Ah don’t think anyone will dispute de fact dat Christmas 2013 was one ah de brightest in SVG foh dis century. Business places went on fire from Thursday last week. Ah wish ah could ah say Christmas was good foh folks like de Russells at Georgetown, who remain victims of de flooding of de Georgetown River in April, 2011. It was ah terrible loss foh de Russells who, like Luzette King, ain’t got no Party Card. Their house was completely destroyed and Mrs Russell sustained serious damages and lost ah leg. Ah number of other families had dey homes either destroyed or damaged; everyone else, except de Russells, got dey homes either replaced or repaired.{{more}} Lie-Za reports dat persons whose houses did not even get ah scratch, got galvanize, lumber and cement, materials foh which dey had no immediate use. Was de Pry Minister thinking of people like de Russells and dey suffering when he wrote in his Christmas Message: “Let us help the poor and disadvantaged at Christmas and always.” Lie-Za sums it up nicely, she says: “Dis Christmas, Pope Francis will hear confessions like he never hear before.”

But SVG, wid our unique “Nine Mornings” of festivities before Christmas, is definitely de place to be. As de festival continues to grow by leaps, we must never lose focus of de true meaning of Christmas. News out of Stubbs is dat de Nine Mornings action was unbelievable. Ah took in one ah de Mornings at Carrierre, de involvement ah de community and de spirit was terrific! De Carrierre committee is headed by Jenny Richardson, who seems committed to ensure her small Nine Mornings Committee keep de tradition alive and well, and most importantly, in line wid de Reason fo de Season. De morning ah went was like de whole community was out in full participation. Dey was even ah baby participating in de “tight pants” competition, just when de judging crowd was about to shout ah big “Yes” for de infant, someone shouted “dat baby got on pampas!” Nurse Rozz, my wife’s schoolmate, was off duty, and entertained de crowd wid her back in time dancing! Kudos foh Sister Muriel and she “Bakes’n’Salt-fish” and de Guinny Pepper bush tea to wash it down! I am suggesting dat Kingstown has outgrown itself, and de committee should consider spreading its wings across Kingstown, mek use of venues like de Fair Trade Car Park, de court yard at de Vegetable Market, De Nobriga’s Car Park. Ah challenging de Christian Council to make use ah de Anglican Car Park. De soul winning component is sadly missing from de Nine Mornings. Not enough souls, if any at all is won foh Christ during de Nine Mornings celebrations. Bring out de church membership, have open air Mass and Communion, serve Bush Tea, sing traditional Christmas Carols and Songs, let de young people participate wid dey music, drama and dance.

TUFF TIMES AHEAD.

As 2013 takes its exit and we tek ah peep at 2014, it seems dat we are in foh tuffer times. Bo-bid-us is laying off 3,000 public servants early in 2014. Two thousand will go home in January and 1,000 in March. Bo-bid-us is rated as having de best managed E-con-Amy in de Carry-Beyond and beyond. Our near-bah’s house is on fire, or smoke coming from de building, it therefore follows dat Sin-Vin-Sin, whose E-con-ah-mek growth has been fixed at zero point something foh years, got to start wetting its house. Kenny’N’Tony made no apology in an address ah few months ago when he said dat de E-con-nah-mek sit-yuh-hear-shun in most ah these island states are on de verge ah collapse, but de Pull-it-to-kill leaders are living in deny-all. SVG ain’t got nothing to worry ’bout, because when de E-con-nah-mek down-turn was sweeping thru de USA and de wider world, our Pry Minister did say dat SVG was insulated and ain’t got nothing to worry bout! Talk is cheap; let us remember to petition de Lord in our daily prayers, to truly insulate our country from Crime, Violence and Financial collapse!

BRER LION AND DE ASS

Dr Care-Not John does not deserve ah response to his swipe at me last week in his column. He reminds me of one of Aesop’s Fables “Brer Lion and de Ass.” Brer Lion, king ah de jungle, had grown ole and weak, and bitter! His claws and teeth and strength had all abandoned him; he no longer commanded de respect as King of de jungle. In desperation he decided to prove he is King and he still got sting. His calculations led him to pick ah fight wid de Ass, one ah de least offensive member ah de animal kingdom. From de moment dat Ass saw Brer Lion coming towards him, he smell ah surprise attack and swiftly positioned himself to plant ah kick on Brer Lion. In ah flash Brer Lion was flat on de ground. “Nobody will believe what just happened to me?” Brer Lion said. “De king ah de jungle was just kicked by, of all creatures in de jungle, an Ass!” Unlike de Ass, I will not dignify Dr Care-Not John with ah response! He has nothing to do and de world ah time to do it! And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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