We want ah Archbishop

Time could really fly in truth. Just de other day de Cat-licks had ah big ordination foh Bishop Rivas at Victoria Park. Kingstown was getting its first Bishop and was a real impressive ceremony, dem members of de Church went out ah de way and didn’t mek fun to pour it on. At de closing Bishop was emotional and short ah words, all he could ah say was “St. Vincent and the Grenadines you are de greatest!”.{{more}} Bishop was seventeen years younger den, smaller and obviously more handsome, he was given to us with ah badge marked “brilliant scholar”. Dem ladies in de church poured out dey heart foh dey new Bishop till some members uses to come-plain say dey pampering too much, dey spoiling him.

We sat on Christian Council together and as Chairman he was efficient but got ah lot ah pull-it-tek-all licks, sometimes wrongfully ah would say, as being ULP buy-us. Ah not saying dat de Council did not lapse once or twice, but Rivas got de brunt ah de licks. De members ah de Council looked forward to having Christmas lunch with him early in de season. He custom to good food back home in T’n’T way Mammy was ah great cook, and she fed she son; having dined wid him ah few times ah would say he has ah good appetite too. Ah think ah just blew my chances foh invitation foh ah farewell dinner.

No doubt his biggest and most memorable event here, was his marathon walk from Kingstown to Argyle non-stop to raise funds foh ah new St Mary’s Primary School. Ah was there on dat rainy Sat-dey morning wid him every step ah de way, he walked but I drove alongside wid ice, water and juice. It was inspiring just watching him dressed like an athlete in white tennis gear, pounding away on de highway, his two hundred kilo body drenched with rain water and sweat from head to toe, his head high in de air and shoulders erect, stepping like ah militant soldier on parade; all along de route lickle children and adults lined de roadside urging him on; dat is something ah will never forget. At Argyle he was not too tired to conduct Mass, ah great day foh Cat-licks if dey overs way go down dat morning..

Bishop Rivas has been made Coadjutor Archbishop of St. Lucia and we wish him all de best. Ah was always blessed by his simple layman’s language he used when delivering his messages, be it Mass, wedding or funeral. No doubt dat explains why his membership come-plained dat dey didn’t get enough ah his preaching. Ah have ah job to do foh Lie-Za. She say ah must write Pope Ben-dick and tell him SVG want we own Archbishop too.

DE PRIVY COUNCIL DEY

Ah never liked de way people close to de party in power does come-buy Grenadines land foh next nothing. It happened ah lot when NDP was in office and trust me it will happen, if it ain’t done start ah happen under ULP. But even if Mr. two-cent get land under NDP dat ULP want to tek back, de Prime Minister or any member ah Par-liar-mint when dealing with dat issue in de House, should not be allowed to use de privilege ah de House to attack Mr Two-cent or anybody foh dat matter. And ah glad dat Two-cent got de better ah de Prime Minister in his case dat went to de Privy Council. Ah hope dat dis ruling will put de brakes on dem chatty- chatty run-mouth who love to hide behind House privilege and pull down decent citizens who didn’t have any recourse. And ah hope also dat it is not too late to have dat new ruling from de Privy Council included somewhere in de new Constitution. Lie-Za asking me to explain how come de new Constitution foh lickle SVG dat ain’t even dey pon de map ah de world bigger dan de Constitution foh Canada, England or de USA.

Lie-Za is all foh Senator Francis and his call to carry de Rapist dem in de square and cut de back-side, it is ah good motion she says. So ah ask her who she would recommend to do de flogging, she not easy eh, she say, she will invite any minister who is not guilty of interviewing de girls and dem on de couch when dey go looking foh wuk to volunteer. Den ah ask her what about dem who does mek dey hands fast before de girls sit down, she tell me don’t fraid to call names, de Privy Council dey dey to give me justice.

WEDNESDAY IS AUGUST MONDAY

Ah not hearing of any plans dis year to celebrate Emancipation Day next Wednesday, August 1st. ‘Member when de ULP did just got in how dey had big celebration, so much so dem ole people thought it was ah back in time thing. Wednesday is only four days away and like nothing happening, maybe dey planning to shift de holiday back to de first Monday, yuh never know, dey might just wuk dis weekend and prepare an Act to mek it legal, remember de Act to mek de Dollar Fine legal was ah weekend exercise, wid dis Guv-ah-mint dat wuks everyday ah de week, anything is possible. Anyhow whatever day yuh chose to celebrate, Wednesday or Monday just enjoy Emancipation. Don’t mek nobody ever enslave yuh again. And wid dat is gone ah gone again yuh

One Love Bassy