Two of the riders go head-to-head in their clash in the donkey race in Top Hill, St Catherine. - file

There's trouble in the out-of-the-way farming community called Top Hill in St Catherine. While larger neighbourhoods in the valley contend with goat thieves, mango pilfering and the distressing effects of everyday criminality, there's a far more sinister issue on the minds of the good people of Top Hill.

A recently concluded donkey race has cast a great divide among residents, in some cases pitting brother against brother and mother against daughter.

It all started during the recent Heroes Day celebration when a newcomer to the area, who some say moved to the community from Kingston only this year, was allowed to enter the day's grand donkey race. To be clear, a donkey race takes place in Top Hill on almost every public holiday.

No restriction

So this fellow, who is known only as 'Tool Pan', approached the long-time organisers of the donkey races and asked if he could participate in the greatly anticipated event.

"Well, we nuh have nuh real restriction pan who can enter, so we never feel any way fi mek him fall in," said Peggy, wife of one of the organisers and community resident for more than a decade. I had met Peggy on a recent visit to the community. She was standing in the backyard of her modest wooden home, hanging wet clothes on a line. There were wooden clothes pegs attached to her skirt. I had asked her about life in Top Hill when she started to relate the troubling tale.

She went on to tell me that Tool Pan was allowed to enter the race on the condition that he use his own donkey in the event.

"We never even did know seh Tool Pan own donkey, for we never see him wid one yet. Him not even do nuh farming, so we never see why him woulda have donkey," said Peggy, drying her hands on her skirt.

Anyway, as the celebrations of the occasion went on, it soon became time for the donkey race to begin. It was to be four contestants racing downhill for about a quarter of a mile. As the contestants lined up, the crowd noticed that Tool Pan was nowhere to be found.

"We never really surprise still. Nobody never really did ah look fi him, for we never yet see Tool Pan wid donkey," Peggy recalled.

Fat, grey donkey

But as the contestants set themselves up for the start of the race, Tool Pan suddenly came trotting into the mix with a fat, grey donkey with muscular legs and wide eyes.

"Suppose yuh see di donkey. Dat look like someting yuh buy ah shop," said Peggy. A man walking on the dirt road behind us called out to Peggy.

"Hail, Miss P!" he said.

"Come here Dean!" she yelled back. The man approached us carrying an empty black plastic bag.

"Come tell di gentleman bout Tool Pan donkey," said Peggy.

"Oh God man, nuh mek mi start pan dat," said Dean, shaking his head.

He went on to explain that soon after the race got under way, Tool Pan's donkey moved ahead of the others with alarming speed.

"Him start gallop like race horse, mi never see nothing like dat yet," said Peggy, with wide eyes.

Needless to say, Tool Pan's donkey won the race well ahead of all other contenders. It was here that the trouble in Top Hill began.

"People start seh him cheat fi win di race. Some seh is a young horse him use, other people ah seh him borrow di horse and ah nuh fi him own," said Dean.

Part of the reason the issue caused such a stir is that betting is a large part of the day's activities. Residents bet lots of money on the donkey they believe will take home the title of the fastest mule in the community.

So, with a relative unknown appearing out of nowhere with a donkey with super speed, nobody won anything. Nobody, that is, except a skinny fellow in plaid short pants who allegedly showed up and placed a hefty bet on Tool Pan and his speedy mule.

Under fire

"So from dat day is pure problem. People ah seh nobody nuh see Tool Pan from dat day. Dem seh him and di mawga man plan and trick di whole ah we," said Peggy.

It appears nobody has seen Tool Pan or the skinny fellow since that day and now the organisers are coming under fire for allowing the man to enter the race in the first place.

"Everybody ah carry feelings fi dem one another now. Right now, it look like seh dem might nuh have nuh more donkey race inna Top Hill fi now again. Is pure malice," said Peggy, looking distraught.

Dean agreed, but admitted that because of the joy the event brings to the community, he was confident that everyone would eventually be able to forgive and forget. I guess only time will tell.

robert.lalah@gleanerjm.com