HYPNOTISTS claims they could do it - scientists see it as a possibility but to many writers, time travel could be fun.
That is why I thought of making the trip.
Belive me, it was no "bed of rose" -not when I landed at Plaza San Carlos in 1818.
The tiny fishing village with a few depots for sugar was enveloped in flames ... even hiding in the single church could not help.
The town was burnt to the ground, just as I swooped off and by miscalculation landed at Vistabella on December 17, 1904.
"Boom" the whole place exploded.
TRAGIC
Not until seconds after, I realised that was Gallery No.5 of the Manjack Mine. Seventeen miners lay dead from the explosion.
Naturally, that was too tragic a scene for me to stay, but I almost got myself killed. If that was possible when I jumped smack into to a crowd of Hosein revellers at Mon Repos.
A barricade of kneeling policemen were firing off bockshots at the revellers on October 30, 1884. I couldn't take it. But I didn't leave until I heard the score ... 12 dead and 120 wounded.
By now I was sick; sick of blood and fire and the dead and so I deliberately set back to 1956 to land at Harris Promenade, but again I didn't like was being handed out to veteran Tubal Uriah Buzz Butler by the large crowd, inclunding some of my friends.
Amid a chorus of clapping and "Mama Look at Boo Boo Dey" from the crowd the "Chief Servant" was having a tough time trying to explain what he did with the "Home Rule" he brought from his England trip.
LAUGHTER
It was better when I attended the People's National Movement meeting of "intellectual" speakers...Dr. Winston Mahabir was sharing "intellectual chicken" instead of "rum and roti", so common in Naparima.
With my bungling I dropped in on several big fires including the one for seven days in 1900 on High Street, but I liked the visit to the New Year's Day Regatta at King's Wharf, best.
Chasing a shaven and greased pig, climbing a ham-pole hanging over the sea waters or even riding the boats...were all fun and laughter.
I found it a pity, when I learnt on another trip that Regatta was stopped because someone's head was blown off by a "starting" cannon.
Even the trams that ran across Paradise Pasture and the horse and buggy provided a big change for one accustomed to our modern cars, but I never forgive myself for catechist getting into the middle of the Coffee Street and Bushy Park "gangs" battles.
It was nice to see six ordained at Susamachar Church on January 8, 1915, but I preferred the cinema, so off I went to Palace on July 24, 1915 to see the opening.
I didn't like the swerving and swaying in the Gulf as it fought it's way to the city, of thought that, maybe the Hovercraft would take care of that.
Anyway, by now I was getting dizzy of the whole trip...in fact I could hardly remember which was which and what was what when anyway, I still wish that the scientist dream of "time travel" would come true.
Until! then...so long,
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