I was at the doctors this morning (I get bad migraines) just sitting down minding my own bizz, reading my book. The waiting room consisted of: a middle aged black man, an elderly white couple, a young black girl aged about 16, another old white man and two old black ladies, one Nigerian - I know this cos she tried to engage me in a bitta convo - and one Caribbean.
So there we were....
The two black ladies were there talkin about being referred to hospitals and the Caribbean lady was talkin about how she wanted to be referred to Guys cos she doesn't like Kings College Hospital. As she was saying this, a 30something white man walked in and was like "Kings College is tha best hospital in the UK" and the Caribbean lady (who I have fittingly dubbed 'Dread' on account of her grey dreadlocks) was like "No they are not" and the man was like "Yes they are" and Dread was like "No they are not, just leave me alone... they killed my mother!"
>>>>When she said that the man made a facial expression similar to this>>>>
*Yes, this is Elvis
Then he went to sit down...he sat next to the elderly white couple and said "Kings College really is a great hospital" and the wife outta the elderly couple looked at him and said "I don't really wanna know mate"
The guy made that expression again (see above) and started mumbling to himself "They are a really good hospital...I dunno why....(the rest was unitelligible)" I think this guy was the President of the National Union of Kings College Hospital or something....
"Shhhhuuuuuttt UP!" This was said by the middle aged black man who I have dubbed 'Derek' (as in Derek from Big Brother 6, the gay, bald headed black man) cos he had a bald head and was very camp, if not gay. He spoke with a hiss and a slight African accent.
The following conversation went something like this:
President: You talkin to me mate?
Derek: Yes, I am
President: What's your problem mate?
Derek: You...you are my problem. You're just talkin about the hospital, nobody cares what hospital you think is better. We are all here because of our own problems and you are just getting on everyones nerves by talking, nobody cares.
At this point, President just went quiet, I felt kinda sorry for him.
I thought the situation was over until...
Dread: HOW DARE YOU? How dare you speak to that man like that? He may be ill or have mental issues and you're just being rude to him.
Derek: Oh please, here we go. Stay out of it, you just shouted at him aswell so don't talk to me about anything.
Dread: That's very rude. You're a rude man.
Derek: And you too, you're a hypocrite. Getting involved when you did the same thing that I did. You shouted at him talking about your mother...who cares that your mother died. That's your own business.
That was rude man....I'm always weary of people that have no respect for the dead...
Dread: Oh shut up. You foolish man.
Derek: Don't get me angry today...you slave
WTF! Did he just say what I thought he said?...Yes he did....ahhh sh*t, he took it there
Dread: What! It's because you don't know yourself thats why you're saying that. If you knew yourself you would be ashamed to say something like that.
Derek: Yes I do know myself, you're the one who doesn't know herself that's why you are acting like an idiot
Dread: Shut up. How long have you been in this country? Nine weeks? I have been coming to this surgery for over forty years!
Derek: Why is my immigration status any of your concern?
They went back and forth with eachother. During this time I learned that Derek was a psychological doctor of some sort and that Dread had four daughters who were all qualified nurses. Evryone in the surgery was ping-ponging their necks from Derek to Dread to see who would come up with the next sting...
Dread: You're calling me a slave, atleast we don't go on t.v begging. Everytime I turn on the t.v, I see one of you people begging for money and food. Cretin
Derek: Well atleast we weren't sold down the river. [This was said with a flick of the wrist]
Dread: You should be ashamed of yourself, you gay [I thought it was only my mum who said 'You gay']
Cue some more verbal warfare....
Ping! That was the sign thingy telling me that I should go to room 2 to see Dr Krishna and not a mintue too soon... Don't get me wrong, I love a bitta Public Drama but that was too much man. How could they be cussing eachother like that. What Derek was saying made me ashamed to be African, both of them made me ashamed to be black.
I can only imagine what the white people in the room were thinking...
I've heard Africans call Caribbeans slaves before, I've never really thought it was a nice thing to say but the Caribbeans don't seem to care. They seem happy that they aint African. I really felt to say something but cos buttin in was what caused this whole clash in the first place I thought it best to keep my mouth shut.
It just made me realise how little things have changed in terms of how we, as black people, see eachother. Why we always gotta be beefin eachother all the time man? Africans VS Caribbeans, Nigerians VS Ghanaians, East Africa VS West Africa, South East VS North...At the risk of sounding cliché and corny...Why can't we all just get along???
This month is Black History Month.... The more the years go by, the less I care. And with displays like that, can you blame me?
No.14.
No.77.