Searchlight Logo
special_image

    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
Bassy - Love Vine
March 4, 2005

Politics like photography

Photoman Rogers uses to give me instructions on good Photography. Ah had one ah them fan-see Cameras and when ah carry in me films to clean, what ain’t Over-Exposed, Under-Exposed, net results All Spoil! Then Rogers would explain, in photography the light got to be right, the amount or intensity and the timing of the light is important. And so it is in Polly-Ticks. {{more}}

Ah man could Under-Expose himself, like Arm-Im sometimes. And ah man could Over-Expose Himself like de Come-Red! It is as bad in Polly-Ticks as it is in Photography. It paints ah bad image! And on this score somebody got to tell de Come-Red bout the comments people are making bout him, like the frequency of his appearances, he can’t want to appear at every Mauby Sale, or if he must, then he ain’t have to speak everyway and every-time. Another thing, while he’s ah First Rate Speaker, people are complaining about the duration of some of his speeches and Press Conferences. Ah wish people close to de Come-Red his ministers, Glen and Brendon whose lips are closest to his ears will tell him what they are hearing.

But having said all ah dat, left to me alone ah would ah invited the PM to the St. Mary’s R.C School ground-breaking ceremony. Ah don’t know if it was advertent or inadvertent, certainly it was an oversight. The PM is all foh Education and even though it’s ah Church School with Rotary’s support, somewhere down the road Guv-ah-mint will be required to foot some ah the estimated six million dollars. But Lie-Za was saying that de Come-Red’s reaction to his omission was not pleasant, that evening he sat at ah Rotary Dinner at a table with Daniel Cummings who is ah member ah the School Building Committee, and my girl Lie-Za said the scene was uncalled for and unpleasant, she got up from where she was, went to the Bar and then slipped away. Come-Red it is very unsafe to mash the accelerator going down ah hill; mash yuh brakes instead!

CLASSES OF 1954 AND 1955

Last Tuesday five of us schoolmates met to discuss plans for a Celebration to mark 50 years since we entered the doors ah the Grammar School. (See Page 33) Actually it was Leroy Rose who called to remind me last year to say he was celebrating 50 years; so ah quickly reminded him that he can fool the girls with ah twenty percent discount on his age, but not me, we were in school to-gather and he must give me ah better discount. What he was trying to tell me though, that it was in fact 50 years since he had first entered the Grammar School. Knowing that 2005 would be my 50th year, ah hinted that ah will get the boys to-get-her with our spouses and have ah lickle celebration. Somebody told EG King and then ah couldn’t rest. Ah could not wait foh him to land back home to hand the planning over to him.

Well, we finally met and how young we all looked ha! Ha! Ha! minus the surplus snow on top that keep falling down on our moose-stash and beards, and lower down too, who knows. On the way to the session ah was fearful that ah was going to ah five minutes meeting that will last five hours. If yuh think women love talk come-mess, just put two men in ah room much more five ah we, over sixty, that include Fred Providence, Victor Peters, well not so much Rodway Fraser but E.G. not to mention yours truly.

We actually got thru the business ah the meeting in fifteen minutes. The Reunion will include the Classes of 1954 and 1955. We begin on July 3rd with ah Church Service at Calliaqua Anglican where Dr. Syl Regisford, ah classmate is the Parish Priest followed with a Brunch. Ah boat-ride on Wednesday 6th. Ah evening of Memories and memoirs on Thursday, Games and Bar-B-Q on Friday. We overs that the folks at Ratho Mill will be having ah Reunion around the same time, the more the merrier. Fellars, also Teachers of Classes 54 and 55, way ever all yuh dey, touch base with one ah we, and find all yuh self home foh ah Reunion in July.

SHE WAS DE

DEAREST

It was only when Andrew and I became close buddies that ah found out that there was ah closer bond that existed long before we both “dream to born” between his mother and his uncle Eardley on one side and my Father and Grandparents on the other. Mrs Cummings warmth and gentleness towards me at first and later to my two lickle ones, not only drew me close to her, but made me feel like family too, and ah just couldn’t help calling her Dearest like all her close relatives did. Dearest and Uncle Eardley were able to fill me in on that period of my Dad’s life that ah never knew. She in particular told me of his teenage days, his wild sense ah humor and mischievous pranks, his musical skills and so on. That helped to mek me overs and love the father that disappeared when ah was ah baby and returned ah mental case years later.

But Dearest was ah firm Believer, she was what Love is all about, and that was easily recognized in her telephone conversations, she would enquire about every member of my family, the children’s health, their progress in school, and then she would say : ” Bassy ah dying to see them, when are yoh bringing them to see me”. She would sacrifice her all foh her children and die foh her grandchildren, but that profound Love never stopped her from straightening them out, from Andrew down.

Her involvement in the Floral Business at the International level, served me well in the past on special occasions like Birthday Roses foh ah offshore Lime ah had. But Valentine’s Day this year was extra special fuh me, Jackie her daughter-in-law, called to say that she was helping Dearest with Floral Arrangements foh Valentines, and she had done ah special one fuh me. Valentine morning when the wife was all covered-up under the sheet, ah went in the junk room and took out Dearest’s last Red Rose way ah had it hidden, and like ah Love Vine, ah gently placed it next to de Wife’s head with ah kiss. When she woke up she was lost fuh words. All she said was: ” That’s right Bassy, tek full marks.” Remember she’s ah teacher eh, she don’t give full marks so easy. Thank yuh Dearest yuh made my Valentine, ah will always remember yuh foh that. Just have your much deserved peaceful Rest with your Saviour, Dearest.

And on that note, ah gone again.

One Love Bassy.

  • FacebookComments
  • ALSO IN THE NEWS
    Four make it to ‘Big Yard’ in first attempt
    Front Page
    Four make it to ‘Big Yard’ in first attempt
    Webmaster 
    June 30, 2026
    CHANIQUE ROGERS- BAILEY and Kemmy Christopher from the Dynamites Calypso tent singing ‘Lift Me Up’ and ‘Hope’ respectively have, on their first attemp...
    New Chief Education Officer shares vision for the sector
    Front Page
    New Chief Education Officer shares vision for the sector
    Webmaster 
    June 30, 2026
    NEWLY INSTALLED Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, Innovation, Digital Transformation and Information, Marvis ...
    NDP a dictatorship in the making – Dr Gonsalves
    Front Page
    NDP a dictatorship in the making – Dr Gonsalves
    Webmaster 
    June 30, 2026
    OPPOSITION LEADER and former Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves believes that the New Democratic Party (NDP) is a “dictatorship in the making,” and sa...
    Police need different approach when dealing with the mentally ill, CKDO president says
    Front Page
    Police need different approach when dealing with the mentally ill, CKDO president says
    Webmaster 
    June 30, 2026
    PRESIDENT OF THE Central Kingstown Development Organisation (CKDO), Leroy Rock, is calling for “a more compassionate and coordinated approach” by the ...
    Nelson Bloc dominates Junior Mas 2026
    Front Page
    Nelson Bloc dominates Junior Mas 2026
    Webmaster 
    June 30, 2026
    NELSON BLOC MAS Camp was early off the block in VincyMas 2026 taking the bulk of the titles in Junior Mas on Saturday, June 27,2026 at Independence Pa...
    Ministry of Health cautions safe sex as HIV cases increase
    News
    Ministry of Health cautions safe sex as HIV cases increase
    Webmaster 
    June 30, 2026
    AN URGENT SAFE sex warning has been issued on the social media platform of the Ministry of Health. In the post, the ministry’s Chief Health Promotion ...
    News
    Ministry of Health cautions safe sex as HIV cases increase
    News
    Ministry of Health cautions safe sex as HIV cases increase
    Webmaster 
    June 30, 2026
    AN URGENT SAFE sex warning has been issued on the social media platform of the Ministry of Health. In the post, the ministry’s Chief Health Promotion ...
    Chanique coming in strong from the cold
    News
    Chanique coming in strong from the cold
    Webmaster 
    June 30, 2026
    TO MANY, the name Chanique Rogers-Bailey may be new, especially in the calypso arena, a virtual newcomer to the calypso stage. Bailey, who sings with ...
    ECCB launching division for consumer protection
    News
    ECCB launching division for consumer protection
    Webmaster 
    June 30, 2026
    CUSTOMERS OF BANKING institutions that may have an issue will soon have an entity to take their complaint to with the coming on stream in September, 2...
    Central Kingstown Organisation to offer Pastry making course
    News
    Central Kingstown Organisation to offer Pastry making course
    Webmaster 
    June 30, 2026
    MORE THAN 20 residents from the Central Kingstown community are expected to benefit from a pastry making course being organised by the Central Kingsto...
    Port agreement with GPH will have termination clauses, says Tourism Minister
    News
    Port agreement with GPH will have termination clauses, says Tourism Minister
    Webmaster 
    June 30, 2026
    THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN the government of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and Global Ports Holdings (GPH), will have a termination clause in the eve...

    E-EDITION
    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store
    Subscribe Now
    • Interactive Media Ltd. • P.O. Box 152 • Kingstown • St. Vincent and the Grenadines • Phone: 784-456-1558 © Copyright Interactive Media Ltd.. All rights reserved.
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok