My neighbour fell very ill. I went over to his yard to speak to his wife. As I entered, I saw a number of pigeons flying around, perching here and there. The pigeons lived there.
I immediately told her to inform the doctor that her husband kept pigeons. She looked at me and she gave me that smile you’ll see on the faces of the more stupid people of Yard.
Jamaicans have a belief in Obeah so strong that they will sooner listen to the ‘Science (Wo)Man’ (as Obeah workers are called) then anyone else.
A lawyer can give an opinion, but they’ll listen to the Obeah Man. A doctor can prescribe, but they’ll take what the Obeah Woman offers. It doesn’t matter that the lawyer may have a generation’s worth of experience or the doctor hold high position. In any choice between a professional and Obeah, Obeah Always wins.
That smile on that woman’s face shouted to me that she was already consulting her ‘Science Man’, so certainly didn’t want to hear from me. Obviously, her husband was suffering some form of Obeah curse and her Science Man or Woman had the matter in hand.
The Doctors had no idea what was wrong with her husband. Most of the diseases that pigeons carry seem to be like Name Brand diseases. So, the Doctors treated him for this and that, ineffectually.
As is usual in Jamaica, they send the dying home to die. So he came home. I spoke with him about the pigeons. I explained the diseases they carry. He made the same smile.
I did not attend to his funeral.
The autopsy proved he’d died of one of the many diseases carried by pigeons.
There are thirty different diseases carried by pigeons. Some are deadly. They are deadly because unless you know you have been exposed pigeons and tell the doctor s/he will treat you for the more popular diseases.
That is what happened to my neighbour.
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Oh..very sorry about the demise. Even in India there are certain places where the people traditional practices instead of science. They approach these magic people time and again for each and everything. Interesting these people want to gain popularity giving Advertisements on TV channels. There are various kinds of Heelers, Astrologers, Religious practitioners, Sorcerers, Wiccans, black magicians appear regularly on tV channel at an appropriate time.
When they are perfect why they need these advertisements for their treatments?
People do not think on these lines and approach them.
It has become more among the youth as I have seen them personally approaching them for a study abroad and for getting employment abroad.
But, after coming out of the Hut, or the place of the sorcerer they laugh at him/her and make silly comments. I really wonder why they are becoming self-deceptive and unable to express their opinion freely.
It is ridiculous when a person goes to a professional and ignores the advice or doesn't inform them of the situation and relies on Obeah. It makes no sense, only makes the Obeah worker rich.
Oh that is so sad. Here too , some people before going to the doctor would go to a quack doctor first to know what's ailing them. They only go to the doctor when the quack doctor can't make them well.
And when they go well after consulting the quack doctor, they would be a big believer of him and would go to him always for consultation of what ails them.
Though sometimes, it's the monetary aspect , which proves to be so much cheaper that makes them go to a quack doctor instead.