Tue | Mar 19, 2024

Carolyn Cooper | Contractor dem naah nuh conscience

Published:Saturday | May 28, 2022 | 10:23 AM

CHAKA-CHAKA SPELLING

Thursday gone, mi had was fi git up out a mi bed go down a di construction site back a mi yard. Lickle after six a clock a mornin, one hell of a noise a come from down deh. Di said same ting gwaan Wednesday mornin. Wen mi go look, mi see two truck. One front a di gate, an one next one park up down di road pon a corner. Nobody nuh down deh fi direct traffic.

Two man a di gate did a do dat. Dem signal mi fi pass. All mi do, mi put on mi flasher an mi park up fi see wa a gwaan. Di truck let off one whole a load a river stone. Yu fi hear di noise. Loud-loud-loud-loud-loud! Wen mi lef mi yard, mi did tell miself seh mi nah go get inna nuh argument wid nobody. Mi just a go look. But mi couldn’t help miself.

Mi aks di man dem wa mek dem a mek so much noise soon a mornin. One a dem seh, a send dem send dem fi drop off di load. Mi do understand. A no fi im fault. Im a do fi im work. Im a drink milk. Im nah count cow. Im nuh business wid mi. An im right. A nuh im mi fi talk to. A di contractor weh send im. A im response. So mi decide mi mind fi call di company weh a do di construction work.

NUH RESPECT FI WI

Wen dem did start build last year, di contractor im did send letter, gi wi di name a one ‘liaison’ smaddy weh wi fi call if wi have nuh problem. So mi call di ‘liaison’ im. Im seh im did know seh stone a go deliver pon Wednesday an Thursday. But im never know di time. An im seh im sorry fi wake wi up wid big noise. Im promise mi seh it nah go happen again. Mi accept im apology. But mi tell im seh im suppose fi know wa time material a go deliver. An a nuh ongle soon a mornin construction noise a disturb wi. Late a night, cement a pour.

All over Jamaica a di said same ting. Wi a suffer sake a unconscionable contractor. Dem do as dem please. Dem nuh have no respect fi wi. Dem nuh live weh dem a build. Di whole heap a noise a nutten to dem. Dem nah feel it. An dem know seh plenty a wi fraid fi talk out. So wi just sit down an sop it. Dat ha fi done. All a wi weh a suffer from construction noise soon a mornin an miggle night ha fi stand up fi wi rights. Wi have power. An wi ha fi use it. Di whole a wi ha fi join up inna wi citizen association dem an stop contractor from tek wi fi eedyat. Every day bucket go a well. One day, bucket bottom a go drop out.

PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN

Torzde gaan, mi had woz fi git op out a mi bed go dong a di kanschrokshan sait bak a mi yaad. Likl aafta siks a klak a maanin, wan el av a naiz a kom fram dong de. Di sed siem ting gwaan Wenzde maanin. Wen mi go luk, mi si tuu chrok. Wan front a di giet, an wan neks wan paak op dong di ruod pan a kaana. Nobadi no dong de fi direk chrafik.

Tuu man a di giet did a du dat. Dem signal mi fi paas. Aal mi du, mi put aan mi flasha an mi paak op fi si wa a gwaan. Di chrok let aaf wan uola luod a riva stuon. Yu fi ier di naiz. Loud-loud-loud-loud-loud! Wen mi lef mi yaad, mi did tel miself se mi naa go get ina no aagyument wid nobadi. Mi jos a go luk. Bot mi kudn elp miself.

Mi aks di man dem wa mek dem a mek so moch naiz suun a maanin. Wan a dem se, a sen dem sen dem fi jrap aaf di luod. Mi du andastan. A no fi im faalt. Im a du fi im wok. Im a jrink milk. Im naa kount kou. Im no bizniz wid mi. An im rait. A no im mi fi taak tu. A di kanchrakta we sen im. A im rispans. So mi disaid mi main fi kaal di kompini we a du di kanschrokshan wok.

NO RISPEK FI WI

Wen dem did staat bil laas ier, di kanchrakta im did sen leta, gi wi di niem a wan ‘liaison’ smadi we wi fi kaal if wi av no prablem. So mi kaal di ‘liaison’ im. Im se im did nuo se stuon a go diliva pan Wensde an Torszde. Bot im neva nuo di taim. An im se im sari fi wiek wi op wid big naiz. Im pramis mi se it naa go apn agen. Mi aksep im apalaji. Bot mi tel im se im sopuoz fi nuo wa taim matiiriyal a go diliva. An a no ongl suun a maanin kanschrokshan naiz a distorb wi. Liet a nait, siment a puor.

Aal uova Jamieka a di sed siem ting. Wi a sofa siek a ankanshanebl kanchrakta. Dem du az dem pliiz. Dem no av no rispek fi wi. Dem no liv we dem a bil. Di uol iip a naiz a notn tu dem. Dem naa fiil it. An dem nuo se plenti a wi fried fi taak out. So wi jos sidong an sop it. Dat a fi don. Aal a wi we a sofa fram kanschrokshan naiz suun a maanin an migl nait a fi stan op fi wi raits. Wi av powa. An wi a fi yuuz it. Di uol a wi a fi jain op ina wi sitizn asosiyieshan dem an stap kanchrakta fram tek wi fi iidyat. Evri die bokit go a wel. Wan die, bokit batam a go jrap out.

For an English translation, visit https://carolynjoycooper.wordpress.com

- Carolyn Cooper, PhD, is a teacher of English language and literature and a specialist on culture and development. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com.