To say that the Antiguan loves his or her politics is a gross understatement.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the Antiguan is the most political animal I have ever encountered (though that could be true).  It’s just that it almost seems as if almost everyone on this island has a thought or two on the political landscape- thoughts you don’t ever have to press them too hard to hear. I keep thinking about that story my fisherman, Davey*, once shared about two sisters living in the same house for over a decade with nary a word between them- all because each supported a different political party.

Try as he might, the Antiguan seems unable to leave politics out of anything. And, I suppose, in some cases, he is right- for there's politics in almost, if not, everything. I’ve heard my lone female manager, Sahanna, express, in very bitter tones, her suspicions that a particular teacher at her daughter’s primary school was picking on her daughter. Her theory was that this particular teacher was of one political persuasion and knew her (Sahanna’s) family to be of another.

This naturally meant that the teacher automatically disliked Sahanna and all of her kin and so was too happy to make false statements about her daughter being too chatty, fidgety and a distraction for other classmates.   I met her daughter once- the three of us bumped into each other at a particular eatery.  For the three minutes that we exchanged pleasantries, the child did her best to make her teacher’s claims credible.

For the past couple of months, things have been pretty heated and tense here.  There had been general elections two years after I moved to the island and the incumbent party had won another term in office. (Here, there are no cut offs as to how long a person can be prime minister).  The win marked the beginning of the second consecutive term for the ruling party. But, there was some confusion at the polls- some polls were not opened on time and the opposition, among other things, challenged the validity of seats, including the prime minister’s, won by the ruling party in areas where the polls were not opened on time.

After a long period of much hoopla, disquiet, meetings, protests, subtle and not so subtle threats (from both sides), a decision was granted in favour of the opposition’s arguments about the late opening of polls. Of course, the ruling party appealed and after much waiting, prophesying, and anxiety, today, the first ruling was overturned and the three seats in question validated. Now, everything is quiet, especially for those on one side of the fence. The supporters of the ruling party are not the least bit quiet.

I was in my main office when the appellate judgement was due to be delivered from a court in another island. The tension was palpable. After a few hours, I heard a shout from some room in the distance which told me that the ruling had come in. This shout was followed by long and loud sounds of teeth being sucked.

Soon, I could hear a symphony of call and response being conducted in a few rooms in the building. There were individuals gloating at others and these others sucking upon their teeth or issuing some warning in the local dialect to the instigators. I was amused and twice thought about walking past these rooms to bring a bit of silence.  But the silence came on its own just minutes after as everyone settled down to work for me as if they hadn’t been waiting for this for months.

 (V). Damien