Duh could talk as duh like; duh could put up the bus fares as much as duh like; duh could raise the Vat and evah other kind o’ taxes as duh like; duh could raise the food prices as high as the sky; look, wha’evah wunna do, Bajans gine still shop.
Look, Bajans will shop if you get pon ya two knees and beg dem not tuh, duh gine look at you like you foolish and guh long ’bout duh business and shop fuh what duh want; like it or lump, it Bajans intend tuh live.
You see this Christmas season? Just wait and see how all the stores in town gine be ram off. Look, curtains gine sell; furniture gine sell; windows, doors, paint, and all kind o’ hardware items gine sell; household things gine sell.
And doan fear, the supermarket owners ain’t gotta worry ’bout a thing. Dem could shut duh two eyes, guh long tuh sleep when the night come and rest assured dat dem shelves gine have tuh be well stocked morning, noon and night wid evah kinda thing dat the customers will want fuh the Christmas season; ’cause I gine tell ya now: food gine sell.
Ya think Bajans easy? Bajans intend tuh live come hell or high water. Some uh dem would tell you like the woman selling vegetables in the market who when I told her dat I watching my money, ask me wha’ I watching it fuh, if I could eat the money.
We Bajans very special. You think dat any kinda Christmas could pass through here and we gine be playing we tightening we belts and playing we talking bout a recession? What recession what? We gotta live, hear?
We gotta have some kinda ham and bake pork, green pea rice or jug-jug, sorrel, pudding and black cake, macaroni pie, chicken, fish and all the lotta salads – the works. After all, Christmas ain’t nuh Christmas wid-out none o’ these things.
I gine tell ya the truth: I is one who will have a little ham evah suh small pon my table come Christmas morning; I ain’t gine tell ya dat I gine have the lotta drinks, ’cause I never used tuh indulge in dem and still don’t; Ya might be able tuh get a glass o’ mauby or lemonade or something so, though.
I ain’t gine got nuh black cake neither, but as I tell ya, I gine have a li’l ham in case anybody should pop in duh could still get a slice in a salt bread wid some pepper sauce and it would still look like I celebrating the Christmas season wid a li’l something.
But leh we get back tuh what I was saying before. Look, just because people talking ’bout how the whole world in recession, Bajans ain’t gine leh nutten get in the way o’ dem living and enjoying life, especially at Christmas.
If you doubt me, wait and see how many people gine have town blocked wid the lotta children hanging on pon dem while duh buying up the toys.
Somebody tell me dat the other day in Canada, a particular product went up by one cent or something small so and the people do the dog. Duh picket the store and duh eventually had tuh change the price back. Ha! Ha!
You think something like dat would evah happen ’bout here? Wait pon um! Ya would have tuh wait ’til black bird get teet and dah ain’t gine happen ’cause whatevah price it goes tuh Bajans gine quarrel and keep a lot o’ noise, but duh gine still buy it.
Another thing is this: the other day ya couldn’t get a tomato bout here fuh under $4 or $5 but duh did still selling. I got tuh admit dat I am one o’ the people who buy some ’cause, hey, the tin tomatoes can’t do what they could do; but I gine tell ya, duh got some people in this world who woulda let dem stand right there pon dem shelves ’til duh get soft ’cause duh didn’t gine buy one o’ dem at dat price fuh a boy.
All I could say is dat we is a special people ’cause wha’evah happen in the world, I know for sure dat inasmuch as we complain and fuss up bout the cost o’ living, Bajans gine eat, drink, shop, travel and continue tuh live and have a good time this Christmas. Trust me!
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.
