Trinbagonians talk. (142) The Night was a Night filled with Frightening Sounds. Lag-gah-hoo was Roaming the Neighborhood

One night after dinner, meh mudder an’ faddah was watchin’ TV in de livin’ room. Meh breddas and sisters an’ I was gettin’ ready go out wit we frens. Suddenly, yuh could hear de trees rustlin’ an’ de wind howlin’. It didn’t hav’ no moon an’ stars in de sky, buh de street light did make de place glow a bit. Ah peep out de window an’ ah see de trees swayin’ like dey go fall down. Suddenly, de chickens was cluck-cluckin’, de dogs was barkin’, de goats was bleatin’, de sheep was goin’ baa baa. “Ah wonder why all de animals are cryin’ out?” Meh mudder ask.     “It look like we are havin’ a storm. Ah was a young boy when ah hear animals behave like dat,” Meh faddah say.      “Dis is a strange night,” Meh mudder say.       “Yeh, it is,” meh faddah say.      Meh breddas, sisters, an’ me was dress an’ waitin’ to see if de weather go change. De wind stop, an’ de animals stop makin’ noise.         “Ah think de wind storm is done.” Ah did say. Meh breddads an’ sisters agree wit me, an’ we took up wat we want to take wit us. As we was tellin’ we parents dat we was goin’, we hear footsteps, an’ de sound of a chain draggin’ on de road. Everyone got quiet as we listen to de creepy sound.         “Oh boy! Dis is not a night to be outside,” Meh mudder say.         “No, it is not. It sounds like de devil’s children are out tonight,” Meh faddah say. “Dat must be a Lag-gah-hoo,” Meh mudder say in a soft voice. Meh siblings’ an’ I was frighten, so we all walk real fass into we parent’s bed room.  Yuh could hear de Lag-gah-hoo walkin’ an’ draggin’ he chain. We was goin’ to stay home in we parent’s bedroom. De next day, everybody in de neighborhood was talkin’ about de Lag-gah-hoo.

One night after dinner, my parents sat in the living room watching TV. My siblings and I were getting dressed to go out with our friends. Suddenly, you could hear the trees rustling and the wind howling. There was no moon and stars in the sky, but the street light gave the area a little glow. I peeped through the window and I saw the trees swaying as though they were going to be uprooted. Suddenly, the chickens were cluck-clucking, the dogs were barking, the goats were bleating, the sheep were going baa baa.      “I wonder why all the animals are crying out?” My mother asked.        “It looks like we are having a storm. I was a young boy when I heard animals behave like this,” My father said.    “This is a strange night,” My mother said.        “Yes, it is,” my father said. My brothers, sisters, and I were all dressed and waiting to see if the weather was going to get better. The wind finally stopped, and the animals got quiet.          “I think the wind storm is over.” I said. My siblings all agreed, and we took up what we needed to take with us. As we were telling our parents that we were leaving, we heard footsteps, and the sound of a chain dragging on the road.     Everyone got quiet as we listened to the creepy sound. “Oh boy! This is not a night to be outside,” My mother said.  “No, it is not. It sounds like the devil’s children are out tonight,” My father said. “That must be a Lugarhoo,” My mother whispered.    My siblings and I were scared, so we quickly walked into our parent’s bed room.  You could hear the Lugarhoo walking and dragging his chain. We were going to stay at home in our parent’s bedroom. The next day, everyone in the neighborhood was talking about the Lugarhoo.