Plenty torts flash een an out mih head when ah read dat de mighty Gypsy had ah news conference where he announce he done wid de UNC after 15 years. He so done he give up he ministerial post.

Needless tuh say, buh ah go say it anyway, ah know one person who reach hog heaven when he hear de news. Ah manage tuh shift de spotlight fuh ah few heartbeats. He agree politicians who does wait until dey feelings hurt before dey look to condemn rong doin orn dey side, have ah problem wid integrity. As far as I know is only woman who get horn does seek tuh embarrass dey former man like dat.

Anyway, only one tort manage tuh stick in mih head—Little Black Boy. I see ah link between dat masterful piece ah writin, an Gypsy actions tuh gettin blank. Not tuh mention he updated opinion about her former leader.

Dem lyrics was relevant in 1997. Now, at election time 2015, dey even more relevant. De way tings going, years from now, dey go be all but fuhgotten but be more relevant.

Someting ominous lurkin. It have tuh do wid what doh get said. Try an raise de alarm an yuh go get shush. Everybody hope it go away. Dat eh happenin. Reality say what hidin in plain sight here to stay until tings change.

If not . . .

Dat part so frightenin ah feel dis blog rehashin parts ah several previous topics.

Like race.

I not no dreamer or optimist when it come tuh race relations in T&T. It eh havin no joinin ah hands an singin Kumbaya any time soon. De closest some wotless man does come tuh dat is when he tief ah small wine Carnival time from ah woman who wouldn’t give he de time ah day startin Ash Wednesday. As ah pragmatist, I say no udder country could hold ah candle tuh T&T when it come tuh race relations. Of course tings could always be better. Tuh start dong dat road, one category ah Trinis have tuh become aware an use it power tuh demand it get recognized outside de election cycle.

T&T is ah tossed salad. Every ethnicity still identifiable an bring dat tuh de salad bar. Over de years, lil pieces ah each culture does flake orf an become de salad dressin, bindin everybody tuhgedder. It give everybody de same ting—dey Trini identity—ah lil bit ah each ethnicity mix up mix up.

Each ingredient in de salad have ah responsibility tuh better itself an by extension, de country. Dat eh happenin in all de groups.

Like de tinkin I remember.

At de risk ah some dotish person tinkin ah makin ah blanket statement, I remember as ah boy dat not all de groups use tuh do ting like join de poleece, de regiment, coast guard or de fire brigade. Not all groups was interested in lawyerin or doctorin. Same ting wid ownin businesses.

One ah mih limin buddies would get ah ten-days. When he headin orf tuh wuk, de udder fellas wid buss fatigue orn him. When Friday reach (or was it Saturday?), hand an mouth change places an now is shilling an bob dey want. Yeah, ah datin mihself, ah know.

Like Is de current system givin hope?

Is not like de grandchirren, especially grandsons, ah who was doin de beggin not gettin opportunities tuh do better. So why year after year de CXC exams results show dey eh able? Why de same trifecta keep winnin? Squint yuh eye good an yuh could see de boys in de distance eatin everybody else dust. Dey even know de words tuh song about dem? Dat eh spell trouble dong de road. Serious trouble?

How many years de PNM was de onlyest party tuh choose from? What dem places Gypsy sing about have tuh show fuh dem years? After 50 plus years ah independence why is de same loser dat bringin up de rear? What udder groups have or know dat we doh have or know an cyar seem to get we hands orn? We contribution tuh de tossed salad eh wukkin, ent?

Leh we fuhget de, it eh about de truth is what yuh could get udder people tuh believe, lil bit.

Like de light too bright?

What it mean when some start bawlin dat de govahment eh doin nuttin fuh we? Is de bawlin because dey know we doh do nuttin tuh help we own an fraid who in power showin we up? Or dey know de longer we out ah power de more time udders have tuh help dey own first? After all, dat eh go make we look bard?

I say puttin self first is ah natural human instinct. Is just dat in ah country like T&T yuh cyar be exclusive.

So T&T politics at election time is not about ignorin poor communities even eef dey people eh look like you. Is more about ignorin poor communities who doh look like you once yuh win de election. Buh what does really stink is ignorin poor communities ah people who look like you after yuh win de election. Who tuh bawl to when dat happen?

What all or any ah dis have tuh do wid Little Black Boys an Gypsy?

I say everyting.

Triniland is still ah paradise tuh many. Tuh udders de closest we does reach tuh paradise is when we reminisce. Eidder way, dem students comin een larse all de time eh goin no place. While I doh subscribe tuh de argument dat poverty in an of itself does lead tuh crime, T&T society populated by plenty people wid ah sense ah entitlement. Some might say it is ah tree wid deep roots.

Me eh care who win come September 7^th, ah really don’t. As long as dey keep movin de country forward. Eef ah PNM win go mean de kind ah change dat go have dem startin tuh fix what ails places like parts ah de east-west corridor all while movin de country forward, I good. But as ah tell mih, “PNM till ah dead,” pardnah, I go be surprised eef come September 7^th 2016 anybody who dirt poor see dey life change, regardless ah who win.

What I eh good wid is ah man wid de smarts Gypsy have tryin tuh tell me is ah next reason why he leave de UNC. Dat I shouldn’t tink is because dey eh select he tuh represent Mayaro.

Me eh know how much ah neemakharam Kamla is. (Fuh who doh have de pleasure ah livin in ah multi ethnic, ‘tossed salad’, society like T&T’s, neemakharam is ah Hindi word meanin ungrateful. It flakin orf from Indian culture).

Is one question ah have fuh Gypsy. How he reconcile he new opinion ah he former political leader wid udders where he sing she praises callin she de best person tuh be PM? What happen tuh change he mind?

Time tuh turn back orn de, it eh about de truth is what yuh could get udder people tuh believe, cliché.