Dey would ah riot in church yard

Last weekend newspapers had ah field-day of Front and Back Page headlines dat would have led readers to one con-clusion:

“de Go-venom-mint seized St Georges Anglican Church Cathedral!” And of course “Man on de Street” had dey own twist to de story. On hearing de name Bishop Friday, dey immediately thought of Godwin Friday, and wid de heated Budget De-bait way Par-liar-mint was on fire; yuh should ah hear how dey put it: “Murdah oh, Gunsalves and dem throw Friday out ah Anglican Church.” Lie-Za say tek her Prime Minister outta dat; he is ah good Cat-lick Boy. “He done tell all-yo he has no knowledge of any Enforcement Order.”

Poor Dean Mc Intosh, (well he is Rich and Pure now) heaven knows how stressful it was foh him begging like Lazarus foh help to restore de Cathedral. All kind of Appeal letters went out begging foh help.

I am saddened to hear way going on wid de Anglican Church. Ah know dat if stalwarts like Biscuit Mc Intosh, Clarence Keizer, Theo Roberts, Betram Arthur, Millington and Fitz Scott were around, No Trust, No Borrow, No Lend not even Go-venom-mint could ah stop dem guys from restoring, enhancing and preserving de Architectural, Cultural and Spiritual integrity of dis Sacred House of God. Dey would ah ha riot in Anglican Church-yard.

After what I see de Met-dis headed by Rev Edwards’ committee wid, Monty Maule et al, and ah top class contracting firm from Guyana did in restoring de Met-dis Church ah few years ago, I know wid God’s help, de Anglicans can and will do it.

Lie-Za say de Order by Physical Planning to discontinue wuk restoring de Anglican Church is ah Blessing in disguise. She asking where was de Nah-shun-all ‘Truss’ all these years de building needed ah truss/roof’? Where is de $50,000 promised by Go-venom-mint in de 2018 Budget to assist in de restore-rare-shun? And finally, where is all de Anglican Community, de Christian Council of which de Anglican is ah member? Dey’s at least 10,000 Anglicans in SVG, if each Anglican pledges ah $100 ah year, dat is one $10 phone top-up ah month, dat is ah million dollars. Planning, Nah-shun-all Truss, all ah yuh Back-biters, “Touch not de Lord’s Tabernacle!”

SEE AND DOH TOUCH

My NIS Pen-shun is so small ah didn’t notice dat no money went into my account at de bank foh months. So last week one ah de youths who grew up in my Village, who wuks at de NIS, in his ever pleasant manner told me dat ah should visit de bank dat ah lickle something from NIS was sent to my account. Nuff Respects foh NIS. Ah join NIS when Self Employed became eligible, three years before ah reached re-tyre-mint. Mr Jacobs, de NIS Field Officer, signed me up. My contribution was $85 ah month, so after three years I had contributed only $3,060. And at de end of my first year as a Pen-shunner, ah received $300 monthly, dat is equal to $3,600 a year. So in one year ah got mor pen-shun dan all my contributions. De only reason why ah doh feel guilty, is because in 1982 ah did resign from de Public Service and gave up 22 years of Pen-shun and Gratuity.

Now ah want to appeal to every wuker in SVG, Employer, Employee, Self-employed, Domestic, Yard-boy, Grass-cutter, Fisherman, Farmer, once yuh wuking, whether by de Hour, Day, Week, Fort-night or Month; if yuh at home or abroad, join de Nah-shun-all Insurance Service, it will be undoubtedly be de best investment yuh will ever make.

Ah really am converted to NIS Religion so dat is why ah does get nervous every time ah hear de NIS name comes up in Par-Liar-mint. Ah hear Arm-In rebuking dem from inFesting, buying shares wid any ah my NIS into Hotel, whether is Mount-Win, Die-man or where-ever. Loan yes, but no Investment. In other words, See and Doh Touch my NIS wid family business. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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