De real Christmas feeling

Doc Adrian Fraser and I born in different “Time” some sixty months apart to be exact; and ten miles “Distance” separate us “From whence we Came” (Bagga to Kingstown). But when it comes to His-story and Tradition at Christmas, we merge Time and Distance to find Speed to do “House to House” wid ah message: “Give Love At Christmas!” Actually we are ah unique two member band of Serenaders and dis year we went to Doc Cyrus and his dear wife Kathryn, to share our lovely vices; oops! voices, dat actually brought ah likle drizzle to wet her fruit and flowering plants.

We even got ah root ah Ginger fresh out ah de ground to mek Ginger Beer foh Christmas.

Doc Cyrus and Mrs. Cyrus are among the few wife/doctor medical team we have. Dey have served dis country well and ah mean Well wid ah capital “W”. Mrs. Cyrus has ah smile as beautiful as de poinsettia in her garden, and her husband, ah noble statesman. My sons whom Doc taught to play Squash say: “ Doc Cyrus doh even smile when he winning ah game ah Squash.” Actually it was Doc who on his return from England, introduced de now popular game of Squash to SVG. At 93, Doc is ah bundle of joy and laughter with whom to spend time, and all de way home last Friday, Adrian and I spoke glowingly about dis One-dah full gentleman.

Needles to say de floor was all his, going back to 1950, 70 years down Memory Lane, dat crucial post ‘World War 2’ period. Dat’s when de reconstruction of the British economy required cheap labour, and dey opened its doors of de UK, to millions of de British Commonwealth immigrants, among dem thousands of Vin-sin-shuns. Black people and East Indians all over flooded Mother England; race-is-him was rampant but among dem was ah brave young, Black, handsome and brilliant Vincy who dared to travel to de Mother Country to study and excel in the field of Medicine.

Doc Cyrus is an exciting Story Teller; he shared his experiences and encounters dat were not widout several bouts of race-shall remindus, good, bad and indifferent. De story ah like was when he thought he had ah lime all covered wid ah White chick, until she refused to give him her phone number; jokingly, Doc said she feared foh her dad, who had ah ‘diagnostic acumen’ foh detecting one’s race (Negro in particular) based on ‘his’ accent. He has ah number of these anecdotes documented.

HYPOGLYCEMIA

De Story Telling session switched to ah popular subject in medicine dat he seemed anxious to share: “Hypoglycemia where the level of sugar (glucose) in your blood drops too low!” Ah condition dat mainly affects people with diabetes, especially if they take insulin. According to de good Doctor some of de symptoms are Shakiness, Dizziness, Sweating, Hunger, Fast heartbeat etc. Ah doh know if ah over stand Dr. Cyrus correctly but he suggested ah simple solution when dis occurs: take something sweet like ah Ju-c and ah piece ah cake. But ah needed to read more on de subject, so curiously, ah asked if he has any documentation dat ah could read on Hypoglycemia. Immediately he summoned Helen, his helper (dey’s a daughter name Helen as well). Helen brought him ah pen and two copies of ah small forty page booklet entitled “ A Hotchpotch , A Literary Amalgam.” De merging of two topics dat he felt obliged to say something, dey are “Racial Prejudice” and “Hypoglycemia,” And den he handed me one of de Booklets and said: “Everything we spoke about is here for you and Doctor Fraser.” Except of course my copy was autographed “Bassy I am thankful for the Musical Serenade!” Ah would love to see what he wrote on Dr Fraser’s.

In the season of Peace and Goodwill, let us remember our Brothers and Sisters – all those Public Servants, who turned up to de Bank foh salaries and dey was none.

And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy