Buried under de carpet

It’s ah-maaazing how serious matters could get ‘buried under de carpet’ like rubbish and even die in de process. Bottlers closed its doors about six years ago; workers were sent home wid de expectations dat dey would receive Severance, ah legislated come-pen-say-shun, it’s two weeks pay foh every year of service. Dat didn’t happen right away, in fact it ain’t happen yet. De Factory went into liquid-air-shun, was sold to another company and reopened, de former workers were not reemployed, and dey still ain’t get pay. Every time ah look across de street, ah does see me neighbor patiently waiting foh she severance, she is one ah de unfortunate victims. You will hear ah lot ah other things discussed on de Talk Shows, but yuh will never hear nutting bout de Bottler’s wukers. Lie-Za wants me to explain what’s happening to Talk Show host Buns, my Schoolmate at BGS; Go-venom-mint mouth-piece on, and de god-father of Trade Union disputes. Better still de Bottler’s wukers were members of de Trade Union that Buns uses to be ah Big Man. Ah told her look up he dictionary foh de meaning ah de words “Buried under de Carpet!”

TERRY TO DE SLAUGHTER

Almost thirty years ago approximately two-third of de 1850 acres of lands in Can-one was leased lock, stock and barrel to ah Far-Rain Infestor. In dat Agreement ah couple important clauses were omitted, dat “In SVG all beaches are public” and secondly “All public roads, paths, tracks, right-of-ways etc belong to de state.” Everything was taken foh granted and done in ah hurry; but as ole people say “hurry bird nah build good nest!” Today we have problems at Can-One way Infestors denying citizens de right to access our beaches. In Bo-bathe-us de Kaisonian Gabby was de pioneer in putting beach access to rest when he sang “Jah Beach is mine, I could bathe anytime!” De Go-venom-mint tok de cue from Gabhy’s message and passed Legislations to de effect. In our own his-story, Kaisonian Scorcher sang: “Fork up dem beaches” but we mind so untidy we only seeing de smutty, party side ah de song and not de Social Commentary. Yes Scorcher, “We got to Fork dem-up!” Wow!

Ah lot ah people see Terry Boy-no as an NME of development of dis country. Dat’s true only when we see development in terms of dollars and cents like ah big wuk at ah hotel, like ah waiter or cleaner in an apartment; But what about ah man’s dignity and pride; what about his soul is it not worth more dan silver and gold?

Terry is prepared to go to Prison on ah matter ah principle and foh something dat he believes in. He is fighting de Far-rainers foh our basic right and foh de Rights of future generations of Vincentians citizens, so dat when all we have left is sea water and sand, we will be able to go freely (not to create mischief or disturbance) ” and enjoy our priceless beaches dat Jah gave us.

Our first and only National Hero Joseph Chatoyer in his veer-shun hundreds ah years ago, saw de deceit and trickery of de Far-rainers, de British, de French and de Spanish and dey generations to come. Chatoyer saw de unborn Sal-dinner, de Davis Aimless, de Peters Hope- Mt Wynne posse and others lined up to come. One has only to look at ah sit-yuh-aye-shun at Buccama Resorts, de self proclaimed Five Star Hotel before it even opened it doors. Today workers are at home, some have not been paid foh months, not even de PM knows when wuk will begin. Was de same David Anmes, de Big Man escaped de country owing Go-venom-mint over seven million dollars, when serious questions were asked about ah man owing de state millions, wid Court charges to answer, was allowed to escape, de PM response was: “Ames left de country legally.” Nothing more was said or heard about dat matter, it dey “Buried under de Carpet!”

Our problem today is either we lack real vision, or we have no appreciation for or have placed no value on our cherished Inheritance. Anybody wid ah blank statement sorry, bank statement true or false, and ah MT brief-case could fool us; dat happens when we think we know it all and brighter dan everybody.

In de meantime Terry will go to Courts to face charges stemming from an aggravated situation, that could be settled around ah bargaining table in 10 minutes, but nobody wants to take de bull by de horn and do what is right; we prefer to stay silent leave it to be “buried under de carpet.” And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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