Letter from Me-Ah-Me

Dear Lie-Za,

This is Me writing from Me-ah-Me. Ah guess yuh fellar Lie-Owe done tell yuh ah gone way. He saw Me at the Airport and ah know yuh done find out way ah gone, way ah staying, how long ah staying and if ah know yuh well enough, ah believe yuh done spread scandal pon me say ah Run-way.

The truth is, all the way up Run-way dat pon me mind. When ah see all them lovely Run-way at Bo-bathe-us, San Juan and Me-ah-Me, me heart bun me when ah think bout we lickle Run-Way by E.T. Joshua Airport. {{more}}Ah believe is how Airport is one ah the pull-it-tek-all bait foh this Election, why ah paid so much attention to all the Run-way ah landed pon. With due respects to all who got negative feelings bout Argyle, forget it; we got to get that Airport started yesterday if not day-before. Definitely any plans to improve E.T Joshua should be ah big NO spelt with ah capital N and ah capital O! Arnos Vale is ah waste ah time, any improvement to that facility will simply compound an error that was made from day one; ah bad choice foh ah Site or is it Sight.

But Lie-Za girl, why ah telling yuh all this crap about Airport that might be lie-tears away. Ah know yuh want to hear bout de Trip. Well my first stop was San Juan and as soon as ah stepped off that Run-way, something happened that reminded me of yuh, yuh always does tell me how ah could pass foh ah Latino or one ah them Arab, Al Care-doh. Well ah think yuh right, from the time the Immigration Officer tek one look at me he said to me: “seen-your ben-hay ah key” and ah was out ah the line foh ah search foh whatever they looking fah. Maybe he tek me foh ah spy from the Pet-Trio Carib gang: Castro, Chavez and Raul Gonzales. The search took ah while cause ah had ah ole leather wallet that kept exciting the detector and that called foh some ex-tra ex-ray. Finally they found one ah them ole-time 1960 penny made from copper that got stuck away between two photos in the purse. When it was all over, he gave me ah gentle hug and said “adios”.

Next stop was Me-ah-Me. And what ah place to be in, minus the Hurry-Canes. Ah now overs why ah good many of our Vincy families in New York and Canada heading foh Me-ah-Me and Florida when they retire. The weather is fantastic, shopping foh food and clothes is much cheaper than home, the beaches are there and they will be closer foh dey Medical checks. Ah notice too, that there are a number of housing developments that seem to be catering foh retirees. Ah recall some fifteen years ago, ah was in Brooklyn and it was an atmosphere of Fear and Fare! Ah feel much safer in Me-ah-Me and is only because Me mother bury Me navel-string between ah Mango and ah Breadfruit tree mek ah ain’t Run-way in truth.

AH SHOPPING MALL FOH SVG

Yes Lie-Za ah coming to the part yuh want to hear bout, the Shopping! First to begin with if and when yuh come to Me-ah-Me, Police will lock yuh up foh shop lifting every day. The variety Lie-Za, the choice and even though things cheap, yuh will get carried away, not by the shopping yuh know, by the Police. People wuking in stores back home need to see how it is done or should be done. Coat-to-see is the order ah the day, no matter how yuh look or how small the item may be, ah shopper’s money is treated with respect. Is all kind ah Shopping Mall up here girl, Wall Mart, Dis Mart, Dat Mart, in one store ah saw shoes and clothes that look just like yuh, the deal is, yuh buy one item and the second one is half price. Talking bout Shopping Mall, tell Come-red Raul Gonzales that ah say whenever the Argyle Airport finish, we turning E.T. Joshua into ah big Shopping Mall with ah Seaport entry down at Arnos Vale or Sion Hill Bay. The only problem is, when the time comes, neither he nor Arm-in will be around then.

But when yuh talk bout food Lie-Za, is every conceivable food item in this place. As for Me ah into Shine-Knee foods. There is ah Buffet every day at ah Shine-knee Restaurant close-by, yuh pay US$ 20.00, eat till yuh belly buss and is all kind ah sea-food. Shrimps, lobsters crab-legs etc; all kind ah meats: beef, pork, duck, fowl, ah believe they even have bow-wow and mew-mew hide way foh shine-knees only. Ah think ah over ate the first day. When ah was leaving the Shine-knee man in charge ask me how was the food; just to humor him ah said : ” Shin, yo food no good”! he laughed and said:” Me food no good, and lou come in hey will no belly and now yuh leaf, lou belly sellen monts plegnent”!

WILL-MA HOLIDAYS SPOIL

Life is fun and sometimes fun-ny. All during the Hurry-cane season ah mek sure ah dey in SVG and ah was spared ah every one; now look what trouble has overtaken Me-ah-Me again and Me right in the middle. Hurry-cane Will-ma is heading this way, and every thing appears to be normal, daily life continues as usual, ah suppose in ah couple ah days it will be K-us. Ah praying that the Lord spares us and this lovely place. Ah know he will. Lie-Za girl is one question ah wish ah had ah answer for and that is, if Hurry-cane Will-ma strikes, Will-ma holidays spoil?

Tell Come-red Raul Gonzalez ah hear he planning to announce the date foh Elections In-de-pen-dance day, tell him ah say ah check me Crystal Bawl and that is ah bad day foh he to mek statements, to wait till ah come back.

And with that ah gone again.

One Love Bassy.