If ah was a youth in ah shelter

Yesterday, Thursday August 1st was Emancipation Day. Traditionally dat’s de Day we festivalate de abolition of Slavery. Boat-rides to Bequia, country or even the Southern Grenadines way dey’s either Annual Regatta, small boat races, picnics, fetes ‘n’ dance, eat fish, conchs ‘n’ goat water on de beaches. Dey was never ah Hurry Cane in August. September? Yes! we remember when Hurry Came Janet blow down de hole ah Grenada 69 years ago. But ole people say “way doh happen in ah hundred years would just happen in one day.” Cause Thursday was exactly one month after dat dreaded Hurry-Came Bare-ill ravaged de Southern Grenadines. Ah still trying to imagine what it’s like foh de young people of de Southern Grenadines who early dat morning woke up to see bright skies and greeted wid de news of ah pending Storm, but by mid-day everything was gone, devastation like we never see. Large and small buildings, roofs of schools, crumbling homes, vessels, yachts, fishing boats, stripping trees flattened to de ground. Union Island in particular was more deadly hit. Early reports claimed dat close to 90 % of de homes were flattened, in Mayreau and Can-One it was not as bad as Union Island but still very bad.

Official death count stands at six. Ah great deal is being said about de resilience of de people of de Southern Grenadines. But resilience works best when dey’s something to wuk wid. If I were ah lickle youthman from de Grenadines staying in ah Shelter, ah would not wait to get bored. So ah would ah gone up Largo
Height uninvited, by de Royal SVG Police Summer Music Camp, and sit dey until de Band Master decide to let me join de Summer Program and learn to play ah Saxophone or Trumpet. Or ah would ah visit Sion Hill Euphonium Steel Orchestra to try and get in among de 100 youngsters dey hoping to train in dis years Summer Camp , ley me learn to play ah Bass or Tenor Pan. Or ah would ah gone to sharpen my swimming skills in Ralph Bath Tubs down at de Arnos Vale Playing Field. Or ah was going to de offices of either de Football Netball or Basketball Association to sign-up foh training. Lord Have Mercy of ITDAT Camp would have admitted right away. Or if ah wanted to find Jesus ah would ah gone to Glad Tidings Bible Camp. Trust me it ain’t easy foh young people like me, ah done spend ah whole month in ah Shelter, like nobody Pickney. But my first choice, rough as it might be, ah would ah wanted to go Home, dey’s no place like Home.

JESUS IS LORD

John said to Jesus: “ Teacher we saw someone using your name to cast out demons; we told him to stop because he was not in our group. “ And Jesus said: “ Don’t stop him, no one who performs a miracle in my name (Jesus/God) will soon be able to speak evil of Me.” When ah heard how de ULP deported de Hotel Manager in Canouan. Ah remembered dis powerful message found in de Book of Luke chapter 9.

Anyhow ah want to thank Mr Batu Eam, Hotel Manager on Can-One and de Vice President of de Carry-beyond Hotel and Tour-is-him Association. He showed an abundance of love foh his workers and de people on Can-One when opened his Hotel to feed de homeless and other destitute natives during de Hurry-Came. He however failed to genuflect and bow-down to Ralph Gone-soft to be publicly reminded dat dey’s only one Go-venom-mint in de country and was given his deportation order.

And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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