Sir John Bayliss, 100 not out!

Exactly ah year ago, my daughter attended ah Surprise “99th Birthday Party” foh one of her senior colleagues. None other dan John Bayliss Frederick. Foh days she spoke of his humour, his anecdotes, his escapades. He even shared his experience in Courts way he was stretching de Ole Judge’s patience.

In disgust de Judge tried to embarrass Bayliss: “ Mr Fredericks, everything you have just said, went thru my left ear and exited thru my right ear!” Court House went up in silent uproar. But Bayliss was ready wid ah biting reply: “ Me Lud (lord) dat’s exactly what we who are sitting this side are saying. Dey’s nothing between de two ears to detain or stop anything I have said from exiting freely!”

How quickly time flies. Yesterday Sept 18th, (Sir) Bayliss’ “Ole Lady” turned up and brought him his Golden Jubilee Awe-ward, 100 Golden Years, still looking and speaking Sharp !still alert! and still looking quite young fee his age! True to my promise ah decided to go visit Sir Bayliss early, walk wid my Cuatro and her-Monica and play “Happy Birthday”. But first ah mek-sure dat de time of day was convenient, secondly, hopefully he was at home and not in de Par-liar-mint compound protesting de injustice being meted out to 600+ ‘ain-no-saint public servants who refused to tek any COVID 19 vex-scene. However ah went and was overwhelmed wid inner joy, pleased when ah got to his home, ah High Mass was about to begin. Anglican Priest, Fr. Francis and about two dozen League Sisters, most of dem sounded like dey from Toe-Big-oh, relatives of Bayliss who came to celebrate de festivity. Dey were all dressed in blue souvenir T-shirt dat says: “ CELEBRATING BAYLISS DE CENTENARIAN” and below is ah character looking like Bay-list himself riding ah bike wid de front wheel ben-up. Dey’s more lettering dat says: “I’M A BENT BICYCLE WHEEL, LEAVE ME LET ME WOBBLE!” That is something Bayliss would say and his daughter Vinny would endorse. Ah beautiful double Mass, good fellowship followed by good swallowship. De Priest did say Bayliss is ah Spiritual Baptist who attends Anglican Church, or Versa Vice!

John Bayliss Frederick ah born Two-big-Ownion fell in love wid SVG as well as de love of his life Daphnee, one ah we most beautiful Carnival Queen. He was popularly know foh his kindness and as de poor man’s lawyer. Many people could testify about having court matters, but no money to pay council to secure dey Justice. But dey was always Bayliss. No wonder he lived to ah hundred and practiced in his nineties to serve de poor foh free. Call him what you may: Ah Politician, Spiritual Baptist, Activist, Social Commentator, Rev-ah-yu-shun-array, an entrepreneur. High on his list he stood foh prince-apple!

One afternoon on our way to visit his friend Archie Robertson in Rose Hall, we made ah stop at ah lickle local processing plant, ah factory dat he owned in Buccament near Duncan’s Furniture Factory. Dat lickle plant was operated using wind energy, he had ah wind-mill, alternators, generator, battery. Basically, Sir Bayliss processed cassava into farine, made dasheen and sweet potato flour; smoked Robin, Jacks and Sprott. He even planted his own cassava. At Wednesday’s birthday party I was told by his Two-Big-Ownion relatives . dat he used to market his products in Trinny-Dad He-Toe-Big-Oh, and Grin-ada. That was nearly 40 years ago. How does dis compare wid de Our-Root Factory in SVG dat is to be completed every year, but we doh know which year. Minister See-Saw speaks all de time about de factory will process “ Our-root, cassava, dasheen, potato. See-Saw will be well add-viced by Sir Bayliss, dis very noble and progressive Vincy-Big-Ownion. May God Bless him wid many more healthy and Happy Years.

KEY SURE bringing something to de table
Lie-Za said dis country has not had ah Minister of Sports since Hon John Horne. She says de country crying out foh young progressive and productive leaders wid clear vision. Doctor Key-Sure Shallow is young, but brings management skills to de table. Change is coming.
And wid dat is gone ah gone again.
One Love Bassy

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