Remembering What WAS Bajan

Submitted by Sapidillo

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There seem to have been many characters with the same nicknames in other neighbourhoods. A lady named Silvia; one day, she asked one of the boys on the pasture to run an errand for her; she offered him some soup.  He said that Silvy taught that she was making dumplings and made kite paste. Her husband called “monkey,” he used to clean toilet pits — another town man and town woman.  After monkey cleaned a pit or two and was paid, he would find himself at the closest Snackett.  If people were sitting on the stools and saw him coming, they would scamper; the man smelled like pure shit, didn’t even smell like a poop that would fade away in thin air.

If I keep digging up in this ole shoebox, I en gine get it tuh close bak.  I wud have to take de few coppers I have left and buy a valise to keep this memorabilia in tact.

These are some of the characters I remember while I was growing up.

• Ceola, the bag lady that frequented the Fairchild St Bus Stand
• Swine, Gwen Workman’s son; he threw a policeman through Larry Dash Showcase
• Death Bird, a short woman that used to go into the communities early in the morning preaching, and when she came to your neighbourhood you expected somebody to die.
• Dribbly Joe, he used to ride on the donkey cart with his mother.  I think he fell off a lorry and died
• Yesterday Cakes, 2 sisters who were too proud to ask for stale bread at Humphrey’s Bakery, so they ask for yesterday cakes
• Dog gurl, she enjoyed the feeling of a dog
• Phensic Pokey, after having sex for the first time, she was hurting so went home and tek phensic
• Easy Boy, he walked in strides, one today, one tomorrow
• Bull Dog, short, stout man; he used to blow horn at store in Swan St
• Gear Box, not the same person using handle @ BU
• Young Donkey, short woman, used to be a member of Salvation Army
• Lordie from Deighton with the backoo
• Daddy Long Legs
• Heart man
• Board Dickey
• Cock Cheese
• Boysie, fish in pocket
• Pokey Wata
• Nimbles
• Duncan Dead Fowl
• Infamous King Dyall

There were the days of:

• Douggies Snackette  & Jeff’s’ Snackette, they had some real tasty ice cream in de cones.
• Humphrey’s Bakery in Dayrells Road, cars line up from top to bottom on Sunday afternoon
• K R Hunte Record Store
• Cotton Factory
• Gene Latin American Band

• How about the chinks that were said to have the men scratching their pouch at the Olympic Cinema, especially if sitting in the pit?

• Detention after skool; having to write 500 lines. Some holding 2 pencils between their fingers and writing two lines at a time.
• Some male teachers use to soak the leather straps in water, or in some kind of liquid? Female teachers use to put together more than one ruler, and with your hand stretch out, she would give at least 3 lashes with the side of the ruler in the palm of your hand. Some used to give an option how you want to take the licks, either in your back or in your hand.  Boyz used to trick some teachers by putting exercise books in their back so that the lashes hit the books.  Some girls used to rub their hands with Sweet Lime because it was said that if they get hit too hard it would cut them.
• We were not allowed to use Ball Point pens in schools.  We were made to believe that those pens did not have a grip to form the letters properly.  We had to dip pens in the inkwell and because of ink smudges on the desks; a day was designated close to the end of term to scrub those desks.
• We heard the word pupils more so than students.
• Those who were not quick to grasp were called duncy.  There was a rhyme many of us would say, “go to skool you duncy fool and let the teacha geh yuh de rule.”  Some teachers (fe/males) would invite students to their homes to help those who were dragging behind.
• At Wesley Hall Boys’ a teacher was nicknamed “square head Smithy” even though his head was shaped like a cone.  Another who used to drop licks in the boyz with all he force was nicknamed, Cole Pone.”
• We would stop on way to/from skool to buy “black b!tch” “glassy,” combination of Walker toffees and nuts; but we dare not be caught eating in the classroom; otherwise our ass was grass.  Not forgetting the fat pork, taking the cashew seed and poking 2 holes in it for eyes to look like a monkey face or to roast.
• In the milk room at school, during break we lined up for 2 biscuits and a plastic cup of cold milk.  That powder milk seemed to give some of us excessive gas.  When it came to the end of term especially for long vacation, the remainder of powder milk left was distributed.

• A perfume called “Temptation” & “Khus Khus” used to sell in a vial at Rollock, the 5&10 store. The High School gurls would buy and lather themselves in it to smell sweet.  There was the “Lifeboy” soap that left a trail of fragrance behind.

• Terelene Shirts; certain shoes/sandals people used to call “dog muzzles”

• There was the bad smelling Musterole that parents used to rub down when a cold was imminent, and give yuh a Whiz.

• Fogarty, at the top of Broad Street, Alleyne Arthur round de corner on High Street, the Civic at the top of Swan Street, some people called it “Layne Store.” And de good ole Civic Day.

• Schools of the past:

• Rudder Boys – corner Country & White Park Rds. Those boys could have “sing, sang.” I think. Harold Rock was their Director of Music

• Stow Primary – Government Hill
• MacDonald High – Deacons Rd.
• Community High – corner Passage & Barbarees Hill/Rd
• Unique High – Dayrells Rd
• Wakefield High – WhitePark
• Green Lynch – Spry St
• National High – Roebuck St
• Federal High – Collymore Rock
• St Gabriels –
• Serendipity Singers

The word, “Foop” was used often.  I am yet to uncover if there is a true meaning.  LOL