Sometimes the most wonderful insights can come your way based on the conversations you are privy to hear , or participate in . As such , I never shy away from being a snoop at time or reaching out and engaging with others irrespectrive of their class , nationality , or any trival differences in make up that is known to historically act as a wedge between us .
Let me relate three light hearted stories and encounters , and see if you too can extrapolate anything of significance as I did.
It is around 5:00 pm Canadian time,and I am at a Greyhound Bus station approximately some one month ago in Ottawa , awaiting transportation to Montreal enroute to my final destination in New York USA . There I saw this cute blond lady , and decided to strike up a conversation simply to pass the time. She informed me that she was tired ,had no money and was awaiting a ticket from a friend in Toronto her home where she is eager to return to see her two kids that she left with relatives as she made a hasty retreat to help a troubled friend quickly escape from some legal problem he got involved with.She then went on tell me that she made this lengthy trip driving at extreamly high speeds of over 100 mph, often barely eluding police authorities along the way without out even first taking any money in the process. "If any Cops had caught us,
they would have been sent my friend away possibly for life , and I would have gotten into serious problems," she said.""But you love your children dearly I enquired , and recognize the danger you placed them in if you were stopped I enquired?" "Yes," she responded, "but this was a good friend that took care of me in the past ," she commented. Natrually I was perplexed ,yet kept my cool, but mumbled aloud- " cutting your nose to spoil your face eh!" Smiling she shook her head in agreement, as she enquired about my backgroud, to which I proudly responded Trinidad and Tobago,perhaps one of the most beautiful places on earth. "I've been to Jamaica," she quickly said."Well, you are yet to visit the real Caribbean if you did not see my country as yet" I
teased her. "My husband who was an ex Hells Angels Biker ,did three years in an awful prison in that island,"she lamented. "He died about two years ago , and left a portion of his money to take care of his two children so that they can finish high school,"she said almost too proudly. Fortunately for both of us , she then got a call to indicate that the expectant ticket had arrived ,and she was finally saved from spending another day away from her loving kids, and I likewise from listening to another seemingly
implausible tale from someone in such a beautiful and treasured country.
I too eventually got on my bus, and a few hours lated arrived in Montreal , was accosted by a black male for some money as I tried to acquire some foreign excange to purchase something locally. He claimed that he was hungry. " Why are you in this state I enquired perplexed?" "I am sick he lamented,and need to get some medications," he quickly replied. I did my godly duty , and gave him two Canadian dollars, and went on my way. Five minuits later I saw him haggling with a white female companion over what appeared as a crack pipe ,at a nearby park satuated with several unwashed and dishevelled looking creatures that could bearly pass for human beings in this land of the bountiful that many of my fellow citizens will die to make their home and final resting place. How ironic , I thought to myself- Oh Canada.
My second encounter:-"How do you deal with your women culturally so as to keep them in line and not have them get corrupted by some of the more unsavory North American habits that has led to the downfall of many relationships for quite a few of us less fortunate", I asked a Pakistani work colleauge recently as he celebrated Ramadan."Oh we do not have that problem here, he proudly exclaimed, as we do not hesitate to beat them to a frazzle whenever the situation arises."In America ? I enquired, in horror knowing of countless Afro Caribbean and Africans and especially European males that have seen the wrong side of the law for similar distastful and uncivilize habits."Yes he said proudly, America , Pakistan , it does not matter , a woman must know her place,said the former senior college educated cop, that grew up in Pishawa Pakistan on the Afghan tribal borders of a prominent Pashooon family - a region that is prersently controlled by Taliban rebels.
"My girlfriend of three years is a beautiful Argentinian,and we have a child together , but I nearly choke her to death a few months ago,as she caught me in a lie as I had planned to check another girl with a good male friend of mine."
Fortunately for me , she claimed that I was crazy , simply needed help,and did not report me to the police,"he said with a sheepish grin."She is now back in Argentina, and sometimes I miss her and my son . I told her we should get married soon, but we have to eventually go back to Pakistan , and my son must grow up as a good Muslim,"he said nostalgically ."I really want to give up by playboy ways and get my life on track spiritually in keeping with Allah's teachings"he admitted to me."What was her reaction, to that suggestion ,"I enquired knowing fully well that all of Argentina or little Italy are Catholics."Well she quickly accepted the marriage suggestion , and even picked out a date,but also suggested that we live in Argentina, to which I told her never,"he shouted. Thank heavens this man did not have a strong black woman in his life I mused to myself.Some folks have all the luck in the world , I thought.
To my final encounter:-A few days ago , I nearly had to intervene to break up a fight between two black guys , one a Jamican and the other an African American. The latter was getted a bit fedup about what he saw as cockiness and boastfulness of many Jamaicans nationals in his country over their Olympics running successes led by Hussain Bolt that was featured on David Letterman-one of the popular late night commedians."urely you can understand why they'll be proud of this achievenment,I said to him in my attempt at peace meaking. It is a small , underresource country , and they've have performed admiringly at the highest level, I said. " With no drug use,like many of the Americans,"shouted the Jamaican thinking about what Carl Lewis did to them some years ago after the demise of a certain Canadian based Jamaican sprinter called Ben Johnson that cheated and defamed his adopted and country of birth. " Who cares about you and your backward little insignificant country said the American. You are not even independent , as white British are still running your country. America is the greatest country in the world he screamed,did you see how many medals we won especially in swimming,"
he exclaimed in difiance.
To which the Jamaican responded swiftly, Go away man, at least we did not have to go to the back of no bus like you all here in America.Who the hell cares about swimming, furthermore how many of you can go to a pool to swim in this country. Swimming is a woman sport!" On and on they traded jabs , as I got more worried for the two armed , passionate , patriotic gentlemen and great grand sons of African slaves that could be relatives for all you know.
I pitied the American on this loosing battle, as a I thought to myself , A
Trinidadian would never get into a verbal tassle with a Jamaican on such sensitive issues , in much the same way as a smart British, American, or German would never fight such a verbal war with the French for it would be totally counterproductive. Jamaicans like the French we know, believe that they have the most beautiful country, foods, women, beaches and culture in the world . What we smart folks often do is to humor them and agree for the sake of peace.
So there it is three encounters from your's truly - the social and political animal-as he traverse the globe in search of truth with a view to edify and present a useful perspective for my fellow citizens too dependent on a deceptive main stream media .
I wish you good tidings until. Is Trinidad nice? Surely you must agree!