Where are de tom-boys?

Is amazing how things could change over time. The kids home on summer vacation and the wife done beg me hard to get them into one ah the organized summer programs. “Get them out the house so that we can have some piece and quiet!” {{more}}

Luckily foh us, summer program is ah big thing in SVG these days. And like is serious business too, every thing is organized. First yuh fill out ah form that ask foh more details than ah application foh ah passport; then foh ah small fee, the kids can be signed up foh any of several organized summer programs: Camps of all description, Bible, Cadet, Scouts and Guides; Workshops, Sports Clinics, Arts and Craft, Computer and other Academic program. Oh, they have to walk with ah snack and water. Foh the last couple ah years the kids been going with Camille Saunders Musser, doing Arts, nice craft and pottery, ah lovely program.

This year ah missed her Ad so ah got them into ah Pelau Program supervised by Samantha Goodluck and Ras K-B-Jah. This includes tennis, soccer, cricket, art and computer foh kids. Day number one seem like it was exciting, my daughter got to bang ah tennis ball on court and the lickle fellar hit ah few boundaries at cricket. Man they gave ah ball by ball commentary, every minute detail, then they asked the obvious question: “What did you do in the summer, daddy?”

Ah told them we never had summer, August would be today’s summer. We got school breaks foh Easter, August and Christmas. Whereas today, Mommy want them to get out the house and play, in my day as ah youth it was the reverse, my Granny would ah do anything to see my shadow in the house during the day when it was vacation. We didn’t know nothing about Summer Program except foh the once in ah lifetime Scout Camp. Every thing was spontaneous, from the time yuh see that the sun come up, yuh mek sure and do what yuh had to do, whether is droag water, go foh milk, go shop or tie out the animals, or all four, do it and save yoh-self ah cut back-side before yuh slip out the house; (just fancy the ministry talking bout abolishing licks, dey mad or Wat).

In our day too, fruits was in ah-bun-dance, mango would ah been in season therefore breakfast was optional; it was mango foh tea, breakfast and dinner, there was no interruption during play, play and more play till evening: Spin Top, pitch marble, play cowboy, cricket with ah coconut bat and flannel (tennis) ball; then head foh the beach up Harbour Club way the Cruise Ship Berth is now, and we still uses to play beach cricket or soccer. When night came Granny uses to order me to get off the street and into the bath to clean-up foh dinner. And who tell yuh that after dinner, ah wasn’t going to slip out the house again to go play moonlight games, moon or no moon; if yuh know anything bout moonlight games, yuh will overs when ah say dark-night uses to be the best moonlight games.

The kids then turned to dey mother to find out if girls uses to take part in those rough activities. Well of course, it was ah man’s world then, girls were confined to the house with cooking, cleaning, needle and thread etc, unless she was ah Tom-boy. Ah had to explain that ah Tom-boy was/is ah female who ramp and roam with the boys, played every sports, pitch marble, climb tree and even fight like ah man. After exhausting the topic, ah asked them which period they think was the better, they both agreed that the Ole Time Way was de best; then my daughter asked if was too late foh her to become ah Tom-boy!

Talking bout Tom-boy, it seems like Ambassador Pamenos has found himself his own Tom-boy, doing his own thing

KEN GORDON IT’S ALL YOURS

First foh ah long time ah feel hopeful foh West Indies Cricket, and this is because Ken Gordon is the next Board President. Ah don’t know the man personally, but ah overs he is ah successful media personality. Ah remember as ah youth hearing his voice on radio, that’s way back when Broadcasters had to be able to read and pronounce the Queen’s English properly. He uses to mek cricket sound exciting on Radio, but West Indies cricket is so uninspiring now, that no Broadcaster, not even the late John Arlott could mek it worth listening again. Our Cricket is like the Humpy Dumpy that fell of the wall. So Ken’s biggest role is to mek West Indies cricket lively and exciting again so that Cricket Commentators will run out ah colourful adjectives trying to cover the game.

Ken’s next role is to deal with that fellar Ram-nah-rhyme. Yes, he was ah good West Indies player who many felt got ah bad deal from the selectors, and my girl Lie-Za feels that Ram-nah-rhyme got ah whole quarry ah stones to grind. On the other hand, he might very well be the scape-goat in the race, but if he is ah good trade union leader, he ought to know that he must first and foremost insist that his wukers produce big time and bring in profit big time too, in order to be demanding more pay and taking industrial action every time he’s called upon to wuk.

Ah have ah feeling that our West Indies Cricketers ain’t got any sympathy to get from they own fans. They have been making ah lot ah noise foh money, but series after series, we been getting short change big time from the present crop ah players. Our players not only on ah losing streak, but is the way they losing, in ah five day match, they getting beaten in three days, sometime in two and ah half days. We gat young promising players yes, but injury prone, and when they not inconsistent, they unfit. We are not new comers to good cricket, we have had the best teams foh years. Spectators have not demanded our money’s worth from our Cricketers; is long time we should ah stay away from the mediocre cricket they been giving us, is only because we pay-to-ah-trick and feel we must rally round the West Indies, but not when they fail to deliver and bold face enough to mek unreasonable demands, we will have none ah dat! So it’s all yours Mr. Ken Gordon.

As ah write this article, Hurry-Cane Emily is heading this way. My faith tells me that the good Lord will again spare this land from the worse scenario. Whether this is so or not, we must all give Him thanks and praise Him continually, not just when ah Storm is coming. Continue to pray unceasingly. And with that is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy.