Narrated by Slippers
Morning come in like it vex.
Sun hot from early.
Rooster bawl out like him a rehearse fi Sumfest.
And mi belly rumble from too much country air and not enough breakfast.
Mi deh strollin near di mango tree, trying fi dodge heat, when —
plop!
One big, juicy mango drop right in front mi paw.
Mi jump back.
Mi sniff it.
Mi look up.
Socks and Shoes.
Way up inna di mango tree, suspiciously quiet — too quiet fi bird dat usually loud like frying sprat.
Shoes peep down and seh,
“Morning, Slippers! Beautiful day, nuh true?”
Mi narrow mi eye.
“Why yuh sweating like goat inna sun then?”
Before mi get answer — BLAFF!
Another mango drop.
This time inna di wash pan.
Splash wet up everything.
Mama shout from inside,
“Lawd! Mi just put mi peas fi soak fi Sunday pot!”
Then boom — third mango mash up di flowerpot by the front step.
Trevor rush over, sniff it, then try bite it… while it still rolling.
Him miss.
Slide face-first inna di red dirt.
Nose full a dust. Dignity missing.
“MAYYYYYY!”
Him bawl out like a goat wid pride damage.
Lady Dee walk out wid towel over har shoulder, pause in shock.
“Mango a drop like rain? A wha gwan now?”
Mama lean out the kitchen window.
“Mango nuh drop so neat. Somebody a shake mi tree.”
We all look up together — just in time fi see Socks pretending fi stretch him wing, then give one subtle peck-peck-peck to a mango stem.
Mi bark:
“A dat mi thought!”
Time fi investigation.
Mi shift from lounging mode to yard detective mode.
Mi circle di base a di tree.
Clue #1: Half-peck mango skin under di bush.
Clue #2: Empty bread paper bag near di zinc pan.
Clue #3: Coconut drops wrapper half-tucked behind a rock.
Mi trod over to Bubbles.
“Yuh see anything strange?”
Bubbles blink twice and blow one bubble slow.
“Bird them meet some pickney by fence yesterday. Trade talks. Was hush-hush.”
Mi narrow mi eyes.
Socks and Shoes up to somethin.
Mi sneak round the back and park under the mango tree like mi just chilling.
Mi ears tune in.
Socks seh,
“Mi tell yuh, two ripe mango and dem seh we get half a hard dough bread each.”
Shoes reply,
“Mi want sugar bun. Mi tired of bunless trade.”
BOMMMM!
Mi bark out loud.
Dem jump.
Shoes nearly drop.
Socks lose balance and land halfway on a zinc sheet and halfway in a basket of dried cerasee.
BOOF-CLANG-GADUNG!
Trevor bawl again from behind the ackee tree:
“Mi tell unnu! Dem a mango smuggler!”
Lady Dee run out.
Mama storm out wid flour pon har hand.
“SOCKS! SHOES! UNNU DEH A RUN MANGO TRADE PON MI TREE?”
Socks try fly back up but him belly too full.
Shoes try explain:
“Mi only a middlebird, Mama. Socks is di one wid the connection!”
Mi bark.
Bubbles pop one bubble like applause.
Mama nuh smile.
“Mi mango tree is not no corner shop. From today — grounded.
No tree climbing fi two days.
And yuh owe mi two mango and one apology.”
Socks seh:
“Mi can’t eat the apology though…”
Lady Dee give him the look.
Him hush quick.
By late evening, peace return.
Trevor still nursing him red-dirt rash.
Bubbles floating like him recording podcast.
Socks and Shoes grounded — literally — under the lime tree playing quiet-quiet.
And me?
Mi back under mi guava tree, feeling proud.
Case solved.
Mango tree safe.
And mi belly full of witness glory.
Coming Up Next:
SLIPPERS SAYS – EPISODE 7: SCENE 6
LIKKLE RAIN, BIG SCENE – THE CASE OF THE WET BEDSHEETS
Rain fall sudden. Clothesline spin like windmill.
Bedsheet drama reach everybody — and mi caught inna middle.
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