Dear Nesta,
Well, muh girl, four mo’ days to go befo’ we get to de “Big Day”, an’ de rushin’ ’bout comin’ now to fever pitch! Yuh could tell Chris’mas in de air when yuh gettin’ wish “all de bes’ fuh de season” from Habra, Dabra and de crew, wheyevah yuh turn.
“Percy” really outta wuk dis week ’cause evahbody lookin’ an’ ackin’ real pleasant. I hope come January ’e en got to put in some good ovuhtime when VAT start bitin’! I always ax muhself why we cyhan be in dis mood pas’ December, but I cyhan fin’ de answer yet!
I had to pass t’rough town day befo’, an’ when I see de number o’ people ’pon de sidewalks – some movin’ wid a purpose, de ethuhs jes’ idlin’ ’bout – I had to tell muhself, praise God dis day does only come once a year. I pity de po’ police, faif, ’cause wid all dah crowd o’ people gine in an’ outta de shops, it cyhan be easy to spot de “Berry” pickers, an’ I en talkin’ ’bout fruit! I onderstan’ dem phones is de in t’ing dis year! Wevver strawberry, blueberry or blackberry, yuh beggin’, borrowin’ or t’iefin’ one.
Bajans got some strange priorities. I know a fella, en able to pay ’e rent – in fack, de lan’lord had to put ’e out finally after five monfs o’ not payin’ one cent – an’ when I see ’e pull out ’e cellphone to mek a call, it was a Blackberry! Now, I ax yuh, he cyhan pay rent but could own a Blackberry? Even ef somebody did so foolish as to gi’e ’e one, when ’e get it, ’e shoulda show li’l sense an’ sell it to try an’ pay some back rent, but it only show yuh whey ’e got ’e priorities!
Chile, dis Blackberry craze is somet’ing else! I nearly lose a frien’ de ethuh day over one! I talkin’ to she ’bout somet’ing important, an’ I fin’ I wasn’ gettin’ no reply a-tall. When I check, she din’ even lissenin’ to me. She head ben’, lookin’ down at de phone in she han’s, bizzy checkin’ fuh I en know wuh! So I had to leh she know exackly wuh I t’ought ’bout she an’ de phone!
Sence den, we fairly col’, but she don’ need frien’s when she got a Blackberry! I en got one an’ an’ I en even axin’ Santa to bring muh one! De ole cellphone I own, good enuff when I got to mek a call ef I ramblin’ ’bout lookin’ fuh anybody address or ef I brek down ‘pon de road!
I don’ mek no lis’, but ef Santa decide ’e would like to gi’e muh somet’ing, I won’ say no to muh food bill comin’ down nex’ year! De new VAT prices en touch evaht’ing yet – aldo it seem as ef some shops change prices de very nex’ day after we get de Budget – but when January come ’roun’, dah is when de games begin!
I got muh shoppin’ down to a minimum – neffin extra – an’ still I does get a shock at de checkout! Ef I got to cut out much mo’ t’ings, I might ha’ to stop eatin’ altogedduh! Looka how dis Chris’mas, strugglin’ to buy one ham an’ I hearin’ ’bout people buyin’ a case!
It look to me as ef wunna up in dem norfern countries gine be in fuh a real col’ Chris’mas dis year. Snow an’ mo’ snow, an’ temperatures down pas’ zero! Couple nights ago, even in Miami, it was ’bout 20 degrees, so dah should tell yuh somet’ing. De wevver pattern changin’ all over an’ I lookin’ fuh snow one day right hey in Buhbayduss! Don’ laff!
Well, Ness, befo’ I go, lemmuh wish you an’ yours an’ evahbody I know an’ don’ know, a joyous Chris’mas an’ peaceful times in de New Year!
Tek care o’ yuhself.
– Yuh frien’ Babsie
