chapter 3
He came out onto the main street, continued walking west, passing a few houses and small shops along the way. On his left, there were more structures along the length of the road way, but on the right, there were punctuations of small gardens, farms and empty lots.
A little way down on the left, he saw a bar. The sign stood imposing. Written in a style he had once seen in a cow boy movie on an old black and white television back on Dow Island.
Toney saw a crowd of about fifteen of twenty men, surrounding five others. The three sat around a small circle, metallic coloured table, on weathered stools, frantically engaging each other. They slammed on the table little white wooden blocks with black dots on them, lining them up in a formation.
The crowds cheered louder as Toney approached, making a pathway for him as he came closer. Toney hesitated to join the space now created for him. He moved in cautiously, rubbing his toes against the inside souls of his shoes.
“No one can beat you now, JJ.” A voice shouted from behind Toney’s head.
A few more then joined in the chorus.
A dejected looking East Indian man got up from his seat at the table. He tilted his head to one side, eyes fired red. He looked at the man sitting under him. For a moment the crowds grew quiet and backed off from the two men as if to give them space.
Toney is not aware of what is transpiring but felt compelled to stay. For a moment, he thought that trouble will erupt, and that he should move away, but then, flirting with danger, as if to prove himself a part of this new world, he stood his ground.
Pushing his way into the crowd stood a man, about six feet five inches tall. He was well over three hundred pounds. A white apron hung silly around his neck; his belly pushing it aside as he moved. He came to the table, towering over the now quiet throng.
“JJ, you good, you really good at this domino game.” The man fanned his head left to right as he spoke.
He then turned his attention to the East Indian man, who at no time moved an inch; except to narrow his eyes lids, fixing his attention on JJ better.
“Now Deo, welcome back. But a lot has changed around here. JJ is a man now, still loud, but changed. So is Zig, Jah Jah and Dennis.”
The man continued, holding the attention of the onlookers. “Now, come inside everyone, one drink for each man, it’s on the house, Deo is back, remember guys, Kiskadee village is changed.”
The crowds moved. A few men left, but the majority moved in the direction of the bar’s swinging doors.
Deo stepped out from his chair. He looked at it momentarily. He became pensive for about a few seconds. He shook his head as if to say he was satisfied with how things had turned out this morning. Or probably he was willing to move on from what had just transpired. Deo then pushed back into his pants a part of his shirt that had gotten lose, as he rose quickly from his seat during the altercation. He dusted himself. His eyes now fixed on Toney.
“And you are?” He said.
“Toney, Mr. Deo.”
“Ah! Drop the Mr., is Deo for you.” He chuckled. “Well, you heard Peter, come in and take one with me Toney.”
Deo, tapped Toney on the shoulder, and gently nudged him to the opening of the bar door.
“It’s nice to see what Peter and them did with this place.”
“Well, it doesn’t look too bad.”
“Toney boy, you should have seen this place before, this place was a real work of art. A lot used to happen right here. A lot.”
“I guess every place needs to change, and even the people who live here.”
“If is one think, you right about that. Alright, let we come out this sun.”