SINCE LAST YEAR I am sure dat a lot o’ people in the civil service was bracing demselves fuh the worst but hoping it won’t affect dem when evahbody start hearing the talk ’bout the amount o’ public workers who was going tuh be laid off, sent home, dismissed, or however you put it, this year.
Well, the year turned and, as promised, a bundle o’ people was getting duh walking papers. Tempers flared and emotions ran high as a lot o’ people express demselves tuh the Press. While many o’ the people who was unfortunate tuh be sent home kept quiet, sucked up duh pain and went home, a lot o’ them each time openly expressed demselves by either blistering the Government or just holding on tuh one another and crying duh eyeballs out openly.
As far as some people was concerned, it was something dat should’ve nevah happened tuh dem because dem ain’t do nutten wrong. Another set was saying dat it was the people who the present Government bring on who didn’t get touch. Some o’ dem couldn’t get ovah the fact dat dem was in the particular job fuh ovah summuch and summuch years and the people who barely had in a few years still had a job and dem ain’t had none.
Then ya was hearing some o’ dem saying dat dem ain’t voting fuh a boy again because after all o’ the promises and expectations at election time, far from looking forward tuh a promised bright future, evahthing turn upside down; evahthing now look bleak.
A lot o’ people cried shame at the way duh get send home too.
Ya see, quite a few o’ the people who get sent home were on vacation when the laying off started, and as soon as duh come back out, duh get presented wid a letter informing dem dat duh ain’t had nuh more job.
Dat had tuh be real hard and then evah single day from then on whenevah ya open the newspapers ya would see people showing duh anger, holding on tuh one another and weeping.
But a lot more voicing and expressing duh feelings ’bout the whole laying off process.
I could remember this sort o’ thing happened when Erskine Sandiford was the Prime Minister and a lot o’ people lost duh homes – duh get sell off fuh next kin tuh nutten. I know wha’ I talking ’bout ‘cause a good friend o’ mine bought a lovely home in a very nice area fuh a steal.
I went wid her when she was making the final decision tuh buy it and while walking up and down both in and outside the house, I couldn’t help but feel sorry fuh the poor family dat had tuh give up this nice piece o’ real estate ’cause duh probably couldn’t meet the monthly payments.
I must admit dat it pains me when I see and hear ’bout the amount o’ people who pon the breadline all like now and who got a family tuh support. Even though duh did talking ’bout it fuh a while now doan make it any easier. But look, I ain’t know dat it was the wisest thing tuh leggo all o’ dem lifeguards, though.
A lot o’ people does be at the beach every day, locals and tourists alike, and I would hate fuh anybody tuh get in tuh difficulties and the lifeguard stations tuh be closed.
I ain’t know how duh gine deal wid it ’cause even though the winter season is over, duh gine still got tourists pon the various beaches, and the other thing is dat the children gine be soon out pon summer vacation and duh does be always flocking tuh the beach.
Well, it is a rough road ahead, but we down but not out. Already a lot o’ people have taken this setback as a time tuh jump-start a part o’ dem dat had been lying dormant fuh years. Hobbies dat they couldn’t get tuh do, duh now pick up again, hoping tuh make some money doing it. I know dat we are going tuh survive this.
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.