Old Year's Night/Day and Y'Boy ent feeling festive. He studying whether is becaw he' drill bit now break, just as he henging the Christmas curtain in he' bedroom -is a thing to make man scratch they head, if they drilling in they bedroom and they bit just snap off, dry so, ex-specially if they done make they half-century; but, as the thought cross Y'Boy mind, he dismiss it: mankind know, ever since, that if your drill bit break off in mid-drill, you simply exchanges for a higher or lower bore and continues drilling; maybe switch on the "hammer."
No, is something else. Y'Boy could almost feel it coming in the airwaves tonight: all them Old Year's Night party must be sellout; and what it have for Trini to celebrate? Y'Boy sit down on top the ladder, one foot cross over the next one, drill resting in he lap and watch out the window. He could see a man driving a donkey cart heading for the main road; and, as Y'Boy watching, a youth who cyar be more than 22 in must be he father BMW rounds the corner, nearly ride up on two wheel to pass the donkey cart, and fly round the bend; and Y'Boy tell heself what he just see is a Mecca for Trinidad; in fact, is a Mecca for the whole of the West Indies: a donkey cart man who bound to get overtake by a youth-man half his age with twice he privilege.
And now Y'Boy forget curtain all together. He left the drill there on that little shelf they does put on ladder, whereby it does be sturdy for years and years, until the one day you put a tin of paint on it, when it does break and spill the paint, and Y'Boy sit down now, studying this inhuman condition of the Caribbean people and them. Is not a good idea to study the West Indies too much: you bound to get down-courage; but sometimes Y'Boy does cyar help it.
Long-time, Y'Boy uses to ask heself if he really think these scrunting little wannabe countries could make it; now he does ask heself how long again we could last. It does make Y'Boy heart heavy-heavy-heavy becaw, anytime it have occasion-like a bir'day, a Christmas, a anniversary, a Old Year's Night-to pause and reflect, the reflection doesn't look good; Y'Boy is feel to break the mirror; but he know he have to pick it up; and hold it up; and watch Trini go by and, if they look in the mirror at all, is only to skin they teeth or pat down they hairstyle or admire they brands.
Y'Boy wasn't one of them over-optimistic ones who did tell theyself that everything woulda fix when Kamla reach. Y'Boy read that particular spin long before the ball leave the bowler hand, before they even give the bowler the ball. Y'Boy know on'y too well that Trinidad not changing by shuffling the jokers in charge of the pack. The People's Partnership most important work was to stop the haemorrhage by removing the divinely misguided Patos, who must be the only two sign God did really send him was the two sign that cause him to lost the election twice.
Y'Boy did hope, though, that new blood mighta mean something else other than same old. But, as Y'Boy watch on, it come clearer and clearer that Trini watch political office like ants watch picnic: once is your own red ants carrying 'way everything, all them other black ants could turn scorpion if they want: all for we; none for them. Like everybody pushing the head of T&T (not UNC or COP or PNM head), Y'Boy did understand that the main task of Kamla and the People Partnership was to unite a despairing people, to stop the madness sweeping 'way the place by bringing together all the good people what still remain back, irregardless of whether they wearing short pants or khurta or three-piece suit. Y'Boy know it have a overwhelming majority of Trini who would put country before self, would make individual sacrifice for the benefit of the whole, thanks God.
But, just like the Clico or a West Indies batting collapse, Y'Boy watch what Lloyd Best woulda call the People Partnership pre-collapse; and Y'Boy see, plain-plain-aeroplane, the same selfish- ness that always spoil these islands. Check out the squabble over which planes Caribbean Airlines going and buy and see if the oldest rule in the book-"follow the money"-apply. Find out who making commission from buying ATR plane and who making money if Bombardier get the sale and you might finish the whole discussion-even if it might finish off your hopes for the country same time.
But, instead of holding they own to account, the ants giving they bachacs free paper. Y'Boy watch that sad little group head up by a man who does rent house pretending to be a media association; imagine, them have nerve to aim press release at Y'Boy, who in this same foxhole, emptying he clip and reloading steady since he get the call-up; but at least they honest enough to call theyself "Aimless TT;" maybe, one day, they will bite the whole bullet and call theyself "Pointless TT."
And don't talk for the Police Service Commission chairman who does boof police for stopping him from bad-driving, or the T&T Hypocrites Association, who does force Integrity Commission president to resign, does manners God and all, but cyar make they own president publish a simple factual correction; in Trinidad, principle does apply to "them," not "we," to workers, not bosses. Y'Boy watch the donkey cart make the bend. It really have nothing to celebrate and plenty to mourn for this last year of cut-arse trophy; but that never hold back Trini before. The biggest Old Year's Night fete will be in the Partnership, the most self-righteousness will come from the hypocrites; but is the sufferers who will endure the hangover; and the 2011 Road March go be, "Who guarding the firetrucking guards?"