B is for god fest

--> Christ in the mirror, Durga on the dash, Buddha in the player.

Thomas couldn’t help but be impressed by the… religiosity of his taxi driver.

And you needed it on this road; where demons swerve in and out lanes, pitchforks replaced by cell phones and manicured nails. The devil is truly in the details. But that’s okay. The gods were in the car. Thomas wondered how this process worked.

Did they split responsibility?

“Ok I’ll take the road up.”

“Yes, I’ll take the road down.”

“I’ll take the road less traveled.”

Of course you would Buddha, of course.

“Dis eh my car nah. I wukin’ it for somebody.” 

The driver said, shaking Thomas from his thoughts and making him an unwitting participant to an otherwise one-sided conversation 

“When I come in ah does put pu meh lil um, icon an ting nah.”

So the gods were by invitation only. Each man chauffeured his own deity. Thomas had once heard about carrying your own cross but this seemed too much..

Thomas pondered the merits of perhaps creating his own religion; with an all encompassing deity who truly couldn’t care less. And it would be called BABS – the Blessed Assurance of Bull Sh- well... yeah. BABS has that nice maternal ring to it. Instead of the traditional homes of worship, all its wayward and oft times left behind children could simply say, “Ah going by Tanty BABS!” of course that would make her followers BABSTERS. And there’d be a lot of BAB-BLING; which in turn could be the tribute brought to BABS.

“Well people does just feel safer wit’ religious people eh.” Mr. Poly-Religious belted out. “Look when I doin’ meh lil private wuk an ting, an’ I pull up wit’ meh slow gospel music so, people does feel cool. Doh mind if it eh dem god or even if dey ha’ one, ah find dey does be more polite.”

“Mm.” Thomas continued to listen. 

He doubted that. More than likely his passengers just didn’t want to argue. This country was filled with silent confrontationalists and loud agree-ers. We believe… what we want… to believe. “Agree-ers” – that wasn’t a word? Was it? BABS put a tongue! Take your place in this god fest and bring some sense to the table. Though if this driver’s multi-god devotion was anything to go by, BABS would have a hell of a problem breaking through. The market was already saturated.

“To tell you d trut’ eh” He whispered over his shoulder, “me eh all dat religious nah, but I believe it ha’ something out dey.”

“Mm.” Thomas… continued… to doubt.

god-fest

tracy j h

© 05:18:2011