What would you — yes you— do eef you go tuh ah restaurant wid friends fuh ah nice late night siddong meal an de waiter, host or whatever fancy name de help have dese days, say fine buh yuh have tuh pay first?  Remember allyuh dinin in eh.

I eh done yet.

How you go respond tuh de store yuh leavin wantin yuh tuh stop so dey could verify what in yuh cart eh get tief? Or so yuh assume or dey assume.

Ah still eh done so let mih ask dis one:

In lookin back, do you believe yuh was ever de recipient of ah action initiated against you solely fuh one reason an dat action eh let yuh do what yuh wanted tuh do?

Let mih offer mih own answer tuh de larse scenario:

Hell *$%(><)yes!

De instance ah tinking about happen donkey years ago. Ah zoom in orn it because ah de anger it generated an how it open up mih virgin Trini eyes tuh de realities ah de world. Is ah good ting I eh usin ah pen an paper now cause just goin dong memory lane have mih fingers tremblin, such is still de lingerin shock ah de realization of what happen.

I had gone in what dey does call here, ah “convenience store” fuh someting — probably chewin gum — as ah was ah big-time chewer in dem days. Ah remember not being sure which aisle it was orn so ah was goin up an dong each.

It take mih de first aisle or two tuh realize de fellah behind de counter was doin he own scannin— of me, adjustin he position so he was always lookin dong whichever aisle I was orn. Wid only me an he in de store, ah assume was me he was watchin like ah hawk.

Ah decided tuh make sure so ah test mih assumption. Every time ah look up he dey like he had replicas ah he only steerin mih dong. Pissed an insulted, ah march out de damn store givin de real he ah serious cut-eye.

Later, once ah calm dong an realize being ah Trini eh mean shit tuh people intent orn labelin mih. Dat lead mih tuh scour mih memory fuh even earlier instances where ah might ah been de recipient of ah action initiated against mih solely fuh one reason ah eh realize at de time.

What come tuh mind one time was de times dis club ah used tuh go have ah drink in an admire de clientele tell mih ah cyar come in. When ah was wid friends from de job it was never ah problem buh when ah went by mihself is when ah had trouble sometimes. Ah was so naïve ah used tuh tink maybe I eh iron mih t-shirt good enough or ah eh bade long enough. All tings I could change nah.

But dat convenience store set mih straight. Every now an den ah does wonder eef ah was as naïve in Triniland.

De issue not dat simple doh, Too much ah what we does do is governed by assumptions, both good an bard, orn all sides.

So how would you respond eef yuh assume de store yuh does shop, in week in week out, have ah policy dat does result in you gettin stop when yuh wheelin yuh cyart out?

Would yuh assumption be dat de stopper assume yuh might be tryin tuh tief someting? Eef yuh was offended, would it be tuh de point ah findin someplace else tuh shop or just tuh de point ah tellin de stopper tuh kiss yuh non-white baxide?

Would you welcome de stops because yuh eh have nuttin tuh hide? Would it matter eef yuh knew why yuh was being stopped?

What role does knowin de real reason fuh anyting play in how we does react anyways? Maybe ah should ask Facebook.

Let’s be honest. How else so many ah we go get dat charge, dat sense of superiority dat hides we own flaws eef we cyar climb orn we high horse an claim de moral high grong wid we assumptions?

Plus, people have tuh make assumptions so de world could keep turnin.

In dat regard assumptions no different dan de white lies people does tell every day tuh prevent even more disharmony dan it done have ahready. Ah mean ah man have tuh consider de implications of any answer when he wife ask him eef de pants she have orn makin she bottom look big. Ent?

It eh complicated in joke nah.

But assumptions also like generalizations an when misapplied could devastate people lives or at least dey ability tuh enjoy it. Eef it eh leave you sour it does leave ah sour taste in yuh mouth.

Ask ah fellah name Emile Wickham.

Who he be, yuh ask?

Tuh get yuh attention at dis late stage ah dis blog, he is ah Trini livin in Canada, Toronto ah assume.

He also is de fellah in de first question ah start orf dis post wid. He situation so not hypothetical eh. Ah sure it have udder people who could say dat same exact ting happen tuh dem too.

Buh Emile situation end different.

Tuh pick up he story where ah start, he an he pardnahs went ahead an pay in advance as demanded. However, because dey was suspicious, dey ask udder diners eef dey had tuh pre-pay too.

Ah could hear de unanimous answer: “Pre-pay? What shit allyuh torkin? Who does pay first when dey gorn out fuh ah siddong meal in ah restaurant where yuh does look dong at de menu, not up?”

Emile an pardnahs notice someting too. Dey was de onlyest blacks in de restaurant.

Long story short, dey change dinin plans. In fact, dey get dey money back.

However, de story eh end dey. Even doh he did know he rights an de complaints process, Emile stew over he next move fuh almost ah year. Eventually he decide he couldn’t take what happen so an file wid de Human Rights Tribunal in Toronto.

De verdict just just come dong: De adjudicator eh buy Hong Shing Chinese Restaurant in Toronto excuse fuh askin only Emile Wickham an friends tuh pre-pay so it now have tuh pay he $10,000. Make dem dollars Canadian eh.

Dis one incident probably eh go result in no massive change in assumption makin. After all, leh we call ah spade ah spade: Emile an he friends get racially profiled.

Fuh Emile de decision mean some degree ah vindication. Ah bet he wish de incident didn’t happen doh. Me eh know eef it had any cussin. Ah do know when people get stop in dey favorite grocery store some does cuss. Stink too.

I didn’t cuss when I notice de convenience-store clerk. However, de amount ah, haul he mudder dis an dat I spew while ah stewed in mih car, mean he ears bun orf. Eef it eh have no justice in dis world.

Alas, not everybody could be ah Emile Wickham. He get he modicum of justice de right way.

Well played.