Dear Nesta,
Greetin’s an’ solutions – sorry, I mean “salutations!” Seein’ dah, anybody would believe I went to school in Augus’. But you know better. De good Lord still got yuh onder ’e wings? Keep it so girl, an’ yuh gine be able to face wuhevah life han’ yuh.
So Venezuela los’ duh “champion o’ de poor”, Hugh Chavez. He put up a good fight, but dah turrble disease win out in de en’. May he res’ in peace. I en too hot ’pon Souf Amurican hist’ry, but from wuh I been hearin’, he din lack fuh supporters who believe ’e had de poor at heart an’ was doin’ a good job fuh dem. Wevver true or not, ’e opponents din see it dah way, an’ en had no nuse fuh he nor ’e mefods. Right or wrong, he was always accusin’ Amurica o’ tryin’ to ondermine ’e position wid de res’ o’ de worl’. Dah black gol’ – oil – was de onlies’ t’ing keepin’ dem togedduh. He had it, dem had need fuh it.
I know dat when people dead, yuh hear summuch good t’ings ‘bout dem dat you, knowin’ de partic’lar body in life was neffin but a “so-an’-so”, sometimes start wonderin’ ef yuh at de right funeral. But I suppose, yuh shun speak ill o’ de dead an’ mebbee dah could be de reason fuh all de “nice words” – mos’ly lies – yuh hear at some funerals. Anyhow, de Venezuelan leader had tributes flowin’ in from all quarters, so I suppose to nuff people, he was a good man.
I onderstan’ ’e Guvment had all intentions o’ embalmin’ de body so duh could keep it fuhevah, but it don’ seem likely now – duh wait too long befo’ startin’ de embalmin’ process. Dah woulda been one way to try an’ keep control – even from de grave – ’cause as yuh know, in dis worl’, nuff people believe de dead got power. Years ago, I remember de Guyanese Guvment did try de same t’ing when Forbes Burnham pass ’way. Duh wanted to embalm de body an’ put it up in de Botanical Gardens fuh all to see whenevah duh enter de area, but dem din succeed neiduh. You could imagine how scary dah woulda been? Dis dead man stannin’ upright, lookin’ down at yuh when yuh enter de Gardens – ’specially ’pon a dark night when shadows playin’ bare tricks? Yuh nuff to pass out ’pon de spot. An’ who is to know ef sometimes, some wicked body wunta hide behin’ a tree, wid a microphone, barkin’ out instructions fuh de people to do dis an’ do dat – mekkin’ de Guyanese believe it did Forbes instruckin’ dem from beyon’.
I imagine you an’ de millions o’ ethuh Roman Cat’olics now rejoicin’ over de selection o’ de new Holy Fadduh – Pope Francis I. In Argentina, ’e birf country, evahbody mussee over de moon an’ real proud a “son o’ de soil”, dis humble, Godly man, is now Head o’ de Church. A non-European en had dis pos’ in 2000 years an’ evahbody please ’bout de choice – ’e got people good wishes all ’roun’.
I was lissenin’ to an Amurican pries’ durin a interview, tryin’ to claim Pope Francis as Amurican, ’cause, as he say, Norf an’ Souf Amurica is all one – part o’ de New Worl’. De interviewer also mention ’e age – 76 years – as slightly ole, but he din see dat a problem, an’ inform ’e “76” is now de new “56”. Dis is wuh yuh call “New Mafs”? Y’know, I was never too bright, so I won’ know. Well, I hear wuhevah yuh believe, yuh could achieve, but yuh don’ t’ink dis goin’ too far?
Tek care o’ yuhself
Yuh frien’ Babsie
