Dear Nesta,
I got some sad, sad news fuh yuh! We Prime Minister, David Thompson, pass ’way in de early hours o’ las’ Sarrduh mornin’.
Durin’ dah week I was hearin’ all sorts o’ rumours dat ’e wasn’ doin’ too well, but I din really believe it ’cause fuh de pas’ monfs, summuch rumours been goin’ ’roun’ dat I was now “rumour-proof” and t’ought dah was only anethuh one!
Yuh could imagine de shock I had when ’bout four a.m. las’ Sarrduh, a frien’ phone wid de news!
At firs’ I c’n believe it an’ t’ought she was jokin’, but no, it really was true!
I en got to tell yuh how depress I was de whole day Sarrduh, an’ dis feelin’ en lef’ muh yet! I was hopin’ ’gainst hope dat ’e woulda survive. Summuch prayers went up fuh David, not only from hey in Buhbayduss, but from all ’bout de worl’ dat I was sure de good Lord would answer dem. But yuh got to say He knows bes’ an’ decide dat David should come home!
We cyhan fly in de face o’ God an’ mus’ jes’ accep’ de decisions dat ’E mek, aldoh sometimes it real hard to do.
David Thompson was a real gentleman, faif! ’E en had all dem airs an’ graces dat some people ’bout hey got. Always had time to stop an’ gi’e yuh a word whenevuh ’e could!
I remember seein’ ’e ’pon TV as a young boy talkin’ politics, so it wasn’ yesterdy ’e did in de political ring. As ’e life get cut short, we would never know hummuch ’e woulda do fuh de country but ’e did mek a start!
I too sorry fuh ’e wife an’ trildrun an’ pray de good Lord gine see duh t’rough dis sad time an’ beyon’.
Up to when I siddown to write yuh dis letter I en hear nutten ’bout funeral arrangements, but I sure yuh gine hear t’rough dah grapevine dat always wukkin’ overtime!
Buhbayduss now got a new Prime Minister, Mr Freundel Stuart! Fuh some time now, he been de Deputy Prime Minister so it shun come as no surprise to anybody. Now dat ’e really get in de chair, we all lookin’ to see how he gine perform. ’E got some fairly big shoes to fill an’ I wish he – an’ de whole party – de bes’ now dat duh leader gone! Duh gine need it!
We en only got a new Prime Minister, we got a new Opposition Leader as well! Las’ week de Opposition decide to play musical chairs an’ when de music stop an’ Mia try to get back in she chair, who she should see sittin’ in it but Owen! De ethuh players was in de res’ o’ chairs a’ready, so she get lef’ out in de col’!
I ax ’roun’ but nobody cyhan seem to tell muh de reason why duh had to play dis game in de firs’ place, but I sure Mia gine be back!
Lissenin’ to Mr Arthur, it seem to me ’e get put in dah chair ’gainst ’e will an’ I wonder who had de nerve to mek ’e siddown in it ef ’e din’ want to?
I hope we Bajans in diff’rent camps don’ get too vex wif one anethuh, an’ jes’ remember dat all politicians is frien’s. Look how, after all dese years, Owen an’ George Payne j’in forces an’ now become good frien’s – fuh de sake o’ de party? Dah’s a good example to keep in min’!
Sence dah game finish, I see Philomena dese pas’ few nights in de yard starin’ up in de sky t’rough binoculars an’ p’intin’ to de norf-wes’! Say she lookin’ to see ef any star might be risin’!
I advise she to wait fuh full moon, de sky would be clearer! But she insis’ she checkin’ evah night.
She wanta be de firs’ to see dis star comin’ back over de horizon!
Tek care o’ yuhself
Yuh frien’ Babsie!