Sir Charles yuh suppose to wave

ah heard de police siren coming towards us, same time one ah de fellars seated in front de shop-door say: “de bass ah come”.{{more}} In ah jiffy de police outrider fly pass like lightning, followed by de Governor General’s black Benz, de tinted glass mek inside so dark, ah didn’t recognize who was inside, den ah heard de same fallar saying again: “ Lard, he nah even wave arwe, Charles yuh nah kno’ yuh suppose to wave”? Ah still couldn’t pull de pieces to-get-her until ah asked de shopkeeper way going on, his reply was: “ Way happen, yuh doan watch de News, yuh fren Charles James get Governor General”.

Ah don’t exactly know ah heluvah lot about Charles James, now knighted by Lie-Za as Sir Charles de Second, de late Sir Charles Antrobus was Sir Charles de first who was mister humility himself. However de lickle ah know bout our Acting Governor General Deputy, could mek ah very interesting story. Ah got to know him back in de 1970’s when he was a Police Sergeant, Mr. Joshua was de Minister at de Agriculture Dept where ah was wuking, and Sir Charles II was assigned as Joshua’s driver and security guard. Joshua worked long hours and his car was always parked under de shed, next to de P.S’ who was Arm-in. James, foh most ah de time was in de back seat reading or catching ah nap, waiting foh “his Boss”. It was ah most boring job, ah disrespect for ah talented Sergeant, no doubt he might ah bin sent as Joshua’s chauffeur as a form ah punishment. But James was humble and more dan de minister’s driver, he was Joshua’s confidant. Lickle did he know back den, dat one day he would be driven by State car wid police outrider, not as any ordinary minister but as Her Majesty’s Representative. Ah believe is all ah dat and more he was thinking why it didn’t cross his mind to wave de boys on de block. He could ah bin reminiscing over his boy-hood, de many days he would ah bin beating dat same road in de scorching midday sun, coming from mountain, barefoot, tired and hungry, wid ah basket ah ground provision, or ah bundle ah wood pon his head, hustling home to roast two breadfruit in time foh daddy lunch. Dis is what mek me feel happy for Sir Charles II; de man who is first and foremost ah Farmer. He did his time wid de now failed Banana Association; ah think he even ran wid “de Boss” Joshua foh ah seat in de Windward side, didn’t win ah seat, but today he is seated at Government House even though it is only foh ah week. We welcome these lickle success stories as they are designed to instill pride and hope in our young ones. De great King David was ah shepherd boy, he uses to mind his father’s sheep. Basil Balcombe was ah labourer from de Carib country, wuk pon de white man’s estates digging Arrowroot, he couldn’t read, or could barely read, before de died he owned all of de estates on which he wuk including Mount Bentick, Grand Sable, San Souci et al, not forgetting de Arrowroot and Sugar Factories. Dr. Daniel Garraway as ah boy, uses to walk from his home at Rose Hall to de bakery at Troumaca, morning and evening, to purchase de bread to sell on de way back to de villagers, before going to school. Dr De Shong studied under the street lights, while waiting foh his Mom who sold snacks from ah tray. Ah welcome de Laptop Rev-all-yuh-shun, but our youths, de males in particular need to meet and hear from these guys. School could be more exciting and inspiring if our children could read about the successful lives ah these great Vincentian. Charles James’s tenure at Government House will be short, but could be made significant and important to our youths who continue to lose dey way. Oh yes Lie-Za say to tell Charles he is de Queen’s representer, and he must larn to wave like de Queen. Whenever yuh pass “Sir Charles yuh suppose to wave”; Congrats though.



DE MALE FACULTY AH GHS



Wow! What more can I add to de GHS 100th Anniversary. Dey almost outdid demselves, nuff, nuff activities, too much. Dey used all de resources, every bit ah ass-an-all dey had. Promotions and Communications did it all. Dey was ah reminder every week, kudos foh Searchlight and de CEO, Clare ah ole gal; also Cheryl King’s website was hot keeping de villagers, “hello All” in de die-us-poorer updated. Lie-Za who claims she is ah GHS Ah-loom-nigh, made ah point, she complaining dat at least de Guv-ah-mint could ah give de school ah coat ah paint foh its 100th birthday. She however excused dem by saying, de Guv-ah-mint looking more wash-out dan de buildings at GHS. Ah would not put it like Doc Fraser did, by beating up on Grammar School’s Scent-tell-yell efforts four years ago. Ah prefer to say, ah feel proud dat ah belong to de male section ah de GHS All-loom-nigh! And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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