Autobiography
Who KilledMiss Che Che?
An Autobiography
Episode 14:Freeze! I'll Soon Shoot!
"Abna! Abna! Police outside,"My sister said. "Abna! Abna!"
"Coming," I yelled. I came offmy bed in a flash, took the cocaine I had hidden in a cassettecase and put the grams in my mouth. Then I went to the window.
What I saw looked like an army but thatwas only half of it; the other half was around the front. Policemenwere all over the backyard, guns in hand, batons, caps, boots,suits of camouflage, army-style.
One policeman saw me looking out and yelled,"See him there!" He pointed and ran to my window aiminghis gun at me. I jumped back from the window, scared to death,wondering, What the hell is going on?
The policeman ran to my window and lookedin. I was standing in my room looking at him through the screen.He saw me, punched through my screen window and started climbingthrough the window with the gun in his hand.
I was terrified. I turned, opened my roomdoor. What I saw frightened me more! Ron Connolly, another policeman,was standing there putting shots into his gun. I ran past him.He closed the gun chamber when he looked up and saw me.
There were more police in the house, morecoming in through my window. I was frightened. They all had guns!"Hey!" They yelled at me as I ran to my front door.The house was surrounded when I got there and opened it as faras six inches.
Ron Connolly yelled, "Freeze! I'll soon shoot!"
I froze in that position still clutchingthe doorknob. My sister screamed and her baby daughter Pre Prebegan to cry. There were more police outside the door; about eightguns were pointed at me, some through the door, some through theliving room window. Why? I was numb with fear.
"Close the door and turn around,"Ron said. I closed the door slowly and turned.
Ron had his gun nozzle about three inchesfrom my face! I looked down the black hole and then up at hiseyes. He was just staring at me; his eyes were glossy, bulgingand his hand was trembling! Three inches from my face! Cold sweatran off my forehead. He did not move for a good minute. My handswere over my head. I was not wearing a shirt or shoes, just shortpants. Policemen were surrounding me.
"Come back to the room," Ron saidand took the gun out of my face. The cocaine was melting downmy throat but the plastic bags were still in my mouth.
When we got to the room Ron said, "Whereis the rifle?" I said nothing. "We got a call sayingyou came into the house with a rifle," he said.
"Search," I said.
They searched the whole house; my room wasransacked. Some of them would push me saying, "Get out ofthe way!" I said nothing though they pushed viciously; sometimesso hard I slammed against the wall. I still said nothing and didnothing.
My resolve is another reason why they donot like me; I am too strong and ignored their taunts insteadof giving them a reason to beat me up. I was mad as Mad Max, fullof fury but controlled it and let them do what they wanted. Whyshould I waste my breath?
A white guy came into the room wearing awhite sport shirt, white high top sneakers and jeans with a whitecap on his head.
He held a baton in his right hand. Thiswas the first time I was seeing him and suspected he was anotherpoliceman. He said to me, "So you didn't know that I wasa police."
"What?"
"When you came to my car and sold mewhite substances resembling cocaine you didn't know I was a police,"he said.
"I didn't sell you no cocaine. Firsttime I saw you. What are you talking about?"
He pushed me hard and said, tightening hishold on the baton as if ready to club me over the head, "Youcalling me a liar?"
I said nothing, did not need to. He waslying all right, right to my face, but he was informed about PhilipEbanks and knew how to treat me. I just stood there, furious butmute and compliant.
Then Ron took a piece of paper from hispocket and compared it to the two $25 notes he had found on mybedside table. The money was marked. Now I understood that thiswas the white guy to whom Johnny had sold cocaine. It was my cocainebut the white guy had still lied because I never seen him beforenor he me. Where was Johnny, I wondered?
Ron put the money in his pocket and toldme to hold out my hands. I did. He said, "You are under arrestfor possession and selling of white substances resembling cocaine."My throat was numb.
They found a small portion of weed in theliving room under the sofa so they charged my sister and me forthat too. She said she did not know anything but they told herthey still had to arrest everyone in the house. I also knew nothingabout the weed and figured it belonged to one of my brothers.Then the police took my sister, her crying baby and I to the policestation in George Town.
It goes to show the sort of conception thepolice had formed about me based on their belief in my guilt.It had to be that they still believed I had killed Miss Che Cheeven though I had been acquitted. I have never been violent toanyone unless provoked; there are only two instances where I wasmade to defend myself.
Next: Philip returnsto prison and struggles to stay strong and sane.
*All Names have beenchanged to protect the rights of individuals.
Illustrations by PhillipGlennan Ebanks
Disclaimer: The preceedingexcerpt from the Autobiography of Philip Glennan Ebanks is copyrightedby Philip Glennan Ebanks and does not necessarily reflect theviews of Cayman Net News, CNN employees or its affiliates. CaymanNet News does not accept responsibility for opinions expressedin this series.©