shop had a daughter. A big set girl, with a round face. And she started to help out in the shop. And the boy see how everyday she always dressed good, in expensive dress, with gold ear-rings, and bracelets that jangle jangle when she move her hands. And the boy, a practical young man, start to chat with her when she in the shop. Tell her jokes about the people coming in to buy they vetiver and bengue. Finesse her. -Doux doux darlin’ you look so healthy. Doux doux darlin it making hot, let me buy you a snow cone. And she giggling and patting sweat from her chest with a handkerchief.
Well, one afternoon, the shop was quiet. Saga-boy was in the back room with the chemist daughter. They was putting medicine bottles on a shelf, and he, just to test the waters, so to speak, lean over and put a kiss on her. Right on the lips. She jump, but she didn’t say no. And of course, one thing lead to the next. And with a, -I could only do that if we married, the boy find himself betrothed.
By the end of the year, forget all the girls waiting for him on Green Corner, the boy was married. That is the story. Seem like should have more. And you know it do, but then life could be so predictable.