Ole people gat good sense

Feb 11, 2026 Dem Boys Seh, Features / Columnists

(Kaieteur News) – A retired man move in a quiet lil’ house just down the road from a secondary school. Nice area, clean street, grass cut low-low. De man say to heself, “Ahh, at last—peace, quiet, bird chirping, lil breeze and morning tea.”

Peace last exactly two weeks.

Because as soon as school open back, three small fellas start pass every afternoon beating pan like is Mashramani rehearsal. Every bin get licks: plastic bin, old oil drum, even one poor man dustbin with no cover. Bam-bam-bam like is Iron Band Olympics.

First day, de man peep through de window. Second day, he peep through de curtain. Third day, he mutter bad words under he breath. By de end of de week, he say, “Nah man, is time fuh strategy.”

Next afternoon, he walk out calm-calm, smiling like he sell insurance.

“Boys,” he say, “all of you look like you enjoying life. Yuh know something? When I was young, I use do de same foolishness. Tell you what—if you promise to come every afternoon and beat dem bins nice-nice, I go give each of you one thousands dollar.”

De boys eye light up like GPL just restore power. One thousand dollar! In this economy! Dem start beat bin with extra passion—new rhythm, remix version, encore performance.

Couple days pass. Then one afternoon de man come out looking sad-sad.

“Boys,” he sigh, “things tight. Cost of living nah easy. From now on, I could only pay y’all one hundred dollars each.”

De boys screw up dem face, but one hundred dollars is still one hundred dollars. Beat de bin. Few more days pass. De man come out again, this time looking like budget speech just finish.

“Sorry boys,” he say, “money really hard now. I could only give you twenty dollars.”

De tallest boy stop mid-beat. Look at de others. Then look at de man. “Twenty dollars?” he shout. “Uncle, you mad or wha? You think we going stand up in sun and mash up we hand for twenty dollars? Nah man. We quit!”

And with that, de boys walk off—no drums, no rhythm, no encore.

Dem boys seh de old man sit down that evening, sip he tea, listen to de sweet sound of silence, and smile like somebody who just win chess without touching a piece.

Talk half. Leff half.

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