Way dem fathers dey?

According to ah report by Knoema, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) homicide rate is showing signs of ah decrease through 1999 – 2021 period ending at 30.7 cases per 100,000 population in 2021. Another report says dat analysis ranks SVG as No 7 foh homicide in de World. But already in 2023 we have had 21 homicides foh de first half ah de year already, dat is frightening. Wid-out de official breakdown of the numbers, ah would venture to ass-u-me at least eighteen ah de 21 murder victims foh dis year are men, young-men, fathers and potential fathers. Police are on de chase for at least 14 murder suspects- again young men, young fathers, yes potential fathers, driven to Gang-star-is-him we are told, killing one another over drugs money, so as to man-tain dey high men-tain-ance women, according to Lie-Za and our PM.

De saddest part in dis Death Toll is when yuh look at de Newspaper stories and pictures of surviving relatives of de deceased young men, is ah set ah distraught looking mothers, grannies, sisters, but hardly ever is dey ah photo of ah father, so we ask “Way dem Fathers Dey?

Looks like in Life, Father missing in act-shun, same thing in Death, no Fathers Dey! Lie-Za strongly believes dat in ah few short years not only will dey be ah man shortage, but dey will also be many absent Fathers or Fathers unaccounted foh; dey will be many Step Fathers, many Step sons and step daughters and no answers to “Way Dem Fathers Dey!

Sunday please God is Father’s Day. Ah welcome sight in Church when everybody looks forward to de third Sunday in June, dis one day of de year, wid Dad out front taking de entire family to church. Some-time during de service, de faithful members of de Women’s Arm in de Churches put on ah show of de year foh Fathers. Sometimes dey’s an Award for outstanding Father of de year.

For dis year however, my nomination foh Father of de Year is my next door neighbour. Ah single parent left with four young sons all at Primary School age, about 18 years ago. Dis parent was ah road worker dat loved de politics. Never missed ah Par-liar-mint meeting, always stationed under de shed in de Court Yard heckling ULP members as de head to de meeting. De heckling was always intense and biting. So much so dat one working day, de minister of works visited de job site in de village and appeared shocked to see de face of his chief heckler, wuking in his ministry. Dey both made strong eye contact. De minister went back to his office, and shortly after deTime-Keeper of de road workers, came to de work-site, informed de Single parent to pack-up and go, an immediate dismissal. Fired!

So wid four hungry boys to feed, two of which were in Timmy (IHS) Secondary. Survived wid an office cleaning job at de NDP headquarters and help in particular from Hon Arm-In Eustace, dis parent was able to see all four boys thru school. Ah will have yuh know dat one is ah Police officer, and would yuh believe dat two of de boys are ULP supporters? One of dem is ah Luke Browne faithful and one has health issues. I am sure dat two lines in Zion-I’s blistering Kaiso dis year would ah bin inspired by de plight of victim-eyes wukers like my neighbour and Nominee foh “Father of de Year.”

She is now Medically challenged but remains tall, strong, powerfully built and still very vocal. Sharon Rogers ah single parent Mother who could say: “present please” when de question “Way dem Fathers Dey” is asked. Happy Father’s Day all.

And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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