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Short Stories

The Snake and Women

THE SNAKE

I   think  was   summer  of    1992
i had  married  the   wrong  woman, well thats another story
and  even  worse  i  was  34   and  she  was  19.    god   what  things
we  do  in  haste………..any way
cut  a long  story  short,  shed  gone  of  on a  9  month contract as
a  croupier  on the New  york  Bermuda     run   on the  SS  Meridian

Id  had a letter saying it was  over  but  not in those  exact words……like
a school  girl  wring  to a  young  school  boy  lover,   id  received this
letter    6  weeks  after  she  had  left…………

Ill  never  forget dad  saying   bloody  idiot,    your  gona  fly  to  bermuda
waste  all that  money,  was  about  3000   pound  at the  time,      just  forget  her lol.
Well  that was   dads   train  of  thought……….
This  could  go  on  forver   so as i said  keep it  short
i flew  to  Bermuda    via   New  York    and  got  there  on a  friday
Her  ship  was   due  in  on the  sunday   and   left  the following
friday,  being a croupier  and the  ship  in  port,  i knew   she   had  5  days  free.

I was  surprised   to  find  out , you can  not  hire  cars  in  Bermuda.  and  by the  way
some  info…………only  one  car  per  household………….well  that  was  then  dont know
about  now

But  you can  hire  scooters, i went to the  nearest  office, near  somerset  bridge…to
hire  one  for the   week..

A  friendly  Black guy. afro caribean  maybe in his late 50,s Grey,  short cut hair,just looked  like an extra ,in an American  movie , of the deep   south of the  states,met me at reception,just a small  hut on the  main road.

We  got  talking  and  he  asked ,  why i was here  ,  about  my  life  etc  etc……..offered  me
a   rum………… and  we  sat there , at the  side of  the street , talking  about  life…….was  so  chilled
and  so   cool………just  life ,  business, family, women………..etc

He  said………in this deep  afro caribean accent.  really  slow   and  drawl……….

You  know   what  man………..Ya  gota  treat ya  worman like a snarke
Most  men   ya  seee ,  make de mistark , dey go for the body
And thern dey  get bitten…..by the head.
Ya  warnt a womern….Go   for de  head……cos   when ya control de head

ya  control    de   bordy……..

WISE  MAN

Note…..funny how  my  fav   northern  soul  record  is  called  the  snake