You could believe Chris’mas hey once agen? Tomorrow is de 25th an’ all de rushin’ ’bout an’ fussin’ done. I know nuff people don’ inten’ to sleep tonight a-tall. Too bizzy puttin’ up curtins an’ checkin’ ’pon de ham an’ ethuh meats an’ cakes in de oven, while duh get duh Chris’mas gear ready fuh tomorrow mornin’ church service – an’ Queen’s Park dress parade afterwards.
Not many people bakin’ cakes at home dese days soul; dat fas’ becomin’ a t’ing o’ de pas’. Supermarket cakes tek over or yuh could always order one from one o’ de many “private bakers”.
Las’ year Philomena had my sympat’y, faif. She drop sleep befo’ de ham an’ cakes finish an’ wake up in time to smell evaht’ing burnin’. She lucky she din set de place ’pon fire. She save a cake or two but de ham? Lord have ’Is mercy, dah was a “gonner” – dry an’ hard as rockstone. Of course, no ham fuh she nex’ day.
Chris’mas is fuh sharin’ an’ carin’, even ef it is de widders mite, but I was sorry I c’n help she out, as pork an’ me en no frien’s, so I en had no ham to offer. I know some people try to mek yuh feel ham diff’rent from pork, but dem jes’ foolin’ duhselves, not a soul else. Well, I en one o’ dem – ef yuh don’ eat pork, yuh cyhan eat ham!
Philomena is a real “Chris’mas woman”, she too love dat time o’ de year. Soon as December open, de Chris’mas spirit does hit she, an’ she ’pon de move from den. It en no wonder when she get to church Chris’mas mornin’, she does mek sleep snort soon as de service start ’til it finish. She en got a clue as to wuh gine on an’ only wake up when de organ start rollin’ to mark de en’ o’ de service. But I suppose, fuh Philomena, dah is wuh Chris’mas is all about.
I enjoy de season as well but I en gine kill muhself rushin’ in an’ outta town evah day ’cause is Chris’mas. Wid all de “outta town” malls now springin’ up, it don’ be too hard to fin’ wuh yuh want, so I been headin’ to one o’ dem to try an’ look fuh wuh I need.
Dis Chris’mas I en had much success, doh. Evaht’ing look all de same an’, far as I concern, din sayin’ much – my nighber ’gree wid muh too. I decide to check out de scene a day or two befo’ Chris’mas Eve, not to buy neffin, min’ yuh, jes’ to ketch de “Chris’mas buzz” yuh nusually get at dis time. But it din feel as befo’. Mebbee Bajans wisely holdin’ on to duh coppers – at leas’ duh should – ’til duh know wuh gine down fuh dem nex’ monf . . . . Anyhow, it all behin’ we now, is Chris’mas Eve an’ we gine ha’ to wait an’ see wuh Santa bringin’ tonight.
I din mek a lis’. Wuh’s de p’int o’ puttin’ muhself to all dah trouble when Santa gine only get stick in de chimney anyhow an’ cyhan get down. Ef I fin’ anyt’ing tomorrow morning, I grateful. Aldoh I won’ say “no” to ’e puttin’ a Lotto ticket wid de firs’ prize numbers in muh stockin’! Some folk say money cyhan buy happiness – mebbee duh right – but it could buy a much better class o’ misery.
But wuh I really want from Santa is de secret as to wuh we mus’ do to get Buhbayduss back to de position whey we had de respeck an’ admiration – envy too – o’ mos’ countries, near an’ far. All de down-gradin’s dis year got muh very depress. Apart from money, dis country need a good dose o’ love an’ “togethuhness”.
Merry Chris’mas!
Tek care o’ yuhself,
Yuh frien’ Babsie