Satiricus was confused. As a news hack, he’d been assigned to cover the march. The big march by the servants of the people (SOP). All week long, the editors had been gathering around in a huddle to plan their strategy on how to cover the event. Everybody agreed it was going to be “massive”. And why not? After all, the SOP had faithfully served the people of this country through rain and sun, water and mud, thick and thin all year long and look what the government was giving them – a measly five per cent! Well, they actually worked in air-conditioned offices, but Satiricus’ blood was really boiling.
So here he was… out in the sun looking for the multitudes of SOPs gathered in righteous indignation to gather the citizens of Georgetown in support of their just cause.
All he spied were a bunch of persons gathered under umbrellas with some small hand- crafted placards held sheepishly in front of their faces. Was this the march? Then it dawned on Satiricus: the other thousands and thousands of SOPs were too tied up dealing with the problems of the people to leave their air conditioned rooms and stroll around in the boiling sun. Tears came to Satiricus’ eyes.
These SOPs were the only people who thought only about Guyana. Whenever the ordinary folk had a problem and went to the SOPs’ air conditioned offices, they didn’t have to wait more than a few hours in the not-air conditioned waiting area.
And as soon as they were seen, the SOPs would spend at least two minutes with them – even though they had so much to do. Like taking their coffee breaks and lunch hours.
The geriatric president of the SOPs demanded to know why there were so many policemen. There were at least three times more policemen than marchers. The geriatric president of the SOPs had every right to be livid, thought Satiricus.
It was obvious the policemen didn’t know how patriotic the SOPs were and that they would sacrifice the opportunity to stroll down scenic, aromatic Georgetown and remain toiling away at their desks in air-conditioned offices. Some more tears rolled down Satiricus cheeks. And a little sniffle.
Satiricus hadn’t received any salary increase this year because his editor had pointed out the newspaper still hadn’t increased its profits. So Satiricus didn’t raise any fuss.
But the SOPs were a different story.
Why should gold miners, for instance, get so much money? Didn’t they know it was because the SOPs were in their air-conditioned offices, they could take in the big bucks. So what if they could get malaria or whatever? SOPs could get paper cuts, no? As Satiricus trudged back to file his story, he hoped the government would come to its senses and wake up to the heroic sacrifices made by the SOPs.
Or else they might just leave their jobs and take up cane cutting. Cane cutters had received four per cent for their cushy jobs.