YUH REALLY HAD my sympat’y when I read ’bout de turrble wevver wunna went t’rough couple weeks ago battlin’ dem hurricane win’s – an’ it din even too warm to-besides! I jes’ don’ onderstan’ why dese win’s (you call duh “gales”), now seem to be hittin’ countries way up norf so of’en.
Looka how Sandy mash up de Amurican norf-eas’ coast recently, it was we Bajans’ good luck dat she pass by widout a glance dis way! I very t’ankful to God we luck hol’ out fuh anethuh year, as November now gone an’ onless somet’ing very outlandish happen, we should be awright ‘til de nex’ time! I believe global warmin’ mussee got somet’ing to do wid dis strange wevver pattern we now seein’ all over de worl’!
But lemmuh try an’ bring yuh up-to-date! We had one big commotion week befo’ las’, when a Opposition Member – so we hear – was so upset at remarks a Member ‘pon de ethuh side mek to ‘e, dat ‘e actually let loose some “bad words” in Parliament! You cyahn begin to imagine wuh dah set off t’roughout dis li’l islan’! T’ings was hot, bofe ‘pon Facebook – I hear duh call dat “social media” – an’ all de various call-in radio programmes, whey day after day, de “regulars” ‘pon dem shows, was out in full force!
Chile, it look as ef de whole islan’ was “up in arms”, callin’ fuh an apology – rightly so – an’ yuh could see duh wasn’ gine stop till it happen. Well, Mr Duguid do de right t’ing an’ apologise to de nation an’ to de House, so we hope dat should put evuht’ing to res’! I hear, I en know how true, dat de ethuh Member – Donville Inniss – now claim he din say neffin to mek Mr Duguid get on in sech fashion, but to my Brumley brain, somebody had to say somet’ing’ at some time, as I never hear Mr Duguid evuh get certify as a madman, dat he could jes’ start cussin’ fuh no reason a-tall. But I leffin’ dah l’lone, soul – tummuch “high science” fuh my ole brain!
Lissenin’ to de various comments dat went on, I c’n help wonderin’ doh, ef de furore was ’bout Mr Duguid acktual words, or ef it was because he was in Parliament when ’e say dem, an’ de microphone was on fuh all to hear, ’cause, from wuh I could see an’ hear, cussin’ nowadays in Buhbayduss, “en nuh big t’ing”! De police does try duh bes’ an’ haul one or two off to Court, but . . . ! I was complainin’ ’bout it de ethuh day, an’ a man shut muh down, sayin’, “Dah is we t’ird language”! Lord have ‘Is mercy, ef we got mo’ dat t’ink like he, wuh paff we headin’?
I don’ know ef it is because people vocabulary now become so poor, dat duh fin’ it difficult to explain anyt’ing widout usin’ expletives, but it quite commonplace to hear Bajans – young as well as ole – walkin’ ’long de streets, chattin’ an’ usin’ cusswords freely! An’ duh en vex wid one anethuh neiduh, mos’ times duh carryin’ on a friendly chat, backslappin’ one anethuh, an’ usin’ duh favourite curse word! I believe some don’ even realize wuh comin’ out duh mout’s, half de time, duh so ’ccustom to talkin’ in dis fashion.
I don’ want to t’ink dat dis disgustin’ habit is now a way o’ Bajan life but it seem so, ’cause when I hear de words some people in de Turnin’ was usin’ to describe Mr Duguid behaviour, it mek muh hair curl! Dem same people – all demandin’ an apology, min’ yuh – had de expletives rollin’ offa duh tongue wid ease! Do as I say, not wuh I do! Talk ’bout two-face!
Tek care o’ yuhselfYuh frien’, Babsie
