What sweet in cyat mout (A Trinidadian short tale)


Once upon a time, on a farm filled with animals in Las Cuevas, there lived three best friends. Their names were Jerry the dog, Alfred the cat and Free the bird. The animals had a wide yard, filled with flowers and food of every color and taste for them to enjoy. They loved to run, play and fly about together. One blindingly bright but refreshingly cool day, their master, Master George, told them that they can run, play and fly in the entire yard except underneath the guava tree because Hanna the Chicken had just laid some eggs after not being able to for a long while. "Chicken the Hanna is a-laying some egging below the guava tree. Run, play and fly in the entire yard but just don't go chicken the disturb," he told them. "Woof! Yes Sah", "Chirp chirp! gotcha," replied Jerry and Free. Then, looking squarely at Alfred, Master George said warningly while wagging his index finger at Alfred on the last word, "Alfred. Look at me. Alfred, listen carefully. Are you hearing me Alfred? NO!" "I understand fully what you have said sir. Meow!" purred Alfred, looking up at his Master through big, innocent eyes.Master George turned to return to his house but not before taking fallen palm leaves and creating a makeshift fence around the front of the guava tree.As soon as Master George was out of sight, mischievous Alfred the cat started, "Meow! All dis talk about no playin under guava tree. Who George feel Hanna is? Some queen?" Jerry and Free looked at eachother knowingly and said in unison, "Alfred no! Alfred no! Master George say not to go. Alfred no! Alfred no! You never listen, Alfred why you so?" Alfred turned his little body in the opposite direction to them,  raised his tail high and threw a disgusted look toward them. "Cowards! Both of alyuh. All of a sudden alyuh can't remember when we snuck into Master's kitchen and jank up the ham before he had a chance to taste it? Alyuh forget when we had filled Chenny the Goat's feeding trough with old chataigne water? Alyuh forget. All of a sudden is No Alfred! No Alfred! I'll get some new friends to lime with. Friends who have more heart than a shy dog and flimsy bird!"  Jerry and Free repeated, "Alfred no! Alfred no! Master George say not to go. Alfred no! Alfred no! You never listen, Alfred why you so?" Alfred sauntered off in the opposite direction without giving another backward glance to his friends. Jerry and Free continued playing hide and seek without Alfred. "I really was going to listen to Master this time eh,but they does get me so mad. Is always Alfred No, Alfre no! Doh tell me what to do. What's the worst that can happen?" Alfred thought while fitting himself between a fallen galvanize and the side of a tank- In perfect viewing position of Hanna the Chicken's movements. He kept quiet and trained his once innocent looking but now filled with mischief eyes on Hanna's house. After a few minutes, however,Alfred dozed off in the cool afternoon breeze. Swoosh! Alfed opened his yellow eyes just in time to see Hanna the Chicken running through the palm branches. On the other side of the yard he saw Master emptying day old rice onto the concrete slab which was now covered by chickens all trying to get a taste of the good rice. "But she ent just lay eggs? Why she leaving the chi-never mind!" Alfred thought as he dragged himself from below the galvanize. He hunched his shoulders and stayed low to the ground as he crept towards the guava tree. Swish! He parted the leaves with his paws and saw in the corner by the roots of the tree, four small cream ovals. He felt a heat building up in his stomach. Oh how Alfred loved an adventure! He reached across by the eggs and started pawing them around. "What can I do with these flimsy things? If I try to take one away it will break for sure.Hmmm... Well Master George does eat these. And that one time I had ketch Jerry sucking one. I wonder how they would taste. They feeling kinda strange though." Alfred pawed one of the strange looking eggs towards him and smelled it. No scent at all. He turned it sideways and contemplated eating from side. Pang! Pang! Pang! He heard Master George's pounding out the last grains of rice and he knew that he had to hurry up. He held the egg in one place, opened his mouth as wide as it could go and bit down on the egg as hard as he could while trying to suck in the slimy liquid quickly. "MEOWWWW!!!" Alfred screamed for this was never how he suspected eggs to taste. It was the hottest and spiciest taste he ever had. He recoiled and tried to rub his tongue on the rough bark of the tree. Snap! Swish! Swish! The palm branches snapped and Master appeared along with Hanna, Free, Jerry and some of the other animals appeared. Alfred continued crying out and dragging his tongue onto the tree bark. Suddenly, all the animals burst out laughing. Free and Jerry sang between tears of laughter, "Alfred no! Alfred no! Master George say not to go. Alfred no! Alfred no! You never listen, Alfred why you so?" "Pepper in he mouth!" "And yuh like egg, take dat!" "Yuh too harden!" interjected the other animals at intervals. 

It was then that Alfred vowed never to disobey again. At least, until his mouth stopped burning. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Textual Analysis of Sam Selvon’sThe Cricket Match

Okinoshima Dream

My Greatest Challenge