De Bar getting overloaded

Over de last three weeks, three new faces have been added to de long list ah Lawyers permitted to practise hey in SVG, Israel Bruce out of Lauders and Shirlan Barnwell from Lowmans; ah want to to big-up de villagers ah Lauders and Lowmans, it takes ah whole village to raise ah child, well dey now have dey own home-grown Lawyers. De third candidate was Jadrick Cummings from Cane Hall. De number of Lawyers registered to practice in SVG is now 318.{{more}} While many ah we remain skeptical about dat massive figure, and wondering way dey go find wuk, Chief Justice Bruce Lyle is not unduly worried, he sounded quite comfortable wid dat number, and in his address/exhortation to young Cummings, he is advising young Barristers to spread dey wings, venture out into de deep and seek opportunities away from home. Originally from Ghana, de learned Judge used himself as an example; he has worked his entire life away from his homeland, most of de years were spent in SVG, first as ah Mad-is-straight, was he ever tuff; and later he returned as ah Judge, ah darn good Judge too. Unfortunately, ah missed de session foh Bruce and Barnwell, but ah had to be at young Cummings’ foh close family connect-shun. Ah remember August 3rd, 1989 ah was in de USA, and dat night ah dreamt Jackie Cummings had ah son; baby Jadrick Cummings was born de next day. Ah was around de family to witness his development, full ah manners and behaviour, ah fine athlete following de footsteps of big brother, Jarand who followed his dad, Andrew, who followed his uncle Norris “Chic” Cummings, dey just keep cumming oops, coming. Yes quite frequently we hear about de academic success of an abandoned or ah single parent child, or ah kid from ah family of ten having to survive on ah dad’s part time job as ah labourer, and so on. But dey’s equally “sweet success” when ah child “comes thru” despite having to experience daily ah parent battling wid ah life threatening disease; and dis was Jadrick’s challenge, being dey, wid and foh his ailing dad, his mentor and motivator. So Jadrick brings to de fraternity not just academia, but ah real and unique experience of what pain and human suffering is all about.

Israel Bruce’s success story can be associated wid de child way bread ‘n’ butter and school fees would have been ah challenge. He’s ah born and bread country man, fearless (full-ah-talks) will mek it big in Law and later in Politics; Israel got de N-ah-G and determination to mek it big any-way. Shirlan Barnwell was admitted on the same day wid Israel. She is one ah de lickle daughters from de country dat ah always admired; ah will have to consult my villager, Jomo Thomas foh Shirlan’s identity; ah hearing now is two sisters, twins, look-alike, humble and polite-alike, stylishly-alike, always in ah hurry and on de move, like dey going out fire. But Jomo spoke highly of Shirlan, seems like he knows her (too) well. Meddle-some Lie-Za seems to know Shirlan’s business, she chanting me down saying: “You ain’t know dat is Jomo’s fren and dey going to team up?” Knowing Lie-Za, dat could mean either “legal partners” or “life partners.”

MAN AH DE YEAR Now ah would love to big-up Shirlan’s parents, ah don’t know her mom, who must be part ah all ah dis, but ah know her dad, Sam Barnwell, and ah would love to recognize Sam as ah Nation Builder, my “Man ah de Year Ah-ward.” He’s ah wuk-horse always on de go like his daughters; once dey’s ah dollar to be made, Sam is right dey. Sam is ah Trafficker/ Market Vendor selling his produce on Bedford Street every Friday; ah generous and unselfish guy who fancies himself as ah Herbalist, bush doctor. But he’s first and foremost ah Farmer, ah fearless and aggressive planter, always willing to try something new. When Sam heard Sir James plugging foh Cocoa during de 2010 Election Calm-Pain, he went ahead and germinated his own plants; already his trees are bearing fruits. I am grateful dat he has persuaded me to put Cocoa trees around my home and has even provided me wid de plants. So am ah Cocoa Far..mah, ah waiting foh Mr Ah-match-arr-yoh. Ah want to wish Shirlan all de best, Ole people say dat breadfruit don’t fall far from de tree; watch out foh Shirlan as she progresses in her dad’s footstep!

Have ah Peaceful, Happy New Year, mek no Res-all-yuh-shun dah yuh can’t keep; how about getting into some form ah daily exercise starting New Years Day? And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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