Ah few days after celebrating her 86 birthday, my Mom fell and struck her hip, of all body parts. She was in lots ah pain and was rushed to de Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) way she was given VIP treatment at the A & E unit. Ah young, far-reign doctor had ah look at her X-ray, misread it and said she was fine, but Mom cried foh pain all week. Dr Murray de visiting doctor at Medcare Home, had one look at de same X-ray and said she had ah fractured hip. Since there are several Dr Murrays, ah should say who’s who among de Dr Murrays.{{more}} Dey’s ah Dr Murray from Shatto, ah fine young man; dey’s de ever-green Reynold, de Envoy-run-mental-list and Pastor of de Murray’s Village Revival Church, and dey’s Dr. all Murray from Grenada, his clinic is in Murray Village, he’s married to ah Murray Village girl, Simone and dey both live in Murray Village. Yuh can’t be more Murrayshus dan dat. De folks at Murray Village feel proud and honoured dat we have we own doctor and he name Murray. Think we got to thank Simone foh dat sorry, foh him.

Anyhow when de orthopedic surgeon, Charlie Woods, our own “local boy” recommended surgery foh Mom’s fractured hip, immediately me and me sister Judy started talking bout de simple funeral Mom always requested. We reminded we-selves dat she done say don’t throw good money down in ah hole to show we buying expensive caskets, “I have eaten so much breadfruit in my lifetime, I will be comfortable in ah Breadfruit board coffin” she says. If is one ting our mother got is humor and sarcasm and ah rude mouth.

But Charlie insisted dat even at 86, she’ll be O.K and it was de only way she will get relief from de excruciating pains she was having. To cut ah long story short, Mom had her operation, we thank God she’s fine and is back at de home. While in hospital her stay was made ah pleasant one, many thanks to Dr Woods, de other doctors and de staff at Female Surgical foh being patient, kind and understanding with her.

De Milton Cato Hospital is always up foh blows, people cry out foh de poor facilities, shortage ah medication and even poor professional attention. We have had ah taste ah all ah de above, but will not complain, except to say Dr Slater got ah lot ah wuk to do, wid lickle time left.

When sickness strikes, those who can afford it, usually stay overnight at MCMH and de next day fly to Bo-bathe-us, T’n’T, de US. Lately Cuba has become de Restoration Plant foh ailing Prime Ministers and politrick-hands in de region, Part-trick Manning gone to Cuba foh major surgery. What amazes me is how d’s guys would brave de pull-it-tek-all platform and brag bout how many more terms dey plan to stay in office before handing over power. I am always humbled by de Bible story wid de rich man who had grandiose plans to build new barns and full it up wid grains from his anticipated bumper harvest, “money like sand” he said, but dat same night when he went to bed he heard ah voice saying “ Bossman, yuh time up, ah come foh yuh soul “.

UNCLE METRO WAS AH GREAT MAN

Years ago, de late Sir Rupert John came up wid ah brilliant I-dare when he penned ah book called “Pioneers in Nation Building”, featuring some great Vincentians who made stalwart contributions in dey time. De list is ready for updating and ah calling on research writers like Doc Adams, Doc Fraser, Ken John, Curtis King, Richard Cox, Cleve Scott from among ah long list to tek up de challenge. We must document de contributions of men like Doc Cyrus, Basil Balcombe, Randolph Russell, Doctors Cordice and Kirby, lots more including Edgie Richards a.k.a Uncle Metro. When yuh looking foh men wid vision and I-dares ah would rate Ranny Russell and Uncle Metro as among de greatest. Thirty years ago, it was Uncle Metro who put all he owned to buy over de ailing and financially strapped Vincentian Newspaper from de former owners, members of de planter class. Metro was daring and adventurous, he had ah passion when come to Local Black Ownership, property, business, technology (wind N-ah-G) ah fighter foh justice, member all dem Court Cases. Metro was among de first to go into pig farming and ham production in ah big way, he owned two local hotels, dabbled in politics, but his greatest legacy is Metrocint Insurance Co, de first and last home grown, locally owned Insurance Company in SVG. Today we can identify and boast of de success of ah forty year ole establishment, but initially Uncle Metro was like ah laughing stock when he dared to start ah Insurance company. “He too ambitious, he playing brave, he got money to throw-way Edgie crazy,” we all said. But Edgie’s fear-foh-it response was: “children and fools must not be allowed to judge unfinished wuk”. So true even today, ah want to join de rest and salute Metrocint and in particular Uncle Metro.

DE H’ART OF GIVING

I was impressed with young Appolo Knights who came to my home early last Sunday morning wid his donation to de Salvation Army Kettle, he said he didn’t contribute last year but felt obliged to mek up foh both last year and dis year. And dey’s dis lovely lady from Canada who sent her donation, she remembers her unfortunate brothers and sisters in SVG dis time of year. She does not want her name mentioned, less classmates like Cims Martin start harassing her foh more donations.

And here’s good news foh dem returning visitors who longing to eat some nice Tri Tri cakes, look out foh Tri Tri next week Choose-dey. Merry Christmas and wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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