Final message from Grampa Nathan

De last time Grampa Nathan and I met, he handed me an envelope addressed to de Prime Minister. He said ah could open it and tek ah read but den mek sure ah deliver it to him before we tun-off de Searchlight. Here’s what he wrote:

Salutation: Dear Prime Minister, Is nuff thing we haffo talk but time nah dey. When ah heard dat Searchlight was closing down, ah say ah got two lickle requests to mek, and please doh tell me Noo! Congrats on dat 14-1(What ah Wallah)licking dat your party delivered on de awe-position. Usually after an elect-shun, de winning party celebrates ah vic-tree rally and or ah Day of Prayer. I have not seen or heard of any such event since NDP’s victory. So now I am humbly requesting ah Day of Prayer of thanks-giving and heartfelt gratitude to God for His blessings, protection, and faithfulness.

De NDP Government has inherited left-over elements of serious criminal activities involving young people shooting and killings still loitering around. Lots ah add-vice as to how our police should fight crime, is being aired, “Fight Fire wid Fire! but not much thought is given to de power of Holy Spirit thru ah series of “Day of Prayers and fasting thru-out St Vincent and de Grenadines. Prime Minister we need dat long overdue Day of Prayer. And de name Evangelist Bridget Blucher, one of dis country’s leading Gospel singers and Prayer Warrior, is being suggested to lead de Prayers and Worship Session. In your first Nah-shun-all Day of Prayer you may want to have it for In-de-pen-dance, or even better, on November 27th to commemorate NDP “What ah Wallah” Victory thanksgiving service

GRAMPA NATHAN’S REQUEST NO 2

Mr Prime Minister my second request is on behalf of our Garifuna brothers and sisters in Central America. We know de story how 230 years ago, dey were deported from their homeland, our homeland, SVG dat dey know as Hairouna. Thousands died in Balliceaux and thousands also died along de journey to Honduras, Belize an Guatemala Over de last 30-40 years our Garifuna brothers and sisters have been reconnecting with home. Dey make regular pilgrimages home, and are significantly involved in our Nah-shun-all Heroes Day celebrations, sharing cultural activities. In fact you, Mr Prime Minister have recently given de green light for de teaching of Garifuna Language in our primary schools.

But recently it has become like Déjà Vu all over again foh Garifuna Nah-shun-alls in Central America who are now experiencing serious violent ancestral land dispossession. We must raise our objections to any violence against de well being of our brothers and sisters.

We need to know more of each other thru cultural exchanges: Our music, Musical Instruments, Drumming, Songs, Dance, Dress, cooking, Craft
Basically me Grampa Nathan’s request is dat you, Prime Minister Friday, instruct your appropriate ministries especially de Ministry of Culture, to invite ah large contingent of Garifunas to be our special guests at SVG 50th anniversary of our Carnival revival. Dey’s no limit to de benefits of such ah venture. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.
One Love Bassy.

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