Ah Want My Cup Ah Tea

Haile! Haile! Haile! Justice Saunders! Last Tuesday morning was Historical foh Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, as de Carry-Beyond Court of Justice’s (CCJ) held its outgoing Ceremonial Sitting at Queen’s Hall, Port of Spain, Trinidad, to honour the distinguished service of Vincent-shun (born and bread), de Honourable Mr Justice Adrian Saunders, de third President of the Court.

Actually ah forgot all about de CCJ’s Sitting and ah walked into de SDA Dental Clinic to have an assessment done on my mouth, sorry, my teeth, what’s left. My regular dentist, Dr Samuel is on Mat Leave. However ah met Dr Kora, ah cute, warm and friendly Malaysian from Madagascar. She put me in de chair and got started right away. In between drilling and filling dem ugly pot-holes, wid funny names like molars and incisors in my mouth, ah manage to teef chance listening Justice Saunders’ farewell. Dey were some very touching and emotional tributes. Justice Saunders has been ah lawyer foh almost 50 years +or-2)over forty -eight years, twenty of which was with de CCJ dat he joined at its inception in 2005. De last five years he served as CCJ’s third president. Lie-Za meking noise dat de next, new or ole,
incoming Go-venom-mint of SVG, as well as de local Bar Association have to come strong, stronger never mind who doh want to accept de CCJ, dat too will come to past.

Man eye water was running down my cheek when Justice Saunders responded or gave his parting remarks. He men-shunned dat his father de great Tommy Saunders was President of de Teachers Union back in de 1950’s. Dey was ah teachers struggle over salaries, allowances and conditions. Luckily dey was no Vax-seen mandate back den. De Colonial Administrator Walter Flemming Coutts, was very vindictive towards de Teachers Union executive, and de
President, Tommy Saunders, my headteacher at de brand new Richmond Hill Gov’t School, now de Tommy Saunders Secondary, was transferred to Questells. Dat was in January 1954, de year Justice Saunders was born. Dat January when school was reopened Hercules took over, but at Richmond Hill thieves had broken into de school and stole all our musical instruments dat
Tommy had purchased. We had ah full Harmonica Band. De Blessings however, every time ah hear about de fair and just manner in which Justice Saunders executes judgement.

I realize dat during Mummy Saunders pregnancy, Tommy was in battle wid de Administrator foh justice foh his colleagues. It is my foolish belief dat de unborn baby Justice Saunders heard ah lot ah prayers from Mom and Dad asking God to send Justice, send Deliverance to his people. It is
my profound belief dat Justice Saunders was sent by God to administer Justice to His people.

One of de speakers at de CCJ send off said something inspiring and I quote: “President Saunders, the Caribbean people, on your retirement, in my estimation your outstanding work at the CCJ qualifies you to take your place alongside Telford Georges, Hugh Wooding, Michael de la Bastide, and Dennis Morrison in the pantheon of Caribbean jurists.”

Ah have an outstanding bill foh Tea from Justice Saunders. As lickle boys we- Justice Saunders’ elder siblings, played “bat’n’ball along de Highway- Murray Road of course, in front de Saunders/Marshal/Campbell houses. Big test matches, and Mother Saunders uses to call us up foh
Tea (Ovaltine) and Biscuits. It was January 4th or 5th, we played our cricket as usual. “Boys will be boys”, we asked foh tea to be told dat Mummy is in bed she had ah baby last night. Ah want my cup ah tea and biscuits. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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