The Adventures of Ludiboy

Trouble in Kingston

     Kingston was a pretty strange place to Ludiboy. The people spoke a different form of patois than that he was use to in the country. The houses were built on either side of the road in what they called 'Linear' style, amidst the dispersed style he knew back in the country. There were no cricket fields about, no fields or pastures, and the churches were 'locked up' somewhere. Probably the most unusual thing was that there were barely any trees about. There was nothing that Ludiboy could climb and pick any breadfruit to roast, or any mangoes to suck on. Everything was either taken from the more country parts of the island or imported by sea. To him, town was a completely different place. A whole new world. A whole new universe.

     Drunkie Tabbo and Ludiboy had become good friends. They often went to the bar to drink rum and chat. Drunkie Tabbo seemed to be well known about Red Piece community; there wasn't a soul who didn't know him. Everyone he met he would brag to them that the gentleman following him around (Ludiboy) was his daughter's husband. He would tell them that Ludiboy was from the country, but the two shared quite a sense of similarity and understanding. They both were drinkers and gamblers, and they both were always seen as the 'trouble-maker' in either's community. Within a few days of arrival, Ludiboy had become popular and famous, as Drunkie Tabbo's boy from country. They went everywhere together. They would not be seen without the other.

     One evening, after Ludiboy and Drunkie had returned from the bar, drinking, Ludiboy decided to write Simonea. Growing up in the country, he was never well educated and could barely pronounce a few sensible English words. Again, his spelling and handwriting were terrible, and the letter was terribly written, but he managed to get the message across:

    Dear Simonea,
                           
                            Me is ere in kingston. Me is doin well. Your fadda is taking good care of me. Him is a nice man.
                 We both are drinkers and gamblers. Like fadda like son them say. Anywayz, every ting is fine and me is doing well ere.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               Yourz respektivly
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   LB.

Ludiboy did not know where to the post station was and so asked Drunkie Tabbo to drop it off whenever he visited the down town area.
Drunkie Tabbo agreed to do the favour, but instead of delivering it to the station, he read the letter and simply threw it away, saying that he could not be bothered to do anyone a favour at the time.

     Ludiboy were quite alike. The only difference between them was that Drunkie Tabbo cooked on a more regular, scheduled basis. He would cook Salted Fish and Rice, or yams and cocoa with Ackee. Drunkie informed Ludiboy that since he was there, he would require help from him to cook. Ludiboy knew he was no chef, but did not want to be embarrassed in front of his father-in-law, and so agreed. After one day, Drunkie Tabbo came to realise that Ludiboy was not a good cook, since whenever he was cooking Salted Fish and rice, Ludiboy seemingly poured extra salt onto the fish! As for the rice, it was watery and looked like porridge! 

"Here I am, thinking that me gonna have Salt Fish with rice. But instead me having rice porridge and salt-up meat!" Drunkie stated when he tasted Ludiboy's cooking.