Another Fardah’s Dey

Is ah lickle too late now to ask de Annual Day of Prayer Committee to dedicate dis Sunday as another Day of Prayer foh Far-dahs, Pray dat “Fardahs Dey” way dey suppose to dey, at home! Just dat simple appeal to have ah Prayer foh us Far-dahs will be ah timely reminder foh us to return to dat important role dat so many of our children are denied and deprived. Past-ah Dot-in on his Sunday Night Carib Vision program was saying dat Far-dahs, or absence ah Fardahs is one ah de main reasons why so many youths, young men in particular, turning wayward, doing Drugs, forming Gangs, declaring war pon one another. Mind yuh he didn’t blame us foh all dat happening, just dat when come to parenting, we have become de mine-us-sex (-X) in de equation.{{more}}

Maybe ah ought to big-up all dem mothers, is so many ah dem though, who continue to perform de double functions of Mom and Dad. No wonder “Mothers Dey” is one ah de biggest ting all over de world. Ah wrote already dat one year we decided at de Church, to balance de scale and hold ah concert to big-up Fardahs on “Fardahs Dey”. We had to abort de event, when we gave de lickle ones de poems written foh de occasion, de lyrics couldn’t fit de Fardahs, most ah dem brought back de recitations, dey refused to learn de lines: “ we don’t know nut-ting bout no daddy, is only we mammy we does see all de time” dey said.

But no matter how good ah job de Moms might be doing, dey’s dat lickle ting dat I call de strengthener, de male aura dat lends support foh respect and discipline dat ah Fardah’s presence, and ah talking bout ah good Fardah, can provide. De Strengthener is what does build con-fee-dense in ah child. Ah child built around con-fee-dense does not need Gang support, or help from Drugs. Ah child lives what he learns or learns what he lives. So de Ferdahs Dey Prayer is not to ask us just to stick around, but to be ah pillar, Mom no doubt will welcome us back as ah pillow too, but ley we settle foh de pillar dat can instil proper values in de children, and dis can only come by living good example based on simple scriptures. Ah Fardah who by example shows love and respect foh God, will not only pass it onto his spouse, but will produce children who will give nothing less when dey time come. Ah Fardah who gets Fizz-ah-kill wid his spouse will not produce ah Fizz Ed instructor, but ah woman beater! Ah father who compromises on de truth will produce ah Liar whose flip side is de Thief.

So we need first and foe-most Fardahs, whose God is de Lord and dat is de First Rule, dat’s de Key, dem NDP people smiling when dey hear Key. Dat First Rule is de foundation on which all families must be structured. With God comes, Love, Trust, Respect, Faithfulness, Strength, Happiness and de full wuks. And dis is de challenge foh all dem “Fardahs Dey” out dey. Happy Fardahs Dey men!

NO MORE PITT BULLS

Last Friday would have to be de saddest day foh two families as Althea Cato, on entering her wuk-place, was mauled to death by dreaded Pitt Bull dogs dat she possibly might have fed on numerous occasions. This is indeed traumatic foh de family of de victim as well as de owner of the dogs, who I am told is seriously ill in Canada. Dougie De Freitas has been de lone vice in de wilderness, time and time again he been calling foh ah ban on Pitt Bulls in SVG. Me me-self does be terrified when ah go on de beach and see d’s youngsters, nonchalantly walking along de beach wid dey Pitt Bulls, chained of course. Dat is still craziness as de beach is always packed wid children and sometimes tourists. Interestingly de only announcement dat de Authority has ever offered on Pitt Bulls, was last week when dey called foh people to desist from smuggling Pitt Bulls dat originated from de USA into SVG. Oh if only we did follow we nearbars T’n’T and announced ah ban on all Pitt Bulls here in SVG, and invite dog owners to surrender dem to de Authority. Maybe, just maybe Andra’s life could have been saved. Dis has got to be a very difficult time for both of the families as they enjoyed a harmonious working relationship that spanned two decades. The victim would have become a member of the family. We could only pray that they all find the strength to carry on amidst these difficulties.

MURRAY VILLAGE GETS MAS BAND

Last week ah brag say Murray Village win Miss SVG. Dis week ah got to big-up Mirage Band Leader, Becks Gonsalves foh bringing de first Mas Band out ah Murray Village. Dis is not to disrespect Kong in de 1950’s, de baddest of all Monkey Men whose band was from de Village. And dey was Elford Mc Lean who also brought his Cowboy Band. But dis band foh Becks was all Uncle Freddy, his late father’s I-dare. Ah remember Uncle Freddy telling me to add-vice Becks to get away from paying dis big set ah rent, he must build ah Warehouse on the present site, and create enough space foh his Mas Camp. Uncle Freddy must be pleased and smiling today, Becks better build ah costume foh him, yuh never know, he might just beg St Peter foh time out to come tek ah jump-up. And ah done warn Eli Smith of Dragons fame, dat he is now married into Murray Village, come next year he got to join up wid Becks or he will get deported alone, and he can’t carry his wife and children. And wid dat, ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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