#MaxiVybez (A tribute the Trinidad Maxi)

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Certain things just have in dem de essence of trini life. Pelau. Doubles. River Lime. But i feel that something else takes the cake. De maxiride. De maxi is everyting.
It is what is on yuh mind first ting in de morning. "Oh gosh I have to get ah maxi before 6" because yuh know that by 5 past 6, the maxis gone and people does just multiply. A maxi is the only thing that will make yuh push yuh own family member to the side, no, not just to the side, straight dong, cause yuh have to get in. Tants and all could get it. Everybody know the rule: is push or be pushed. 
Maxi is everything.  You could imagine how a maxi does feel approachin de Arima maxi stand at haff pass 6 in the morning? People on both sides,a nxious,strategizing how dey going to attack yuh. 
One morning, I push and shove, I pass a set of people, including Ras, a Rasta man from up by me, I attack the crowd from the side, push meh hand in front of somebody to haul mehself into the maxi. I end up getting de last seat and look across to see who I  sitting dong by. Yuh know, I see Ras calmly fixin the ac vent like I didn't just pass he outside. I ask Ras how he get in, Ras point to de window. Yuh know Ras jump through de man window?! Yes, a maxi will make you do dat.
It have two kinna people in dis world...One would push an get in de maxi, bow he head in shame or look straight ahead at the clock or de driver head until the maxi pull off to avoid looking at all the people who he push outside...de other kind will get in and while scramblin to he seat, try hard to cut eye every soul who he push or who push he outside. Yuh know the people who didn't get in stinking mad! 
Ah tell yuh, this maxi is everything yes! And to top it off, yuh know it have some people who will push and slide to get in, create enemies for life, skin up dey face at de people on the outside, get the last seat in the maxi, wait till the driver drive lower to stop to pick up the fare and then dig up in dey bag and pull out ah $100? Well is to see the walk ah shame when the driver put out dey tail.
Ah tell yuh, maxi is everything. In a maxi on any given evening, yuh will find a kaleidoscope of trini people. You will find a young student travelling for the first time next to a single mother who tired of travelling, pensioners grumbling bout the new music sitting next to ah up and coming soca artiste, a Muslim in robes next to a Jehovah Witness carryin the Watchtower , a doctor rubbing shoulders with a garbage collector, behind them a PNMite to she heart might be asking a staunch UNC to "open the window nah doo doo, like this driver eh feeling how hot the place is." Young lovers in the backseat taking up almost only one space ducking everytime the maxi stop by ah traffic light. 
African, Indians, Chinese, White all melt into two colors: red and white. In this red band maxi, we all just want one thing- to reach home.

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