Last Wednesday night I barely get home in time tuh see some o’ the parliamentarians and duh spouses in duh finery. I didn’t even remember dat it was the big day, the opening of Parliament.
I was on my way down tuh town from up in Christ Church and one fella advised me: “Mavis girl, if you know good fuh you self, you would look fuh another route tuh get home because town burst – ya cahn pass.
“Evah way block up and block off and duh got people enough. Real, real people ’bout down there.”
I took the boy advice and find all kinds o’ other roads tuh get home and barely made it home tuh see the end o’ the news. Duh show ya some o’ the ladies in duh different designer wear, both dresses and hats, wid the husbands smiling big, holding the ladies hands and all dah sort o’ thing.
I sit down there and was wondering when was the last time dem men hold dem women – duh wives – hand so, far less in public. Ya know me, my mind does roam; it does get ahead o’ me and all ovah the place at times.
Soul, wha’ ya could do, nuh? Ya gotta smile, especially in these hard times when ya doan know from one day tuh the next how things gine turn out.
But, look, the parliamentarians and duh wives was one thing, hear? But the people, the yard fowls was another story; dem was something else.
If ya see the yard fowls all ’bout down in there, the way how dem people was getting on when the people was going in, you woulda swear dat duh did see Jesus and you and I know dat if dat was happening, duh didn’t gine get on so. And apart from dat, duh ain’t gine turn out in dem kind o’ numbers neither.
Well, it start and after all o’ the hugs, kisses, pats pon the back, motorcades and celebrating, I only hope and pray dat duh buckle down and start working again tuh get this li’l nation back on its feet again.
Hey, ya’all see Cost-You-Less finally open ovah there in St Thomas last Saturday? Talking ’bout burst, now dat place was burst. I was in dat general area doing my rounds last Saturday gone and decided tuh go in there tuh see how it looked and such like.
Well, I was not prepared fuh what greeted me. Look, duh had people and cars evahwhere.
The police was out there directing the traffic pon the road ’cause ya know duh got some people who would just drop duh vehicle anywhere and move out wid-out a single thought fuh anybody else.
Anyway, I happen tuh be right by the entrance o’ the car park when three cars was coming out, so I get a nice park on the inside. I put my bag ovah my shoulder and walked tuh one o’ the entrances.
Well, well, well, if you see people. Evah single aisle was ram off. Ya couldn’t even get a trolley if ya wanted one ’cause all was being used inside the store, laden down wid evah sort o’ thing and the lines tuh each cashier was long, long, long. Duh say dat Bajans ain’t got nuh money, hear?
As I was there, I took the time tuh walk around all through the aisles, checking out some o’ the merchandise and prices and comparing dem tuh where I would normally shop on Saturdays. Duh ain’t bad nor duh aint cheap neither.
One thing I would say fuh dem, though, is dat things are well laid out, especially in the back wid the meats, vegetables and fruit. The variety is good too. But ya see me? I gine have tuh wait ‘til the novelty wear off before I think ’bout doing any kinda shopping in there, soul.
In the meantime, I gine keep shopping as I normally do on Saturdays. In these hard times ya gotta be wise and find ways tuh stretch ya dollar.
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.
