Dear Nesta, I still hey, chile, pressin’ on t’rough de humps an’ grumps an’ tryin’ muh bes’ to believe in de sayin’ dat “Life can be beautiful”.
As Philomena say, at leas’ we still alive, an’ evah mornin’ when we get up an’ realize we still breavin’, we should gi’e de Almighty praise an’ t’anks, an’ ax fuh de strengf to fight wuhevah troubles dat might be linin’ up to lick we down dat day.
An’ believe me, we Bajans gettin’ some good blows, one after de ethuh, day by day. I, fuh one, was expectin’ dis Budget to bring some hardship to mos’ o’ we, an’ I was tightenin’ muh belt so I could grin an’ bear it. But wuh I hearin’ an’ seein’ got muh feelin’ we in fuh summuch licks, I hope I don’ fall onder de pressure.
Befo’ de Budget, I fairly sure I onderstan’ de Minister o’ Finance to say dey would be “no job losses” at any time. Well, darlin’, lemmuh tell yuh, dem words was hardly outa he mouf befo’ cuts start tekkin’ place.
Temporary guvment workers from all departments been gettin’ duh walkin’ papers, mekkin’ a mockery o’ Mr Sinclair statement.
Philomena say she feel de minister did well know dis was ’pon de cards but he was tryin’ to gi’e li’l hope to Bajans. Ef dah’s true, it en fair to we. I feel it woulda been better ef he did gi’e people de true facks from de start. Duh woulda realize how bad t’ings lookin’ an’ so expeck de wors’, even ef hopin’ fuh de bes’.
De ethuh day, Mr Stuart promise to leh we hear from ’e mo’ often as we fight t’rough dese problems, an’ I was hopeful dat at long las’ he would start keepin’ we in de know.
So when I hear ’e ’pon TV de ethuh night, sayin’ he would be steppin’ in to try an’ sort out dis problem o’ de layoffs, I say to muhself: “Good fuh Freundel”. But how I was to know de firs’ t’ing he would do was to explain de meanin’ o’ de word “temporary”.
He say las’ time he check de dictionary, “temporary” did still mean “fuh de time being”. An’ he would know, ’cause he’s a boss at de English language. Any letter to a temporary employee would state clearly dat de person employment would be from one date to anethuh an’ at dah date, de job would en’.
Well, de PM did indeed meet wif officials de nex’ day to aquaint ’eself wid de true facks o’ de case. Sence dat meetin’, all we lef wid is ’e assurance dat dey en no cause fuh alarm an’ dat “an analysis of the existin’ financial situation following the budgetary proposal which took effect from September 1, 2013, is being done . . . with a deadline set for September 30, 2013”.
Philomena say she cyhan onderstan’ why de situation need “analyzin”. Ef sennin’ people home was a mistake, jes’ say sorry an’ leh dem get back out. I hope dis “analysis” en Stage One o’ many, yuh. Remember Alexandra? Nuff stages ’til we en’ up wid a commission o’ enquiry. But, praise Chris’, money en dey dis time fuh dah sort o’ extravaganza.
I feel politicians like to gi’e we a whole lotta long talk to get we confuse. But I hope duh know it en wukkin; mos’ o’ we got we good sense
Tek care o’ yuhself.
Yuh frien’, Babsie.