The Song, the Crab lament, and the Barracuda's Vision

 

Palette knife oil painting by Leonid Afremov

 

I came from marine stars dust

from the reef and sand,

from the wind among the palm trees

from the womb of the sea waves,

from my heavenly father

who made me sprung up

at the mountains' bosom of Old Providence.

 

I'm the fourth brother

the guest of the Crab

who is in the extreme of the lagoon,

the surrounding navigator

 of the mysterious Basalt and Palm's rocks,

the Saint Catalina's watcher on the fort

and the conqueror of Morgan's head treasure.

I'm one of San Andres sower

 and the keeper of the breadfruit orchard,

the Jaw Horse Bone performed

the singer and strings player of heart's melodies

a builder up of dreams

who started from nothing

moving forward

 into a progressive boom of life reasons

throughout peace and joy

taking tradition in its mixture of colors

from my archipelago, from my Caribbean

 to my people, to myself, to ourselves.

            A few nights ago, my cousin Roquito came inviting me to go to Tame's minibar. Well, so we went out and got to Southwest Bay. Then we took a pair of beers and sat down in front of a burning fire. Roquito began to tell me - do you know man, I feel that something is happening? because I feel things are going out of balance – I asked him - why do you believe so, man? - he said - because people are not the same as before, they are losing their hearts; each one doesn't care about their neighbors not just in this pandemic. It would seem as if doesn't matter the other. There is a disrespectful attitude for the environment, and our territory is being swallowed by drug trafficking and murders. And if it was not enough also our sea was lost by the Haya's Court Sentence. All this is reflected too on the future perspectives of our leaders. -What we can do to change this situation man?- I asked him, but his answer was almost heartbreaking - I don't know man-. After this, we came back to our homes.

            When Our workday in the hardware store finished, and having got home, Roquito began to prepare Shovel Cong ceviche...Then, his cousin Richie came with a loudly speaking into where we were: How Things men. Richie lives beside Roquito's house and Roquito's house is located behind Uncle Roque and Aunt Betty's house, the parents of Roquito. While we were eating ceviche, I asked Richie if he could tell us one of his memorable stories when he goes fishing. Then, He told us that once he went out to catch fish and lobsters with his friends. When they got the place where Richie usually knew there was a good catch, they stopped, thrown the anchor, and got into the reef. Richie continued saying: About two hours had passed catching Margaritas and Jurel when I saw at the distance an edgy Head Hammer Shark patrolling the zone. So, I gave signals to my friends to go out to the boat. However, I didn't take off my eyes from the shark, until suddenly it was in front of me. He was so curious that the only defense I could adopt was by putting my head between my knees and taking my feet to fold the legs to seem a ball. The shark touched me several times with his head, but when I noticed that he had the intention of starting to attack me I heard the motor's boat approaching, so that the shark gone fastly frightened. 

After a time of talking, we went to rest.

       I couldn't help thinking about the problematic situation of the islands. So, another night, I decided to go to Bottom House to de-stress my mind. Getting to Roland's business in Manchineel Bay, I sat down on the wooden bench in front of the beach. Behind me was the mangrove, where I began to hear a sound like dry leaves shaken by the wind. When I looked, there was an enormous Black Crab, so bigger than a palm tree. At that moment I remembered a phrase: the worst thing than the fearing, it's the fearing itself. But it happened that the fear was stronger than me because I thought immediately: Whosoever had said that, must have had many bodyguards! So, I screamed: I'm gonna die!... But the big black Crab spoke to me: Hey man, the people are gonna lose their heart; they don't pay respect to us, they pass over us on the road with their cars and motorcycles. They are who are putting us to death, they don't stop or pass carefully when we marching into the beach. -Oh no,- I said. Ironically, the crab was nearer to death danger than me...I didn't tell anything to the crab and suddenly he retired to the mangrove again. I didn't end drinking my Soda and came back to Aunt Betty's home asking myself what could be done about it?

       After a daylong working, it was time for dinner at home. Aunt Betty served fried fish and coconut rice. After that, I went to the fallen bridge to take a breath (it's no more the the lovers bridge). Hearing the water hitting the floating tanks, I saw a large size plated fish, I noticed it was a Barracuda, and I did an exclamation: For Jesus! I thought the fish was hurts, but the Barracuda still floating. I decided to approach cautiously to see better when it spoke to me asking: Hey man wouldn't you like to know what will happen if things still running as they are going on? or would you like to know the future what the people could accomplish? I replied I prefer what it could be accomplished. Well, let me show you, said the Barracuda. The people will love themself again, and because of that, they will choose leaders among them with high ethical values, engaged and committed to people. They will have great visions and will accomplish great projects like the floating Port to receive huge cruisers in San Andres. The New commercial seaports and the airports in San Andres and Providence will be modernized to gain a competitive advantage. The archipelago will be connected through high-speed Optic Fiber Internet. As a consequence of the above, the robbers don't steal anymore, violent murders ceased, narcotics traffickers were not found, there were not homeless inhabitants.

The tourism economy became more environmentally sustainable, at such a point that to visit Providence is necessary to buy a ticket for a raffling to get the chance to trip there because of the limited availability.
There will be 24 hours of running water by an enjoyable aqueduct, which is powered by huge desalination machines in three facilities that work by inverted osmosis and solar energy. Also it was built-up from a save distancia of the reef an eolic park that prouduce clean energy for domestic consumption, the extra energy is sold to Central American countries. All houses have on the roof solar cells, becoming the first three auto sustainable islands in the world. Because of that, they are Called the green islands. Also, every family has a yard where they cultivate fruits and vegetables, others have small farms with animals. Every piece of trash is recycled by parts; for natural fertilizers and for all kinds of construction materials. This was possible because the graduated professionals from the Caribbean University of San Andres, Providence, and Saint Catalina led, developed, and managed these important projects along with the archipelago's government. The healthcare system across the islands is categorized as a fourth level  complexity. The schools have technical education as the base with a bio marine emphasis. There was a bilateral treaty with Nicaragua and fishing is made responsibly. There was not seen as a welfare state so high in our territory as never before.

And now, what will you do? The rest of the story, you write it…

By Luis Fernando Guarin R.

In honor to Archbold Guarin Family from San Andres and Providence and to all the beautiful people from the Archipelago.