Ah sad state of ah-fear

We celebrating our 29th In-deep-and-dense Anniversary dis week-end, but what ah sad state of ah-fear we in. Teachers and Public Servants on strike pressing claims foh better pay. Consumers marching every Fry-dey in Peaceful Protest against ah wicked fuel charge on electricity bill, and let me congratulate de protesters foh being Peaceful, non violent and keeping within de confines ah de law.{{more}} His-story is about to be written at de In-de-pen-dance Parade, when foh de first time citizens will be part ah de march past, no batons or rifles, just pieces ah card-board with messages pleading foh mercy. Ah will bet if nut-in is done to ease people’s burden, soon de protest lines will expand to include every person fed up enuff wid daily hardship in dey dey-to-dey life e.g. food, clothes, gas etc.

And what is de Guv-ah-mint saying or doing? Neither Guv-ah-mint nor Vinlec is able to give us any hope foh ah significant reduction in our electricity bills, it is ah hopeless situation. Well our Teachers have been on de picket line for the last two weeks wid no end in sight. We are getting two different versions ah de case, de Teachers side and de Guv-ah-mint side. De Guv-ah-mint is claiming its package is de better deal, dat their 7 % offer is ah better package dan de Teachers 10 %, well then, if dat is so, why doesn’t Guv-ah-mint keep de better offer and let de Teachers have de worse, de 10 % ?

Ah resolution of the cry-sis is over-due and I am calling on de Prime Minister to put aside all dis foolish long-talk, dictating to de Ah-position not to interfere, nobody stopped him in 1999 from getting involved wid de Teachers Union protest when dey were asking foh 30 % increase. And he must reconsider his stance dat he not meeting wid de Teachers to discuss strike, meet wid dem and get de kids back in de classroom.

TWO FOH HEAVEN

Dis weekend we will celebrate de promotion to Glory of two one-dah-full ladies. Mother Jack who made it big last month celebrating her 100th birthday. She was featured on her big day entertaining her guests dat included Sir Fred, playing de piano as good as our own Donna Williams-Clarke. Mother Jack’s two boys, Earl ah Scientist and “F.I.” ah former deputy headmaster at de Grammar School, were my school-mates. Yuh will not find two more humble gentlemen, qualifications didn’t mess-up dey head. Mother Jack certainly did ah great job on dem. Ah believe dat St. Peter recruited her specially to accompanying de Angels’ choir up in Heaven.

And Marriaqua’s First Lady, Velma “Tanty Velma” Browne took her exit as well. Tanty Velma had a number of Firsts, first female Justice of de Peace in SVG; first chairman of de Marriaqua Village Council; Charmaines Boutique, de pioneer in de boutique business.

At a tender age, Tanty Velma rode de seas as ah trafficker to T’n’T and B’dos until de Romeo of de Valley, Chippy took her sailing down de Aisle. Apart from giving us Ken, our youngest ever parliamentarian, de marriage produced ah successful business partnership beginning wid Shopping Centre at Freeland, de first Boutique to bring to SVG de latest in US fashions. Den de business moved to Kingstown as Velma Browne & Son/Charmaine’s Boutique and fashions went crazy as man and woman vied foh de Best Dress man and woman title. Thanks to Velma Browne latest in clothes, valley lads Jimmy Prince and Lie-Lee Cato won dem-selves beautiful lasses from de valley.

Was only three weeks ago ah commented on Tanty Velma’s warm hospitality. Yuh would think her home was ah Restaurant, there was always ah bite in dat house, and she never discriminated. Ah remember attending ah funeral in Mespo years ago, and husband Chippy invited de town folks home foh ah drink. “Don’t go” he said, Mrs Browne is fixing yuh all ah light snack, and he emphasized de “ light snack”. De house went in ah uproar when Chippy returned wid de first two plates ah his light snack: curry goat, chicken, pie, ground provision and de full wuks. Her best dish was her Souse, we uses to journey to Mespo Catholic Harvest foh Velma Browne’s Souse and Breadfruit, mind yuh, she was Methodist. Heaven is de place to be dis weekend, breadfruit and souse by Tanty Velma and music by mother Jack. Dem folks up in Heaven could expect ah grand time!

AH COULD NEVER WIN HER

Congrats to Sarah Jackson, her coach Lynn Cevene and principal Sister Jacinta of SJCM school foh winning de Public Speaking Competition. Will Sarah Pay-Lynn? Big bet at our home, my daughter backing her GHS schoolmate, my wife shouting foh her Alma Mater SJCM and I plugging foh my Alma Mater, Grammar School. SJCM won outstandingly and so did my wife, she not easy, wid her, ah could never win! And wid dat, is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy.

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.