Wednesday when ah went to collect the kids foh lunch me heart skip ah beat. Smack in the centre ah dey forehead, ah notice ah big black smear, like when yoh crash into ah wall.

Ah was half relieved however, when ah noticed that all the other kids had this big black “whemp” too and running about the place least concerned. My kids had excitement beaming on dey face, anxiously waiting to show me where Bishop Rivas had branded them with the Traditional Ash Wednesday Trade Mark, the Cross. {{more}}

My family is not Catholic and Ash Wednesday Tradition is not ah part of my Church. But we are happy that our kids can attend ah Catholic School where Religious Education is mandatory and children get exposed to the beliefs and practices of the Christian Faith.

The Lenten Season uses to be ah big thing in my day as ah youth. But since we change we Carnival over to July, Ash Wednesday that marks the beginning ah Lent like it get throw-out the window. Long ago Lent was ah solemn custom. It had practices that were good foh both the Body and Soul. Physically people uses to go on ah Fast foh the forty days ah Lent. Some people went part ah the way and ate only fish; some went foh the straight vegetarian diet, and still some seeking foh spiritual encounters did ah total Fast.

Carnival Tuesday was yoh last big jump-up until Easter Sat-dey night. There was no Dance or Fete during Lent, no house parties, no Weddings, lovers had to wait till Easter Sat-dey to get married. There was no Radio Stations in SVG and the two stations in T’n’T didn’t play Kaisoes during Lent. Ah lot ah Habits were frozen during Lent. Gross Rum-drinkers banned liquor till Easter. As kids we played ah Tradition called “Ley We Go Lent”! It was ah three point agreement where yoh swear not to tell lies, use fowl-language or call the Creators name in Vain. If by mistake yoh buss ah bad word, the other person gives yoh ah lash. To avoid getting hit, yoh had to quickly say: “Lent”!

Lie-Za was saying she would ah like to Go Lent with de Come-Red. She say way every body meking ah three point agreement, de Come-Red would ah have to agree on ah fourth. Well she had me searching foh that fourth, till she stick up she Middle Finger, same time ah raise me hand to lash her, she ball out: “Lent”! She telling me all kind ah story but she won’t answer me when ah ask her, if is true when she went up foh she Ashes, she had to run, cause the Priest call foh ah piece ah burning chalk-coal to bran she!!

FROM YOUR VALENTINE

Whereas Lent was ah big thing long ago, Valentine was not. But Valentine is again ah Catholic thing. There are about three Catholic Saints name Valentine who were martyred. There is one Valentine in particular that according to Legend, was ah Priest who was imprisoned. While there he fell in Love with the Jailor’s daughter who uses to visit him. This one sounds like ah Lie-Za story, before Father Valentine’s death he wrote to the young lady and signed the letter “From your Valentine”! Ah suppose that was ah big thing back then, because Priests are suppose to be like Neutered, they’re not flesh and blood and not suppose to have feelings, or if by ah stroke ah luck, they discover that they have feelings, that could be disastrous.

But Valentine is all about Love and ah lot ah ladies look forward foh the day, they will not allow any body to put any Red Herring in they plans. They will put on ah Red Out-fit and go out with the Hussy foh dinner, eat Red Snapper, drink Red Wine or Red J-uc. Never mind the Love has been Red-uced to ah once ah year affair. The men on the other hand have been rising to the occasion, we realize that this is the wifey’s day, and will not be caught Red Handed in any other out ah tune activity.

Last year Andrew Cummings and I took de wives by Slick’s foh some good food and Karry-yoh-key! We did plan to go back this year, de wives were to wear Red and Andrew did promise to sing ” Ladies in Red”. But Slick’s gone de States, so we going by Calabash. Since is an affair that is all bout Red, we got to chose between de Come-Red or F-Red Vanloo. We will check out de Come-Red first, see what he got Red up dey to eat other than the ULP T-shirt, and then is Calabash we heading!

DE PROGRESS-IF

Will somebody tell Jomo Thomas and Doc Fraser that between them both they will unearth more Progress-if they will stop picking on each other and dedicated their writings towards eradicating the common N-M-E : Lies, Dishonesty, Corruption, Drugs, and the long list that follows.

And with that is gone ah gone again. Happy Valentine.

One Love Bassy.