All Is Not Well In Paradise

The seagulls crashed into the waves looking to secure their evening meal

The almond trees waved leisurely as dusk slowly consume the sunlight

Siki stood gingerly at the edge of the waterfront and sighed

His eyes and feet were tired from a long day’s work.

He stretched and yelled: “Thank you fada God fi anada day!”

Siki reached towards the daily newspaper wrapped in his back pocket and read the headlines silently ‘THREE KILLED IN ST. ANN’

As he leafed through the articles, each headline more horrific than the other, tears welled in his eyes and his heart.

He throatily sobbed “All Is Not Well in Paradise”

Siki looked up at the smiling sun sighed and reminisced on the good old days

He remembered the long nights he worked in the countryside of Llandilo; days with friends filled with endless laughter; good food, rum, and peace.

He also remembered his brief stint in Negril as a tour guide where every visitor he met on nine miles beach enthusiastically greeted him and said “Jamaica Irie man”

Relocated to Kingston in the early nineties for an even better life and even then his sweet sweet Jamaica made him feel safe sleeping with his windows open

Nowadays, everyone is afraid. Families are ripped apart by tragedies.

The once quiet nights were now pierced with either sirens, gunshots, or the screams of terror of family members

Communities are now pungent with grief, all hoping and praying they will not be the next news item

The island of Sun, Sea, and Sand that he bragged about now only boasted of Blood, Bones, and Bullets

The seas were no longer blue because of beauty but now represented sadness

Yellow is now synonymous with crime scenes tapes and debauchery

Siki groaned aloud as the seagulls continued to frolic and feast

His young neighbour Juju approached him watchfully from behind and yelled “Mr. Sikes yu gud elda?”

Siki jumped down from the edge of the waterfront, discarded his newspaper, and replied: “no yute”.

Juju watched bewilderingly as Siki passed him

Siki stopped meters away from Juju, turned around, sighed, folded his arms, and looked at the blue skies as the seagulls flew aimlessly and muttered

“Juju, All Is Not Well in Paradise."