the American army camp. Through the barbed wire you could see the huge screen of an open-air cinema.
Edward said, ‘You see the sort of theatre they come and build in a stupid little place like Trinidad. Imagine the sort of thing they have in the States.’
And we walked down a little further until we came to a sentry in his box.
Edward used his best American accent and said, ‘What’s cooking, Joe?’
To my surprise the sentry, looking fierce under his helmet, replied, and in no time at all Edward and the sentry were talking away, each trying to use more swear words than the other.
When Edward came back to Miguel Street he began swaggering along and he said to me, ‘Tell them. Tell them how good I does get on with the Americans.’
And when he was with Hat he said, ‘Was talking the other night with a American-damn good friend-and he was telling me that as soon as the Americans enter the war the war go end.’
Errol said, ‘It ain’t that we want to win the war. As soon as they make Lord Anthony Eden Prime Minister the war go end quick quick.’
Edward said, ‘Shut up, kid.’
But the biggest change of all was the way Edward began talking of women. Up till then he used to say that he was finished with them for good. He made out that his heart had been broken a long time ago and he had made a vow. It was a vague and tragic story.
But now on Sundays Edward said, ‘You should see the sort of craft they have at the base. Nothing like these stupid Trinidad girls, you know. No, partner. Girls with style, girls with real class.’
I think it was Eddoes who said, ‘I shouldn’t let it worry you. They wouldn’t tangle with you, those girls. They want big big American men. You safe.’
Edward called Eddoes a shrimp and walked away in a huff.
He began lifting weights, and in this, too, Edward was running right at the head of fashion. I don’t know what happened in Trinidad about that time, but every young man became suddenly obsessed with the Body Beautiful ideal, and there were physique competitions practically every month. Hat used to console himself by saying, ‘Don’t worry. Is just a lot of old flash, you hear. They say they building muscle muscle. Just let them cool off and see what happen. All that thing they call muscle turn fat, you know.’
Eddoes said, ‘Is the funniest sight you could see. At the Dairies in Philip Street all you seeing these days is a long line of black black men sitting at the counter and drinking quart bottles of white milk. All of them wearing sleeveless jersey to show off their big arm.’
In about three months Edward made his appearance among us in a sleeveless jersey. He had become a really big man.
Presently he began talking about the women at the base who were chasing him.
He said, ‘I don’t know what they see in me.’
Somebody had the idea of organising a Local Talent on Parade show and Edward said, ‘Don’t make me laugh. What sort of talent they think Trinidad have?’
The first show was broadcast and we all listened to it in Eddoes’ house. Edward kept on laughing all the time.
Hat said, ‘Why you don’t try singing yourself, then?’
Edward said, ‘Sing for who? Trinidad people?’
Hat said, ‘Do them a favour.’
To everybody’s surprise Edward began singing, and the time came when Hat had to say, ‘I just can’t live in the same house with Edward. I think he go have to move.’
Edward moved, but he didn’t move very far. He remained on our side of Miguel Street.
He said, ‘Is a good thing. I was getting tired of the cow smell.’
Edward went up for one of the Local Talent shows and in spite of everything we all hoped that he would win a prize of some sort. The show was sponsored by a biscuit company and I think the winner got some money.
‘They does give the others a thirty-one-cent pack of biscuits,’ Hat said.
Edward got a package of biscuits.
He didn’t bring it home, though. He threw it away.
He said, ‘Throw it away. Why I shouldn’t throw it away? You see, is just what I does tell you. Trinidad people don’t know good thing. They just born stupid. Down at the base it have Americans begging me to sing. They know what is what. The other day, working and singing at the base, the colonel come