Tell me ah again

Ah borrowing de title “Tell Me Again” from ah popular poem, written by fame-most Carry-beyond Folklorist, Paul Keens-Douglas. People does use it like ah slang to inject sarcasm and even humour.

Is like when yuh see politicians playing cheap politics, especially when it is nothing new, yuh don’t get upset, yuh throw water on dat and simply say: “Tell Me A-gain!”{{more}}

Interesting how de folks up in Fancy, will all of ah sudden be getting ah bran knew 30-seater School Bus dat cost half ah million dollars. Transporting school-children in de rural areas was ah big thing at one time, but it was unfortunately thrown out de garage. So while ah welcome de return ah de School Bus, ah asking de quest-shun, why ah School Bus foh Fancy now and not before, and why only Fancy? Lie-Za believe dat it had to take ah privately owned Mini Van to run off de road way dey was no protective hand rails, plunged over ah cliff, into de sea where seven ah de future nation’s builders perished. And we still in Fancy way we hearing dat after trying foh years to get ah new Cemetery, de folks in Fancy will within ten days, be getting ah new burial ground foh Sunday’s mass burial. Lie-Za is quite excited dat de pry-minister, who has not gone officially to Fancy once in de last five years, well he had no reason, dey was no grand opening of anything new or ole up in Fancy, but after de fatal accident, he has visited de village three times in as many days. And it was like de Nursery Rhyme all over again: “ Clap hand foh Papa, till Papa come; when Papa come he go bring, sugar plum!” No sugar plum, but KFC. At least dey could have allowed de humble folks dey tradition to boil dey Cocoa Tea and dumpling foh de Wakes. So yuh remind yoh-self dat dey’s an Elect-shun coming up soon, is like it all happened down Leeward last year, déjà vu! So yuh simply say: “Tell Me Ah-Gain!”

How well Lie-Za remember de first thing de PM did promise us out ah de Petro-Caribe Oil agreement was cheaper Few-ill, reduced cooking gas prices and reduced electricity bill. Oil price back den was over $100. 00 ah barrel, yet de Few-ill price, soared like an eagle, to $16.00 ah gallon, Today, oil price on de market is under $50.00 ah barrel, but we are still paying thru our anus foh Few-ill, Vinlec Bill and Cooking Gas! She is not bothered wid Few-Ill prices, she is anxiously awaiting her G-O-terminal N-ah-G in three years time, because de PM has just promised us Ah-Gain, and like he did wid Petro-Caribe, he announced dat dey’ll be ah reduct-shun of twenty-five percent in our N-ah-G bills. Ah refuse to hut-me-head, is like ah heard dat before, déjà vu again; so ah will simply say: Tell Me Ah-Gain!”

Whatever became of all those Banana Plant-hey-shun we uses to have all over de country? Remember when de present ULP regime, before dey got into office did bring ah white man from de UK, who said dat he was ah member ah de British Par-liar-mint, and dat he and de ULP had de solution to our Banana Problem. Not only did dey solve our Banana Problem, dey dis-solve de Banana Problem completely. After fourteen years de Brits are yet to taste ah Banana from SVG. But alas! de Minister has announced dat we will be shipping Bananas Ah-Gain to de UK in May dis year. What is in de minister’s promise to prevent me from saying: “Tell Me Ah-Gain!”

One ah de things dat helped to put de ULP in office, was de number of allegations of Corrupt-shun charges dat dey leveled at de NDP Go-venom-men’t ministers back on 2001. Sir-Vin-Sin who Lie-Za say is de new Cheerman of HLDC, had promised faithfully to introduce Integrity Legislation foh public servant, mainly Politicians. Lie-Za say if Sir Vin-Sin can’t bring de whole package, bring half, bring de “Integrity” and keep de Legislation. Arm-in has promised to deal severely wid corrupt-shun when he gets back in office. Ah believe he will, but until ah see it all,. Leave me ley me say” Tell me Ah-Gain!”

Lie-Za does not like me to ask when dis never ending Argyle Airport is going to be ready. She is very de-fence-safe especially how she looking forward to fly non-stop to de US wid she fry Tri Tri cake and cold Red Ju-c. But three years now ah waiting, last year dey said it was dis year, now already ah hearing is next year. Dis year ah will say Tell Me Ah-Gain, and trust me, come next year will be saying “Tell Me Ah-Gain!”

She wants to hush me up so she asking how come ah ain’t men-shun anything bout de Nah-shun-all-Bank dah we lose. Ah told her dat is one Project dat we should ah never lose. Dat is not ah “Tell Me Ah-Gain” but ah “Tell Me Ah-Lose!” And wid dat, Lose or Gain, is gone ah gone Ah-Gain!

One Love Bassy

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