De son is father ah de man

Last weekend was not just ah Big One but His-story-call foh the Anglican Community in SVG as we had our first-ever native Vincentian Bishop crowned. Ah watched it all on TV on Sunday and the most touching moment foh me was when the Canon Friday, father of the newly ordained Bishop, came forward to receive ah Blessing from his son. It brought to mind the ole saying, ” De Son is Father ah the Man”!

In the ole days God had ah way he uses to select his leaders very early in dey life, children actually. Remember Samuel, twelve years ole, got ah call in his sleep, and David was just ah lickle youth out in the field tending his father’s sheep, when he was summoned to the house by the same Samuel, the Priest at the time and he anointed David as the future King. I believe that Bishop Leo must have been chosen by God early as ah youth. His inspiration no doubt came from his dad, Canon Calvert senior. {{more}} When ole man Friday came home from Aruba or was it Curacao with his family in the 1960’s, he took up work at PWD as a Road Overseer. In them times there wasn’t much to do in the form of after hours activities foh grown men, except one wanted to hang out at the Bar, drink ah rum, play cards or dominoes, then go home and mek confusion. But father Friday had ah family ah five youngsters including Bishop Leo ah lickle fellar, to prepare to meet the challenges ah this jungle we call world. In making his choice, de ole man took his cue from Joshua’s challenge to the children of Israel: “Choose you this day whom you will serve…. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord”. He immediately took up his rightful place in the Church from whence he came; years earlier he had left his homeland Bequia to go search foh greener pastures.

Canon Friday’s Christianity enabled him to shine with great distinction and respect both at PWD and later Hazell’s Ltd as ah faithful and honest man. He led by example thereby creating an environment foh his household to follow in his footstep. Upon retirement from Hazell’s Ltd, Brother Fry, in the autumn of his life was just ah Lay Reader but wanted to be ah better servant of the Lord, so he went off to Bo-bathe-us to study for the Priest-hood. He was successful.

Interestingly while all ah this was going on, his youngest son Leo, our new Bishop was already ordained a Priest. But Bishop Leo as ah vividly remember as ah youngster, played house cricket at the Grammar School Playing Field. Was ah joy to watch this calm and composed budding fast bowler, strong build, very tall foh his age, broad shoulders with athletic sprint, and his face was as serious as ah bull. Those of us who looked at him then, felt we had another F. O. Mason or Wes Hall in the making. Out ah school, ah remember seeing him smartly dressed in his Customs Officer uniform. Then ah missed him foh ah while, and when ah enquired, his brother Crispin, ah surveyor colleague told us that he had signed up to become ah Priest.

Bishop Leo the Priest was loved for his humility, his parishioners describe him as Meek but certainly not Weak! Grenadian Parishioners adore Bishop Leo foh his demonstration of the Christ-like Spirit after the Hurricane destroyed his home; he refused to move his family out of ah two-room, make shift Parish quarters to ah more suitable dwelling; he said he could not sleep in luxury while Parishioners were still getting wet. Truly ah Man of God!

Would you believe that when Anglicans assembled here last year to elect ah Bishop, the name Leo Friday was eliminated from among ah group of four in the first round. But as God would have it, or would have none of it, his Cousin Archdeacon Mc Intosh who was the first choice, de fair-foh-it, fell short of the two thirds majority required for selection as Bishop, And so all eyes went looking towards the quiet one, the humble one, the one whom God had chosen early o-clock.

The Coronation is over and the Bishop got his wuk cut out foh him. Lots ah add-vice he got on how to run things; some calling foh This Theology! Some foh That Theology! Some even want Caribbean Theology! Ah sometimes wonder if is not too much ah this Theology and Doxology and What-not-ology thing that got the Flock scattering bout looking foh spiritual grass. Why can’t we just go foh the simple message: Christ the born Child; Christ the Crucified Lord, Christ the Resurrected Saviour soon to Return. It’s over to you, Bishop Leo… the Lion!

AUNT JOBE’S GETTING AH MAN

Ah went by the Marketing Corporation Supermarket to get me regular supply ah ripe Bananas, nice Bananas from Dennis Bailey’s Field. But as ah look round the place, ah never see foh more grim looking faces that match the MT spaces on the shelves. Signs ah redundancy loom larger with every passing hour.

Ah remember all the pull-ah-tek-all Papa-gang-dah surrounding that place. ‘Member how ULP was to lock up all ah dem NDP ministers who owed outstanding monies foh groceries that dey trust from Marketing Board. Then dey spent over three million dollars refurbishing this Supermarket that was suppose to bring the Supermarkets foh Greaves, Veira and Bonadie in line. But the reverse took place ,things have never been so good foh Greaves and the others, while the Marketing Corporation up to it throat in death!

Lie-Za add-ah-mint that the place is almost twelve billion dollars in debt. She say as ah face saving measure, Guv-ah-mint tried to dump it on Lickle Man Randy’s Mini Mart but Randy fraid Carl, so they gone to Ken Boy-yeh, Ken must be looking foh ah man foh his Aunt Jobe’s, guess he will call it Uncle Jobe’s. Oh boy, Ole people say when you digging hole foh trap you NME dig one foh yo-self too.

POLICE HOT ON GLENN’S CASE

Lie Za getting some good vibes on Glenn’s Case. She just pass by and say to write say that they got the Hot on de Glenn’s killer trail, but he tek he belly mek boat fly go meet the Humming Birds in the hills. He cannot be found, don’t be surprised when they bring him in Dead nor alive. In that case dead man tell no tail. All you will stand bail foh she when dey lock she up foh spreading rumors that she can’t prove.

And ah gone again