Tony Pavarotti driving the car and a song come on the radio. Do it light, do it through the night, shadow dancing. I know this song. My woman love it, say is some man named Gibb sing it. Me ask her how she know and she shoot back, So you think me is ignorant woman? I laugh because me been dancing with shadow in the dawn and in the night. Even in broad, bright daylight we searching for dark. It take four day to round up all the man from the horse racing con-plan who pull gun ’pon the Singer. One night to put them in the cell that up to few years ago me, the don of all dons, was the only man in Copenhagen City who didn’t know ’bout it. Josey Wales have yet to explain that one to me.
Early morning we take the first two out, only because them jump in front and was making the most noise, the first man ’bout how the naked man duppy with blue flame drape around him skin and long shark teeth was eating they flesh all night and covering they mouth so they couldn’t scream. The duppies slap them across the cheek and punch them in the face one two three four times like a jackhammer. Both man eyes did swell and wet for true. The first man point to him chest saying the duppy eat out him heart even though him chest have no mark. The second one didn’t stop bawling ’bout the snake eating a way out through him head until it crawl out of him left eye, see the hole, he say while pointing to him eye. All of them blabbering about the devil spit on they face when they wake up. The two wouldn’t stop so we stuff they mouth with calico cloth and throw them in the car trunk. When we drag them out to the car they don’t even struggle. We take them to a part of Hellshire Beach that now closed off with a No Trespassing sign. They walk of they own free will, which bother me. Me no like see people so ready for what come next, so me push one with the snake in him head and he stumble. And he still don’t say nothing, just get up and keep walking.
Tony Pavarotti put him hand on the first one shoulder to push him down but they both kneel down fast and close them eyes, whispering what sound like prayers. When the snake in the head man open him eyes they wet and he nod again like he saying do it now, do it right now, I can’t wait any longer. Tony Pavarotti walk behind them and shoot both quick. Even the baddest gunman bawl like baby for him life, but them boys quiet. Me wonder what them life come to, when a man could be so ready to dead. Duppy dressed in blue fire, to shit. I wonder what going wake me up in the middle of the night?
When evening come we take out the other two. Time is coming, passing and running, and I know it leaving me behind, but damn. But damn if Josey going make that happen to him. He going run ahead of time and say, Look, pussyhole, me reach before you, me beat you just like you beat me in 1966. He leave all this to me, for he still never give no damn ’bout the Singer. Josey taking meetings with the Cuban who back again even though for all him bombing and dynamite couldn’t make JLP win in 1976.
Many more will have to suffer. Many more will have to die. When Babylon come for me and take me out of the way so man can shoot up the Singer without me trying to stop it, Babylon also come for Shotta Sherrif. People from both sides start to think that we the don of dons no longer have any use. Put puss with dog and just bring a bucket for the blood. They think if them put all of we, man from Copenhagen City and man from the Eight Lanes, in the same lockup and throw away the key then we bound to kill each other. But something did die in jail, something die for real.
The first day we circle each other like lion and tiger who get stuck in one jungle. Me sit in a cell in the east and find man loyal and ready, since at all times a good number of man from the ghetto reside in jail. Shotta Sherrif rest in the west with man loyal to him. Both of we get news of the other whereabouts and roundabouts and nobody fall asleep without at least two eye watching. Didn’t take long for man to hatch a plan. A man on my side act on him own and try to cut down one of Shotta man. Shotta Sherrif send message he going cease one of my man in retaliation. Me send message that me never attack him so why him going attack me? He send message that one of my man pull out a dinner knife and cut a mark like a telephone in another man face when them go out for exercise. Me send message to Shotta Sherrif saying he should name the man.
Treetop. That who it be in the message that come back. The next time we go out in the open me walk up to Treetop meself and say, My youth, a long time me a check you still fi move up in the ranks, make me see you knife.
—Papa, then no must, him say.
—Me going need you to prove to me what you can do by cutting a PNP pussyhole, me say while me holding him knife and testing how it sharp.
—Papa, him say—me more previous than that. Tuesday me done mark a youth. You want me deal with Shotta Sherrif case?
—What a way you eager, eh? No my youth, you no need to do that, but learn this, me say and ram the knife right through him neck and up him throat. Then me ram him again three time in the side of the neck while my men make a wall. Then we all break away leaving the little pussyhole spraying blood on the ground and jerking like headless chicken.
Shotta Sherrif send message later, saying is true time we fi talk. When puss and dog kill one another the only one who win is Babylon. Me take this reasoning and me reason ’pon it more. Babylon is a country, Babylon is a shitstem, Babylon is oppressor and Babylon infiltrate with police. Babylon get tired of waiting so he put head puss and head dog in lockup for them to kill each other quick, but a different vibration come down ’pon the lockup. A positive vibration.
Me and Shotta Sherrif play domino all the time after that while Babylon hovering outside, and the only eye him got is the police. I hear him reasoning, he hear my reasoning and the two of we make a new reasoning. Me release from jail first, and in January them release Shotta Sherrif. First thing him do is find me. That night, January 9, 1978, people with me and people with him put down gun, light candle and start sing we ain’t gonna study war no more. That night Jacob Miller come through with a new tune, a boomshot from the natty, a hit song named the “Peace Treaty Special,” which shoot up to number one. Positive vibration. But learn this all nice and decent people, you walk into every situation with an injection needle or a gun. Some things you heal, and some things you shoot.
For lo and behold all nice and decent people: the last movements of Babylon. January 5, four day before we light candle and sing. Me feeling good because it too early in the year to feel the heaviness of it come down on you. But the new year reach the Wang Gang with no gun. Fool like fuck, the Wang Gang. A Peter Nasser idea he couldn’t control once outside of Copenhagen City. Yeah they still was about, and still taking no instruction from the likes of me or even Josey. But by end of 1977 Wang Gang didn’t have no gun, since even Peter Nasser realize you shouldn’t arm man you can’t control. Somebody tell them if they promise to use them to mow down some PNP youths in two of the Eight Lanes and weaken the center, then Wang Gang can keep a shipment of guns that was to magically appear at this old bay in St. Catherine.
This somebody was just going to leave a car trunk full of guns and all them have to do is pick them up, start some ruckus in a PNP territory and they can keep the guns. As usual Wang Gang don’t take seek no counsel. They start to think big, since this somebody who inform them have personal connection in the Defence Force. They even get promised of some real work at the wharf, mostly security, where they could put them guns to use. Nobody ride for free in Jamdown, but the gang agree and in the early morning two army ambulance come down to Wang Gang Lands and pick up fourteen boy.
Two ambulance take them east of West Kingston, over past Port He nderson, across the bridge, past the four beaches of Portmore and up into the hilly cliff. When them reach Green Bay, the driver tell them to come out of the ambulance and wait right there. Another truck was go ing come with the guns—none of them remember the army did say a car was coming not a truck. Them boys see and wait. A soldier come up and start talk to the boy in charge. He and the soldier go into the bush when the other boys hear a single shot, like the start of a race. And then, hataclaps.
Jamaica Defence Force man come down ’pon them from afar and open fi
re. Soldier rush down ’pon the boys and start fire machine gun while one big one hiding in the bush push through and start ratatatatatatatat like this was war. Boy who manage to run, run into other soldier, boy head blow off and drop, man dash straight into thorn bush that rip off him skin until he reach the sea. Five shot to death, more wounded and one or two dive into the sea and get save by fisherman. The rest scatter. The soldier come on TV and say them boys trespass ’pon them firing range in the middle of a shooting practice in the evening. Coming ’pon the TV and talking over the radio, the minister say, “No saints were killed in Green Bay.” Three days before the concert, we launch a protest about how people in the ghetto still shit and eat in the same place when down swoop Babylon police force and kill three people including a woman. The same minister again,
“If one policeman is killed this year, the people who did it will be hunted down like dogs.”
Many more will have to suffer. Many more will have to die. My first week in lockup Babylon beat me ’round the clock. They wasn’t searching for no news, they wasn’t trying to turn me into no informer. They was just all taking they turn to show me who is the bigger boss. The police never come one at a time, not after the first one come after me and me give him a kick that send him balls right up into him brain. Afterwards they come two by two, three by three, one time even four. Is like them was in contest, who make me bawl out first win. The first three, me mark them name, Watson, Grant, and Nevis, almost sneak in late at night. But as me hear the clang of the gate they set ’pon me with baton. This is for what you do to Roderick, one say. And him widow. Then it must burn you that if you kill me somebody going deal with you, me say and spit out my back tooth. Probably black from cavity anyway. After that new police come nearly every night for a week, always with one of the first three as tour guide.
The last night the four come, two hold down my face in the floor which smell of me own piss. They fold over a towel and put bath soap in it. Then they take turn beating me in me back singing one potato, two potato, three potato, four. Me getting tired of this shit so me tell Grant and Nevis to back off before me really get mad. They shocked me know them name but that make them set ’pon me worse. Two day later both men ask for a few days’ leave. Grant wife might never use her left eye again and Nevis’ son arm and leg break. Nevis come to me cell saying he personally going kill me. I tell him I feel real bad ’bout him son but now he have to take special care him little thirteen-year-old daughter hymen don’t get burst from the wrong man infiltrating it. Is always funny when a black man go white. When they finally let me out into the general area with me own men waiting for me, everybody around me hush and in gloom. At first me did think they hear about Nevis’ son and think that was going too far, or they was just showing me proper respect. But then me grab a newspaper from one of them and there on the front page was the Singer.
Evening. Me and Pavarotti late. I don’t have a watch but I can count when time ticking away. Could do it from me was a boy. Plus me grandfather teach me how to tell time like a Colon man. Hold on, him wasn’t me grandfather, no man in the ghetto have grandfather. He was just an old man unlucky to be the only man who live to old age, singing the Colon man song. One two three four Colon man a come. One two three four Colon man a come. One two three four Colon man a come, with him brass chain ah like him belly bam bam bam. Ask him the time and him look up in the sun with him brass chain a lick him belly bam bam bam.
Pavarotti look at me blank—I didn’t realize me was singing it out loud. So evening, maybe seven-thirty, but we near the sea so nothing blocking the sun as it run away. Tony Pavarotti driving slow and me not telling him to drive fast and the disco music fulling the space where otherwise two man would have to talk. First me think it was a batty boy vibe but then the lyrics penetrate. Shadow dance for true. We shadow dancing as soon as light set to go. What done in darkness can never come back to light.
We riding against the sea in peace and I thinking about how the second peace concert born in England. Because 1977 was nothing but war. The concert was calling for one love, and we charge two dollar for the “togetherness section,” five dollar for the “love” section and eight dollar for the “peace” section, that way if rich burn-skin white man and woman want to come they can come too with no fear, although there was no way in hell that was going to happen. Burn-skin white man don’t want peace, he want Jamaica to become the USA state number fifty-one, shit, he would settle for just a colony.
We do the concert because whether you green or you orange, some place still don’t have no toilet and we have pickneys surviving stick, stone and bullet only to get kill by a drink of water. We do the concert because one in every three never have no work, and that was not just in the ghetto. We do the concert because Babylon was coming for all of we. The Singer come back but things did change in him. Where before he would grab you before he even see you, now he wait one-two second and nod or grab him chin and smile. Where he would finish a sentence you start, now he wait for you to finish, look right through you and don’t say nothing. Understand this, me didn’t have nothing to do with December 1976, but I know he now sleep with one eye open and that eye sometimes ’pon me. Me and Tony Pavarotti leaving the sea and turning for McGregor Gully.
The concert. Me never get to see the peace concert in 1976. But me get to see the war right after. So April 22 me at this concert. Me on the stage. Me watch Seaga and Manley form steeple over the Singer head. People always looking for signs and wonders, but signs signal nothing and nothing in a wonder to wonder about. The man me never going forget is Tosh. First me think this man come shit ’pon we concert. That man just had a thing for rubbing me the wrong way until me figure him out. And even when me figure him out and think we have an understanding, him still a little fuckup, maybe because more than the other two, him is the one Babylon fuck with the most, especially Babylon police. Just a month before the Singer come back, the customs officer stop Tosh at the airport and hold him for long. Here is what the officer whisper to him: Me looking for a reason to shoot you. Me didn’t even want him too much because a man like that never feel the positive vibration. Is the Singer who did want him and convince him to come. Me no get between family and them affairs. Almost a month now and is still Tosh me remember. Tosh was the one who make sure nobody ever forget. Right before the concert he say he not playing no bombocloth concert because every man involve in that concert going end up dead. Man come on the stage in the still hot evening wearing black from head to foot, like him official, like is CIA work for Rasta. The first thing he do is tell man to lock off them bombocloth camera. Is word sound and power that break down the barriers of oppression and drive away transgression and rule equality. Well right now you have a system or a shitstem wha’ go on in this country fi a long ages and ’imes. Four hundred years and the same bucky massa business and black inferiority and brown superiority and white superiority rule this little black country here fi a long ’imes. Well I and I come with Earthquake Lightning and Thunder to break down these barriers of oppression, drive away transgression and rule equality between humble black people.
Me stun like little boy when him first see a dead shotta. Even with the Rastaman vibration moving through me head, me never once think ’bout the black, even when me drive past plantation still standing. The last thing him say,
If unu want go ah heaven a fi unu business I will be here a billion years.
Mick Jagger prancing like a drunk goat, looking on like proud daddy. Me and Tony Pavarotti driving down the road. How much minute me just miss? I feel like when me fall asleep and wake up and the plane still in the air. Tony Pavarotti saying nothing.
—We turn for McGregor Gully yet?
Him nod yes, just as I remember. Maybe me just tired. Making things right is hard work. Harder than crime. McGregor Gully always smell like shit and factory chemical run loose. People live ’round here but me send message from two day ago that they better clear out when me coming. They can come back when we gone.
> Police wasn’t going find none of them boy but I was. Two years me see and wait. See them a hide like pussyhole while me wait for the Singer to come back to deal with them for real. One man hide in Jungle and there be a mother to blame. Damn them and they motherlove. Plenty woman-killer remember Mother’s Day. So mama hide son in her cupboard for over one year until even she get tired of it. Leggo Beast, crouched in cupboard with bread and roach and cheese and mouse for over a year. Come out only at night like him name Count Dracula. The little pussyhole never learn say if you want to hide in plain sight, then don’t be a fool and get your mother to buy cocaine for you. Josey is the one who tip me off.
Seven forty-five in the morning. Babylon still asleep, like it always asleep when it come to justice. Me send word that is time to deal with that little pussyhole. Fucking idiot. Me send two man to pull him out of the cupboard and bring him and the mother too. Me hear her scream ’bout nobody deh yah even though nobody ask her anything. Good Lord, woman can fool. When they bring the boy and him mother to me, right at me gate, the boy blinking from too much sunlight and him skin white from head to toe. Me don’t want neither of them disgrace me premises with they presence so me come out to the road. The mother bawling do no take me boy, do no take me boy. Me don’t have no words for either. But me want the boy to see how much what him do cost, and how he was going pay. The year in cupboard make him stop grow. He nothing but bone and skin and he look at me all shifty, like lizard, then stare back at the ground. This from the boy them call Leggo Beast. I look at him mesh sleeveless and him jeans shorts, which cut off too high and the scab on him right shoulder. Leggo Beast look at me again and me take him in good, size him up nice then ball a quick, tight fist and punch straight in the mother face.
She stagger back and he yell. I grab her in the front of her dress before she stagger back too far then one two three more punch straight in her face. Her lip burst like tomato and her knees buckle and me let her sink into the road. Put me finger together and slap her right cheek with a strike, then left, then right again, then left. Leggo Beast bawling out for him mother, me point one finger and my man take him gun butt and clap him in the balls. People coming to watch. Let them watch. Let them remember how Papa-Lo discipline work. I slap her again, left, right, left. A woman scream out do Papa show her mercy and me drop the fucking bitch and walk over to my man and take him gun. I walk right up to the woman and put the gun ’pon her forehead and say, You want mercy? Make me show you bombocloth mercy. Me will show her mercy if you come take her punishment. The woman back ’way.
A Brief History of Seven Killings Page 35
