Barbados Day 2 - I Am Here To Help…You

I decided to go to Rockley Beach whilst Beki was busy at the Mall, so as I walk onto the beach I am immediately asked if I require a deckchair. The man didn’t seem too impressed as I answered with the words, 5 dollars? However he agreed the price and I explained that after I had been up the beach I would return and hire a chair.

I walked up the beach and took a look around and returned to where the chairs were. The man rose to his feet and took my 5 dollars, he was old thin and white and spoke with a broad Irish accent. I asked him where he came from and he told me he had always lived in Barbados. Next came the story, its how it works out here, the beggars in London could learn a thing or two from this man. I got the “it was my birthday last week” opening gambit and of course I asked if he had a good day, The reply was no, he had suffered a fall the day before and all his spare money had to be used up for medical bills and what with the cost of everything else he had no money for food. I answered with the words “so that’s why you work this concession then to earn money to live”. This was evidently not what was expected, I was probably supposed to say “how sad, here’s 20 dollars, get over to the food truck by the Taxi’s and get a meal”. I then got the full works “I don’t own the chairs; I’m working for the owner. It’s very hard”

Being kind hearted I said that I was going to the huts to get a beer and before I could speak further he said “you can get me a coke“He went on to say he would of course keep an eye on my bag and used the phrase spoken slowly with deliberate pauses between words “I am here to help you”. I thought this sounded remarkably like some phrase from say, perhaps a local Government customer care training manual.

I got my beer and Lester’s coke and settled down to read my book and soak up some sunshine. About 20 minutes passed and Lester was standing beside my chair saying that if I wanted to go into the water he would of course look after my things, again finishing with the words “I am here to help you” but adding this time that “I was also there to help him”. I said that maybe I would go into the water later but for now I was quite happy reading my book and he wondered back to his spot under the trees.

20 minutes later. He was back standing in the way of the sun, “I’m here to help you, and you are here to help me” I replied that is the way of this world and he repeated the phrase and then chatted on about his problems for a minute before being interrupted by a potential new customer.

Another 20 minutes passed and yes you’ve guessed it, there he is again “I’m here to help you and you are here to help me” I’m starting to wonder what’s going on, hasn’t he realized he’s not getting any more money, Perhaps he’s actually some form of manufactured automaton programmed to repeat every 20 minutes, It’s a bit unnerving when every part of the phrase is being repeated exactly the same each time, and what’s worse he’s not doing it to anybody else. I decided it was time to move on so I read for another 19 minutes and then abruptly got up, and said “I’m off now” that bamboozled him, he stopped motionless halfway between sitting and getting up and then slowly sat down again.

I went along the beach; a young Bajan with dreadlocks approached me and asked if I required a deckchair, I thought about it briefly, I was almost tempted to say “I’m here to help you” but thought better of it, said “nah man I’m good” and went on my way.