Sir James: “Dig Ah Better Life”

Is only lately ah read about Eva Durate, dis young Argentinian girl from de small rural village of Los Toldos (Awning). Conscious of her beauty and talent, Eva migrated from her humble rural village to the capital of Buenos Aires to pursue a career in entertainment and the arts. Her beauty and talent won it all foh her when Eva met and marry Juan Peron who would become de president of Argentina, making Eva the country’s First Lady. Her story tells dat she was much more than that. She was revered by the Argentine public because of how she championed workers’ rights and the rights of the poor, and also of women. She died tragically of cancer at the young age of 33. In her honour de musical film Evita with de theme song, “Don’t cry for me Argentina” features Argentina’s favourite daughter, Eva Peron’s early life, her rise to power, charity work, and death.

Sir James was promoted to Glory on Choose-day. In sickness or Hell’t Sir James was ah man who always loved to win ah battle. When he took ill ah couple weeks ago, Lie-Za and all ah we say Sir James is ah Nansi, he go trick all ah we again. But when word from de Bo-bail-us Host-put-all hinted dat Sir James was repeatedly listening to de pop-yuh-lah theme Song from de movie “Don’t cry for me Argentina,” Lie-Za said to me: “ Sir James is in company wid Eva Peron, ah soul mate, ah like mind who has preceded him to de great beyond. .

My fondest personal memory of Sir James was when ah got ah scholarship to Canada, but needed someone to sign my $60,000.00 Bond. He was den Min of Agriculture in 1969, ah asked him to sign my Bond. In his dry humour style, he said to me: ‘ Alexander Bond or no Bond, any young man leaving dis country to study, I will not stand in your way.” Ah returned in 1971, he was happy and had me sent to Can-On to define de boundaries of 100 house parcels in Grand Bay, and another 30 plots in Charles Bay. Everybody on de island got ah house spot, some two and three. The price was penny and four cents ah square foot.

When my Bond expired ah told him ah planning to go back to Canada, because we could not get ah Surveyors License to practice in SVG. He took our case to Cabinet and foh de last 45 years I have been ah Licensed Land Surveyor in SVG. Thank you Sir James.

He was an Agronomist, who is an expert in the science of soil management and crop production. He knew de power of de land and so acquired several Estates thru-out SVG and distributed it to de Landless. Estate wukers became owners of de very lands dey and de parents wuked from generation to generation. “Dig ah Better Life” was de motto foh his first and Best ever Agriculture Exhibition chaired by Manny Francis.

Wid COVID-19 knocking down de place, de present heartless Regime man-dated in Par-liar Mint dat all front line wukers must tek de Jab or lose dey Job. Sir James last request was full of compassion ah humane. In an effort to persuade people to tek de Jab, he suggested dat Go-venom-mint spend one million dollars towards ah $50. 00 lunch voucher foh every person teking de Jab. No talk bout people losing wuk and pen-shun.

One day dey will be ah Drama Production of de Life of Sir James and we go call it: “ Doh cry foh James Fitz-Allentina”.
Have your much needed Peaceful Rest Sir James. And wid dat is gone ah gone again

One Love Bassy.

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