Whither goest thou

At Primary School, we all went to see Quo Vadis, ah lovely movie, next day in class our teacher Miss John (Pamela Anderson nee John) ah Latin Scholar fresh out ah GHS, explained to us de pronunciation of dis Latin phrase Quo Vadis, “it’s Ko-Wad-ees,” she said.

And de meaning was “ whither goest thou or, way yuh going?” Now dat COVID 19 tek over de world and running wild wid three deadly variants, SVG has scored two back-to-back, unbeaten centuries (119) (107), my simple question to dis wretched Virus, is: “Quo Vad-is, Ah way yuh ah go? Way next?

From de time COVID 19 landed in de USA, Lie-Za told me if de disease got anything to do wid sneezing and coffin oops, coughing, den it done reach in SVG. Problem here in SVG, everything always wind up in de pull-it-tek-all dump heap. Very early de Awe-position declared it was too close to home foh comfort, so dey called foh ah Shut Down ah de country! De Go-venom-mint took ah position of Deny-all, dey response was “No Shut Down! No Curfew!.

Our initial approach to de pending Pandemic was good. De Ministry of Hell’t team headed by de CMO and her staff were on de ball, dey held Press Con-frends, News Releases, yet people come-plain dat de team was not forth coming, dey hiding info. But de Big Man, like he always does, wanted to have full control in ah matter which he was way out-ah his league. So NEMO was placed in charge, dat was like putting Round Pegs in Square Holes. Very disgusting and humiliating to de professionals.

Now dat de Too Too hit de fan, COVID 19 cases, finally (as was predicted) spike from 18 and 20 ah few weeks ago, to 119 and 107 dis week; our death toll jump ah 50 % from 12 to 17. Pan-de-mourn-u-yum break loose and people asking way did we go wrong? and Quo Vad-is “ way we going now?” Even at dis late stage, Lie Za is calling foh ah coming to-gather of both Pull-it-tek-ill parties, which means dat Pryme Minister Gone- Soft will swallow false pride or eats his MT Words and shake Fry-Dey hand.

Next there must be ah proper Nah-shun-all COVID 19 Pandemic Committee (NCPC), de CMO should head it and dey should be influential Medical Persons like Doctors Gatherer, Providence, Dhatta, Nicholls. Citizens who command respect in dey communities, and young people, professionals wid no Pull-it-tek-all buy-us. She men-shuns de name Nigel Scott as first pick. Nigel is First, Foremost and Best ah Home Chef, who works full time as de Director of de SVG Community College. She reads his Facebook page, way he is proposing to start ah Calm-Pain to have 1000 persons vaccinated ah day in SVG, hopefully 7, 000 ah week and 75, 000 by de end ah November. Ah bit ambitious but if de numbers reach 70 percent dat will cover half de population of SVG.

Hear dis, she wants to tek way Dr Thompson wuk. She says his ranting on mornings on BOOM FM is not likely to persuade doubting Thompsons sorry, doubting Thomases to change dey anti-Vax position. He must leave Lawyer Jomo Thomas to deal wid de Law, Protests and victim-eyes Marry Warner. Invite professionals who are supportive of de Vax-sin, and who would be willing to help clear up doubts people might have.

Finally, COVID 19 is ah Reality, it’s hey and would be around foh ah long time. Vax or No Vax, yuh are highly likely to contract de virus and get sick; hopefully yuh will survive. But COVID 19 is Inter-nah-shun-all, every part ah de world. Its rigid Protocols are equally or even more rigid elsewhere. De question is “Quo Vad-is, Whither Goest Thou? Think Wide, Deep and Wise. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.
One Love Bassy

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