The Adventures of Ludiboy

Ludiboy becomes ambitious

      Even though it seemed quite unlikely, a majority of Red Boar's residents predicted that when Ludiboy got into his early thirty's, he would give up on gambling and drinking, and then begin to stay out of trouble. Some members, like Teacher Gordon outed their candles. But when Simonea arrived in the community, that candle was rekindled, as they thought that if such a man was able to keep a decent, hard-working woman like Simonea in his house, he would most certainly have to change his ways. But just like all their other predictions: they were wrong. Since Ludiboy was exposed to all that money on Independence day, a few days ago, he became more covetous. He went around Red Boar finding all manner of ways to make money. Most of them, as we know, were not just.

     Ludiboy had knowledge of the mango bushes that the little children often went to, to pick the precious fruits. He rose up one early morning, about 5 and, with Smasher with him, by his side, he went to the gully where the trees grew. Why he had to wake up so early? If the residents of Red Boar found out that he was picking the mangoes from off the mango trees that the little ones depended on, they would look down at him and say mean things about him; 'him mean, eeh?', Or 'how him fi 'tan suh?' are what they would say. 

The walk to the gully wasn't an easy one and Ludiboy wondered to himself how such children, who were not even as strong as him, could manage the rough, grassy path to the gully. When he had finally reached the glorious, tall mango trees, he took out a quite large, white crocus bag, which was made from two other ones, sewn together and cut open where they joined to make even more space, hence, he could carry even more mangoes.

       Climbing trees was nothing complex for him. As a youth, he had to eat mangoes and bananas on an often as he was one of those children whose parents could not afford to cook everyday, and he and Renggae had to climb these very trees, both mornings and evenings. 

"Them there is long time ago", he reminded himself. 

"Them good, ole days." 

Ludiboy climbed the trees, one after the other. With each climb, he picked about twenty! There were about forty of these trees, close to each other with tonnes of ripe, red mangoes that glistened whenever the sun shone on them. By 6, he had picked over a hundred mangoes, each one as red as blood, and some were so red, they even appeared black! Ludiboy licked his lips, he did not want to eat them, as they were for sale. But the sweet smell of mangoes were too overwhelming for him, and he said, "let me just eat some, so the smell won't overtake me." 

So he sat down and began munching on some of them. He ate and ate, until his belly began to grow. The mangoes were very tasty and that encouraged him to eat even more. He had not eaten since morning and this allowed him to have even more space.

    
       When Ludiboy put his hand into the bag for another, he could not find anything! He looked into the bag. He had eaten all the mangoes! His face was disfigured. 

"But look how me craven, eeh?" he asked himself. 

He foolishly sat there, mumbling to himself how he was greedy and craven that he had eaten all the mangoes that he planned to sell at the market. Then an idea came to him. He went back up the trees and picked the same amount, and tied the top with banana strips that he managed to scavenge, so that he did not smell it and eat anymore. He marched up the gully side and trotted down the country road, with the big heavy crocus bag on his back. There were some people, who woke up in those hours, and saw him. They watched him as he went along the road. Even Maas Joe saw him, and wondered what he could possibly have in that bag, since everyone knew he did not work. Ludiboy said not a word to a man, as they watched him go by, with faces colonised and overcome with puzzled and curious 'planters'.