Eight hundred years

When my brother Villager, Wilfred Dickson said to me on de phone: “Remember I told you we have ah big one coming up soon? Well just add another one to de list!” Me heart miss ah beat! ah wondered what “Breaking News” Wilfred got.

He’s very much into de His-story of our beloved Metro Community, Murray Village. Interestingly, he has on record, ah list of all de centenarians, past and present, born and bread in our Big Yard . But wid dis COVID-19 cutting down young and ole alike, de first thing came to mind was dat an important somebody in our community gone. Den he said: “Cayley Bonadie made ah century!” Impossible! Cayley Bonadie is 70 years ago star, one of SVG’s most outstanding sportsman. Ah Nah-shun-all cyclist, footballer and best of all was his cricket, playing foh SVG as spinner, batsman and fielder. So Wilfred had to be talking about ah Cayley Jr. Ah told him Cayley done dead and bury years ago. “Dat is exactly what I’m telling yuh” he said, “de man was one hundred years ole ‘not-out’ on de 24th September, and dey had ah big celebration foh him in Canada!”

After Wilfred piece ah “Breaking New” was like “mouth open ‘tory jump out!” We began back-checking de number of Centenarians from Metro Murray Village dat we actually knew; and dey are Eight Great Peaceful Souls, seven females and one male- quite an interesting group.
Dey’s Liz Ambrose nee Medford from Paul Over, her father, ex-soldier Medford built de Apostolic Church in de village. Dey’s Mother Olive Dickson, Wilfred’s mom, she remembered when de first amphibian plane landed and took-off in Kingstown Harbour. And her name sake, Hannah “Aunt Hannah” Dickson nee Mac Lean. Aunt Hannah is de grand-mother of Simone Murray of de now fear-most (Dr Wayne Murray land battle). Aunt Hannah’s victim-eyes heart must be bleeding when she see how Ralph’s ULP Go-venom-mint acquired (tek-way) her parents land, say foh public use.

Living just 100 yards below my home was another 100 year ole, Beatrice ‘Tanty B’ Smith (her daughter Christine was 80 last week, following her Mom I hope). Yet another Beatrice, Mother English above Apostolic Church; and above her in Upper Richmond Hill is Lydia King (PH Veira’s sister-in-law), Dey’s Elsie Cumberbatch nee Lyttle; she is one of six Lyttle sisters, all long-livers, who aint mek ah 100, in de 90/s or 80’s. Just imagine way going thru her nieces June Huggins and Hazel Gun Munroe’s minds.100 of course!.

Dis brings us right back to Cayley de lone male among seven females, “Blessed art thou amongst women Cayley!” He is from de fear-most Bonadie family in Bucchan (Book-horn), de Mecca of Kingstown cricket. If yuh name is Bonadie and yuh not ah cricketer, check out yuh genes. Keep batting uncle Cayley.

Wilfred quietly eye-in dat 100 score but ah got news foh him, ah born before him, no way he getting dey before me.

DIG ONE FOH YO-SELF

When Par-liar-mint met ah week ago, de Awe-position was stumped out ah dey crease. Waiting inside de house was ah Lower House, -ah ‘Lotto Boot’ according to Fitz, specially built foh unvaccinated Awe-position members. Dey will only be allowed to speak in de Lotto Boot, wearing double Mas(k), de outer one must be black. Dat is really demeaning. So de Awe-position cried ‘fowl’ and fly out de House.

Now So Par-liat-mint was supposed to have met on Choose-dey, but lo and behold, COVID- 19 was allegedly seen in de near-bar-hood, and somebody bawl: “Rolf! Jah lick dem wid diseases!” And Par-liat-mint shut down. Ole people say when yuh digging ah hole foh yuh NME, Dig One Foh Yo-Self; And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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