Philip KingDid you all hear that Fergie shut down Ms. Brathwaite’s shop?
Comberemere School was probably the best place to be going back in 2008, I’d like to make it clear upfront that you’re all welcome to meet me outside with any alternative opinions you may have on the matter after reading my article.
A Love Story
I lived in St. Philip with my Grandmother at the time, and unlike most students who came to school with their lunch money for pizza and all that other diabetes, sweet girl Grans was a real Bajan. So she prepared a flask of the finest, healthy home cooked food Barbados could supply five days a week.
Adult Phil looks back on that young fool, trading his entire flask of proper cooked food for two Rice Krispies and and Oh Henry chocolate bar.
However I accredit this love for the sweet things and junk food as a significant incentive for my entrepreneurial activities.
One morning I recognized that the Hogplums which grew at home in St. Philip could be easily sold for 25 cents each (1/4 of the price of a Rice Krispy)
Governor’s Plum / Hog Plum
Instantly I made a daily habit of picking the fruit, and packed a bag of them every day to sell before prayers on the 1st Form Black Market, majority of my profits being reinvested in Rice Krispies.
Unfortunately, as with most local businesses, “the system” eventually came for my enterprise. I believe my failure to pay my teacher her requested daily bribery plums, had provoked her to rat me out to the Fuzz, forcing me to eat my healthy flask food once again.
“Plums? I’m allergic to plums mam, excuse me I’m starting to swell..” – P. King
However this was just one bump in the beginning of my career as a Badman, the potholes and cart roads to follow aided in the development of character.
Upon Becoming A “badman” – Combermere School 2010
Before I continue, on the concept of being a badman.
Famous Scholar on the area Vybz Kartel has over his career produced a plethora of lyrical expressions of this concept, best recognized in his lyrics as a person who
- Get’s Gyal Easy – faces no challenge in wooing persons of interest
- Cya Test We – badmen see conflicts as tests of honor and never run
On the other hand, lesser known advocates of Badness such as the Merital Family place emphasis on the making of money, and find amusement in persons attempts to spend it.
“Mek you knee laugh out like a Santa ha ha” — Merital Family
BACK TO THE STORY (Dress Day)
Remember when everyone was into Snapback caps?
Phil arrives in his Chicago Bulls’ snapback, fresh out of Dallas Discount, since the plum business was out of season.
At the time my boy Seb and I used to offer little services, like charging our friends to watch their bags while they go and “Dib Out” by the Music Room’s undercover “Tuk Band Drum Fete”.
A highly lucrative business as many Cawmere students were considered “Wutless”
Heading home now I exit through the back gate of the school..
At the time I still failed to meet majority of the criteria on the outlined badman list, but the young hustler had delusions of grandeur induced by ZR radio lyrics and a surplus of Rice Krispies.
However, God sent a reality check that day in the form of four village men who surrounded me by the back gate and stole my snapback.
“Yeah Lil man lemme whole that snapback” – Softman 2010
By this time (2010) I’d moved from St. Philip to St. Michael with my father, so I was able to get home about 15 minutes after the incident to inform him on what had transpired, what I was completely clueless to at the time was that my father was in fact a badman.
“Hop in the jeep let we go” – Fadda Crab 2011
Fadda drove back up to the crime scene, however the perps had already fled.
Still not willing to give up we decided to explore a few nearby streets for signs of my Cap and surely enough we spotted a group of Six or so men walking towards the Bank Hall area.
That’s the men? Easy.
Fadda pulled his Jeep up over the curb and directly behind the last person in the group and hopped out.
Stunned, everyone turned around. A few of the guys recognized me and did what all block men do to their friends.
We decided not to pursue.
Instead, I notified the Principal and it was addressed in prayers the next morning, rumors spread that my father ran over someone with a jeep, I was a badman by association.
On a serious note tho..
Despite my first business being shuttered and my first robbery experience, there’s still nowhere else I would’ve rather gone. They say Combermerians stick together and this is absolutely true. There’s not a bank in Barbados where I won’t find an old scholar to help me skip the teller queue, furthermore, we don’t let out anyone else in traffic, so its advisable to display your school tie while driving for additional roadside benefits.
As for your opinions keep em below v 🙂