De Vee Pee like old-time story
Kaieteur News – Dem boys been around in this country long before Jagdeo. Dem boys see hard times. Dem boys know about when you couldn’t find soap to wash yuh skin. When bread was a treasure, and cooking oil was being rationed, and when split peas was banned.
But dem boys never hear about police searching people’s pots to see if they cooking dhal. Dem boys never hear also about police carrying any pot to de police station because it contain incriminating evidence of contraband
Imagine police digging up yuh yard to see if you hiding contraband sardines. Dem boys never heard of dat either. Sardines was a big thing. A luxury. People used to smuggle in a few tins in dem suitcase like it was gold. If you was lucky to get a tin, you eat it in secret. You couldn’t let de whole neighborhood know.
But de Vee Pee seh he knows about these things. So we got to believe him. After all, he’s a man of knowledge.
Dem boys also know when apples was like foreign currency. You could not get even the skin to buy. But not dem leaders. Dem had all de luxuries. Dem had condensed milk when de rest of we had to line up for pasteurized milk from de Milk Plant. You had to wake up early to get a chance to buy a pint. And when you finally get it, you had to make it last. But dem leaders? Dem never worry. Dem had enough milk to bathe in it if dem want.
Dem boys remember when yuh had to choose between soap and bread. When shoes was a precious thing, and a new pair was like Christmas. But not for dem big ones. Dem was well-off. Dem had everything. While the rest of we had to scrape by, dem had all de fine things. But de Vee Pee seh he know how it was. So we got to believe him. After all, he’s one of us. Or so he seh.
Talk half. Leff half
