Page 69 - The Woven Tale Press Vol. IV #1

to his bamboo shack. Quick-time. He twisted his hands and shook the plastic tubes that tethered him to the bed. He was tied up like the goat he had brought for the family’s first Christmas in Lady Margaret Road.
The Old Goat
He had brought the goat from Southall market
for the Christmas of 1966. He led the shaggy
off-white, red-eyed animal down the Broadway
past the Water Tower. The streets were busy,
young people going to the Palace Cinema, cars
and scooters zipping up and down the road.
People stared, but he went on strolling at his
bush-man pace, smoking Old Virginia tobacco,
pulling the reluctant animal along. He knew
Muma-Miller would be vex. He went through
the gate in the backyard, pushed open the
kitchen door and told her to come look. She
looked out the window, saw the goat. Then she
was up in his face: “But, man, where yuh going Poopa-Miller lost his temper. “Look, bwoy, I with that animal?” gave the goat a clean cut.” He slid his thick
“Is for Christmas,” he said. “I want fresh goat- meat.”
hands against his throat to show the inspector. The inspector ran off.
She sucked her teeth. “Look-yah, man, I have
enough to do around this old house. Yuh just “Nurse, I want to piss,” Poopa-Miller shouted. tormenting me.” But she just liked running up The nurse brought the pan and as he strained her mouth. to squeeze out a few drops, he thought that
He killed the goat and she skinned, cleaned and cooked it on Christmas Eve.
The day after Boxing Day a young, bumpy- faced inspector came knocking at the door. The inspector quoted this-and-that. Poopa-Miller asked the inspector how the hell was he sup- posed to know that in England you couldn’t buy a goat and slaughter it for your own pot. But the inspector was still bleating.
“Look yah, sah, I gave the Indian man in the market good-good money for the goat,” said Poopa-Miller. But the inspector was not inter- ested.
at least Muma-Miller would not have to put up with his bush habits anymore; blowing his nose in her tea towels; pissing in the backyard on her tomatoes.
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