Ah Name is Ah Name

By Joseph Henry

Welcome to Arima, officially known as The Royal Chartered Borough of Arima—the easternmost and second-largest borough in Trinidad and Tobago.

In 1887, the town, in a historic gesture celebrating Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, petitioned for municipal status. Queen Victoria granted this request the following year, marking the official establishment of Arima as a Royal Borough on August 1, 1888.

Nestled in the heart of Trinidad and Tobago, the Borough of Arima proudly boasts a rich history and vibrant community. Among its distinguished residents are:

 Aldwyn Roberts, renowned as The Lord Kitchener, a legendary Calypsonian whose contributions have left an indelible mark on the island's cultural landscape.

As you embark on this journey through the pages of Ah Name is Ah Name (Life in Arima) you will meet other 'residents' who have contributed to the borough's tapestry and illustrious legacy.

Join us in exploring the stories of men and women who call The Royal Chartered Borough of Arima their home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Les Grand Editeurs Publishers Ltd
• Release date: Feb 8, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224204403

Book preview

AH NAME

IS

AH NAME

by

JOSEPH HENRY

Copyright © 2024 by Joseph Henry

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, organizations, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Printed in the United States of America.

For more information, or to book an event, contact :

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Cover design by Joseph Henry

First Edition : February, 2024

Bring Back De Ole Time Days

Table of Contents

Ah Name Is Ah Name

Breathe - Wrong

Brown-Boy

Dead Man Raise-Up

Illusion

Next Door & Effect Ive

Reasonable

The Cure

Who Using Who?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF ARIMA

––––––––

Welcome to Arima, officially known as The Royal Chartered Borough of Arima—the easternmost and second-largest borough in Trinidad and Tobago.

In 1887, the town, in a historic gesture celebrating Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, petitioned for municipal status. Queen Victoria granted this request the following year, marking the official establishment of Arima as a Royal Borough on August 1, 1888.

Nestled in the heart of Trinidad and Tobago, the Borough of Arima proudly boasts a rich history and vibrant community. Among its distinguished residents are:

Aldwyn Roberts, renowned as The Lord Kitchener, a legendary Calypsonian whose contributions have left an indelible mark on the island's cultural landscape.

As you embark on this journey through the pages of Ah Name is Ah Name (Life in Arima) you will meet other ‘residents’ who have contributed to the borough's tapestry and illustrious legacy.

Join us in exploring the stories of men and women who call The Royal Chartered Borough of Arima their home.

Ah Name Is Ah Name

If yuh living in Trinidad and Tobago, de name dat yuh mother and father give yuh; people does find it hard tuh remember. But let somebody give yuh ah name like ‘Rat Ears’ or ‘Dog Foot’, dat does stick tuh yuh like Evo-Stick glue. Is trouble tuh get it off. No matter how hard yuh try, people doh forget dat at all.

I remember when I did goin' elementary school, the headmaster did have a cook-up for we class. He cookin’ some peleau, an ah fella come running across de football field. When dis fella comin' de same time he takin' off he jersey; he run straight up to de pot, grab it off de fire and run away wid de pot. Yuh only hear him bawlin’ Ssshhhttt, sssooohhtt as he going.

The headmaster shouting Come back wid de pelau, come back wid we pelau. We never got back de pelau or de pot. But everybody did know him and from that day he name was ‘Pelau’. Nobody coulda remember he name years after.

Now take dis other instance.

I grow up in meh mother house an know de guy next door for over eighteen years. I grow from baby tuh man right dey. I know him as Johnny.

De postman come wid a letter for George Hamid, an give meh it tuh give de same neighbour. I tell he I livin dey all meh life, an if it had anybody name Hamid whatever, I woulda know him.

Same time Johnny come roun’ de corner, de postman bawl Ay Johnny is yuh ah lookin for.

Now tell meh wut nonsense is dis, how ah man name George, or Hamid could name Johnny? Is pure madness.

I like most people will agree dat some people earn dey nickname and rightly so.

Like it used tuh have outside bathrooms an fellas climbin’ tuh peep. One fella climb some branch an it break. De woman hit him wit ah galvanize water bucket. From dat day, dey used tuh call him ‘Wet Bucket.’

Two other fellas havin’ de same fate. One dey call ‘Bound tuh Peep’ an de other one ‘Must Peep.’

In case like dat de name fit, so people know dem.

I try real hard tuh figure out de reason for some nickname some people get. One man I did know name ‘Moony’, no resemblance tuh new moon, half moon or full moon; but dey name him so. De only ting unusual about he was he coulda pelt big stone.

People used tuh have ah set ah big stone, dat dey used tuh bleach clothes on. Well, ‘Moony’ used tuh pelt down coconut from off tall, tall, coconut tree. Dry coconut, green coconut. Moony lickin’ dem down. Big stone, like marble tuh he.

I know ‘He Serious’ all meh life, an could not guess why dey call him so. It ain’t have one day dat I ever find him without ah smile on he face or laughing.

Every time ah ask people, dey telling meh one day yuh go find out. Almost everyday is music in de yard by he. He three sons an others cooking and drinking. Another man name ‘Corbeau Guts’ walk thru de gate an ask fuh some food. Well, ‘He Serious’ gone in de pot an bring ah plate wid some an han him. Nex’ ting Cobeau Guts bawl How yuh go give ah big man one piece ah meat?

Well, ‘He Serious’just walk quietly up tuh him an ask him tuh hand him back de plate with food.

Yuh ain’t buy no rice, fowl, no duck. Yuh see de gate, yuh come in, jus head on back out. Doh come back, I serious.

One time another fella come an ask him if he have ah cutlass tuh lend him. 

He tell him, Right by de kitchen cupboard it have one restin.

Well, de man take de cutlass an walk across tuh ‘He Serious’ coconut tree an pick two dry coconut an husk them. Then he ask ‘He Serious’ if tuh put back de cutlass in de kitchen?

Yes, yuh go put back meh cutlass wey yuh get it, an de two coconut, put in on meh table, ah go make sugar cake wid it. You go get out meh yard an doh come back, I serious. Yuh mus ask people fuh ting us not pick up deh ting jus so.

In my neighbourhood a nickname is ah serious ting.

It easy tuh get one.

Breathe - Wrong

M a you know ‘Breathe -Wrong’ did dead yesterday?

Yeah, dey keep de wake las’ night for he.

And de police come tuh lock up he mudder, dis morning.

What?! Oh poor Ms. Mamin. Wut she do?

Well she try tuh kill Breathe-Wrong she own son in de wake las’ night.

What chupidness me hearing? How yuh could try tuh kill somebody who dead already?

"De undertaker did put him in de ice-box an realize he didn’t have no ice so he gone for some. While he gone people playing card, drinking coffee and singing hymn; wen