Diary of a Storekeeper in 1990 Attempted Coup

9. Imagine that you are a storeowner on Frederick Street during the 1990 Attempted Coup. Write in your journal about your experiences over the next 4 to 7 days.

Thursday 26th July 1990, I received a call from my employee saying that she wasn’t going to make it to work the next day. I was disappointed as I schedule to receive stocks from Florida that Friday, and on Fridays is the busiest day of the week

Friday 27 July 1990, My mind was so occupied with all the tasks that had to be done as next month was the reopening of school and I had to get all the text books for the new term. I had to organise one sales clerk to deal with customers, use the other store clerk to do stock taking and handle Mr. James whenever he arrives. I hoped he would call before he left the office “That man was always late” Mr James was my book supplier for many years and that was the only reason I frequently put up with his poor punctuality. That morning I saw a long line at the bank on my way to the store so I decided pay my bills the following Monday. After lunch, Mr James finally arrived and everything was good to go. At 4.30pm, everything was all good and I was done for the day. On my way home I was driving down Frederick Street and I wondered to myself why were people running up the street “there was always some nonsense happening in town” and I didn’t want to know. Finally I was home. I heard the house-phone ringing from outside “Whatever! They will have to call me back”. It was my stores clerk on the phone, said that they were liming in town after work and that some men bombed the Police Headquarters on St. Vincent Street and a man was killed “Was she for real?”

I decided to put on the television. Panorama news to was going to start. What's happening here? I saw angry men with large guns sitting next to Jones P. Madeira and one guy who called himself Imam Yasin Abu Bakr, leader of the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen stated that he had overthrown the government and that everyone should...