Dear Nesta,
How you chile? I trus’ yuh hol’in’ yuh own an’ keepin’ de faif! When I write today’s date ’pon dis letter (01/17/12) an’ realize we in de secon’ half o’ January a’ready, it mek muh realize time en stoppin’ to tek a breff a-tall!
But Ness, wuh it is happenin’ in we belov-ed Buhbayduss a-tall? De year open wid one big bassa-bassa between teachers an’ de principal at de Alexandra School an’ it is nearly two weeks it been goin’ on – far too long – wid no en’ in sight.
It look to me as ef trouble seem to tek up permanent residence at dah school ’cause las’ year start out de same way, wid de teachers an’ de principal at one anethuh t’roats.
Somehow, t’ings cool down, but it is obvious it was only puttin’ li’l plaster ’pon a sore dat gone deep – tek it from me, um is mo’ in dis mortar dan de pessle, girlchile!
It now flare up agen an’ dis time de teachers, wid BSTU president Mary Redman leadin’
de charge, mekkin’ it loud an’ clear fuh all to hear dat duh en backin’ down dis time.
Evuh day somebody else – teachers from ethuh schools, unions – the BWU is de lates’ – comin’ out fuh one side or de eithuh but de situation en changin’. I notice de BSTU president always wear red, de colour dat suppose to represent power, an’ I could see she is one determine woman dat don inten’ to stop ’til she get wuh she want – de separation o’ de principal from dat school.
But de principal, too, stickin’ to he guns ’cause he got nuff support fuh ’e actions from a mob-a-ton o’ Bajans! In fack, bofe sides got duh strong supporters an’ nobody en backin’ down.
Now it en fuh me to say who wrong or who right, each side got duh grievances, but de group dat I sorry fuh in dis whole affair is de po’ students!
I cyahn see how it could be possible fuh dem to settle down to studies while all dis upheaval goin’ on.
An’ all because adults cyahn see pas’ duh egos an’ try to siddown an’ hammer out a solution fuh de good o’ all concern! Wuh type o’ example duh settin’ fuh de young people, doh?
A few days ago a glimmer o’ light appear to brek t’rough de storm clouds when de minister mussee realize de officers in ’e ministry din mekkin’ no headway, an’ it did time to tek charge o’ dis unruly situation.
He been so quiet all dis time I t’ought ’e was out de islan’ or mebbee playin’ dah game of “follow de leader”, ’cause up to now we still waiting to hear somet’ing – anyt’ing – from de PM ’bout de infamous letter. Dis deafly silence put muh in min’ o’ dah Chris’mas poem – “T’was de Night befo’ Chris’mas, when all t’rough de House, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse”!
I look ’pon Mr Jones as one minister dat try to stay ’pon top o’ t’ings in ’e ministry, but dis “hot potato” – lef’ to fester too long – en gine be easy to settle at dis stage. De firs’ meetin’ duh had las’ Sarrduh en do one t’ing to ease de situation. I doubt anybody did expeck diff’rent – wid mo’ meetin’s to follow. It look to me as ef de minister gine ha’ to wipe de slate clean!
I cyahn see dese “foes” comin’ togedduh, hol’in out olive branches to one anethuh at no time, but troof stranger dan fiction! So, who knows? By de time yuh get dis letter all might be well in de lan’, easy so! You really believe dat? Yuh mo’ foolish dan I t’ought!!
Tek care o’ yuhself
Yuh frien’ Babsie
