Carolyn Cooper | Devon House a fi di whole a wi

CHAKA-CHAKA SPELLING

It look like seh some a wi nuh understand seh Devon House a fi di whole a wi. Uptown, downtown an all bout town! An di whole a wi ha fi look after it. Pon top a dat, some a di people dem weh go a Devon House nuh know how fi behave demself wen dem lef dem yard go out a road. Dem nuh have nuh brought-upsy. Dem drag up. Dem nah treat di place right. A it mek di good ha fi suffer fi di bad.

Mi did hear seh a ongle if yu pay fi go pon Devon House tour, yu coulda go pon di front lawn. One pretty-pretty garden out deh! Mi nuh believe inna hearsay to dat. Mi done know seh wi love fi seh, ‘If it nuh go so, it nearly go so.’ Mi did waan know how it go fi true. Mi did write one column bout di situation wid dis ya headline, “Devon House management on the defensive.” It did come out pon Sunday March 5. Sake a technical problem, di column drop offa di website pon di Monday. Gone like Sammy mout! A no till di Friday it go back up. So nuff smaddy never get fi read it.

Anyhow, mi did email di marketing and events manager pon February 1 fi find out wa a gwaan. Shi send back one email pon February 10. Shi seh, one time, any an everybody coulda go pon di front lawn an dem never ha fi pay nutten. Di manager dem did ha fi stop dat. Some a di people dem dash weh dem rubbish all bout. Garbage pan di deh, but dem nah use it. Believe it or not, some a dem find all kind a dark corner pon di property fi have sex. An dem lef dem condom same place. Dem nuh even put it inna garbage pan. Wa mek dem so worthless? Dem nah nuh shame?

GOOD NEWS

December last year, tings change fi di better. Any an everybody can go back pon Devon House front lawn certain time a day. From 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. every day! Dat a good news. Sometime, di garden mighta rent out fi wedding, birthday party an such di like. Dem deh time, di general public can’t go inna di garden chroo di event private. Devon House ha fi mek money fi help keep up di place.

Mi ongle hope seh di outa order smaddy dem, weh a mek it bad fi di rest a wi, a go try behave demself a Devon House. Mi know seh wi ha fi start wid di pikni dem. Wi ha fi teach Civics a school, so di pikni dem wi learn how fi grow up an turn nice an deestant citizen. Mi no waan di manager dem a Devon House ha fi go pitch wi back offa di front lawn. If Devon House a fi di whole a wi fi true, di whole a wi supposen fi able fi a profile out a front.

PRAPA-PRAPA SPELIN

It luk laik se som a wi no andastan se Devon House a fi di uol a wi. Optoun, dountoun an aal bout toun. An di uol a wi a fi luk aafta it. Pan tap a dat, som a di piipl dem we go a Devon House no nuo ou fi biyiev demself wen dem lef dem yaad go out a ruod. Dem no av no braatopsi. Dem jrag op. Dem naa chriit di plies rait. A it mek di gud a fi sofa fi di bad.

Mi did ier se a ongl if yu pie fi go pan Devon House tuor, yu kuda go pan di front laan. Wan priti-priti gyaadn out de! Mi no biliiv in a ier-se tu dat. Mi don nuo se wi lov fi se, ‘If it no go so, it nierli go so.’ Mi did waahn nuo ou it go fi chruu. Mi did rait wan kalam bout di sitiyieshan wid disya edlain, “Devon House management on the defensive.” It did kom out pan Sonde Maach 5. Siek a teknikal prablem, di kalam jrap aafa di websait pan di Monde. Gaan laik Sammy mout! A no til di Fraide it go bak op. So nof smadi neva get fi riid it.

Eniou, mi did iimiel di marketing and events manager pan Febieri 1 fi fain out wa a gwaan. Shi sen bak wan iimiel pan Febieri 10. Shi se, wan taim, eni an evribadi kuda go pan di front laan an dem neva a fi pie notn. Di manija dem did a fi stap dat. Som a di piipl dem dash we dem robish aal bout. Gyaabij pan di de, bot dem naa yuuz it. Biliiv it ar nat, som a dem fain aal kain a daak kaana pan di prapati fi av seks. An dem lef dem kandom siem plies. Dem no iivn put it ina gyaabij pan. Wa mek dem so wotlis? Dem naa no shiem?

GUD NYUUZ

Disemba laas ier, tingz chienj fi di beta. Eni an evribadi kyan go bak pan Devon House front laan sortn taim a die. Fram 3 p.m. tu 7 p.m. evri die! Dat a gud nyuuz. Somtaim, di gyaadn maita rent out fi wedn, bortdie paati an soch di laik. Dem de taim, di jenaral poblik kyaahn go in a di gyaadn chruu di event praivit. Devon House a fi mek moni fi elp kip op di plies.

Mi ongl uop se di outa aada smadi dem, we a mek it bad fi di res a wi, a go chrai biyiev demself a Devon House. Mi nuo se wi a fi staat wid di pikni dem. Wi a fi tiich Siviks a skuul so di pikni dem wi lorn ou fi gruo op an ton nais an diistant sitizn. Mi no waahn di manija dem a Devon House a fi go pich wi bak aafa di front laan. If Devon House a fi di uol a wi fi chruu, di uol a wi sopuozn fi iebl fi a pruofail out a front.

For an English translation, visit https://carolynjoycooper.wordpress.com/

- Carolyn Cooper, PhD, is a teacher of English language and literature and a specialist on culture and development. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and karokupa@gmail.com