The next decade....what's in store?

Calling in a favour....

I am one of those persons who don't like to ask people to do favours for me, especially when it will negatively affect other people. I know the Operations Manager for one of the NCB branches. I have been in the bank many times, chatted to her and not asked her for a "skip".....and the lines have been long in that branch on most of the occasions that I have been.

But true as how Monday was the day before my departure and mi did have nuff tings fi deal wid, I went into the bank, saw that the line was long, and immediately asked for her. I was out of there within 7 minutes....about 38 minutes less time than if I had had to wait in the line.

Now this friend of mine, we go way way back.....

....all di way back to primary school in fact, on Duke Street, in front of the Ministry of Home Affairs...as it was called back then. After primary school, she went to Wolmers and I went to St Hughs so we lost track, and then I bucked her up while I still lived in Jamaica and I went into the bank one day. Now my Dad works at that company so we keep in touch through him.

One incident in particular I will always remember about her. My mother used to be so caught up in her work that she sometimes came for me late, that was on the days that I didn't walk down to East Queen Street and take the number 22 bus from in front of Coke Methodist Church.....ah.....the good old days of being able to take the bus without worry.

So it was late this particular afternoon. I would say close to 5pm. Everybody else had left the compound. But she stayed with me, waiting on Mummy. She was then going to take the bus to where she lived near Cross Roads at the time. Well, while we were there, a man stopped by the back gate of the school, which is on John's Lane, and said "hey girl, come here". Well of course nervous me start to panic. My friend said very bravely "don't go to him Yamfoot, don't go". He evetually walked off and I ran off across the road to the Ministry to wait at the house of the caretaker. Oh, I forgot to say that at one time, my mother worked at the ministry so we knew the caretaker well.

So these are the incidents that stick in my mind. And that was in about 1976 or 1977. Is long time dat you know. Nearly 30 years and it is as fresh in my mind as if it happened yesterday.

Posted by yamfoot at February 21, 2006 01:17 AM