Hartley Neita

One of the stories I was told as a child was of a little boy who kept frightening his relatives and friends about a wolf, which was in their neighbourhood. Nobody ever saw this wolf and after a while his warning was ignored.

One day, however, there was a wolf. This time no one believed him. He shouted and screamed to no avail. The wolf ate him.

I was reminded of this story earlier this week when my friend, Mayor McKenzie, reported that his name was on a list of public officials who are "working for the interest of the country" and who are to be murdered.

I love his coda:

"As far as I am concerned I will never allow anybody, whether real of imagined, to derail the work I am doing."

I love it.

This is the second time in weeks that the mayor has reported he has received death threats. However, the Director of Communications for the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Karl Angell told this newspaper he was not aware of any such list. The minister of national security also told The Gleaner he had no knowledge of this list. And Customs Collector Danville Walker is still talking tough about his intention to clean out the corruption he says is in his organisation, and does not appear to be worried about the wolf which might be lurking and waiting to eat him raw.

I would expect the minister - and the prime minister - to call Mayor McKenzie to get more details about this list. Who told him about it? How many people are on the list? I would then expect that the persons named would be called by Prime Minister Bruce Golding and Security Minister Colonel Trevor MacMillan and told of the danger and offered security. After all, politicians are not the only persons who deserve security if their lives are in danger.

the ripe old age

The mayor's braggadocio is typical of politicians who feel that from time to time they need to remind their followers of the sacrifice they are making on their behalf. Alexander Bustamante was a past master at this, and he lived to the ripe old age of 93 before dying peacefully in his bed.

When I was a child, older boys frightened me with stories about 'black-heart men' who went around cutting the hearts out of little boys like me. Whenever a stranger came to our district all the children ran to the safety of their homes.

I was also told not to point my fingers or toes at new graves as they would rot from my hands and feet. At nights I took great care to curl carefully in my bed to make sure these appendages did not point to the nearby cemetery.

I was also warned not to walk on moonlight nights in the shade of cotton trees because of the duppies which lived at the roots of these trees.

Mayor McKenzie knows that the only "Wanted List" which is published is the "Ten Most Wanted" by the police. Criminals do not advertise their targets in writing.

Come, come, Mr Mayor, duppy know who fe frighten.