Bassy - Love Vine
November 16, 2012

Feeling our children’s pain

We had a very unfortunate accident last Friday afternoon way de vehicle wid eight Community College students crashed, most of dem got damaged, some more serious dan others, thank God none got killed.

We must pray unceasingly foh dem kids and in these sad times, de parents: Ellie and Donna, Nicha who is still nursing de agony of her son missing in dat fatal plane flight from Can-one. Pet Miller, de mother of Petra-Ann; de parents of J’rai Da Silva and Cortland Bunyan; Julio’s parents Julian and Allison. {{more}}

Young Marley, or Marley Young, ah few years ago, my daughter needed an escort to a GIRL Guide’s function, we asked around and someone said “Yuh really looking foh a decent youngster? Ask Frankie and Hear-dre, Marley’s grand-parents.” Yuh will be ok Marley, be strong.

Ah find me-self drawn close to dis tragedy, as my sixteen year ole daughter goes to de college and sits in classes wid most, if not all ah dem who were in de accident. Trust me, it was as if she was ah victim, we had to administer our lickle home grown counselling, comforting and praying with her.

Interesting how de conversation on de Street was more about who minister son was driving dan de real issue, dat of de well-fair ah de injured. Ah few students did ah round-de-clock at de Hospital to be wid dey injured buddies, making sure all is well; de been texting and BBM-ing one another all night. How nice, it simply shows dat our young people are very tight, and on de right track. While we de parents remain stuck on de pull-it-to-kill battle ground, cutting down or being cut down, victim-eyes-in or being victim eyes, dem kids done wuk it out, dey staying clear, dey bonding in genuine love and friendship. Ah does enjoy ah lickle ritual at mornings, wid all de busy-busy, hurry-hustle routine to get out de house, gathering stress in de slow traffic, just to get dem kids to classes in time. Yuh know when yuh reach de school gate, is like “love is de answer” just watching dem kids hugging and greeting like dey seeing each other foh de first time in years. How nice, dey greeting each other, but in my haste to get dem started, ah didn’t even get de parting word, to say even “bye” to my “honey!”

Oh yes our kids are bonding and finding love, supporting each other while we remain missing in action. Our responsibility, dat important mandate of bringing up ah child stands today as it did decades ago. We cannot do it all by ourselves, we still need ‘de whole village to raise ah child. But we also need de help of de “Anointed One, Jesus Christ.” Take time out foh Jesus, we don’t ALL “have to go” to Church, but it would be nice if we go, and wid our children. And very important is foh us to clean up our lives, so dat we can “lay blessings on our children and loved ones.” We cannot afford to let dem do dey own thing widout an input from us.

Long ago at Primary and even Grammar School, de school day was blessed wid an Assembly; ah should mention dat ah lot ah Head-teachers were Local Preachers. But foh what ever reason, (maybe more Math classes) we declare war on Assembly and throw out Religious Studies wid de basin and bath-water. So now when real tragedy strikes, we got to be bare-face to say we asking God to come to we rescue. And while ah dey pon de topic; dey’s ah few observations ah want to say dat ain’t prim prom at de Community College, foh now ah would just say de environment is not conducive to instilling de Christian Values dat are alluded to in our Constitution.

Ah wish former NDP Senator, An-easier would pick me or dem up on dat. One would have thought dat after dat accident on Friday involving one percent ah de student population, dat de following Monday, a reflection would ah bin in order, if only to show concern. It never happened, but one is still due. All book and no prayers mek Jill ah target foh de devil. In de meantime, parents let us to-gather lay holy hands and God’s blessings on our children.

SCAM NAH WUSS DAN SCRAM

Co-me-shun-her Me-Law is ah fear-foh hit ah mine, even though he making he mistakes and dem, ah yet to prove him corrupt. He does provide his “Let’s Laugh” moments. Wasn’t he who de did go in de house of a man who he suspect did break in he house? And now he get ketch!

Dat Lie-Za is not easy, she say Me-Law knew all along dat he was dealing wid ah Scamp sorry, Scam, he was only trying to track dem down and arrest dem he-self before calling in de If –Be- Eye. Is now she vex wid Me-Law foh saying he tek responsibility.

He should ah say like Minister Gumry “He tek de blame but not de responsibility.” She say she prefer to get Scam dan Scram, how we getting Scram all de time, just last month de Pry Minister mek ah fuss trip to de far East, everybody say he going foh de money to finish de Airport, is like dey tell he Scram! Not ah Red Cent, he bring de an-grieve-mint, so he going again, not another Scram, we hope not.

So Lie-Za saying Mr. Me-Law must not pay back ah Red Cent; have an appeal like de “Save Nice Radio Fun,” have one foh he-self and call it: “ Save de Co-me-shun-her Fun!”

Now she want to pull me pon de edge wid she; imagine she wants me to say dat de Pry Minister could talk all he talk, he ain’t name man touch Me-Law. When yuh see she start wid dem kind ah talk, is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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