The Ludo Man of Spanish Town
Donald Lindo battles illness while putting smiles on faces
After being slowed by arthritis in his knees, Spanish Town resident Donald Lindo stared at the possibility of struggling to make ends meet. Although he is a skilled carpenter and painter, Lindo found it difficult to climb onto ladders and work on buildings. However, instead of feeling sorry for himself, the elderly man decided to use his skills in other ways to earn his bread.
“Me cyah climb the building and nuh badi nuh gi me nuh work again so me make me own work,” Lindo said.
“Twenty years ago, when me stop work, me seh mi a guh just put the likkle carpenter work weh me know and the likkle painting work together and build boards,” Lindo said.
His roll of the dice has somewhat paid dividends.
“Me make ludo board, draft board, Snake & Ladder, chalkboard — any board you waah, me make them and paint them you,” Lindo said.
Known as the Ludo Man of Spanish Town, Lindo said that while he does not make enough money from his craft, he is committed to his trade.
“Sometimes mi just sell all two a week, so yuh know that nuh guh nuh weh. Sometime if me even sell four, by time mi go a the hardware and come back mi nah nuh money lef. Mi only have money buy mi food and dem sumn deh. But chu a my trade mi affi just live with it and gwaan wid it, cause me sick enuh,” Lindo said.
FACES AND MONEY
While the 82-year-old Lindo paints board games to put smiles on faces and money in his pocket, he is mindful of the need to protect his health. Not only does he have arthritis, but he has also been diagnosed with high blood pressure. He is also suffering through the residual complication of a stomach ulcer.
“All now the doctor dem cyah find out what happen to me mek my stomach a gi mi trouble. Dem send me to the clinic, and when me go to the clinic, the machine bruk down. When me come back COVID start. Now, me kinda fraid go a hospital cause all the COVID,” he said.
“Mi fraid a it because at my age now, if me catch this a gone me gone, man. A dead me dead and me really nuh ready dead yet. Mi wah enjoy the earth some more,” he said.
Lindo said that he is trying his best to stay COVID-free, even as he goes about his business of making board games to put food on his table.
“Even though me old suh, mi nuh ready fi dead. Mi want enjoy the earth some more. As Jesus say, inherit the earth as long as you can inherit the earth,” Lindo said.
So, even as he keeps an eye on the COVID situation, Lindo, a loner, has the other eye on his tools from which he earns a living.
“Mi haffi make me own money at this age. Mi cyah do nothing else, just dis cah me cyah jus sidung. Mi haffi help meself,” said the senior citizen, who would gladly welcome any assistance to buy materials or tools for the creation of another masterpiece.