The way I see it, the ‘powers that be’ need to be careful, who they put in charge of anything.
I had a terrible experience on the evening of Tuesday 28th August.
The CPL action had moved to Warner Park in St. Kitts and Lester of the MV Mark Twain, had assured me that the boat would be making trips in connection with the match.
I had already been assured by the very pleasant Leisel that my media pass was ready for pick up.
So off I went to St. Kitts. I knew that the boat would be ram packed. After all, it was the Guyana Amazon Warriors versus SKN Patriots, so you know that the entire Guyanese population in Nevis was going!
As a matter of fact, it took three boats to get the people down: Mark Twain; Caribe Surf and Apple Cider.
Unfortunately, I did not get on the first boat, so I arrived at Warner Park only minutes to the start of the game.
I went to one of the main gates, the one at Park Range and met a powerfully built young man there.
I identified myself and my purpose for being there and asked him if he could please allow me to get through, in order to collect the pass.
He bluntly said ‘No.’
Well I newa!
Now, I thought that it was only me he was after but there was more to come.
Soon, two cricketers arrived. One of them was Andre Fletcher and they showed their passes and attempted to get past the gate. The big guy blocked them. ‘My boss say only vehicles to pass in here,’ he said bluntly.
Fletcher and the other guy pleaded with him to allow them in, even telling him that the persons at the gate at Lozack Road, had directed them to this particular gate.
He said ‘No. The boss say nobody to pass here.’
Eventfully, I saw a Police man in khaki. I figured he was an Inspector or something.
Happy to see the high ranking officer, I asked him if he could collect the pass for me. He said he was busy but promised he would try.
By this time Fletcher was getting angrier by the minute. “See’, he shouted (showing him the pass). ‘Andre Fletcher-you can’t read?”
The Police man intervened and tried to talk to the gateman and I expected him to take control of the situation. No such luck.
He told the gateman: ‘I can’t tell you what to do—just use your discretion.’
‘The Gateman quipped: ‘Well ah done use me discretion. They cannot pass!’
As far as he was concerned, the matter was done and dusted.
Later a gentleman came by, who apparently was a ranking CPL official and they were allowed to pass in.
Back to me now. I am still out in the ‘cold.’
I heard the guy say something about Val Henry and I saw a glimmer of hope. I asked him to please tell Val Henry that I was outside. Confident that Mr. Henry would come to my assistance.
‘Val Henry not my friend. We don’t talk,’ he shouted.
All the while, I am agonizing because from the shouts and screams from within, Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis ‘going on bad’.
Someone recommended that I go to the gate on Victoria Road. I hustled there in quick time.
This time I met a much more slimly built gateman. I introduced myself and my mission and sought permission to go and get the media pass.
‘No. I can’t let you in without the pass,’ he said, matter of factly. I explained to him that the persons I spoke to told me to check with the gateman and he would allow me in to get the pass.
‘The only how you would get the pass, is if they bring it to you,’ he said.
I then made up my mind to go and join the long line and purchase a ticket. Then I remembered Leisel. I called her and explained my situation and she told me to hold on.
Not long after, she came running, out of breath and what was instructive is that she asked the gateman if he had received a message from someone (she called a name).
‘No,’ said the gateman. ‘He only gave me this paper (showing paper).
‘Well’, said Leisel, ‘that paper has on the names of the persons who are to be allowed in.’
‘Oh I did not know,’ he said. ‘But if he had tell me his name I could have let him pass.’
I said: ‘That is the first thing I did. I gave you my name and the reason why I was here.’
He said not a word, as he swung the gate open.
It reminds me of a video that was being circulated some time ago:
A woman was relating how she had been hired by a man to do housework and as he left for work, he instructed her not to let anyone in.
On his way to work, he realized that he did not have the keys for his office.
He sped back and knocked on the door. The woman refused to open.
‘It’s me—your boss,’ he shouted, starting to get angry.
‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘You must be want to trick me. You said nobody must pass in!’
Well I newa!
Needless to say, I was able to enjoy the remainder of the game; complete my story on the spot and enjoy the arguments back over on the boat, in the heated, unofficial postmortem.
It occurred to me though, that people really need to be careful who they put in charge of anything, because when the bible text makes reference to the ‘gates of hell shall not prevail…..,’ trust me, if that first guy was placed at the gate of hell, not even Satan would have been allowed in!
That’s the way I see it. How do you see it?
The Way I See It
The way I see it, the ‘powers that be’ need to be careful, who they put in charge of anything.
I had a terrible experience on the evening of Tuesday 28th August.
The CPL action had moved to Warner Park in St. Kitts and Lester of the MV Mark Twain, had assured me that the boat would be making trips in connection with the match.
I had already been assured by the very pleasant Leisel that my media pass was ready for pick up.
So off I went to St. Kitts. I knew that the boat would be ram packed. After all, it was the Guyana Amazon Warriors versus SKN Patriots, so you know that the entire Guyanese population in Nevis was going!
As a matter of fact, it took three boats to get the people down: Mark Twain; Caribe Surf and Apple Cider.
Unfortunately, I did not get on the first boat, so I arrived at Warner Park only minutes to the start of the game.
I went to one of the main gates, the one at Park Range and met a powerfully built young man there.
I identified myself and my purpose for being there and asked him if he could please allow me to get through, in order to collect the pass.
He bluntly said ‘No.’
Well I newa!
Now, I thought that it was only me he was after but there was more to come.
Soon, two cricketers arrived. One of them was Andre Fletcher and they showed their passes and attempted to get past the gate. The big guy blocked them. ‘My boss say only vehicles to pass in here,’ he said bluntly.
Fletcher and the other guy pleaded with him to allow them in, even telling him that the persons at the gate at Lozack Road, had directed them to this particular gate.
He said ‘No. The boss say nobody to pass here.’
Eventfully, I saw a Police man in khaki. I figured he was an Inspector or something.
Happy to see the high ranking officer, I asked him if he could collect the pass for me. He said he was busy but promised he would try.
By this time Fletcher was getting angrier by the minute. “See’, he shouted (showing him the pass). ‘Andre Fletcher-you can’t read?”
The Police man intervened and tried to talk to the gateman and I expected him to take control of the situation. No such luck.
He told the gateman: ‘I can’t tell you what to do—just use your discretion.’
‘The Gateman quipped: ‘Well ah done use me discretion. They cannot pass!’
As far as he was concerned, the matter was done and dusted.
Later a gentleman came by, who apparently was a ranking CPL official and they were allowed to pass in.
Back to me now. I am still out in the ‘cold.’
I heard the guy say something about Val Henry and I saw a glimmer of hope. I asked him to please tell Val Henry that I was outside. Confident that Mr. Henry would come to my assistance.
‘Val Henry not my friend. We don’t talk,’ he shouted.
All the while, I am agonizing because from the shouts and screams from within, Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis ‘going on bad’.
Someone recommended that I go to the gate on Victoria Road. I hustled there in quick time.
This time I met a much more slimly built gateman. I introduced myself and my mission and sought permission to go and get the media pass.
‘No. I can’t let you in without the pass,’ he said, matter of factly. I explained to him that the persons I spoke to told me to check with the gateman and he would allow me in to get the pass.
‘The only how you would get the pass, is if they bring it to you,’ he said.
I then made up my mind to go and join the long line and purchase a ticket. Then I remembered Leisel. I called her and explained my situation and she told me to hold on.
Not long after, she came running, out of breath and what was instructive is that she asked the gateman if he had received a message from someone (she called a name).
‘No,’ said the gateman. ‘He only gave me this paper (showing paper).
‘Well’, said Leisel, ‘that paper has on the names of the persons who are to be allowed in.’
‘Oh I did not know,’ he said. ‘But if he had tell me his name I could have let him pass.’
I said: ‘That is the first thing I did. I gave you my name and the reason why I was here.’
He said not a word, as he swung the gate open.
It reminds me of a video that was being circulated some time ago:
A woman was relating how she had been hired by a man to do housework and as he left for work, he instructed her not to let anyone in.
On his way to work, he realized that he did not have the keys for his office.
He sped back and knocked on the door. The woman refused to open.
‘It’s me—your boss,’ he shouted, starting to get angry.
‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘You must be want to trick me. You said nobody must pass in!’
Well I newa!
Needless to say, I was able to enjoy the remainder of the game; complete my story on the spot and enjoy the arguments back over on the boat, in the heated, unofficial postmortem.
It occurred to me though, that people really need to be careful who they put in charge of anything, because when the bible text makes reference to the ‘gates of hell shall not prevail…..,’ trust me, if that first guy was placed at the gate of hell, not even Satan would have been allowed in!
That’s the way I see it. How do you see it?