The Indian brat

My last Sunday. And it was as slow as Sundays ever can be. We had not one ride booked for the day, and no cruise ships to speak of. Well, there were a couple in the dock but not ones that had contracts with us. And everyone seems to be that little bit lazier on a Sunday. Most of them probably didn't get off the boat!

I suggested to E she should come today as it was much less busy than the day before, but she was stuck at home for some reason I couldn't quite catch from our quick FB conversation. Never mind, I had a list of things to do so I just ploughed on with that.

Despite a few-hour power and water cut (I suggested eating all the icecreams as they would "probably just spoil in the heat" - my suggestion was ignored), I actually managed to keep myself busy for the whole day. The power returned for my lunch, resetting the internet thankfully so I was back online! No more Pineapple Pete's! And then - as happened the last Sunday J and I worked - just as we were about to feed and finish off for the day, two big rides came!

I had 6 Indian people, J had 5 local black kids. I was by far dealt the harshest blow. The one child on my ride was the most annoying, ill-behaved little shit I have met in quite a while. I swear if my kid ever ends up like that, he's going up for adoption. Put into a basket and left on the pastor's doorstep. So many times I wanted to yank his poor horse (Wildflower, the 32-year-old veteran at the farm) to the side suddenly and cause him to fall off. As it was, I just smiled and repeated myself: "Please don't tug on the reins, why are you pulling the horse back? You don't need to kick, please don't pull on her mouth..." And so on.

My patience wearing thin about as quickly as the soles of my cowboy boots, I was supremely glad it was just one hour and not two. The water was not really a highlight for the adults, who were mostly first-time riders and didn't really want to go in much at all. The little boy, of course, left the beach with a trail of, "Is that all? Can't we go back in? Oh, come on! I want more time in the water!" Never mind his mum was shitting balls behind him.

They actually tipped me $10 at the end, the father giving me a, "Here's something to live on, great job" kinda look. Yeah, $10 for the 6 of you?? Including your brat?? Try five-fucking-hundred!! At least it was something, though...

The cows hung about nearby for once, the Haitians doing daily cut-backs of the bushland and creating more space for the animals to roam around. So I literally just walked behind the beasts and opened their gate. Woot! No cactus scratches for me today!

So, in the end, we worked overtime after a really slow day - well, at least we got overtime pay! I'd heard my Rasta colleague I was playing with his band this night, but his sister (the office manager) was sketchy on details so I reminded myself to ask her later. Well, she left pretty quickly as I was packing up after my ride and I didn't get a chance to ask her where it was. I know he'd have wanted me to see him play just once before I left, but really, when she'd already left, I didn't have the energy to chase it up.

Need to lay low, after all, it's less than two weeks now until I leave the island. Gotta have that mulah at the ready!