Tommy was a stocky man of mixed ethnicity. He was about five feet four inches, had heavy black straight hair, thick and cropped at his neck. Tommy was a Downes Syndrome man with unusual features, heavy tongued speech mannerisms, and very friendly behaviors to everyone.
One of Tommy’s noted behaviors was driving his invisible car. Everyone in the village knew Tommy and he could be seen steering, shifting, stopping, parking, and caring for his car. As Tommy walked or jogged while driving his imaginary car, he imitated all the sounds one might hear from a normal car.
Tommy loved to drive through Chimborazo and stop at the Branch house. Mr. Branch, the owner of the house, was always amused by Tommy’s driving and caring for his car. Mr. Branch would make mock sport with Tommy, but he never said or did anything demeaning to Tommy. They had a great relationship and enjoyed conversations about each other’s vehicles. Tommy always got a meal when he dropped in at the Branch house.
Mr Branch was like the father of the village. He owned a Vauxhall car, 0171, a Bedford truck, 080, and another Bedford truck, 0228. The young boys in the village respected Mr. Branch because he looked out for all the children. During bank holidays, if his trucks were not needed to haul the Pilgrim Holiness Church members on an excursion, he carried the village boys to Bathsheba for a sea bath. But Mr. Branch was also the local fixit and medicine man. Often the villagers called on him any time during the day or night for some cure, or a ride to the doctor. Sometimes, he was called to fix an animal, or kill an animal. He had many skills and never shied away from using them to help the villagers.
It was the rainy season in September and the rain pelt down like cats and dogs in Chimborazo. Chimborazo had some of the most beautiful East Coast scenery. The trees and grass grew all the way up to the edge of the road on the East side. But Chimborazo is mostly clay and the ground does slip. This was an unusual day in Chimborazo. As the rain fall down, de land started moving. All the villagers come out to see wuh gine happen now. De people just stan deh helpless as de grung started to move. Somebody shouted, get Mr. Branch!
Mr. Branch come running down de hill by Ms. Gamble just in time to see de land pull way and wash all de way dung into the gully. All of a sudden, Tot, Ms Gamble grandson holler out, muh cow, muh cow, it down in the grung and it wash way! Tot started to run dung in the gully, but Mr. Branch stop he because de land was still moving. By dis time, it look like the East side half of Chimborazo had wash all de way dung to Joes River. Everybody jus stan deh feeling helpless, but deh had tuh wait till the grung stop moving.
Finally, when dey tink it was safe, Mr. Branch organize a search party to find de stocks dat wash way. All de boys got some long sticks and went in de gully in mud up pass dem knee. Every step dem tek, dem push de long sticks in the grung to see effin dem cud feel de cow. De villagers led by Mr. Branch search fuh hours, but deh din find de cow. It was getting late so Mr. Branch realizing it was too dangerous tell de boys to head back up to de main road. Once everyone was back on de main road, Mr. Branch checked to make sure no one was left in the gully. All of a sudden someone shouted, “wait, anybody see Tommy?”. “ He drive he khar dung in de grung wid we “.
Mr. Branch quickly sprung into action, got a few boys and immediately headed back dung in de gully to find Tommy. There was Tommy, stuck in de mud, skidding he wheels like crazy but not moving. De boys tried pushing Tommy. Dey try pulling Tommy; but he just revved he engine louder and still couldn’t move. It was getting dark and Mr.Branch realized dey had to do something different. He told de boys to move out de way. Mr. Branch had a guava switch, and he threw one lash in Tommy backside. All of a sudden Tommy get unstuck and drove all de way to the main road at high speed and kept going till he reached home. De boys fall dung pon de grung laffin.
However, de boys were very disappointed deh didn’t find the cow. To help kahm dem dung, Mr. Branch took de boys to Ms. Husband rum shop dung de road and got dem some street meat. “Ms. Husband”, Mr. Branch said, “fix up sum corn beef fuh de boys, gih dem some Ju-Cs or Tiger Malts, an – pass de hotsauce”.
Story by: Stan Brooks, PhD