Paul H. Williams, Gleaner Writer

One night in June 2006. Way out at sea, off Jamaica's south coast. It's raining heavily. All around Ali Babaand Manfred, except for the areas lit by a fishing lantern, is pitch black. The rain mercilessly beats down on the seasoned fishermen as they anticipate a tug at their fishing line. They have been through inclement weather such as this several times before, so they are unperturbed. It's about 2:00 a.m. Another boat pulls up beside theirs.

The two male occupants, whom they know, ask them for cigarettes. Ali Baba and Manfred tell them they have none, and continue to fish. The two men linger for about two minutes until one of them blurts out: "Wi nuh want no @#$%!! cigarette, a di boat an the engine we want, an de two a unu fi dead!"

Ali Barber and Manfred are stunned. The other man goes into an engine cupboard, brandishes a gun, and points it straight at Ali Baba.

He quickly thinks of his next move, and jumps overboard. A shot rings out. As he enters the cold and rough water, he feels a burning sensation in his left triceps muscle and shoulder. He sinks for a while, but resurfaces and clings to the bow of his boat.

There is loud talking above him. Manfred is arguing with the interlopers. He says to them: "Yuh know wi, so whey yuh waan rob wi up fah?!"

Two shots punctuate the angry exchange. Manfred falls into the water, but emerges cursing. Two more shots, and he goes down for the last time. As Ali Baba sees Manfred's head disappear, he paddles to keep himself afloat.

Speeds away

One of the pirates jumps into his boat and cuts the anchor rope. He starts the engine and then speeds away with his counterpart, believing that Ali Baba is dead.

In the unfathomable depth of darkness, boatless and wounded, Ali Baba floats about trying to find his bearings. It's simply a matter of swim or sink. And off he goes, the veteran swimmer that he is.

"A just pray to God say mek mi reach a lan, one a de cay dem," Ali Baba says.

Way into his perilous journey, he removes his protective clothes, because they are impeding his movements. He's now down to his underwear and swimming freer. Yet, he's in clear and present danger of being attacked by sharks. That's why he panics when a small branch brushes him. At times, he simply floats, allowing the water to carry him, as he rests his right hand. The injured left was not of much help.

He opens his mouth to catch some rain upon his tongue, but surges of salt water fill his mouth; he gulps and swallows. This happens many times over.

It's now long past dawn, and still raining. Nothing matters to him than to reach land, a cay perhaps. He can hardly see anything around, but he sees where he's passed a cay. He wants to turn back, but he's struggling.

Ali Baba recalls: "A give up when a almost reach to the cay."

Suddenly, a fishing boat appear from the haze; Ali Baba waves.

He says: "Den a goh dung in the water four time fi drown. The man whey a drive the boat is a deaf man; him cyaan hear ... den a one lickle youth say see him deh." The boat sailed over to him. The 'man' and 'the lickle youth' pull him up and into the boat. Ali Baba collapses and the gunshot wounds start to bleed profusely.

'Well weak'

"A tremble mi a tremble an ting, well weak, fi swim so much miles fi come in," Ali Baba says. He's rushed to shore. It's about 9:30 a.m. When they reach land, the bleeding worsens. Onlookers are shocked to see the state he's in. He's extremely thirsty, but gets no water. In a flurry, he is taken to hospital, where he spends a night and a day. Upon his release, he's up many sleepless nights nursing his painful wounds.

It has been over a year since and Ali Barba has been back at sea several times, the first being one year afterthe incident. Though his physical wounds are healed, he's haunted sometimes by nightmares.

The incident keeps rewinding in his head as he sleeps.

Ali Baba: "Ah night-time when mi a sleep is like mi a dream say a boat a come up to mi , like dem a come fi come shoot mi again, and a scream out an ting ... sometime a even dream bout seeing the bredda [the one who shot him] ... A know him man; him use to come sell coal over here ."

Somewhat paranoid

In addition, Ali Baba is somewhat paranoid by the imaginary sounds of an approaching boat engine. Whenever he's at sea, he keeps hearing the sound. His fishing buddies have to assure him there's no other boat around. And, he vows never to go fishing alone. But it might take a while to get the sounds from his psyche, because, as he says, "From time to time, a hear like engine a come to me. A keep on looking same way because it [the sound] not gwine stop."

Manfred's body has never been found, and Ali Baba blames him for putting up a fight when it was clear that the men intended to kill them. In reflecting he says, "Wha him shoulda do is jus jump out, but him nuh jump. Him stay inna de boat ... a fi him fault ... ." So, he's now counting his lucky stars.

But, he still wants more luck to "buck him", the man who shot him. For he has not forgiven him. What he wants to do to his attacker is unprintable. He declares, "Mi still bex. An mi affi swim soh far, with one an ... a bex same way man ... him almost teck mi life ... If I ketch him Lord ..."

For fishermen at sea, his advice is, "Don't let anybody come gainst yuh, come beg yuh nothing. If anybody come, if yuh have yuh harpoon an thing throw it inna dem ... don't trust nobody." For, they might not be as lucky as Ali Baba, who survives to tell the tale.

Names have been changed.

paul.williams@gleanerjm.com