Leggo this trigger and Russian Roulette

This is the first in a series of vignettes of life in Trinidad, starting with an account by a kidnapped man.

“Three men posing as clients were waiting for me in the reception area at my business. They pulled out their guns and said they came for me. I screamed, then went quiet when they punched me in the stomach.

“I was in shock. I was praying my daughter wouldn’t walk in; that they wouldn’t kill my staff. They wrapped me up in plastic material, lifted me up and shoved me in the back of a waiting car.

“One guy held a gun at my head, then temple ears, eyes, heart, stomach, shouting obscenities non-stop. The other guy taped me up. Blindfolded, I lost my orientation.

“They were driving fast. An hour later, they bundled me into a room. They handcuffed me, tied me up with an electrical cord and put me on a low chair.

“They wanted three million dollars. They asked for my family’s telephone numbers.

“Negotiations began. I told them the truth. I was heavily-mortgaged. My family was trying to raise the money. Police had an idea where we were, but not the exact location.

“I am glad they didn’t raid us, because if anyone connected to the kidnapping is killed, that is trouble. I didn’t want anything to eat or drink for 24 hours.

“After 36 hours, I told them I was getting dehydrated; my kidneys would shut down. They brought me water and crackers.

“They monitored the news. They didn’t want to kill me; just wanted the money. I told them I would give them $50,000 if they let me go, with no police involvement. They refused. Wanted more.

“The hardest thing was being blindfolded, handcuffed and strapped on a nailed-down metal chair for over a week. I couldn’t urinate. I had terrible back pain.

“A man with a gun stayed in the room with me. Non-stop, he threatened to kill me.

“I got fed up and told him to go ahead. He shoved the gun in my ear and said, 'I am going to leggo this trigger on you.’

“I said, ‘Let go, nah man.’

“I caught myself. I sympathised with them; said the rich/poor divide was unfair; maybe they were doing the right thing. I was careful not to condemn them.

“When I told the gunman he was blessed, and advised him to save and invest the money when they got it, instead of squandering it, he brought a plastic bowl for me to urinate.

“He would massage my back. I tried to move around to prevent deep vein thrombosis.

“The more you fight, the worse it is. If you bawl and they put duct tape over your mouth you will hyperventilate and choke to death.

“They knew what they were doing. Didn’t tie me up too tight. I was lucky. If people die—they die in first half-hour.

“Police raids are a bad idea. The victim has to come out alive. Until then, the police hands are tied.

“When they got $100,000 they dropped me off. The police picked me up.

“Afterwards I sent a message to the kidnappers. I am offering no evidence.

“My family was traumatised by waiting, not knowing. Anxiety for one another’s safety is now part of our lives.

“I am carrying on like nothing happened. If they want you they can get you. They know my whereabouts. They knew my hours.

“On that day, I came into work early. If I had come at my regular hour they would have taken me without anyone knowing. If they don’t get you inside they get you outside.

“You can put up burglarproof, video cameras. Nobody is giving evidence. “They could come back for me. A different set of people. There is nothing we can do. These days people in business can get shot for cross talk with the customer.

“They come back for you. This guy who was renting a car got ten shots.

“We are living a life of Russian roulette. Who is next?

“We have green cards, but gave them up.

“Leave for what? To be physically safe but stare at four walls and go to the mall every day? To drive hundreds of miles to see your brother? To dig up a flower garden? My life, family, friends, are here.

“We live with a culture of bad parenting, 5,000 illiterate youngsters entering the underworld and drug trade annually.

“We need a thousand Servols countrywide. When last I heard my kidnappers, with government jobs, holiday, pay, got a promotion.”

The world is what it is. It’s the title of the new VS Naipaul biography and captures the fatalism with which we live daily.