The way I see it, in this day and age we need to be very careful, even when offering assistance to others.
Actually, the bible admonishes us to ‘be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.’
I spent most of the week in St. Kitts, in company with some of the top journalists in the federation, engrossed in a very exciting workshop, pertaining to the use and misuse of Social Media.
(I guess I will talk about that in another edition).
So, on Thursday afternoon, as we were waiting to board the ferry back to Nevis, I was approached by a very amiable gentleman, who I have known for some time now and we have actually worked on some projects together.
So, we know each other well.
He approached me with this broad smile, with a brown envelope in his hand and asked me if I knew a certain individual.
I answered in the affirmative.
He thrust the package into my hand and said ‘can you please give him this for me?’
I hesitated and asked: ‘Will he be on the pier waiting?’
He answered in the affirmative.
I said: ‘I hope so, because I won’t go looking for him.’
He assured me that the guy would be on the pier.
As he turned off, I realized I had made a crucial error.
I said to one of the other participants on the course, ‘you know I forgot to tell him to let me know what was in the package.’
Suddenly, the package was grabbed from my hand. I did not realize that the gentleman had returned and was that close to me.
‘Give me it’, he said. ‘I’ve changed my mind.’
He walked away with the package.
I looked at the other course participant quizzically and he muttered: ‘Strange!’
Well I newa!
A little later, while we were seated in the departure lounge, one of the Pastors from the church I attend—the Seventh Day Adventist church, came into the waiting area and greeted me.
I noted that he had a brown envelope in his hand but paid it no mind, until my friend leaned over and whispered: ‘It’s the same envelope!’
That aroused my curiosity in a real way.
About five minutes before the boat made its departure, here comes the same guy into the departure lounge, seemingly in a hurry.
He made a bee line to my Pastor friend and took the envelope from him.
Well I newa!
A minute later another friend of mine, walked into the waiting area, with what looked like the same envelope in his hand.
Now, don’t get me wrong, maybe he was only trying to get the ‘right’ person to deliver his message but his modus operandi was suspicious, to say the least.
I have learnt that in this day and age, you don’t go around taking packages from people WILLY-NILLY, without doing some due diligence, like finding out and checking what is in such packages.
If and when you get yourself into problems with the law, the same people who you were helping may well disown you.
Do you all remember this story coming out of Antigua some time ago?
This from the Daily Observer:
“A male police sergeant is among several people being questioned by local investigators following the arrest of an Antiguan fire officer who was busted with cocaine shortly after she arrived at the Gatwick Airport in the UK last Wednesday.
The officer, who is attached to the fire brigade, is suspected of being involved in the smuggling of the four and a quarter kilogrammes of cocaine out of Antigua to the UK.
The contraband was strapped to the body of Officer Sceneta Nanton.
Acting Commissioner of Police Wendel Robinson told OBSERVER media, “We are conducting local criminal investigations and we have interviewed several persons and several statements have been collected.”
He confirmed the sergeant of police was among those who were invited to give a statement. The commissioner did not disclose the names of the people who have been interrogated, but said more information would be forthcoming as the investigation continues.
According to the top cop, no one has been charged locally.
He said he had not been briefed on the charges against Nanton at the time of the interview with OBSERVER media.
She was allegedly caught with the cocaine as she made her way to the Customs desk to be cleared after landing at the Gatwick International Airport.
The officer is a six-year veteran of the force.”
Based on reports received could it have been possible that the young lady was only delivering a package given to her by one of her superior officers to deliver?
Sometime ago, I was on board a ferry which was about to depart for St. Kitts.
As the boat was in the process of pulling away, a young man, whose face I know well, rushed up to the boat and called me by name, holding a package in his hand.
‘Morton, please take this for me’ (extending a package). ‘A fella in a green shirt will be on the pier in St. Kitts waiting for it.’
I refused to take it and asked” ‘What’s in it?’
The man exploded: ‘Wha you ah go on wid? You know me.’
You know what: ‘……you’ (expletive) and he stormed off the pier.
Dear reader, my admonition is for us to be careful. We cannot be too careful.
That’s the way I see it. How do you see it?