Four-day morning, moon still shining, dis tired, sleep-less looking ole lady, she head tie wid ah big, blue and white scaff, holding ah new brass bell in one hand, ah white leather-cover Bible and ah yellow high-bis-cuss flower in the other. Ah recognized her Spiritual Baptist regalia, but was only when ah got closer to her and she said: “Doh fraid, is only me.” Ah realized was ‘Mother B’ from Go-May Village. Straight to de point, she asked me why ah so harden. She reminded me how over ah year ago, she told me to mek note ah way going on round me and tek warning. “Dis COVER-WIT Virus is ah Man-made something wid ah Spiritual Warning, it sin-full,” she said. In her own un-scientific lingo, she explained dat de virus escaped from de Lavatry way dey was meking it way up in China. It born in de air (she meant air-borne) you can’t see or hear it, and only when it reach in de lungs and de heart, yuh does feel it, when it too late.

Dey have no man-made cure, first dey say to wear ah mask, now dey saying wear two mask! Sanatize and wash yuh hands wid soap foh 20 seconds, and yuh feet too, doh touch nothing, doh shake nobody hand. Keep far from one another! Dis thing will beat yuh in yuh Head, Lungs, Heart and Soul if yuh doh COVER-WIT! she said, COVER WIT de Blood!”

By now ah scared like ah rabbit, ah invited ‘Mother B’ in de house foh ah cup ah chocolate tea. She said : “Thanks but ah will only drink ginger, lemon grass or mint tea wid you, if yuh have.” So ah boil-up all three. Ginger, lemon-grass and mint wid a spoon-full ah molasses.

She drank de Bush-tea and encouraged me to drink it often, plus she gave me some other herbs dat have Vitamins A, B, C, D and Zee (Zinc pumpkin seeds).

We sat down to ah serious conversation, and ah asked her why so much ah washing ah hand and masking-up. Dat was when she opened her Bible and asked me to read Psalms 24 verse 3 and 4; read it loud foh de Nay-shun and its leaders to hear, so ah read: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?  Who may stand in His holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol (obeah), or swear by a false god.”

Den she started to deliver her Message. “Too many people in high places, wid unclean hands dabbling wid de affairs of dis Blessed Land,” she said. She went silent, took ah deep breath and continued: “Too many people wid impure hearts (heartless people) delivering judgement on innocent people is dis Blessed Land.” Den she started to call out names, she asked me to tell de teachers and nurses if de seeking mercy, dey must extend mercy as well; tell yu Pry-mini-star to follow Me-ah, de Lady in Bo-Bathe-us, remove dat short-sighted Man-dah-tarry Bill from de Law Book. And tell dat robust young man dat before Babylon falls, he must revisit de Beach in Glen, and on de sand, write from Obadiah 1 verse 4: “Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there de Lord will bring you down!”

“Do you mean Robust or Roban?” I asked. “Any one will do” den straight away she got up and said: “Is time foh me to go, thanks for de tea, you must drink it often, ah hope yuh done tek de Vex-scene.”

And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy.

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