Nah-Shun-All Day of Harvest

Ah dey hey was just one-dah-ring how much ah dem young people today know bout Harvest, when farmers in particular uses to mek ah special contribution to de Church.

In fact when everybody, wid ah lickle kitchen garden, uses to present de biggest and best fruit of dey land to de Lord: Best pig, sheep, goat, fowl. De biggest bunch ah Banana or Plantain, biggest root ah cassava, pumpkin or yam.

Flowers, ‘member de lovely arches by de church windows made from Sugar Cane. House-wives made de daintiest of Snacks: “ bread, cakes, sweet-bread, coconut and ground nut sugar-cakes, fudge, ginger sticks, local drinks like ginger beer, mauby and sorrel.

Fruits of all variety.” Den Sunday afternoon, we lickle ones uses to line up outside de church to march-in, girls with lickle baskets covered with coloured paper, boys carrying ah fruit singing de Harvest Song: “Bringing in de Sheeps oops, sheaves, we shall come rejoicing bringing in de sheaves!”
Dey was no Harvest widout ah concert, way every Sunday School kid learning his/her recitation; sometimes dey was ah Skit/Play way kids got an early taste of acting (Drama).

Everybody looked forward to wearing dey bran’ new Harvet dan-dan, whether dress or shirt.

And de senior choir, uses to put on ah Harvest Sunday Cantata, dah was mo’ like ah fashion show way de dresses out-did de singing. And of course dem naughty lickle “boys will be boys” uses to sit near de tables wid de snacks to see how dey taste. De grand Finale of any Harvest Concert was de clearance sale, way everything had to be sold, cheap cheap!

Ah cant write bout Harvest and not share me first experience of ah real country Harvest at Mespo R.C. Church. Thanks to faith-fulls like Chippy Browne and his dear Wife Velma and de church community. Mespo had de biggest and most festive event: “Cantata, Bar-B-Q and Raffle. De high point of Harvest was de Raffle of ah ah Cow, sometimes ah Cow and Calf. Bar-B-Q pork and chicken at Harvest was meking its debut in SVG, man uses to push down one another to get ah bowl ah Callaloo wid nuff Cray-Fish. And nobody could ever buss Chippy Bar.

It was ah Mespo R.C. Harvest Cantata dat ah wrote an Article bout three lovely young ladies, beautifully dressed (young at de time) and ah crowned dem “de Lillies of de Valley!” No name no warrant. Sisters Girlyn Miguel, Olivia Da Silva and Eileen Bailey.

QUEEN OF MARRIAQUA VALLEY 2023

Lie-Za was telling me now-ah-days is no more Lilly of de Valley, is i-dah Miss Marriaqua or Miss Mespo. So she give me guidelines to pick ah Queen of de Marriaqua Valley. Her majesty should be ah faithful church sister, preferably one dah ‘born long time. Someone who when COVID 19 forced dem Pastors to close de church, she was de first Sister to team up wid de Brothers to learn de technique as dey introduced ZOOM (church) Platform: Sunday Nights foh Gospel meeting; and Bible Study wid Prayers on Wednesday nights.

Ah Church Granny who never late or absent, not even when she is out ah state. Never distracted not even once during dis whole month, while she is having some Wild 90th Birthday Parties. Imagine Party going on and she “back’n’forth’ on de Zoom Plat-form. Lie-Za’s Queen of de Valley is ah mother to all including seven of her own, all of whom have delivered outstanding nah-shun-all and community/church services. Three sons, four daughters and ah step-daughter. Among de girls is ah former Chief Education Officer, Nursing Administrator, Principal and an Entrepreneur.

Doctor son and grand-daughter; Retired PS Son-in-law; Hell’t Minister son-in-law; two leading funeral Home owners. Happy 90th Birthday to our beloved Sister Norma Da Silva, Queen of the Valley 2023, from de Brothers of the Mesopotamia Gospel Hall Assembly. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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