Where Were We All?

One ah SVG’s greatest sportsmen said good-bye to us on February 16th. 2024. And foh de one-dah-full things he would have done foh his country and by extend-shun de West Indies (den), dey was no Fanfare, no trumpet, not ah drum was heard, no flying of de Nah-shun-all flag at half- mast, no tolling ah de church-bell. Just like how he lived ah quiet and peaceful life, so he died in de end at Garden of Eden’s private home for Senior Citizens. Maurice King was born in 1937 yes, de Maurice King of SVG and West Indies weight-lifting fame, who represented the West Indies at two Pan-American Games- one in Chicago, de other in South America (Argentina or Brazil) and a Commonwealth Games.

Maurice’s team-mate and training partner Harold Providence, ah former Dispenser now retired, recalls in 1958 ah team of Weight-lifters dat included youths like Nigel Da silva, Freddy Ballantyne, Dennis “Prick” London, Vin “Tin Tin” Primus, school-boy Harold and Maurice, visiting B’’dos and T’n’T separately foh competition. Needless to say SVG won in both battles, and Maurice not only won in his Lightweight Class but gained selection to ah British West Indies Team.

Now anytime ah dealing wid events and people way before my time, people wid first eye info like when SVG mashed up de Circus, and Selwyn Brisbane (Stinkah-Wallop) went in de cage and charmed ah Lion foh $5. 00 and ah bottle ah rum, ah does have to consult wid an Ole Sage, Dennis Mounsey, my former colleague, also ah former worker at CWSA of days of Majorca

Water Supply in de 1950’s. Before ah forget, ley me say Happy Birthday to Dennis, (4-score and 10 years) He begged me doh men-shun 90, just use ah formula.

Dennis recalls Maurice King as ah lickle youth playing Pan, what was den de “Tune Pan” (tenor Pan) in de Syncopators Steel Band, one of three steel bands in Middle Street: Melody Makers, Commandos and Syncopators that comprised trained musicians who played classical songs on Pan, reading music straight from de scores. Dat was 70 years ago, do our players today play Pan reading directly from de music sheets? Haven’t seen it yet.

In 1950, when I attended Met-dis School ah lickle nine year ole, Maurice was playing soccer and cricket, a fast bowler foh de senior School’s Team wid players like Ian Neverson who later played foh de Windward Islands. Around 1958, my weightlifting coach Freddy Ballantyne, introduced me to Maurice who not only had ah complete set of Olympic Weights, but was unofficially lifting pondages equal to and even above other athletes in de region who would have been his competitors. When Maurice left SVG to compete in Trinidad in 1957-58, he was already a winner. He would have had successful meetings in Bo-bathe-us and Pan-American Games in Chcago for certain, and a South American State way he won Bronze and Silver medals respectively.

He worked with de Government, first as an assistant Draughtsman at Housing, then at Physical Planning Board as a Field Inspector. Then he retired from the Public Service, no doubt tired of lifting hundreds pon top hundreds ah pounds heavy Iron. And den as Shakespear would have put it Maurice stayed alone at home “, Sans Visitors, Sans Family, Forsaken by friends and country-men! Reminds us all of Jesus’s Words :” Where were you? and I? and all ah we when all dis was happening?” And so Maurice found lasting Peace at his adopted Garden of Eden Private Home for Seniors, and waited till de Master called him Home. Gone to ah better place .

And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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