Dear Nesta,SOME years ago, Bajans was doin’ nuff to-in’ an’ fro-in’ as to wevver, fuh de sake o’ tourism, we should start casino gamblin’ ’pon de islan’! Well, as wif evuht’ing else, some did want it, p’intin’ out how tourism would get a boos’, an’ ethuhs dat was ’gainst it, had de feelin’ de increase in touris’ dollars wasn’ worf de decline in morals an’ general social behaviour dat would come ’bout – includin’ de Mafia! An’ so, de matter was put to bed, not to sleep, min’ yuh, but jes’ to res’, fuh a while!Well, it look like wakin’ up time en far off, as I read las’ week dat two guvment ministers seem to feel now is de time to tek a look at dis issue wif new eyes! I suppose ef we want to keep up in de touris’ race an’ try to keep visitors happy an’ wantin’ to come back, we jes’ might need to “get wif de programme”! Wuh after all, it would be one way to help swell de coffers wif touris’ dollars an’ so mek life better – fuh some! De Transport Minister t’ink dat ef guvment could now get casino gamblin’ manage properly, it could wuk wifout affeckin’ de country morals. Durin’ las’ election time, I had de impression dis present guvment din too keen ’pon it, but wif dese times we facin’, it seem duh might be seein’ t’ings mo’ diff’rent! Neffin definite en start in de way o’ any talks, an’ t’ings might jes’ die down once mo’, like de las’ time, but I sure dah en gine stop de “good people o’ Buhbayduss” from startin’ to line up all duh reasons why we shun allow casino gamblin’ in Buhbayduss. But gamblin’ bin ’bout hey evuh sence – wif all dem slot machines, horse-racin’, bingo games, lotteries – an’ my nighber son was tellin’ muh ’bout some street in Bridgetown dat got people gamblin’ mornin’, noon an’ night! We see trildrun, as young as eight an’ nine, gamblin’ ’way duh lunch money! Ole people at de lottery counter t’rowin’ way duh few coppers week after week! As far as I concern, yuh en got “big” or “l’il” gamblin’ – gamblin’ is gamblin’! So, fuh my one part, ef casino gamblin’ start hey, it cyahn be much wuss fuh people morals dan wuh I see gine on ’pon de islan’! Wuh ’bout all de prostitutes – male an’ female, gangs, drugs an’ voilence dat we hear ’bout day in, day out! Hummuch wuss casino gamblin’ gine mek people behave? ’Specially ef Guvment control it de same way some countries operate, by mekkin’ a law dat it strickly fuh tourisses an’ locals cyahn get nowhey near dem tables! As I was tellin’ Philomena de ethuh day, tummuch double standards in dis country, faif! Wrong now becomin’ right, an’ people dat suppose to set examples, tellin’ yuh to do one t’ing an’ dem doin’ a nex’! I waitin’ now to hear all de turrible predictions dat gine rain down ’pon we, ef casino gamblin’ start ’pon dis li’l rock, an’ I lookin’ out fuh dem church members – now a fixture o’ de Cropover season dat people accep’ – to get in ’pon de ack an’ start p’intin’ out de many sins o’ casino gamblin’! Philomena sister jes’ come back from over in away wif she pockets clean out! All dem fancy lights an’ games dat was gine on, turn she head one time, an’ she start playin’ like she gone mad, hopin’ to hit it big. Course it never happen, ‘cause cat luck en dog luck! All she money disappear like magic an’ she come back singin’ de blues. I gine bet – hey, like I now gamblin’, yuh – she is one body dat yuh never gine fine at any table ef casino gamblin’ evuh come ’bout hey! ’Cordin’ to de sayin’ – “Once bitten, twice shy”! Tek care o’ yuhself,Yuh frien’ Babsie!
