A Timely Time-Piece

Dey say dat if you give ah woman ah wrist-watch whenever she looks at her wrist, she will fondly remember the person who gave her the timepiece she is wearing. It is a lovely way to show your interest in someone and a subtle way of indicating that you can see a future with her. But who gives an ole man ah watch foh ah gift?

As if we were keeping in line wid gifts of wrist watches, at last Thursday’s Nah-shun-all Hero’s Day Wreath Laying Ceremony at Dorsetshire Hill, our Garifuna visiting brothers and sisters were on de ball when dey presented our PM wid what Lie-za refers to as, ah Timely Gift -ah fancy looking Wrist Watch Eye-run-achely, de presenter made what might very well be ah timely comment: “ Mr Prime Minister it’s only a matter of Time” as she presented her gift of to de PM.

And what ah One-dah-full day it was foh our Pry-minister. He was what yuh could say at his best at what he does Best. He had de Garifuna visitors captivated. He spoke of having pain for the death of Chatoyer, as well as de pain and suffering for the over 2000 persons who died in a six-month period on Baliceaux, nobody must ask him not to celebrate them, because they live everyday in him. What ah champion. Was real Garifuna pain hearing him promising our Garifuna visitors dat when we get Baliceaux in our hands, he will celebrate with joy and commune with the spirits of the ancestors on that day.

And of course no hysterical speech from our PM is complete widout de ole ole cliché: “ Promising to correct another historic wrong”. Nobody would believe dat only dis morning while listening to ah Live Garifuna FB link “One and one wid Denzil Lino” aired on Garivision Indigenous Network Studios, all de way from Dangriga, on the southern side of Belize; ah heard de talk show hosts demselves, talking about we in Saint-vin-sin, (dey actually described SVG as:“our Mother Country,” yes we saying how Garifuna (dey) want to come hey to tek way we land and we jobs. But is good ah heard it from de Garifuna talk show hosts dem-selves in Belize.

But nobody, none-tall could ah stop PM from receiving a Humanitarian Award for championing the cause for reclaiming Baliceaux from the 2023 International Indigenous  Film Festival. Ah member indicated dat dey wanted to present our PM wid ah Gift. But ah had to ask Miss chief-fuss Lie-Za what would she consider an appropriate gift for our PM. She said anything but ah Time Piece. Den she asked me, what are dey implying: “ Time is Running out or Time up”?.

Doh underestimate her, she has ah Gift in Mind. She said de man loves to be decorated, Honorary only if yuh please. She said he has already crowned himself “Five Star General” and “World Boss” Fame. In addition he adores Paramount Chief Chatoyer. Dey should crown him Paramount Garifuna/Calinago Chief of de Post Colonial Civil-Lie-say-shun. Ah Sash would be inappropriate. Present him wid ah Five Piece Outfit: Headpiece made of feathers; ah Shield;

Spear; Bow ‘n’ Arrow and ah Moccasin. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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