I doan know how some people does sleep at night or sleep at all, fuh dah matter. Looking at the things some people does be doing nowadays, boy, I tell ya, it does make you wonder if duh got a flesh and blood heart like mine or yours or if duh wukking offa bare batteries like robots.
I could talk ’bout a whole lot o’ people and the heartless things they does do tuh others who are innocent and defenceless, like children and old people; but today I gine deal wid two o’ dem ’cause these are the ones dat are very current and the two dat standing out in my mind right now.
Now this first one is about certain families who, when their old people get sick, would take dem up and carry dem tuh the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Nothing ain’t wrong wid dat, dat is what is supposed tuh happen. What is wrong wid it, is when they drop the old people off at the hospital and just leave dem there tuh languish away.
Duh doan summuch as look back at dem fuh nutten. I doan know how people could do something like dat at all, uh mean tuh duh old family, duh own flesh and blood.
You could imagine dat while dah poor old man or old lady in the hospital ready and waiting tuh go home tuh the comfort of their own place, no matter how small it is, they does have tuh stay in the hospital and occupy a bed dat some poor sick person can’t get because of some heartless family member who just dump dem there at the hospital and refuse tuh look back at dem.
I doan know how the system does work here in Barbados as far as this sort o’ thing is concern but I think dat this sort o’ thing needs tuh be looked at seriously. You could imagine dat these people doan want the old girl or the old boy but would be faithfully spending duh pension day in and day out widout any kinda conscience?
You could imagine dat duh say dat the hospital van turn up in front of a house where an old person live and the family in there refuse tuh take dem but send dem back tuh the hospital?
You could imagine an old girl win two point something million dollars in settlement and instead o’ going home tuh her place tuh enjoy it, she up in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital wid nuhbody tuh collect her or care for her?
Look girl, doan look at dem nor doan lend dem a blind cent outta dat money you got. You could buy a comfortable li’l house, pay fuh a live-in nurse and maid, eat good food, relax, cock up ya foot and enjoy ya life until the Master call ya home.
Duh got another set o’ people ’bout here who like duh decide dat dem ain’t driving a stroke fuh a boy when the day come, but dem must have it all. They must have the best gear, the best food and the best jewellery round duh necks and pon duh hands – all at somebody else’s expense. Ya does call these kinda people thieves, snatchers.
Yes, snatchers. These is the fellas who you would see sitting around the place all hours o’ the day or night, just waiting tuh pounce pon poor unsuspecting people tuh rob dem outta the few dollars duh work suh hard for or try tuh pop off the li’l chain from round duh neck.
I does watch dem carefully cause duh does travel in twos. One does be pon a bicycle and the other one does be walking and checking you out. Now you doan be checking fuh dem, you gine long ’bout your business but next thing you know, somebody does be grabbing at the chain from round you neck ain’t giving to hoots if dem drag you in front o’ anything. All their intentions are tuh get the chain from offa you like um belong tuh dem.
You see this cash fuh gold thing? Well, it got a lot o’ these heartless lawless young men walking ’bout thiefing gold from wherevah duh could get it from. But dat ain’t gine stop ’til people start tuh get igrant ’bout here and take the law into their own hands.
Now why should I be going day in and day out, in the rain and in the sun, working hard as France tuh get the few things dat make me happy and somebody could stand by the wayside and lay-wait fuh me tuh tek it offa me?
I hope the police does be checking the people who does be advertising in the papers and buying up the gold dat these crooks bring in. These gold buyers know tuh demselves dat these criminal-minded men doan work nuhwhere.
Wunna mean tuh tell me dat you even gotta think twice bout buying a nice piece o’ jewellery ya see because when ya wear it, somebody gine try tuh pop off ya neck fuh it?
This sort o’ thing happening too often ’bout here and it got the police out tuh all but it gine have tuh stop.
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.
