Marlon James - A Brief History of Seven Killings

The trick, the whole thing is, the whole reason was to bring him back, not for good but to knock down the first domino. To bring him back for this concert though we already talking things bigger than that. Better than that. Things, boy, I don’t know, Jamaica, you ready for it? My head hopeful but not at ease, it so uneasy that the only thing that put it to rest is remembering that poor Papa-Lo heart never at ease. I mean, what make sense in England don’t must make sense here. England is England and London is London and when you in a city so big you also start to think big and talk big and you foretell grand tidings and then you come back to Jamdown and you wonder if your head did swell TOO large.

Plenty people even in the middle of sufferation going pick the bad they know over the good they can only dream about, because who dream but madman and fool? Sometimes war stop because you forget why you fight, sometimes you tired of warring, sometimes people who dead come back to you in you sleep and you can’t remember them name, and sometimes you come to see that who you supposed to fight not even your enemy. Look ’pon Shotta Sherrif.

The beach is sand until it reach the sea. There it change to rock that roll and tumble with the waves and cackle like a woman duppy when more waves rush in. Kekekekekekeke . Tony Pavarotti drag the boy right down to where sea hit sand and kick the back of him knee so that he fall like he about to pray. And then he do. Quick and wild, like he can’t get one word out before he rushing out the next. Kekekekekekeke . The boy in him white brief that yellow in the front, brown in the back. Tony Pavarotti in navy blue — soldier shirt with epaulette and plenty pocket and gabardine pants roll up over him soldier boots right above the calf. Him steady the boy head slow with both hand, almost soft, almost like he taking care. The boy mistaking the soft touch for mercy. He crying again and him head shaking too much. Tony still him head again. Kekekekekekeke —pow.

The boy in my hand scream into the gag, but he also go weak and I have to drag him to the beach. Water don’t reach him pants yet so I know the new wet is fresh piss. Tony leave the car on and I can swear I hear the radio, but is probably just the rock. Kekekekekekeke . I drag this boy right beside the other body and push him down on him knee. I did make him keep on him green shorts. I steady him head but he turn just as I pull the trigger. Pow. Pow through the side of him temple and an eye pop out. Kekekekekekeke . He twitch and fall. Tony Pavarotti point to the sea, and I say no, leave them.

Lockdown remind you that what make you brothers is not blood but sufferation. And when as brothers you suffer together you also get new wisdom together. Because I pick up a new wisdom the same time as Shotta Sherrif and when we take a stop and realize say we really of the same mind we take the reasoning to England and realize the Singer have the same wisdom too. In fact he wiser since him did run him own house under that wisdom where for a long time enemy used to meet as friend, even when we fight like wild animal everywhere else. People think this is about a concert or is about white man from the PNP shaking hands with white man from the JLP, like you can fix cancer with a vaccine. Even me did know this concert was nothing and me was the one who pull up Seaga onstage meself.

Shotta Sherrif was on the stage but then him jump and start follow around Mick Jagger who was walking up and down and reasoning with the people and vibing with the rhythm like he don’t know the grounds swarming with bad man. Every minute he flashing that big teeth grin. Make we kidnap Mick Jagger and hold him for two million dollars , Shotta Sherrif say as joke but then he watch Mick Jagger dip in and out of the crowd and I know he start to think it for real. For white boy let loose and grin like rich politician pickney talking ’bout them trip to Mi-yah-mi. Shotta chase off what he say with a hahahaha but the Singer did hear him and shoot him a look Moses only wish him did have in Ten Commandments . Anyway, make them think he come back just to sing pretty song ’bout love just ’cause him make pretty album. Make him go to sleep while we work like Nicodemus. Because when me and Shotta Sherrif done talk ’bout planning the concert, we didn’t stop talk, and we still talking now. The sun setting.

Tony Pavarotti driving the car and a song come on the radio. Do it light, do it through the night, shadow dancing . I know this song. My woman love it, say is some man named Gibb sing it. Me ask her how she know and she shoot back, So you think me is ignorant woman? I laugh because me been dancing with shadow in the dawn and in the night. Even in broad, bright daylight we searching for dark. It take four day to round up all the man from the horse racing con-plan who pull gun ’pon the Singer. One night to put them in the cell that up to few years ago me, the don of all dons, was the only man in Copenhagen City who didn’t know ’bout it. Josey Wales have yet to explain that one to me.

Early morning we take the first two out, only because them jump in front and was making the most noise, the first man ’bout how the naked man duppy with blue flame drape around him skin and long shark teeth was eating they flesh all night and covering they mouth so they couldn’t scream. The duppies slap them across the cheek and punch them in the face one two three four times like a jackhammer. Both man eyes did swell and wet for true. The first man point to him chest saying the duppy eat out him heart even though him chest have no mark. The second one didn’t stop bawling ’bout the snake eating a way out through him head until it crawl out of him left eye, see the hole, he say while pointing to him eye. All of them blabbering about the devil spit on they face when they wake up. The two wouldn’t stop so we stuff they mouth with calico cloth and throw them in the car trunk. When we drag them out to the car they don’t even struggle. We take them to a part of Hellshire Beach that now closed off with a No Trespassing sign. They walk of they own free will, which bother me. Me no like see people so ready for what come next, so me push one with the snake in him head and he stumble. And he still don’t say nothing, just get up and keep walking.

Tony Pavarotti put him hand on the first one shoulder to push him down but they both kneel down fast and close them eyes, whispering what sound like prayers. When the snake in the head man open him eyes they wet and he nod again like he saying do it now, do it right now, I can’t wait any longer. Tony Pavarotti walk behind them and shoot both quick. Even the baddest gunman bawl like baby for him life, but them boys quiet. Me wonder what them life come to, when a man could be so ready to dead. Duppy dressed in blue fire, to shit. I wonder what going wake me up in the middle of the night?

When evening come we take out the other two. Time is coming, passing and running, and I know it leaving me behind, but damn. But damn if Josey going make that happen to him. He going run ahead of time and say, Look, pussyhole, me reach before you, me beat you just like you beat me in 1966. He leave all this to me, for he still never give no damn ’bout the Singer. Josey taking meetings with the Cuban who back again even though for all him bombing and dynamite couldn’t make JLP win in 1976.

Many more will have to suffer. Many more will have to die. When Babylon come for me and take me out of the way so man can shoot up the Singer without me trying to stop it, Babylon also come for Shotta Sherrif. People from both sides start to think that we the don of dons no longer have any use. Put puss with dog and just bring a bucket for the blood. They think if them put all of we, man from Copenhagen City and man from the Eight Lanes, in the same lockup and throw away the key then we bound to kill each other. But something did die in jail, something die for real.