Photoman Rogers uses to give me instructions on good Photography. Ah had one ah them fan-see Cameras and when ah carry in me films to clean, what ain’t Over-Exposed, Under-Exposed, net results All Spoil! Then Rogers would explain, in photography the light got to be right, the amount or intensity and the timing of the light is important. And so it is in Polly-Ticks. {{more}}

Ah man could Under-Expose himself, like Arm-Im sometimes. And ah man could Over-Expose Himself like de Come-Red! It is as bad in Polly-Ticks as it is in Photography. It paints ah bad image! And on this score somebody got to tell de Come-Red bout the comments people are making bout him, like the frequency of his appearances, he can’t want to appear at every Mauby Sale, or if he must, then he ain’t have to speak everyway and every-time. Another thing, while he’s ah First Rate Speaker, people are complaining about the duration of some of his speeches and Press Conferences. Ah wish people close to de Come-Red his ministers, Glen and Brendon whose lips are closest to his ears will tell him what they are hearing.

But having said all ah dat, left to me alone ah would ah invited the PM to the St. Mary’s R.C School ground-breaking ceremony. Ah don’t know if it was advertent or inadvertent, certainly it was an oversight. The PM is all foh Education and even though it’s ah Church School with Rotary’s support, somewhere down the road Guv-ah-mint will be required to foot some ah the estimated six million dollars. But Lie-Za was saying that de Come-Red’s reaction to his omission was not pleasant, that evening he sat at ah Rotary Dinner at a table with Daniel Cummings who is ah member ah the School Building Committee, and my girl Lie-Za said the scene was uncalled for and unpleasant, she got up from where she was, went to the Bar and then slipped away. Come-Red it is very unsafe to mash the accelerator going down ah hill; mash yuh brakes instead!

CLASSES OF 1954 AND 1955

Last Tuesday five of us schoolmates met to discuss plans for a Celebration to mark 50 years since we entered the doors ah the Grammar School. (See Page 33) Actually it was Leroy Rose who called to remind me last year to say he was celebrating 50 years; so ah quickly reminded him that he can fool the girls with ah twenty percent discount on his age, but not me, we were in school to-gather and he must give me ah better discount. What he was trying to tell me though, that it was in fact 50 years since he had first entered the Grammar School. Knowing that 2005 would be my 50th year, ah hinted that ah will get the boys to-get-her with our spouses and have ah lickle celebration. Somebody told EG King and then ah couldn’t rest. Ah could not wait foh him to land back home to hand the planning over to him.

Well, we finally met and how young we all looked ha! Ha! Ha! minus the surplus snow on top that keep falling down on our moose-stash and beards, and lower down too, who knows. On the way to the session ah was fearful that ah was going to ah five minutes meeting that will last five hours. If yuh think women love talk come-mess, just put two men in ah room much more five ah we, over sixty, that include Fred Providence, Victor Peters, well not so much Rodway Fraser but E.G. not to mention yours truly.

We actually got thru the business ah the meeting in fifteen minutes. The Reunion will include the Classes of 1954 and 1955. We begin on July 3rd with ah Church Service at Calliaqua Anglican where Dr. Syl Regisford, ah classmate is the Parish Priest followed with a Brunch. Ah boat-ride on Wednesday 6th. Ah evening of Memories and memoirs on Thursday, Games and Bar-B-Q on Friday. We overs that the folks at Ratho Mill will be having ah Reunion around the same time, the more the merrier. Fellars, also Teachers of Classes 54 and 55, way ever all yuh dey, touch base with one ah we, and find all yuh self home foh ah Reunion in July.

SHE WAS DE

DEAREST

It was only when Andrew and I became close buddies that ah found out that there was ah closer bond that existed long before we both “dream to born” between his mother and his uncle Eardley on one side and my Father and Grandparents on the other. Mrs Cummings warmth and gentleness towards me at first and later to my two lickle ones, not only drew me close to her, but made me feel like family too, and ah just couldn’t help calling her Dearest like all her close relatives did. Dearest and Uncle Eardley were able to fill me in on that period of my Dad’s life that ah never knew. She in particular told me of his teenage days, his wild sense ah humor and mischievous pranks, his musical skills and so on. That helped to mek me overs and love the father that disappeared when ah was ah baby and returned ah mental case years later.

But Dearest was ah firm Believer, she was what Love is all about, and that was easily recognized in her telephone conversations, she would enquire about every member of my family, the children’s health, their progress in school, and then she would say : ” Bassy ah dying to see them, when are yoh bringing them to see me”. She would sacrifice her all foh her children and die foh her grandchildren, but that profound Love never stopped her from straightening them out, from Andrew down.

Her involvement in the Floral Business at the International level, served me well in the past on special occasions like Birthday Roses foh ah offshore Lime ah had. But Valentine’s Day this year was extra special fuh me, Jackie her daughter-in-law, called to say that she was helping Dearest with Floral Arrangements foh Valentines, and she had done ah special one fuh me. Valentine morning when the wife was all covered-up under the sheet, ah went in the junk room and took out Dearest’s last Red Rose way ah had it hidden, and like ah Love Vine, ah gently placed it next to de Wife’s head with ah kiss. When she woke up she was lost fuh words. All she said was: ” That’s right Bassy, tek full marks.” Remember she’s ah teacher eh, she don’t give full marks so easy. Thank yuh Dearest yuh made my Valentine, ah will always remember yuh foh that. Just have your much deserved peaceful Rest with your Saviour, Dearest.

And on that note, ah gone again.

One Love Bassy.