One hundred & twentieth wedding anniversary

On her way home from church last Sunday, my girl Lie-Za dropped off a copy of de RC Diocese’s Newsletter, and told me to have ah read, cause ah lot ah miracles happening at de church.On her way home from church last Sunday, my girl Lie-Za dropped off a copy of de RC Diocese’s Newsletter, and told me to have ah read cause ah lot ah miracles happening at de Church. First thing ah read was dat Bishop County now speaking in tongues, his whole sermon was in Vincy Creole! Secondly, ah never knew Jah-mek-her born Fr George was up for adoption. Ah read way he is now an adopted Vincy. Many years ago, ah was at dis high profile French people wedding in Can-One. Fr George officiated and at one point he ‘wrinch’ when he saw nearly 50 million Frenchmen at ah wedding ceremony, and he cant even tek up ah offering. He gave de visitors ah Keys welcome, den he explained how he was saddened dat dey will all be gone by Sunday, and is ah pity dey would be missing ah very special Mass. “Never-de-less”, he said, “while yuh are here, I am inviting yuh to leave your usual generous offering at de end of de service.” De locals looked stunned and one ole lady whispered to me: “since me barn me never hear nobody tek up arfering by ah wedding!” But Fr Geoge was quite serious, speaking in Jah-make-han Creole, dat helped, de French folks didn’t have ah clue what he said, maybe dey thought he was inviting dem to participate in ah cultural wedding tradition. Ah will bet dat was ah record collect-shun. On ah personal note, Fr George is my buddy, my kind ah priest, always got ah joke to share, and trust me, his jokes need ah few Hail Mary!

But de main story in de Newsletter was about “Two couples celebrating 120th wedding anniversary!” Simple Maths. Couple No 1, Charles and Jean Persaud, Guyanese born, presently adopted Vincy, celebrated dey 50th or Golden Anniversary. And couple No 2, Elna and Randolph “Ranny” Howard celebrated dey 70th wedding, not birthday yuh know, wedding anniversary. Ah few months ago it was de Byron’s 60 th Diamond Anniversary, and ah thought dat was it foh 2017, until of course, de Howards up de bid by ten, making it an almost unreachable 70.

Ah had occasions to wuk foh de Persauds, East Indian Christians, very peaceful and loving folks. But ah more familiar wid de Howards. Familiar enough to say dat Lady Howard deserves two Diamond rings and ah Crown of pure Gold to have loved Ranny foh three score and ten years of her life. Is dey ah secret?” ah asked, gracefully she said: “True understanding and respect for each other!” Ah lovely lady who has another milestone next month when she’ll be 90 and dey will both be Nonagenarian (90+). At 91 Ranny can’t stay put, ah passionate Gardner, ah functional and functioning Lawyer and ah decent young man. He has to pay me foh these kind words. Whenever yuh see he gives me ah Job, he wants it like yesterday, he would say: “I want dis done before I leave this place.” Yet he keeps reminding me dat his dear mom lived to ah hundred. Given de choice ah want to be just like Elna wid maybe ah bit of Ranny when ah grow up. Congrats my friends.

BLOOD WILL RUN ON OUR STREETS

Everytime ah hear about another merciless killing and young men and women blood running on de streets, ah does remember Ordan Graham. Like ah promise he said dat if Gonsalves does not change his draconian ways, dat blood will run in de streets of Sin-vin-sin. De people will one day decide who or what is de root cause of all ah dis killing. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

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