The Adventures of Ludiboy

Ludiboy tun tief

     Everyone in Red Boar knew that whenever Aunt Bev left, Ludiboy would go back to the same old manner he had: drinking and gambling and getting into trouble.

The house returned to its old, careless state. The floors, would once again needed desperate polishing and the railings on the varendah would need to be wiped and cleaned down. Plus his yard could pass for any dump site as it was littered with the dried leaves from the trees that hovered over the small plot of land.

Ludiboy's meals, whenever he made them, were made off time and whenever he pleased. There was no schedule. There was no order and in some sense, chaos.

      

Red Boar was always a silent community where no true crimes were every committed. That is why when one morning, Maas Joe, a humble farmer from 'round Gungo corner, was walking around by 8 in the morning, crying out that his old cow, Backbone, had gone missing, everyone was 

Mass Joe was one of the most serious farmers within Red Boar. He lived a simple country life with his wife, Venus, in a small cottage like house, with an outdoor kitchen and bathroom. He was as simple as any country farmer could be. He was seldom found drinking, unlike our friend Ludiboy; he never got into fights or even squabbles with anyone and he was always at the Independence day feasts that were held annually at Teacher Gordon's house of which he normally supplied the cooks with their Cocoas or green bananas. It was because of these reasons that everyone wanted to help such a honest and peaceful man.

      Ms. Gracious, once again, took it upon herself to deliver the message to the other residents whom did not hear of the incident. She told 'One-foot Danny', from Sour-sop corner, a man who walked and hopped as if he had just a foot. She delivered the news to the parson who seldom heard of such things, and even to Mass Joe's animals. When he asked her why she was talking to the animals who couldn't even understand her, she replied: "well, you don't know if the animals know anything, so you have to tell them. It could bring back your cow, enuh."

     There were those who suspected men like Cappie, who was a short man who an ugly face. They even nicknamed him 'Two teet', because that was how much there seemed to be in his mouth! Two teet had recently drawn into Red Boar from Breadfruit Hill community that was up the road. Not many knew, but there were those in Breadfruit Hill who did always see him as a thief. It is said that the men there, threatened him that if he did not leave, they would come and bring harm to him and burn his house and everything he had. Two teet knew that those men were not to be taken as a joke, and so, he moved to the neighbouring community of Red Boar, that some thought he had come to do the same. But there was a problem for the usual residents of Red Boar. He had never committed a single theft, and there were none reported, even after his arrival, plus, he had come to do a little farming at his own 'bush', and the products, he sold at the market. That was why they had ruled him out as a suspect.

     The next person some people suspected was Capeverde. Even though he was only good for drinking white rum and gambling with Renggae and Ludiboy, he was known for doing a little theft. There was a time that Ms. Venny, one of Renggae's sisters, had caught him picking from her Red pepper tree in the back of her yard one night, and had nearly beaten him to death! She told Ms. Gracious, and of course, that was how the news had spread that Capeverde was a thief. But that was just once and it was a long time ago, so no one had thought it would really be him.

     The last person some people suspected was 'Smiley.' No one knew his real name, and no one knew anything about him really, more than the fact that he lived in a small board Shack, with poor, zinc roofs. He did not socialise much with people and was never seen at the Independence day feasts. That was why he was not considered a resident of Red Boar community, since he was hardly seen and no one knew anything about him. The reason why he had reached on the suspect list was because he was always around Maas Joe's cow pastures, staring and admiring the cows, most particularly, Backbone. But if he was hardly seen, then how could it be him?