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Letty and Skeem
Letty and her husband Skeem were the proud owners of a large tenement house in St. Elizabeth. The couple had no children and they did not adopt a child, but they had nieces and nephews. They rented apartments to two tenants and Letty personally collected the rent from them. Skeem was a skilled carpenter. He earned a good salary, but he was careless with money. Every time he collects his pay, he would gamble away most of it in the casino and take home a small amount. He was also a drunkard and he spent a lot of money on liquor, especially white rum. The good things about him were that he did not smoke and he was not an adulterer. Letty was a stern woman and she did not put up with his irresponsible behaviour. She would beat him with a thorny stick or a rolling pin whenever he goes home without money. Moreover, the nosey tenants would stay up late on weekend nights to see the drama. Letty and Skeem unwittingly provided entertainment for them.
The boss paid Skeem on a Friday evening for a job that he did. He left the workplace and he went straight to the casino to gamble and drink. He never thought about his wife who was waiting for him at home. In a few hours, he lost all the money he had except some coins. He was broke and drunk, so he left the casino on foot. On the way home, he saw a man who he knew and they started a conversation. “What are you doing out here so late?” the man asked. “I was gambling at the casino and I lost all my money,” he replied. “I went in with a pocket-full of money and I came out with an empty pocket,” he added. “So what are you going to tell Miss Letty?” the man asked. “I don’t know, I’ll have to think of something,” he replied. The man walked with him down the road and turned off at the second corner. Skeem was afraid to go home without money because he knew what his wife would do to him. Meanwhile, Letty was thinking about her husband. “I wonder where Skeem is now,” she said to herself. “I hope he hasn’t lost all his money. If he comes home broke, I swear I’ll clobber him,” she added. She thereupon hid a thorny stick behind the door and waited impatiently for Skeem to come.
He arrived home in the late hours of the night and he quietly opened the metal gate then he slowly walked towards the house. The curious tenants heard him come in and they were looking at him through their windows. Letty also knew that he came because she did not fall asleep. He knocked on the door. “Who is it?” Letty asked. “It’s Skeem,” he replied. She slowly opened the door. “Come in, Skeem,” she said. He went inside the room with the strong smell of rum on his breath and said, “Good night, Letty,” but she did not return the greeting. “Where are you coming from, Skeem,” she asked. “I’m coming from work,” he replied. “At this time of the night!” she shouted. “So where is your pay?” she asked. He dipped into his pocket and took out some coins and he gave them to her. “What is this?” she asked. “That’s all I have left,” he replied. “So what happened to the rest of the money?” she asked. “I had a few drinks and played a few games and I lost everything,” he replied. Letty threw the coins at him and then she reached for the thorny stick and hit him with it several times. He hollered when he felt the blows. “Calm down, Letty, don’t hit me,” he said. That did not soften Letty’s heart. She rained more blows on him with the thorny stick and he ran out of the house to save his skin. Letty threw the stick at him when he was running away. The hilarious action excited the tenants who were watching, they burst out with laughter and they finger slapped. Skeem sneaked back into the yard at around 2:00 a.m. and he spent the rest of the night on the verandah.
The End
The boss paid Skeem on a Friday evening for a job that he did. He left the workplace and he went straight to the casino to gamble and drink. He never thought about his wife who was waiting for him at home. In a few hours, he lost all the money he had except some coins. He was broke and drunk, so he left the casino on foot. On the way home, he saw a man who he knew and they started a conversation. “What are you doing out here so late?” the man asked. “I was gambling at the casino and I lost all my money,” he replied. “I went in with a pocket-full of money and I came out with an empty pocket,” he added. “So what are you going to tell Miss Letty?” the man asked. “I don’t know, I’ll have to think of something,” he replied. The man walked with him down the road and turned off at the second corner. Skeem was afraid to go home without money because he knew what his wife would do to him. Meanwhile, Letty was thinking about her husband. “I wonder where Skeem is now,” she said to herself. “I hope he hasn’t lost all his money. If he comes home broke, I swear I’ll clobber him,” she added. She thereupon hid a thorny stick behind the door and waited impatiently for Skeem to come.
He arrived home in the late hours of the night and he quietly opened the metal gate then he slowly walked towards the house. The curious tenants heard him come in and they were looking at him through their windows. Letty also knew that he came because she did not fall asleep. He knocked on the door. “Who is it?” Letty asked. “It’s Skeem,” he replied. She slowly opened the door. “Come in, Skeem,” she said. He went inside the room with the strong smell of rum on his breath and said, “Good night, Letty,” but she did not return the greeting. “Where are you coming from, Skeem,” she asked. “I’m coming from work,” he replied. “At this time of the night!” she shouted. “So where is your pay?” she asked. He dipped into his pocket and took out some coins and he gave them to her. “What is this?” she asked. “That’s all I have left,” he replied. “So what happened to the rest of the money?” she asked. “I had a few drinks and played a few games and I lost everything,” he replied. Letty threw the coins at him and then she reached for the thorny stick and hit him with it several times. He hollered when he felt the blows. “Calm down, Letty, don’t hit me,” he said. That did not soften Letty’s heart. She rained more blows on him with the thorny stick and he ran out of the house to save his skin. Letty threw the stick at him when he was running away. The hilarious action excited the tenants who were watching, they burst out with laughter and they finger slapped. Skeem sneaked back into the yard at around 2:00 a.m. and he spent the rest of the night on the verandah.
The End
Published 17th Apr 2023
| Edited 21st Apr 2023
Author's Note
The original quotes were written in Patois, so I had to translate them to English. Enjoy the reading.
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
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18th Apr 2023 4:03pm
Funny and pathetic end😑 well she should have invited him back to the house. Afterall he is her partner. Well nice story. I enjoyed much!
19th Apr 2023 00:01am
