Never Tired -excerpt from a short story by Austin Mitchell

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 at 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. 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. He told the Principal that he was a first class chef, but the Principal had jokingly told him that he 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 properly. 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.”

                “Don’t worry yourself, Biggerton. I’ll soon set up my farm and then I’m going to show you who is the better farmer.”

                   On the farm they planted a variety of crops such as bananas, plantains, yams and vegetables. The majority of these things were used in the local canteen. The surplus was 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 hours.  I come here from eight o’clock and I don’t stop working until I’m ready to go home. I’ve been observing the amount of time you take off work.”

                “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.”

                  “Since they started those races I’ve won them every year I’ve participated and Jefftah isn’t even training.”

                “I’m entering the race and I bet I’ll beat you.”

                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. He 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?” 
Read the full story in 'Going to the bushes to cut Firewood' or in 'Riding the milk-truck to School'.