Dear Nesta,
Easter come ’roun’ so fas’ dis year dat I din even remember to wish yuh “Happy Easter” de las’ time I sen’ yuh a letter.
De Lenten season went by in sech a flash dat befo’ yuh could say “boo”, Easter was at de door. “Fathuh Time” ’pon skates, awright!
Anyway, I hope yuh had a good time wid yuh fambly an’ frien’s, not only gourmandisin’ de hot cross buns, but also t’inkin’ ’bout de ethuh “cross”, de real reason we celebrate Easter, an’ spennin’ some quiet time in meditation!
I was t’inkin’ ’bout gi’in’ yuh a call over de Easter weeken’, but I en get no furthuh dan de t’ought! Dis was a time fuh peaceful, lovin’ t’oughts an’ I din want to vex muh spirit. Ef you only know de trauma I go t’rough almos’ daily when I got to use de telephone, yuh would onderstan’ why I din mek tummuch effort to call!
A day does hardly pass when I don’ get cut off while talkin’ ’pon de phone, local calls or overseas, no matter! Jes’ a “click” an’ whoevuh I talkin’ to gone – ’til whenevuh de line decide to come back! I so tired reportin’ de problem dat nowadays I simply wait it out ’til I hear dial tone agen.
I realize I got two choices, eiduh tek it easy or slam de phone down in vexation an’ frustration, mebbee brekkin’ it up, an’ causin’ muhself not only a lotta stress, but havin’ to look fuh a new phone – an’ coppers hard enuff to come by dese days! Voicemail does gi’e nuff trouble too. I lef’ messages, sometimes urgent, in Philomena voicemail, an’ she don’ get dem fuh days, when any urgency duh mighta had, long gone!
All de new-fangle services duh offerin’ – G-dis, G-dat or wuhevuh else – don’ impress me. All I want is proper telephone service any time I usin’ de phone – dat I payin’ fuh – when de day come! I don’ t’ink dah is tummuch to ax!
Wage talks dat been goin’ on fuh God know how long, between dat comp’ny an’ de union finally finish! Aldoh duh settle fuh less dan de amounk de workers had in min’, I still lookin’ fuh de service to improve!
Chile, I glad enuff to see de back o’ March, faif! Mo’ killin’s, stabbin’s an’ shootin’s dan de law allow, an’ don’ talk ’bout accidents ‘pon de roads! Dem is “dime a dozen” dese days! I don’ know wuh tekkin’ place ’pon dis islan’! It look to me as ef people whole personality change de minute duh siddown behine a wheel.
Evuhbody so impatient nowadays, tootin’ duh horn at yuh, de secon’ yuh don’ tek off like Usain Bolt when de traffick lights change, jambustin’ when duh shun be doin’ it, an’ always in a hell o’ a rush to reach duh destination! Believe me, in dis li’l 21×14 islan’ it en gine tek hours to get from one part o’ de islan’ to de ethuh – onless duh en’ up in a accident dat might jes’ put de brakes ’pon duh, fuh good!
Some o’ dese drivers eiduh too careless, reckless or is jes’ bare “show-offs”!
I always mek de sign o’ de cross de minute I step from home, ’cause nowadays anyt’ing could happen! An’ as fuh drivin’ at night! Dem bright, rainbow colours dat hittin’ yuh, doin’ a good job o’ tryin’ to mek yuh bline! Dimmin’ lights hey is a t’ing o’ de pas!
Yuh say somet’ing ’bout “road manners”? Any laws we got ’pon de books to put a stop to dis road madness should come off de books an’ get into action! Or else t’ings gine get worse!
Tek care o’ yuhself.
Yuh frien’ Babsie
