politicians and them mean by saying that the island going to become self-sufficient. But, brethren, it not too late now to turn to God.’
I used to get nightmares every Saturday night after hearing Man-man preach. But the odd thing was that the more he frightened people the more they came to hear him preach. And when the collection was made they gave him more than ever.
In the week-days he just walked about, in his white robe, and he begged for food. He said he had done what Jesus ordered and he had given away all his goods. With his long black beard and his bright deep eyes, you couldn’t refuse him anything. He noticed me no longer, and never asked me, ‘So you goes to school?’
The people in Miguel didn’t know what to make of the change. They tried to comfort themselves by saying that Man-man was really mad, but, like me, I think they weren’t sure that Man-man wasn’t really right.
What happened afterwards wasn’t really unexpected.
Man-man announced that he was a new Messiah.
Hat said one day, ‘You ain’t hear the latest?’
We said, ‘What?’
‘Is about Man-man. He say he going to be crucified one of these days.’
‘Nobody go touch him,’ Edward said. ‘Everybody fraid of him now.’
Hat explained. ‘No, it ain’t that. He going to crucify hisself. One of these Fridays he going to Blue Basin and tie hisself to a cross and let people stone him.’
Somebody-Errol, I think-laughed, but finding that no one laughed with him, fell silent again.
But on top of our wonder and worry, we had this great pride in knowing that Man-man came from Miguel Street.
Little hand-written notices began appearing in the shops and cafés and on the gates of some houses, announcing Man-man’s forthcoming crucifixion.
‘They going to have a big crowd in Blue Basin,’ Hat announced, and added with pride, ‘and I hear they sending some police, too.’
That day, early in the morning, before the shops opened and the trolley-buses began running in Ariapita Avenue, the big crowd assembled at the corner of Miguel Street. There were lots of men dressed in black and even more women dressed in white. They were singing hymns. There were also about twenty policemen, but they were not singing hymns.
When Man-man appeared, looking very thin and very holy, women cried and rushed to touch his gown. The police stood by, prepared to handle anything.
A van came with a great wooden cross.
Hat, looking unhappy in his serge suit, said, ‘They tell me it make from match-wood. It ain’t heavy. It light light.’
Edward said, in a snapping sort of way, ‘That matter? Is the heart and the spirit that matter.’
Hat said, ‘I ain’t saying nothing.’
Some men began taking the cross from the van to give it to Man-man, but he stopped them. His English accent sounded impressive in the early morning. ‘Not here. Leave it for Blue Basin.’
Hat was disappointed.
We walked to Blue Basin, the waterfall in the mountains to the northwest of Port of Spain, and we got there in two hours. Man-man began carrying the cross from the road, up the rocky path and then down to the Basin.
Some men put up the cross, and tied Man-man to it.
Man-man said, ‘Stone me, brethren.’
The women wept and flung bits of sand and gravel at his feet.
Man-man groaned and said, ‘Father, forgive them. They ain’t know what they doing.’ Then he screamed out, ‘Stone me, brethren!’
A pebble the size of an egg struck him on the chest.
Man-man cried ‘Stone, stone, STONE me, brethren! I forgive you.’
Edward said, ‘The man really brave.’
People began flinging really big stones at Man-man, aiming at his face and chest.
Man-man looked hurt and surprised. He shouted, ‘What the hell is this? What the hell you people think you doing? Look, get me down from this thing quick, let me down quick, and I go settle with that son of a bitch who pelt a stone at me.’
From where Edward and Hat and the rest of us stood, it sounded like a cry of agony.
A bigger stone struck Man-man; the women flung the sand and gravel at him.
We heard Man-man’s shout, clear and loud, ‘Cut this stupidness out. Cut it out, I tell you. I finish with this arseness, you hear.’ And then he began cursing so loudly and coarsely that the people stopped in surprise.
The police took away Man-man.
The authorities kept him for observation. Then for good.
VI
B. WORDSWORTH
Three beggars called punctually every day at the hospitable houses in Miguel Street. At about ten an Indian came in