Never Tired

Never Tired
a short story
by Austin Mitchell

Alphanso ‘Never Tired’ Jackson and Andy ‘Biggerton Lloydie’ Reid were the two most well known men in the village of Glenfield. Never Tired or Never as they called him was a tall man standing six feet three inches and tipping the scale at just below one hundred and fifty pounds. Biggerton Lloydie was probably an inch or so shorter than Never and probably about twenty pounds heavier. The two men were sworn enemies and persons speculated that it might be because they were of different political persuasions. Never’s favorite weapon was a piece of well cured pimento stick while Biggerton Lloydie was known as a machete man. If Biggerton Lloydie’s party was in power and work was being given out Never dare not go there seeking work unless he wanted to use his pimento stick against Biggerton Lloydie’s razor sharp machete.
“Hey, Never, you don’t even know the work and you’re acting as if you’re the boss,” Biggerton Lloydie shouted as the two men worked on the farm of Glenfield High School.
The farm was on fifteen acres of land and Never was the one who was hired first when his party was in power but since Biggerton Lloydie’s party won the election he had been hired too as well as a number of other men and women. The two men also doubled as security guards at nights for both the farm and the school. Never was also one of the janitors. It was rumored that Never only came home on weekends. Actually for several years after the school opened, Never was the only one working on the farm, and doing guard and janitorial duties. Never had told the Principal that he was a first class chef but the Principal had jokingly told him that Never wanted his job. Later people started complaining that it wasn’t fair for only Never alone to be doing so many jobs at the school so other persons were hired and of course there were more changes when Biggerton’s party won the elections.
It was six months since Biggerton had been hired and the Principal was frustrated with the amount of complaints each man made against the other. Of course it didn’t help that Panceta, one of the cooks, had been rumored to be friendly with Never but was now on friendlier terms with Biggerton.
“Biggerton, you’re not weeding the place right. I’m going to report you to Mr. Mighty and bring him up here to inspect your work,” Never told him.
Biggerton looked at the work he had done. He knew how to weed grass. Never couldn’t teach him anything about farming.
“Never, I have five acres of land under cultivation. I know you have land under cultivation too but every time I pass your land it looks like wilderness,” Biggerton shouted in triumph.
“Don’t worry yourself, Biggerton, I’ll soon set up my place and then I’m going to show you who is the better farmer,” Never shouted back.
On the farm they planted a variety of crops such as bananas, plantains, yams and vegetable, the majority being used in the local canteen and the surplus sold to local higglers. They also reared chickens, goats and pigs.
“You do about six hours of work each day, Biggerton, while I do about nine. I come here from eight o’clock and I don’t stop working until I’m ready to go home but I’ve been observing the amount of time you take off work,” Never said.
“That’s why they call you ‘Never Tired. I want to see if you are so good that you can win the Cross Country race next week. I know you can’t beat Jefftah,” Biggerton said.
“From they started those races I’ve won them every year I’ve participated and Jefftah isn’t even training,” Never replied.
“I’m entering the race and I bet I’ll beat you,” Biggerton said.
Never burst out laughing.
“You, Biggerton, is going to challenge me on the cross country run. You’re out of shape. I doubt if you can run a mile. I’m never tired, I’ll let you run and I’ll walk and I’ll still beat you.”
Never picked a breadfruit with a bamboo stick and started digging some yams for his lunch. Never roasted all his food or ate it raw while Biggerton ate at the canteen.
“You eat too much weak food, Biggerton, that’s why you don’t have any energy,” Never said as he set about preparations for his lunch.
“So why did Panceta leave you and come to me, Never?” Biggerton asked.
“She is back with me now or you didn’t know?” Never asked and Biggerton hissed his teeth and trudged off to have his lunch.
Actually both men had turned up at the latest party held at the school hoping to dance with Panceta for the entire night. Both men had left their wives at home. Biggerton was therefore surprised to find Panceta at the party dancing with Never. Panceta, not wanting to cause a quarrel between the two men had refused to dance with either of them thereafter but had returned to Never after the party.
The Saturday of the cross country race arrived. The course was five miles long. This was the tenth renewal of the race. For the first five years of the race it had been won by different individuals. Never had won it for the past five years collecting a tidy sum of money. Stewards would be placed at strategic points on the course to ensure that all participants complete the course and no shortcuts were taken. This year the prize money was two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to be shared among those finishing the course.
The race would start at Glenfield High go through the districts of Cross River, Crearys Land and Lloyds Content and then back to Glenfield High.
At six o’clock that morning all twenty participants were facing the starter. They included eight women and twelve men. Biggerton was there as was Panceta. The starter gave them their instructions and read the rules of the race to them before he sent them off.
Biggerton started off at a furious pace.
“Match me Never, I’ll pass you going when I’m returning. You only won the race when there was nobody in it to challenge you,” he boasted and shot past Never.
Panceta who was running beside Never, said.
“Let him go on, Never, he’ll soon drop out.”
Jefftah also passed Never as did another man, Clevie.
“You won’t catch me Never, I’’ll see you when I’m returning. This race is mine,” Jefftah shouted as he went past Never.
“Never, let them go on teasing you. They know they can’t beat you. They want to get you out of our plan,” Clevie said as he passed Never.
Never continued running, he took water and splashed on his head and face in Cross River. Panceta had dropped back. When he reached Creary’s Land he again took water, doing as he had done in Cross River and noted that Panceta had dropped even further back but there was no sign of Biggerton or Jefftah. Never continued at the same pace. He had gone over this course at least a dozen times over the last two months and knew this was the right pace.
On the road to Lloyd’s Content some people shouted at him that Big Lloyd (Biggerton was sometimes called Big Lloyd) was going to beat him as both he and Jefftah were ahead of him. He was nearing Lloyds Content when Jefftah passed him going back. The man seemed to be making good pace but Never wasn’t panicking. He continued at the same pace then he saw Biggerton also coming back.
“Yes, Never, you’ll never catch me and Jefftah. We’ll beat you today. Told you that we were fitter than you,” he shouted in triumph.
Never knew that Biggerton wanted him to panic and do something foolish. He continued on to Lloyd’s Content. He heard people shouting that Jefftah and Biggerton had beaten him and that he should give up. Never took some water and started back.
He met Panceta in Crearys Land.
“Never, you give up too much to Biggerton and Jefftah. They are so far ahead of you that I’m not sure you can catch them,” she shouted. But Never wasn’t panicking. He continued running picking up the pace a little. At Cross River people told him that Biggerton was just ahead. Just as he left Cross River he saw Biggerton and he shouted at him. He swept past Biggerton in triumph.
“You won’t catch Jefftah though,” Biggerton shouted and made a last effort to pass Never but he was a beaten man.
“Jefftah is already on the playfield. You can’t beat him to the tape, Never,” Biggerton shouted.
Never increased his pace. Jefftah was a hundred metres from the tape and showing no signs of slowing down but Never had the momentum going with him. He caught Jefftah ten metres from the tape and swept past him to the finishing line. Jefftah was in shock and protested that Never had not run a fair race but the stewards certified that he had completed the course. Jefftah knew now that Never was superhuman. The man wasn’t even breathing hard or had broken a sweat.
Never won thirty five thousand dollars, Jefftah got twenty thousand and Biggerton fifteen thousand. June Reid, a teacher from Glenfield High won the female section. Donnette Davis and Natalie Deacon were second and third respectively. They were awarded the same cash prices as their male counterparts.
Both men had attached themselves to different houses at the school and competed for them at their regular sport days although their points earned were not counted in the championship. Never beat Biggerton in both the shot put and the discuss throws. But perhaps it was the tug of war where both men’s rivalry came to the fore. At the last sports day Never alone had dragged Biggerton and about twelve grade eleven boys all over the playfield much to the delight of the spectators.
Biggerton began looking around for things to challenge Never at. He went to an eating contest and won it. He told everybody at the contest that Never didn’t want to challenge him because he knew he couldn’t beat him. However Never said that he only ate roasted or raw food and they didn’t want him to prepare his own food for the contest. As Never didn’t drink alcoholic beverages Biggerton won the beer drinking contest hands down. He won the patty and hot dog eating contest as Never didn’t eat fast foods. Nerver beat him in the raw peanut, cashew, roast corn and roast fish eating contests.
A man, Benjamin Bryce, had two huge mango trees that he thought had outlived their usefulness. They hardly bore any fruits and were just taking up space on his property as far as he was concerned. He therefore contracted Never and Biggerton to cut down both trees. He would pay each man ten thousand dollars with the winner getting an extra five thousand dollars. Both men had the option of cutting up the tree and making a coal kiln as they were apt to do from time to time.
Word spread fast about the Saturday morning contest between the two men and people were there from early. Some perched on trees and from as many vantage points as possible. Both men had inspected the trees and tossed a coin to choose their respective tree. Never took his axe and balanced it. It was razor sharp. The men would only stop for drinks but each man had made sure that his wife would bring lunch when she came to congratulate him on his victory.
“Never, this task is bigger than you. I told Benjie that I alone could cut down both trees,” Biggerton said as he balanced his axe. Both trees were about twenty yards apart.
“We’ll see, Biggerton, we’ll see,” Never said as he made his way to his tree.
As the bell went both men started swinging their axes. Biggerton’s supporters were encouraging their man. They felt he had a good chance of falling the tree quicker than Never. They didn’t think Biggerton would tire as Never couldn’t tire.
Half an hour later and Biggerton stopped to refresh himself but Never was still going. Biggerton looked down where Never was and saw the progress the man was making. He finished drinking and started at his tree with renewed gusto.
“You can beat him Biggerton. He must get tired,” Jefftah was encouraging him.
That gave Biggerton hope and he attacked his tree with renewed energy. Fifteen minutes later and Biggerton wanted more liquid. He looked over at Never’s tree and saw that the man was making tremendous progress.
Suddenly there were shouts above them and a man came down to Never.
“Bello chopped off Castell’s hand, Never,” Alrick shouted and Never dropped his axe.
Castell was one of Never’s younger brothers and was a known trouble-maker.
“What did you say, Alrick?” Never asked and Alrick repeated what he had just said.
Never threw down his axe and started off for Donkey Bite where the incident had happened. Some people were shouting for Never to let them finish the job for him. Clevie came forward and took up Never’s axe and started at the tree. Biggerton was told about the circumstances leading to Never abandoning the contest. Nevertheless as far as he was concerned the contest was still on and Benjie couldn’t refuse to pay him his fifteen thousand once he cut down the tree.
Donkey Bite was a wooded area of the community and was know to have a lot of marijuana cultivations. It straddled several districts and was a mile from Lloyd’s Content and you had to cross a river to get over there. There were several legal farms in the woodlands but these were often a camouflage for the illegal operations. Castell had accused Bello of stealing his marijuana and had been threatening the man for several days now. He had attacked Bello this morning and the latter had swung his machete severing his right hand. When Never reached Lloyd’s Content he heard that the ambulance had already gone to May Pen with Castell. Never took a taxi down to the May Pen Hospital. He heard the news that Castell would not lose his hand as it had already been set back.
Meanwhile Biggerton was making tremendous progress and knew that he was only a few chops away from claiming his money. He felt that Clevie was biting off more than he could chew. He made two huge swings of his axe. Another two more swings like those and the tree would come crashing down. Then Biggerton heard a crash and saw Never’s tree coming down and heard Clevie’s cry of triumph. Biggerton made two more big swings and the tree came crashing down but he knew he had lost.
Never returned to collect half the winning prize money and gave Cleviee the tree to cut up for his coal kiln.
As the sugar cane season was in and school was out both men hired themselves as cane cutters. Never could remember a story he had heard about Biggerton. Before he came to work at Glenfield High, Biggerton had been a cane cutter in Florida. Reece, the man who told him the story and Biggerton were hired out to the same farm. There were other workers from the Caribbean, Central and South America on the farm. One day Biggerton had come out of the field ravenously hungry and saw the chuck line a mile long. Biggerton had hurled some expletives and the line quickly fell back allowing him to get and start eating his food immediately.
Biggerton was hired on to Reid’s Estate with the proprietor welcoming him. He had heard of the man’s prowess with a machete. Never hired on to Cleon Jackson’s Estate. The estates bordered each other and both estate proprietors had heard about the two men’s rivalry and thought they might put it to test. The reaping of the cane would last for two weeks. Never took his food with him but Biggerton ate on the estate and was glad he didn’t have to join any long lines such as the one that had occasioned his outburst while in Florida. He could also return for more food if he had not had his fill. Of all the cane cutters on Reid’s Estate, Biggerton returned for a second helping the most times and sometimes even for a third helping. Sometimes they would find him fast asleep in the cane field. Leighton Reid wasn’t worried when he got such reports. The man cut more than enough cane when he was not asleep to make up for his time out. A man called Demsey said that Biggerton was weak. He took up a bundle of cane Biggerton had tied up for taking out to the cane heap, and ran with it. He challenged Biggerton to do the same with a bundle of cane he had tied up but Biggerton refused.
Meanwhile things were sailing smoothly on Cleon Jackson’s estate for Never. He worked on a job basis coming to work at seven o’clock and leaving at six o’clock. Biggerton phoned Cleon and told him to let Never work at nights too but Cleon dismissed this suggestion saying that Never might injure himself cutting canes at night and in any case Never had his watchman duties to perform at the school.
The cane cutting contest between them was set for this Friday with the winner getting fifteen thousand and the loser getting half that amount. Demsey’s brother Claude tied up a bundle of cane and challenged Never to lift it up. Never lifted it up with one hand then asked Claude to lift up the bundle of cane he had tied up which the man failed to do.
The cane cutting contest between Never and Biggerton began at six thirty that morning. All the canes in the section were to be cut down. Biggerton swore that he was a better cane cutter than Never. Nevertheless he feared the man because he couldn’t tire. They started cutting the cane. After half an hour there was nothing to chose between the men. Then Biggerton started to move away and already his supporters were shouting his name but the sun was having an effect on Biggerton and Never was beginning to catch up. As Biggerton faltered so did Never catch up until both men just had one cane standing. It was declared a tie and the total prize money shared between them.
Biggerton resigned from his job at Glenfield High and bought a van to move goods. He said he didn’t think the school was paying him enough money and his family of five was demanding more money to feed. Biggerton has also given up on contesting with Never to see who was the better man. He felt that other people were making more profits from these contest than the participants. He was particulary riled when a man proposed a wrestling match between them with the winner picking up fifty thousand dollars.
Never himself, didn’t miss the contests. There would still be the cross country races. He still kept his job at the school although he believes that when he alone was working the school farm, he was putting out twice the amount of produce they were now putting out. He didn’t think Biggerton was a good worker and was glad that he had resigned. Nevertheless he missed his competitive spirit. He bought a van to take around his wife and children. Like Biggerton, Never saw the various contests people were willing to put on between them as an attempt to profit at their expense. He was partculary riled again when a man proposed a bare knuckles contest with a total prize money of one hundred thousand dollars. Never was given other responsibilities at the school and he was glad that Biggerton had left because he knew that he would have protested and maybe feel that he was the one who had set it up.The End. Please visit my blog at:http://stredwick.blogspot.com