BLABBERMOUT’ BABSIE: Fishin’ in troubled waters!

I know you, like muhself, en gine want to accep’ dat once mo’ we Bajan fishermen – ten dis time – not only get pick up by de Trinidad aut’orties, but lan’ straight in jail, fuh de allege strayin’ in Tobago waters while out fishin’! You would believe dis border dispute between dese two islan’s – only 90 miles apart – en settle yet? It been goin’ on so long dat it turn chronic! It mek yuh wonder ef de politicians really got we fishermen int’res’ at heart, why it tekkin’ so long to fine a solution??Life ’pon de high seas en easy, y’know!
After stayin’ in jail fuh a few days, gettin’ haul up befo’ de Judge an’ payin’ a fine, duh get release. But less dan a hour afterwards, jes’ when evuhbody t’ought dat was de en’ o’ de nightmare an’ duh would be able to start fuh home, de four captains o’ de boats get re-arres’, dis time by Immigration, an’ it was jail fuh dem once mo’, fuh “Enterin’ Tobago Illegally”! To cut it short, t’ings finally get clear up an’ de onfortunate men should be back any minute now! Dem fellas went t’rough bare “Ole Mas” an’ it din even Carnival time!
It en no wonder de Wes’ Indies Federation c’n get off de groun’ all dem years ago! We now got CARICOM an’ mo’ recent, CSME, dem two “ties dat suppose to bine we”, but still, none o’ de islan’s really “tight” wid one anethuh up to now. De quicker evuhbody accep’ Caribbean unity is only a word, de better fuh all! Dis recent “fishin’ baccanal” should mek we realize it is time to get serious an’ come up wid a solution! It look to me as ef Trinidad believe ownership o’ summuch Bajan real estate – an’ it reall is, even we national bank gone – mek duh large an’ in charge in decidin’ Bajan affairs! But who is to know ef de flyin’ fish don’ get fed up, an’ clear out from de Tobago waters as well, an’ fly off into de blue, in de same way duh lef’ we out! Who large an’ in charge den? A Trini frien’ tell me flyin’ fish en all dah important to dem, but y’know how it is wid mos’ Bajans when it come to duh flyin’ fish an’ cou cou?
It seem we always runnin’ into trouble wid we “sister island” nowadays! Looka wuh happen wid REDjet! It was tekkin’ so long to get duh permission fuh de airline to fly to Trinidad dat my po’ frien’ Philomena nearly had a nerviss breakdown when she t’ought dah red light din gine change to green!
It en de firs’ time Bajan fishermen see de ugly side o’ de Trinidad Aut’ortities, but I lookin’ fuh we luck to change now we app’int a new Ambassador to Trinidad!
Yuh know de sayin’ ’bout “new broom”! Mr Bobby Morris is a man wid vas’ experience in dealin’ wid yooman relations, an’ he sure to sweep ’way any lingerin’ specks o’ dus’ an’ steer bofe countries in de right direction! Preventin’ some person from fishin’ in waters dat yuh believe is yuh own is one t’ing, but t’rowin’ duh in jail once, den re-arres’in’ dem an’ t’rowin’ dem back in agen en “nice”, c’dear! I don’ feel anybody would want a experience like de one we fellas jes’ went t’rough, an’ I hope it happen fuh de las’ time! As much  as like it, I won’t relish a change in we national dish to “crab an’ callalou”! Blue an’ gol’ still we colours! Flyin’ Fish an’ Cou Cou – all de way!
Tek care o’ yuhself,
Yuh frien’ Babsie.