#BARBADOS CHILD CARE BOARD

[nakeddeparture]

Barbados. Richard Miller supports Marcia Clarke in her excellent care of her granddaughter.

https://youtu.be/nNKgXPBwKc4

She wanted for nothing! What are the Child Care Board and the police in Barbados doing?! Naked!!

[thechasefiles]

The Chase Files Daily Newscap 4/16/2018

Good Morning #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Monday 16th April 2018. Remember that you can read full articles via subscribing to Nation News Online, purchasing Daily Nation Newspaper (DN) or via Barbados Today (BT).

GAS AND KEROSENE PRICES DROP, WHILE LPG RISES – Consumers will be paying less for gasoline and kerosene but more for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) effective midnight Sunday. The new retail price of gasoline will be Bds$3.31 per litre, down from $3.44 per litre, a decrease of 13 cents, while the price of kerosene will be lowered from $1.41 per litre to $1.36 per litre, a decrease of five cents The retail prices of LPG will be adjusted from Bds$168.69 per 100-pound cylinder to $169.88 per 100-pound cylinder, an increase of $1.19. The price of the 25-pound cylinder will move from $47.27 to $47.57, a 30 cents increase The new price of the 22-pound cylinder is $42.03, up from $41.76, an increase of 27 cents; while the price of the 20 pound cylinder has increased by 24 cents from $37.97 to $38.21. The price of diesel remains unchanged at $2.60 per litre.   (BT)

HUNT FOR KILLER – TWENTY-FOUR HOURS after Onica King was stabbed to death in front of her two children, and as rumours surrounding the capture of her husband swirled, her family is remaining tight-lipped on the incident. And one Government agency is moving swiftly to help the children. King, 36, who lived at Leadvale, Christ Church, with her husband David King, became the island’s latest murder victim on Saturday. Police continue their hunt for the killer. When a DAILY NATION team visited the area where the couple lived yesterday afternoon, relatives declined to speak. However, several residents said they were not familiar with Onica, who was a Guyanese. One woman, though, said the situation was shocking because whenever she saw the couple on their way to work, they appeared to be in great spirits. Meanwhile, police public relations officer Acting Inspector Rodney Inniss dismissed rumours that the husband had been apprehended. The allegation made the rounds via a voice note on WhatsApp which suggested that a man was caught at Grantley Adams International Airport attempting to flee the island. “That is a rumour. That is not true,” Inniss said, adding that no one was yet in custody. However, lawmen yesterday issued a wanted notice for the husband and are asking him to turn himself in, in the company of a friend or an attorney. Meanwhile, Minister of Social Care Steve Blackett said the couple’s two children, who witnessed the act, would be getting counselling. “I know that the Child Care Board has come on board and is offering services and is offering counselling. That is my principal aim to have those children counselled,” Blackett said on CBC-TV last night. As he decried acts of domestic violence, the minister said he hoped estranged parties could solve their issues “before they reach the point where a life is lost. It saddens me every time something like this happens”. The nail technician’s death brought businesses on Swan Street to a halt on Saturday when she was killed around 2:45 p.m. at her work in Mandela Mall. A large crowd thronged the street as they tried to catch a glimpse of the body which remained at the scene until around 5:45 p.m. Businesses also closed.  King was the tenth murder victim for the year.  (DN)

CHILDREN OF SLAIN WOMAN TO RECEIVE COUNSELLING – The Ministry of Social Care and the Child Care Board have stepped in to provide assistance to the young children of 36-year-old nail technician Onica King who was fatally stabbed while at work at #41 Mandela Mall, Swan Street yesterday. Social Care Minister Steve Blackett expressed dismay at reports that the children, said to be ages six and three, witnessed the violent crime that occurred around 2:45 p.m. “The Child Care Board has actually come on board and is offering services of counselling for the children and that will be my principal aim at this point to have those children counselled,” he said. Blackett, a strong advocate against domestic violence, said there was an urgent need for partners to seek to resolve their differences peacefully. “I wish that as human beings that we could deal with these matters, trash them out in our own domestic spaces before they reach the point where a life is lost. It saddens me every time that something like this happens,” he said. Police said King was reportedly involved in an altercation with a man, said to be her husband, just before she met her death. The man fled the scene. The Minister noted that Government had taken action to deal with the problem, citing the Domestic Violence Order Act, which he tabled in Parliament that has widened the powers of the Parliament, the police and the Judiciary to handle matters related to domestic violence. However, the Gender Affairs Committee of the National Union of Public Workers today called on the Government to review the domestic violence laws and the criminal code to initiate and implement  “an appropriate legislative framework” for cases where there was a history of violence and abuse. “Legislation and judicial reform is needed now more that ever if we are to save the lives of our men and women from acts of domestic violence. More must be done and with haste” said committee chairman, Makala Beckles-Jordan. (BT)

SHOW EMPHATHY, BAPSW SAYS – At the height of public outrage over the circulation of a social media video related to yesterday’s brutal killing of 36-year-old Onica King at Swan Street, the new executive of the Barbados Association of Professional Social Workers (BAPSW) is calling on Barbadians to show more empathy. Addressing the installation ceremony of the association at Sanctuary Empowerment Centre this morning, President Sharon-Rose Gittens did not directly refer to the shocking incident, but she raised concern about violence, deviance among youth and the influence of technology in society. “We need . . . Barbadians to put their phones down, and learn how to help, take a course in basic first aid, do something, do not make that something be a video and a video to share among other persons knowing that persons are being harmed. ” said Gittens to the congregation who nodded their approval. She revealed that a key mandate of the BAPSW in its 2018 – 2020 term would involve changing the Barbadian society through education and empowerment. She highlighted that domestic violence was particularly worrying even as she stressed that violence at all levels had to be tackled. “We need perpetrators of abuse to learn conflict resolution skills, to master the effective techniques on how to walk away from toxic relationships to a safe environment such as support groups. We need to understand that effective disaster management includes psychological and bereavement counselling,” said Gittens. “We also need to look forward to schools, positive changes that will take place in the child, . . . or the home as long as we are there, “ she added, pledging that the association was working on a comprehensive proposal to address the issues. “When Barbados adopts our proposal fully it is not just for Barbados but for the Caribbean region facing the issue of youth deviance and it will be a beacon to follow,” Gittens assured.  (BT)

GENDER AFFAIRS GROUP URGES SERIOUS ACTION ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE – Heinous and callous! That’s how the National Union of Public Workers Gender Affairs Committee has described yesterday’s stabbing death of 36-year-old Onica King at #41 Mandela Mall, Swan Street, St Michael. “In this case, the attack on the helpless woman resulted in the loss of life in front of her children,” lamented Chairman of the committee Makala Beckles –Jordan. “Our hearts goes out to the family of this young lady, but moreso to the children who witnessed this act of violence at such a young age, no child should have to witness that type of crime.” Beckles-Jordan warned that cases of domestic violence were on the increase, and urged Government to act with haste to introduce stiffer penalties to deter would be offenders. “According to the RBPF [Royal Barbados Police Force] statistics cases of violence within homes are increasing with 1,667 cases of domestic violence cases reported in 2011, while 3,170 were reported in 2012. From January to September 2013, 4, 909 cases have been reported. The increase has shown that domestic violence is increasing quickly and at an uncontrollable pace , especially as it comes at a time when the Domestic Violence Act has been in force for the past few years.” Police said that King was reportedly involved in an altercation with a man. She received stab wounds and died at the scene. The man then fled the scene. Beckles–Jordan appealed for a review of domestic violence laws and the Criminal Code to initiate and implement  “an appropriate legislative framework” for cases where there was a history of violence and abuse. “The Barbados law courts should complement this legislature to curb cases of domestic violence which are on the increase, by imposing stiffer penalties to those who break the law imposing deterrent sentences. [This] would send a strong message to perpetrators of domestic violence,” she stressed.  (BT)

JONES APPEALS FOR CLEAN CAMPAIGN –Three-time Christ Church East Central Member of Parliament (MP) Ronald Jones warned last night that “dangerous signs [were] on the horizon” as he appealed to political leaders to keep their supporters in check for the upcoming general elections. Speaking at a community rally at Lodge Road, Christ Church, Jones condemned what he described as attempts to sabotage his campaign. Revelations surfaced last Friday from Jones and the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) General Secretary George Pilgrim at a press conference held at the Christ Church East Central Constituency Office in Kingsland that a fake advertisement with the tagline ‘Help us BUY your Vote”, promoting that free alcohol would be distributed to those attending last night’s rally was being circulated. Pilgrim strongly distanced the DLP from the ad and expressed concern about the direction in which the campaign was headed. Last night Jones told the gathering at Lodge Road that Barbados had a long history of democratic elections and it was up to the leaders of the various political parties to ensure that the island’s reputation remained in tact. “We do not want clashes and skirmishes just to be elected to any office. We have never in my understanding of the political history of Barbados had one death as a result of political campaigning. Let it remain so,” he said to strong approval from the crowd. Jones said he had never “put a stumbling block in the way of anybody” and encouraged his opponents running in Christ Church East to “run the route, do what you have to do.” There was a party-like atmosphere at the event, which saw performances from Kadeem, Scrilla and Sanctuary. Jones who is seeking re-election for a fourth time,  charged that the current waiting period for the announcement of the poll constitutionally due by June had shown up the Opposition Barbados Labour Party. “One of the things that has shown up as we move towards the election is that the longer it takes, the more mistakes the other side have been making. It shows you that they do not have the strength, they do not have the fortitude, they don’t have the capacity to stay the long journey, particularly if the journey is difficult, they want the easy road.” He urged his supporters to stick to the ruling DLP, insisting it was not the time for change. “Don’t let us change now we are at the time of reaping. We [DLP] have planted, now give us an opportunity to ensure that all persons benefit from the harvest and not just the few. “Know that you must be jonesing again, we ain’t changing in Christ Church East Central, We jonesing again”, he told supporters. (BT)

‘CUT DOWN RATIOS’ IN CLASSES – RETIRED PRINCIPAL Jeff Broomes wants the Ministry of Education to control the ratio of students to teacher in the classroom. He made the call while delivering a lecture titled Protect Our Children And Save Our Country last Thursday night at the Barbados Workers’ Union headquarters Solidarity House. “A full class of children, all with different personalities and specific needs, in itself can be very taxing for a teacher with his or her own personal and family challenges . . . . If we want to be good to our children and ultimately to our nation, ratios must not be allowed to swell to the point that compromises teacher effectiveness. Teachers are not magicians, although the work they do daily can often be seen as magical. Support them, please,” he pleaded. As well as suggesting that a hefty fine be imposed on all public service vehicle operators caught transporting schoolchildren in their vans between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Broomes wanted a change in the way students were allocated to secondary schools. According to him, it was one of the major contributing factors to the long-frowned-upon ZR and van stand culture, which he said greatly encouraged youth deviancy and violence. “It is nonsensical to me that at a time when we have more than enough secondary school spaces, and when there is at least one secondary school in every parish, we are still languishing in the practices that were necessary for a past that needed to function in the way to address the problems of the time, which is no longer the problem. “I see no reason why a child from St Philip should come to school in St Michael or St James. I see no reason why a child from St Lucy should come to school in St Michael or Christ Church . . . . We now have unnecessary mass daily student movement and the obvious gatherings in the van stand. In addition to negatively impacting the available time for students to be involved in the after-school, character-building, extra-curricular activities, it also leaves our children exposed and presents an expensive challenge to our transportation system,” he argued. Thursday’s lecture was hosted by the Child Care Board and aimed at addressing the scourge of youth violence.  (DN)

BLP PLANS TO REOPEN ALMA PARRIS - The Barbados Labour Party has announced plans to re-open the Alma Parris  Memorial Secondary School once elected to office in upcoming general elections.This was revealed by the party’s S t James North candidate Edmund Hinkson.Last year, Minister of Education Ronald  Jones announced the closure of the Speightstown school, which had catered to students who scored low marks in the Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination, citing low enrollment and its failure to meet stated objectives.Speaking at a spot meeting on 4th Avenue, Lower Carlton, St James last night, Hinkson however said that re-opening of the school was among plans to enhance special education in Barbados. (BT)

PROFESSOR: DON’T DISMISS NATALIE – The decision of a former prostitute to enter Barbados’ election campaign by seeking the Bridgetown parliamentary seat is a credible effort that’s focusing national attention on prostitution in the island-nation. That’s according to Dr Myrna Lashley, a Barbadian who is a McGill University psychology professor and an expert in cultural diversity in Canada. She said Barbadians were making a mistake if they dismissed Natalie Harewood’s vote-getting drive as laughable or meritless. “I don’t know why Natalie was going around The Garrison at night [as a prostitute]. I don’t know. Until we know why she did it we shouldn’t rush to judgement about her past and her current desire to be elected to Parliament. I was told that she is going around today urging young women not to get into prostitution because that’s not the way to do it” she said. “But those girls would believe her more than they would believe you or me who never went through that. If that’s what she is doing now in her campaign, all power to her. Nobody can do that better than someone who has lived through it.” Lashley, who once headed a national panel in Canada that looked into multi-culturalism, recalled driving along the streets that surround The Garrison one night with her husband and a prostitute came up to the vehicle, lifted her skirt and exposed herself to the couple. But apart from the initial shock she said she didn’t react negatively because she didn’t know why the prostitute had turned to sell her body in that way. Harewood’s candidacy has attracted international media attention, including interest from Sputnik International Online, a media service in Moscow, Russia’s capital. “If Natalie’s thing is to highlight some of the things that drove her into prostitution that would be a good thing,” said Lashley. “The scientific literature has shown that a lot of young girls who end up in prostitution come out of abusive situations. The psychologist cited the case of a Bajan man in Montreal who was luring young female offenders into prostitution by offering them shelter and illegal drugs but sexually abusing them. She believes many of the prostitutes in Barbados were mothers who turned to the adult sex industry to support their children.  (DN)

JOSEPH TO LEAD NEW LOCAL MEDIA ASSOCIATION – Veteran journalist Emmanuel Joseph is the new president of the now renamed Barbados Association of Journalists and Media Workers (BARJAM). Joseph, a senior reporter and producer with Barbados TODAY, was elected this afternoon at a special general meeting and relaunch of the previously named Barbados Association of Journalists (BAJ) at the Dalkeith Road headquarters of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW). The vice president is managing editor of the Nation Publishing Amanda Lynch-Foster while Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reporter Ryan Broome is the general secretary and Marlon Madden a senior reporter with Barbados TODAY is treasurer.  CBC sports reporter Ann Marie Burke is the public relations officer. The three floor members are Lisa Lorde and Anthony Admiral Nelson of CBC and Motoring News Editor Trevor Thorpe. (BT)

FOGGING SCHEDULE APRIL 16 TO 20 – The Vector Control Unit of the Ministry of Health will continue its fogging programme aimed at eradicating the Aedes Aegypti mosquito next week in the parishes of Christ Church and St Michael. On Monday, April 16, a team will be in Christ Church fogging Highway 7, Worthing Main Road, Rockley, Hastings Main Road and environs. The exercise continues in Christ Church and St Michael on Tuesday, March 20, in Worthing with Avenues, Bamboo Road, Beckles Road, Harmony Hall, Top Rock and surrounding areas. On Wednesday, April 18, areas to be fogged are Marine Gardens, Queen’s Way, Halls Gap, Hood Road, Nelson Road, Rhystone Gardens, Browne’s Gap, Dayrells Road and neighbouring districts in Christ Church. The team returns to Christ Church on Thursday, April 19, to spray Dayrells Road, Rockley Terrace, Rockley, Blue Waters, Garden, Peronne Gap, Golf Club Road and environs. St Michael will be targeted on Friday, April 20, specifically Wildey, Laynes Gap, Gas Product Road, Flagstaff, Streat’s Road, Ifill Road, Forde’s Road, Clapham, Clapham Heights, Observatory Road, Clapham Park and neighbouring districts. The fogging exercises will be carried out between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. each day. Householders are reminded to open their doors and windows to allow the spray to enter.   (DN)

POWERS CLEARS UP MISS WORLD SPECULATION – Ashley Lashley is Miss World Barbados 2018, a decision made by the judges, says national director of the Miss World Barbados franchise, Rodney Powers. Responding to comments on a social media website that first runner-up Zhane Padmore was the winner, and that collusion backstage robbed her of the crown, Powers told the DAILY NATION Sunday: “The judges’ decision was final. I’m not a judge nor did I judge the show. Ashley Lashley was the clear winner. That is what I was told by my head judge who gave the auditor the forms and final paperwork signed.” He said in his capacity as national director for Miss World Barbados, he was not at the prejudging of project or talent segments which would have seen the six contestants accumulate points before finals night. In respect of the issue of gowns, he pointed out that all girls had the opportunity to have the gowns made. “Ashley paid to have her gown made . . . . She drew her design and asked if she could have it made. Five out of the six girls are in school, so we worked with them to achieve their gowns.” Powers, who took over the franchise after the last Miss World was crowned in 2014, stressed that “everyone was treated fairly”. “No one has complained to me since the night of the show, so I was surprised to hear all this. “Ashley won the show and has started working on her project plan. We are about productivity and growth . . . . This event was designed to uplift and not pull down.” Miss World Barbados will represent the country in China in either October or November. (DN)

PETA ALLEYNE EXITS LAFF IT OFF STAGE – Laff It Off is part of Peta Alleyne’s DNA, and after 30 years of playing Willhelmina Herassofat in the popular local comedy, Alleyne is now stepping away from the stage.  “It took a while to make up my mind to no longer do Laff It Off and to hand it over to the younger ones. I was just so blown away by the cast this year that I thought Laff It Off was in good hands,” she said. Alleyne, a producer at Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), said the schedule got a bit too hectic for her to continue being on stage. “I feel conflicted. It has become more and more difficult because of my responsibilities. My mum is not well; my work takes up a lot of my time, so I had to make that decision to step off the stage. This year especially it got a little tough with my mum being sick. Rehearsals were a push; my job at CBC is full time. There were times when Laff It Off had to make way for my job. You can’t sustain that, it wouldn’t be fair on them to do that,” she said. But Alleyne is quick to point out that her leaving the stage does not mean she is leaving the group all together. She told EASY magazine she would still very much be around. “I’m not by any stretch of the imagination leaving Laff It Off completely. People meet me up in the supermarket and asking me why. I’m still going to write, I still will be present in some of the videos and I guess to also lend my voice in recorded background vocals. But it’s the actual on stage that I’ve stepped away from,” Alleyne explained, adding that she would still be doing some things on other stages from time to time. “I will be acting as long as God gives me breath. It is too much a part of my DNA for me to leave it out. There are things I want to write, there’re things I still want to do. I have been asked many times about doing a one-woman show . . . it would frighten me, but it’s not something I would say no to. With the right director and the right writers, it’s something I look forward with much excitement to do,” she added. In an intimate interview with EASY magazine, Alleyne reflected on her journey with Laff It Off and marvelled at how far she had come. “Tom Cross and Ian Estwick asked me if I would come in. Laff It Off is by invitation. You don’t just go into Laff It Off. I entered Laff It Off having already known the actors and actresses who were there. It was literally like a family,” she said. Alleyne, who was quite soft-spoken throughout the interview, said she grew up with the Laff It Off group and made memories she would not trade for the world.  “When I went into Laff It Off I was 23. Therefore my worldview was something completely different from how it is now. What I was passionate about then, I’m not passionate about now. I have matured; I have grown up with Laff It Off. “I performed pregnant with Laff If Off. I have memories of being onstage and then giving the others the look which meant, I have to go throw up. They were good enough to improvise and people would not realise that it was not a part of the scene. I also grew as a writer and I always wanted to write. It went from me writing a bit to writing entire scenes,” she recalled. Coming to the realisation that her life as she knows it now was about to change, and she would no longer be front and centre of something she has loved for 30 years, Alleyne speaking very softly at this point, said she was going to miss the audience the most. “When you think that it was in 1988 when I joined, it seems like a century ago. I will miss the audience the most. I always said, I never had to do drugs. The high that you get from performing in front of an audience, especially the laughter and the dynamic that you pick up from in the room, it’s like none other. I find it very cathartic; you could have the worst day, you could be feeling ill because the body ageing, but once you hit the stage and you get that first blast of laughter from the audience . . . that’s it . . . . All that is negative just goes away. At least, for me it does,” she added. Alleyne said though she leaves with some sadness, she is comfortable that the current cast will continue to fly the flag high. “I’m hoping that whichever female they bring in, I hope she syncs with the group seamlessly. I know that this group that we have right now is a talented group, and I will be there helping wherever I can in the background. I wouldn’t like Laff If Off to remain as is. I would like it to continue to evolve,” she added. In an emotional moment, Alleyne offered many thanks to all who would have contributed to her journey over the years with Laff It Off and made it the success it was. “I have been so lucky to work with these comic geniuses. To my Laff It Off colleagues, both past and present, I say thanks for the journey. It has been a journey, as with families, with ups and downs, but through it all we have remained steadfast, we have remained a strong unit, and whether you perform for just two or three years with us, you always consider yourself a part of Laff It Off.” “To Ian Estwick, Tom Cross, Cicely Spenser-Cross, thank you for trusting me and giving me the opportunity. To the audiences, thank you so much. Your being there and words of kindness and encouragement have sustained me over the last 30 years,” she added.  (DN)

For daily or breaking news reports follow us on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter & Facebook. That’s all for today folks. There are 262 days left in the year. Shalom! #thechasefilesdailynewscap #thechasefiles  #dailynewscapsbythechasefiles

[pub-lius]

George Washington: Personal Life and Relationships

Note: this post will detail a handful of important relationships in George Washington’s life, though not many specific events. Those events will be discussed later in more detail in future posts. Any questions are encouraged and appreciated.

George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 to Augustine and Mary Ball Washington. His Father had several children from a previous Marriage, one of which was Lawrence Washington. 

George’s half-Brother played a major Role in developing the Gentleman Washington would later become. Lawrence was idolized by George, and introduced him to the higher Society of Virginia, a demanding atmosphere in which Men were expected to perform many Roles, and walk on a thin line between impropriety and arrogance.

Six-year-old George Washington met his brother as a captain in the Virginia Foot Regiments after their Father died, and left a portion of his Fortune to Lawrence. Lawrence married into the rich Fairfax family, to which he introduced his 15-year-old brother. Lawrence attempted to get George to join the British Navy, but his Mother refused to allow it. 

As Lawrence’s Health deteriorated, he traveled to Barbados with his brother George upon a Doctor’s Recommendation. It was here that George contracted Smallpox, which possibly left him infertile. Upon their Return to Virginia, Lawrence continued to be ill, until his death in June 1752. 

After his death, George leased Lawrence’s estate, Mount Vernon, and then became the legal Owner after his Sister-in-Law died. Lawrence’s impact on Washington is possibly the Greatest, as he acted as a Father Figure to the young man during his Developmental Years, and introduced him into a Society of strict Rules, which he followed until his Death. 

George’s Mother Mary was also heavily involved in George’s life during this time, although their Relationship was more strenuous. Their first known disagreement was when Mary refused to allow George to enter the Navy, as she believed navy Life would be laborious, dangerous, and unprofitable. 

Mary often complained about a lack of Resources, regularly asking her oldest Son for Money, often to George’s Chagrin. In 1781, Mary requested a Pension from the Virginia House of Delegates, as she was “unable to support herself.” As this was a possibly humiliating Circumstance, as it implied that George either could not or would not care for his Mother, he wrote in his own defense, “Before I left Virginia, I answered all her calls for money; and since that period, have directed my Steward to do the same... she has not a child that would not divide the last sixpence to relieve her from real stress.” In 1787, George wrote his mother, urging her to move in with one of her Children so they may support her, which she refused,

Mary Ball Washington died of breast cancer on August 25, 1789. Her death was described by her son as, “Awful, and affecting as the death of a Parent is, there is consolation in knowing that Heaven has spread ours to an age, beyond which few attain.” Although this Letter also expresses Frustration with his Mother’s continuous Requests for Money, George was deeply upset by the Loss of his mother, and wore a Black Badge in mourning for Five Months. 

One of the most important Things in understanding George Washington is understanding his education. In his Youth, he was educated by private tutors, and possibly a small School, but he was not sent to Boarding School in Europe like his older brothers, who had the Pleasure of their Father’s Fortune. George was educated in Reading, Writing, Legal Forms, Geometry, and Trigonomety. We can also confirm that he had special Emphasis on Social Standards, as he compiled a List of Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation. Later in his Life, as he was beginning a Career in Surveying, the Fairfax Family helped to teach him in the Maths and Sciences of Surveying.

After his Brother’s Marriage to Anne Fairfax, George became more closely acquainted with the family, specifically George William Fairfax and his wife Sally. He accompanied George William on a surveying Expedition in 1748 across the Blue Ridge Mountains and into the Shenandoah Valley. His Connexions to the Fairfaxes qualified him for Military Assignments. 

“I shou’d be glad to hear you live in Harmony and good fellowship with the family at Belvoir, as it is in their power to be very serviceable upon many occasions to us, as young beginners... to that family I am under many obligations.” -George to his brother Jack in 1755

In 1757, George William inherited the family estate, Belvoir, near Mount Vernon, making George and Sally Fairfax frequent visitors. Sally Fairfax was two years older than Washington, and taught him Manners and Dancing, as well as introduced him to history, philosophy, and literature. Many believe that Washington and Sally had romantic Feelings for one another, given the Language George used towards her before his Marriage to Martha, and a vague Reference Sally made later in her life. 

“The World has no business to know the object of my Love, declared in this maner to- you when I want to conceal it...” -George to Sally, 1758

“I know now that the worthy man is to be preferred to the high born.” -Sally, possibly in reference to Washington as the “worthy man”, 1788

If they did indeed have such Feelings for one another, this would mean that they were unable to pursue a Relationship, as Sally had married for Social Gain. This contributes to a certain Theme in Washington’s life of Social Expectations and Class Divisions. The Contemporary Attitudes towards these caused a certain Self Conciousness in Washington, making every move he made very diplomatically calculated.

Despite maintaining a successful Surveying Career, Washington did not escape the frequent fate of many Southern Gentlemen that is the need of Money. Consequently, he married a wealthy, older widow by the name of Martha Dandridge Custis on January 6, 1759. 

George and Martha’s relationship proved to be affectionate, considerate, and, as a result, very strong. They remained together as often as possible, with Martha putting herself in Danger to visit her Husband at the army Encampments during the Revolutionary War. They both respected each other’s individual Roles, as Martha was a very opinionated Woman, and would express to her Husband whenever she was displeased. They remained close companions for the Rest of their Lives. 

Martha brought with her two children, John “Jacky” and Martha “Patsy” Parke Custis, both of which Washington loved as his own. Patsy was the youngest, a toddler when her mother remarried. She was plagued by Seizures at around 11 or 12. The family tried many remedies to help her including, “vial of Nervous Drops,” “Nervous Powders”, “a large Julep”, musk capsules, mercury, Peruvian bark, ether, bleeding, purges, an iron ring, mineral waters, and special diets and lifestyle modifications. One recommendation was frequent exercise, which Washington was a lifetime advocate of, and it is dismal to imagine that Patsy’s Condition could have contributed to his Advocacy.

In the Summer of 1770, Washington kept a log of 86 days, on 26 of which Patsy had a seizure up to two (2) times a day. Then, on June 19, 1773, Washington wrote in his journal, “At home all day. About five oclock poor Patsy Custis Died Suddenly.”

Jacky was four years old when his Mother remarried. After Patsy’s death, he became the sole Heir to the Custis Estate. Washington supported Jacky’s Education, but then began to question his stepson’s work Ethic. Washington had strict Expectations that Jacky utilize the Opportunity for Education that he didn’t have, but Schoolwork was not a Priority to Jacky.

“Jacky will apply close to his Studies and retrieve the hours he has lost... he promises to do so & I hope he will.” -Washington to Reverend Jonathan Boucher, Jacky’s teacher, 1769

Furthermore, in 1777, Jacky announced his Engagement to Eleanor Calvert, and Washington convinced them to postpone the Marriage until Jacky finished at King’s College. He did not, and was married within a Year. 

“The favorable account you was pleas’d to transmit me of Mr. Custis’ conduct at College, gave me great satisfaction... but these hopes are at an end, & at length, I have yielded... to his quitting College...but having his own inclination- the desires of his mother- & the acquiescence of almost all his relatives, to encounter, I did not care, as he is the last of the family, to push my opposition too far; & therefore have submmitted to a kind of necessity.” -George Washington to the president of King’s in 1773

Despite this Point of Contention, Jacky described his relationship with his stepfather fondly, before his death at Yorktown of camp fever, in 1781.

“It pleased the Almighty to deprive me at a very early Period of Life of my Father, but I can not sufficiently adore His Goodness in sending Me so good a Guardian as you Sir.” -Jacky to Washington, 1776

As Washington did not have a Father of his own, he became a Father Figure for many of the Men he mentored throughout his career, especially during the American Revolution. During this period, Washington developed a Staff of well-educated, discreet Men who advised him on military Decisions. Several of them were Major Generals (such as the Marquis de Lafayette, who’s relationship with Washington will be discussed in his own post), but many were Lieutenant Colonels, who performed the role of his aides-de-camp. The most famous of these men was Alexander Hamilton. 

Alexander Hamilton served as Washington’s aide-de-camp for four years, and left his staff in March of 1781 as a result of a dispute between him and Washington, one of many disagreements between the two men. He was appointed to be in Washington’s Cabinet as Secretary of Treasury in 1789, in which he created and supported many controversial Plans, receiving support from Washington throughout. He also made Hamilton his Second in Command during the Quasi War with France, and asked for his Assistance in writing his Farewell Address. 

Despite Washington’s obvious Affection for Hamilton, Hamilton always kept Washington at a distance. Hamilton was an emotionally vulnerable individual who trusted very Few People, and thus refrained from making close Relationships. Though, even if he wouldn’t admit it to himself, he still cared for Washington and his Reputation. Washington put a lot of Trust in Hamilton, and often protected him from Scrutiny. Both men were inspired and encouraged by one another, and both were necessary in each other’s History.

“I know not where a more competant choice could be made.” -Washington on Alexander Hamilton to Henry Knox, 1798

There is much more to be discussed about the first President, but that will be accomplished in Future Posts, as previously mentioned. Please feel free to ask any further questions, I try to answer all of them eventually. 

Sources:

George Washington’s Life, Mount Vernon (contains all other sources within)

Martha Washington, Mount Vernon (none quoted, but good for further reading on things briefly discussed)

George Washington Papers, Founders Online (many quoted letters and documents featured in above sources can be found here for free)

Founding Mothers: Remembering the Ladies (a nice video with good information on Martha Washington)

[sebabestianstan101]

Suit and Tie - 002

Pairing: Ceo!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Synopsis: You’re good at your job as the Secretary in The White Wolf Enterprise for years now, with a great set of friends and co-workers and a really hot boss, James Buchanan Barnes. You have a pretty decent work-relationship with him, even if you have to use all of your strength and self-control to not jump on him at every chance you get. Nothing exciting is really going on with your life, until your boss himself decides to spice things up a bit.

Themes throughout the series: Smut, angst, fluff, slight dom!bucky x sub!reader (nothing too crazy..), swearing, there’s probably going to be more as the story progresses

SERIES MASTERLIST  Teaser 001 

“Thank you, Tony. It’s always a pleasure to work with you.” 

Both men stand as they shake their hands after discussing the partnership. As expected, it went well between the two. They knew each other since college and were great friends, and now, they’re good business partners. 

“Likewise, Barnes,” Tony says smiling before giving him a pointed look, “I’m expecting your attendance at my wedding. You better fly your ass there, or I’m withdrawing from this contract we just signed.” 

He actually can’t, but knowing Tony he’d probably do his magic and make it possible. Bucky chuckles and feigns nervousness as he pretends to wipe off his sweat. 

“Well, I guess I have no choice but to fly to Barbados!” He exclaims before laughing. You discreetly smile in your laptop at their friendship. You have noticed that Bucky is very relaxed around Tony and not tense like he was in the last meeting with Alexander Pierce. That meeting did not go well and that stupid proposal from Pierce went down the drain along Bucky’s approval. You carefully watch Bucky nod as Tony updates him with his fiancee, Pepper Potts, with a happy look on his face. However, you also notice a hint of longing in his eyes as Tony talks about the love of his life. 

That is the only thing Bucky is missing. A billionaire and a CEO of one of the top manufacturing tech companies all over the world is not as fulfilling as it sounds when he’s got no one to share it with. Sure, he’s sexually active and still finds time to get on with women;  women who only care for his body and his money. He doesn’t even remember half their names. 

He longs for a partner – a life-long companion that he can fall in love and start a family with. At 38 years old, he’s way past the idea of only living to work. He wants to continue working while settling down. As he thinks of this, his gaze inadvertently drops at you, smirking when he caught you already staring at him. 

Your heart skips a beat, eyes slightly widening before looking back at the screen. Shit, he saw you. Your cheeks heat up, fully aware that he’s still looking at you, and you start to type random letters to busy yourself. You hear Tony bid his goodbye signaling that he’s leaving. You look back up and give the other CEO  a smile which he returns. 

Bucky clears his throat, grabbing your attention which makes you look back at him. You unconsciously start chewing your bottom lip and hope that he doesn’t mention your staring because you will definitely die of embarrassment.

“So,” he clasps his hands together, walking towards you, “I’m sure you heard my conversation with Tony. His wedding is in a week which means that I’ll be flying to Barbados and will be gone for 4 days,” he pauses before looking at your lips that you’re still chewing on to which he internally groans at. His eyes snap back up before continuing, “So, uh, work still continues, yeah? It won’t be much of a vacation since 4 days is a lot.” 

You nod in acknowledgement while preparing to start jotting down his reminders which he usually gives when he’s leaving for a trip. Your fingers position along the keyboards before humming, urging him to continue. 

“Since I have another board meeting to discuss, I’m going to be needing assistance all throughout as well as immediate communication. Normally, I’d have Wanda course everything, but she just took her Maternity leave, as you know, so I’ll have direct contact with you instead.”

You nod once again and smile, as you think about your friend with her firstborn. It’s crazy how you're the same age, but are living very different lives. You, being much lonelier and single. 

“Alright, Mr. Barnes. I’ll make sure to keep my line on so there will not be any delays. You can count on me on that,” 

He gives you a look for a brief moment before letting out a laugh and shaking his head. You look up at him in confusion, trying to figure out what was funny. Is he messing with you or..?

“I’m sorry, Y/N, I –– I think you misunderstood me,” he paused giving you a softer look, “You’re coming with me.” 

You blink. Once. Twice. 

If your heart kept skipping beats earlier, now it completely stopped. Did you hear him right? Coming with him? To Barbados? What? 

“What?” You voiced out your thoughts staring at him, dumbly, “I mean –– what? Are you serious?” 

Bucky smiles at your stunned expression, noticing how he gets you to lose your composed, professional state in seconds. He finds your disbelief adorable  as if he suggested something crazy. Technically, he did, but being a CEO means that his normal is far different from others. 

“Maybe I should have led with that but,” he takes a seat on his desk across you, “you don’t have to worry about anything. I’ll have you covered. We leave on Sunday so you should already start packing if you must.” 

You blink at him once again, a bit overwhelmed with the surge of information. Sure, you’ve travelled before, but it wasn’t as spontaneous as this. Who the hell casually asks someone to fly to an island with him – to his friend’s wedding,  at 11am in the morning?

 Oh, right. Rich people. 

“For the wedding…” You trailed off realizing that this was a personal event and you wouldn’t want to intrude.  You see the corner of his lips subtly turn upwards and  how amused he is at how you’re taking in all this. It was sudden, yes, but he almost wants to tell you to start getting used to it. 

“You’re coming with me, if that’s alright. Tony doesn’t really mind, and he already knows you. As usual, he really goes all out with everything and his wedding has a bunch of… pre-celebration events, if you would call it. So, yes, you’re coming with.” 

You slowly nod, and your heart warms at the thought of attending one of his best pal’s wedding with him. There’s something so personal with it, and you want to pinch yourself for having these thoughts. Clearly, it’s a work thing. 

“Is that alright? I do apologize for overwhelming you, but I figured it would be better to tell you as soon as possible.” He cuts your thoughts off. 

You smile at him and nod. Of course it’s alright. First, he’s your boss so technically, you have to do as he says. Next, you’re going on a trip with him. To an island. At his friend’s wedding. What more could you ask for? 

“Absolutely. Thank you, Sir.” 

-

“To Barbados, Nat. Barbados!” You frantically rummage through your summer/tropical clothing right when you got home to see if there’s anything you may possibly need while your cousin casually rests on your bed. “Uh,” you glare, “a  little help, maybe?” 

Natasha rolls her eyes at your flustered state. As she is  naturally a laid back person, your whole life together has consisted of you panicking and her telling you to chill. She suspects that it has something to do with your upbringing, as your mom constantly pressured you even as a child. She also thinks about your ex who treated you like absolute shit for 3 years, but you didn’t have the courage to break up with him until you finally did. 

She wants to thank your boss for bringing excitement into your life. You’re a very fun person to be around, but she also knows how little you give credit yourself, let alone, have fun. Natasha cares for you so much that she’ll kill anyone who’ll hurt you. She would’ve killed your ex if you didn’t stop her. 

“Y/N. Take a breath. You really won’t find what you need if you keep throwing your clothes across your room.” She says as she glances at the mess you made. 

“You’re right,” you sighed, “the lack of planning and the spontaneity of this whole situation is making my mind go crazy.” You make your way to your cousin and lie down beside her as she gives you a hug. Nat is really like your big sister. You wouldn’t have learned how to suck it up if it weren’t for her. 

She rubs your back comfortingly before giving you a tight squeeze, “Everything’s gonna be fine, Y/N/N. We can make a list of the things you need and start from there. Think of it this way,” she smirks and wiggles her eyebrows, “you’re going to Barbados with your extremely hot boss that you’ve been crushing on for the longest time. You might actually get it on with him.”

You hit her with a pillow before groaning as you bury your face into one. Your stress came from the sudden trip, and another was really cause you were very excited for it. The thought of spending time with Bucky made your whole body tingle of excitement. 

“Shut up! If only..” 

“It’s true!” She exclaims smiling at you. She can feel you relax, probably realizing that it’s not as bad as you visioned. 

Then suddenly, you tense up when your phone rings and tense up even more (if possible) reading the Caller ID. 

“Oh my god, it’s Bucky.” Shit. You clear your throat and take a deep breath before answering, “Hello?” 

Natasha is impressed with the way you were able to compose yourself so quickly, when you were literally dying on your bed earlier. She thinks it’s because of how many times you’ve done it in the past.

“Y/N, hello! I just wanted to give you a heads up so you don’t get surprised, but I felt a little bad for overwhelming you earlier. I will have something delivered to you in awhile, so just expect that.” 

“Delivered..? Like.. I mean, is it like –” you were cut off by the buzzing of your doorbell which Bucky must have heard. 

“It’s just a little something to make up for the short notice. Bring it as you pack.” You can hear him smile through the phone making you smile as well even if you were a little confused. 

“Oh, okay. Thank you, sir, you really didn’t have to.” 

Through the phone, Bucky smiles at how sincere and polite you sound. Suddenly, he just feels the need to spoil you with gifts, but he’ll have to wait. 

“Please, I wanted to. Now go, I think my chauffeur is at your place with my gift. Before you wonder why I know where you live, I have the files of my employees so don’t worry.” He chuckles to which you laugh at. 

“I figured,” you smile widely, “I’ll go grab the package, Sir. Thank you again.” 

“It’s my pleasure.” He says before ending the call. 

You and Nat stare at each other in anticipation before she tells you not to keep his chauffeur waiting and get the package. You open the door and you are greeted by Bucky’s chauffeur, Thor.

“Hello, Ms. Y/N. I believe Mr. Barnes has already informed you of this package he has intended for you to receive.” He smiles warmly with two boxes on his hands. 

“Oh, wow, there are two?” Your eyes widen at the expensive looking boxes resting on his hands. He was a big guy, so the one of the boxes didn’t look as large but as it was being handed over to you, you have come to realize that it was massive. “Thank you, Thor.” 

He nods and smiles in acknowledgement and you see him give you a knowing smile before leaving. Natasha excitedly runs towards you pulling you to your living room. 

“Holy shit! Oh my god, wait, open it now.” 

You let out a nervous breathy laugh before unboxing them. You open the first and gasp as you lift up a muted ocean-colored dress with intricate detailing of sheer lace. 

“Holy shit.” You repeat as you gawk at the beautiful dress. It feels expensive (and obviously is) and you almost didn’t want to accept it. You open the other and are met with a pair of simple dangling earrings with a matching dainty necklace. You read the card along with it, in his handwriting, 

For the wedding. 

                                James 

You stare at Nat and she stares back, both of you astounded at what just transpired. You think that because he’s a billionaire, he probably doesn’t think that this is a lot to give to someone –– his employee, but it really is a lot for you. You’re in shock as you stare at his gifts. On cue, your phone gets a notification indicating that you received a text message from the person consuming your thoughts. 

1 New Message –– Mr. James Barnes: 

I hope you like it.

You stare at your phone before typing,

 Mr. Barnes, I truly appreciate your gifts, but I don’t think I can accept these..

You chew on your nails, anxiously looking at Nat who was anticipating his reply as well. In a matter of seconds you receive a message from him.

It’s really just a simple something, and they will look perfect on you. I expect to see you wear them – that’s an order from your boss. :) 

Your heart swells and your face breaks into a smile. Simple something my ass. 

003

A/N: Please send an as if you want to be tagged! As usual, feedback, comments, likes and reblogs are deeply appreciated!  ++ requests open if anyone is interested. Keep safe, loves!

TAGLIST: 

@extremelyblackandwhite  @ineffabl-y @marvelousnh  @nightlygiggles  @chontellaa  @niahmariec  @jensenradalecki   @spideyxxboi

[whatisnextmum]

So here we go! A blog!! Eeekkk.

I feel like I started one of these years ago when I was on my journey of running my first marathon. It was 2008, I didn’t look like a runner, I was a little on the chunkier side, not the most athletic... but not a couch potato. My dad asked my brother and I to run a marathon for his 50th birthday when he turned 48 so I said “yup, ok sure, sounds like fun” (insert nervous laugh) And wouldn’t you know my type A personality had me run a marathon a year before the original goal of October 2011. Oh and don’t get me wrong if wasn’t pretty. Everything hurt, I mean everything. Legs? Obviously! Arms? Yup! But I mean everything... that little bone just above your but, you boobs, your vagina, your insides I mean everything... but what the hell, I did it! And then I did it all over again with my dad and my brother and a small group of running friends in 2011... I was 29 and I cried at the start and at the end because holy shit, I ran a marathon. I can probably do anything now!

You see, I’m one of those people... the dependable, dedicated, trustworthy and people pleaser type. The type that is so annoying, yet so nice to be friends with. I know I am and that’s ok, I just can’t help myself. If I say I’m doing something, you better fucking believe that come hell or high water, I’m there and I’ll be early and I’ll bring food, or wine or chocolate or coffee or those cute little cupcakes that scream: “those cost way too much”. That’s just me! Running a marathon was tough, but it was only the beginning of the real marathon called life!

Back then I was fresh out of finishing my Masters of Social Work degree, newly divorced after leaving my huge 19 year old self mistake and just starting out in the impossible work of child protection. I was a baby and those days where running was my full time / not work commitment only led me to deeper, steeper more crazy turns that anyone could have expected! I mark my 2011 marathon as the beginning of my adult life!

So here we go... fast forward and here we are today 2021 in the middle of this God for shaken pandemic. I’m married to my very best friend and the person I can truly say is meant for me. I look at him and think I am so lucky even right after he has walked up the stairs for the 14th time without taking a single of the 11 piles on the stairs set out to go up. He is my calm, he is my sounding board and he is world! Well, that and our 2 children! I say 2 because I believe I have 2. One I gave birth to, my sweet and sassy little Emily who is now 4 and the other, my sensitive, smart and funny stepson, Wyatt. They are both mine and I can say that because guess what? His biological mom says it too! I know, crazy right? His mom and I went through all the necessary bitching, sent lawyers notes costing thousands of dollars, back and forth, dirty looks, fake smiles and all the rest... yet here we are today... sharing this 12 year old boy. Well I say we are sharing, she is in Barbados riding out the pandemic and taking care of herself and I’m here blessed with my chaotic family, job and all the in-betweens still trying hard to figure it all out.

So, join me for this crazy ride. I hope to talk about parenting, being a step-mom, a daughter getting along with your husbands ex-wife to the point where she comes up on your phone as the first suggestion to text and a social worker. And hopefully though this, you will help me figure out: what’s next mum?

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: Animal (14)

Chadwick Boseman X Original Female Character “Sianna”

Chapter Warning: Cursing, Angst, Plot, Plenty of Words, Slow Burn

Word Count: 4.9k

Note:  I hope you guys enjoy this. By the way, Tumblr is on the BS and flagged every chapter because my old mood board had a portrayal of backshots. LMFAO!!!! So new mood board. 

I censored my mood board, let’s see if it gets flagged. LOL

**Loosely edited/Proofread***

Thank you guys for reading!!!  If you enjoyed this please LIKE, REBLOG, COMMENT. ❤️ ❤️

~~~~~~~~~~~~

-Chadwick-

“It’s not Netflix and Chill. It’s not Netflix and Chill. She is the mother of your children. Show her you’re not just another sex-craved black man. You have depth. You have substance and standards. You’re not easy.”

 He sat in his car in the traffic on the freeway looking at himself as he recited his lecture. He’d said this or something similar to himself quite a few times and each time he’d ended up doing the opposite. The club, the picnic by the lake, it was endless, especially when he’d wanted more from the picnic date. His thoughts went back to the first night he ever met you and how things were so effortless. You made him laugh, made him think and lit a flame that had long been dormant, even Simone hadn’t lit that spark. When the sun rose and he saw you beside him he knew he wanted to see you again. Then Barbados happened and now thanks to Barbados the two of you were joined forever—through lives you’d created.

 He’d thought a lot over the last near three weeks and had spoken to his brother Kevin about things and he was grateful he and Kevin were so close. He’d given him some great advice and important insight, insight he needed from someone who really knew him away from the grind of Hollywood. He knew what he wanted, he just had to figure out how what he wanted fit into what you wanted.

 Honks brought him back to reality and the fact that traffic was finally moving. He maneuvered the rest of the drive in a little over fifteen minutes. When he pulled onto your street, he drove to the end of the cul-de-sac where your house sat. It was a quaint modernly built two-story home that seemed to suit you. He parked in the driveway behind your car and sat there for a few moments and tried to gain some perspective and control over her nervousness.

By the time he rang your bell, he’d sat in your driveway for over five minutes and he’d barely been able to calm himself down. This was out of character for him, he was normally so self-assured, so mellow. When you opened the door the scent of brown sugar, cinnamon and gardenia hit him first. Then his eyes took in how your stomach had popped out.

 “Hi.”

 He looked up to your face and took in your wide smile, a smile he couldn’t help but mirror.

 “Hi.

 “What in the world is all of that?” You nodded to his filled arms.

 “Uh, some of this and that.”

 “Come in. I’m not one hundred percent sure my neighbors aren’t gossips who love to spy.” He snorted and walked through the door inside. Without being told he began kicking off his shoes, then he turned to you. Your smile was wider.

 “What?”

 “Nothing, nothing.”

 He looked down to his feet where your eyes were.

 “I’m a black man and know the importance of taking shoes off when you go inside someone’s home.”

 You nodded and held up your thumbs and looked to his hands.

 “Want me to take anything?” He angled his side out to you, the side where he held a bouquet of flowers.

“Those.” You smiled and took the bouquet and smelled them.

 “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”

 “Of course.” The look you gave him was a concealed one. He bet with time and familiarity he would be able to decipher it, but right now it left him a little confused.

 “Come, follow me to the kitchen.” You walked ahead and he trailed behind. His eyes roamed your figure, down the small of your back to the flare of your hips and down your legs. He was plenty acquainted with your curves without clothes, but in clothes, he liked even more.

 When you got into the kitchen you placed the flowers on the counter and that was where he placed the items he carried. “Ready to tell me what all this is?”

 “Well, every craving must be filled, so hot wings from this vegan southern place that is close to my house, they’re amazing. Ice-cream, a few different flavors, you looked like you could either be a vanilla, butterscotch, almond pistachio or cherry jubilee kind of woman so I brought them all. Also, no craving fulfillment is complete without those chocolate-covered strawberries. I called in a favor from someone I know over at Godiva and this is their largest order—seventy.”

 Your eyes were as big as the full moon he knew was shining in the night sky.

 “Oh, my goodness, Chad, you really didn’t have to do this.”

 “Oh, I know, I wanted to. It can’t be easy carrying a baby, let alone two and I wanted to show you that I care.” You flared your nose and pinched your lips, smiled and in a matter of seconds. the smile faded and turned into a frown before tears rolled down your cheeks. Confusion rushed through him and he just stood there unsure what to do.

 “Uh—I’m sorry, did I do something wrong? Say something—”

 “No, no. I’m sorry. I just—I don’t know what this is.”

 You walked away, ripped off a piece of paper towel and dabbed at your eyes and sniffled. He was afraid to move; he didn’t know if he would do something else that set you off.

 “I’m sorry. Oh my god, how embarrassing. We’re going to blame it on hormones. According to my doctor, I’m filled with enough for three women.”

 You took a deep breath and released it then looked at him with a smile on your face as if nothing had happened.

 “Are you sure you’re okay?”

 “I’m sure. Thank you for all of this. It’s very—sweet of you.”

 “You’re welcome.”

 “Oh my god, Netflix is waiting.” You made a move to take some of what he brought but he stopped you.

 “Just so you know, all of these are my favorites.” You brought the pints of ice cream to the freezer and put three in but held on to the pistachio almond.

 “Seems like a good place to start.”

 When the two of you got comfortable in the living room you scanned the TV for a movie while he opened the container of food.

 “Sci-Fi good?”

 “Oh, thank god, I thought you were going to put something on like The Notebook, or even The Best Man.”

 You laughed, then narrowed your eyes at him.

 “Look, just because I’m pregnant does not mean I want to watch some romantic tearjerker.”

 “I see and I am relieved.”

 You smiled at him and he skimmed your face. In the low lite and glow from the television, you looked good, happy.

 “Speaking of pregnant, you look it.”

 “Are you calling me fat?”

 “God no. no, no, no. not fat. Just the last time I saw you, I could barely tell. Now, you have a full-on belly.”

 “First of all, calm down. Second, yeah. I’m told I should expect to get bigger, carrying twins is no joke. My doctor says I’ll probably gain seventy pounds.”

 “Wow, seventy? I take it you’re not very happy with that.”

 You put a spoonful of ice cream in your mouth and shrugged. “I’ve put it into perspective, even come to terms with the fact that I’ll be in maternity wear in a week or two. It even got me thinking about incorporating a maternity line.”

 He chuckled. Every day you were growing even more pregnant and you were planning ways to increase your workload. Your determination and ambition were very attractive to him. He liked to know there was someone else like him, someone else just as hungry for success.

 “More work, not less I see.”

 “I have three and a halfish, four months to get it all out of my system.”

 The opening credits began and again silence fell between the two of you. He tried to focus on the movie and not you, but your movements always caught his eye. You ate the hot wings without a thought that he was beside you. After a few wings, you took a few spoonfuls of ice cream, then repeated the action. You looked perfectly content and he was happy for it. he was happy that things weren’t awkward between you especially given the state of things and all that had transpired between you. This was a great relief and it also assured him that his recent decision had the potential to work.

 The movie was not corny or low budget it was actually a well-done piece of science fiction and he enjoyed it. when the closing credits rolled you were sitting with your legs crossed in the couch, your hands nestled underneath the swell of your belly and your back leaned back which sent your breasts hoisted into the air. Unintentionally his eyes locked onto those breasts. They were bigger than he remembered, and he could see several veins protruding from underneath your mocha skin. Slowly his tongue darted across his lips wetting them, he was suddenly thirstier than ever. When he looked to your face your eyes were on him. He’d been caught. His immediate response was to apologize and avert his eyes, but he didn’t, instead, he held your gaze.

 “Sianna—”

 You reached out and took his hand and placed it on your stomach. As soon as he touched you he felt the flutters of kicks underneath his hand. Slowly his eyes widened as he looked at you, then they dropped to your belly.

 “Oh my god. Is that?” You nodded.

 “They’ve been very active today,” you said.

 He got closer; he’d never felt this before. With his friend when his wife was pregnant, he’d felt her stomach once or twice, but it wasn’t like this. This was completely different. He had no relation to her child, who was now his goddaughter. Right here, he had a relation, and he felt a connection. Slowly he slid off the couch and settled in front of you and placed his other hand to join the first and he just kept them there feeling not only the kicks but the energy of the babies—his babies. They felt strong. He felt their light and it was bright. They were meant for great things.

A smile spread across his face, then he looked to you.

 “How does it feel?”

 “At first it was strange, now—I’m starting to like it. sometimes I’ll forget what’s going on and then out of nowhere I get a kick and I’m right back to reality.”

 He smiled even more; he could picture you getting lost with work until they kicked.

 “Seems like they’re showing some personality already. They want to constantly be thought of.” You smiled at him and nodded.

 “They kick more when you talk. They must like your voice.”

 His smile was wide, toothy and completely genuine. Your smile faltered and a look of confusion washed over you. He wanted to know all your looks, wanted to know you so well that he was never confused again about how you felt, or what you were thinking.

 “I’ve been thinking a lot,” he began.

 “About what?”

 “About um—about this, the babies, you—us.”

 He felt like he’d never spoken to a woman in his life.

 “It was a lot to think over, and a lot to process and I couldn’t really—I’m sorry it took so long.”

 “Eh, it’s fine. You’re right it’s a lot. You needed the right amount of time. It’s not something to just jump into without knowing just what you’re jumping into.”

 He rubbed your belly again and got lost there.

 “I would like to be involved. I know neither of us planned this, and we probably would have not chosen to enter this like this. I know you wanted to be more established with your career and maybe married, and I would have liked to have dated you first, showed you who I am and why we’re perfect for each other and things like that but here we are. Backward and out of order don’t mean this is something unwelcomed. I’ve always wanted kids, and I want to be there for these babies in any capacity you’ll allow. I want to be there for you.”

 You bit your bottom lip and stared at him contemplatively. This look he kind of recognized, he’d seen it before, but it didn’t mean he knew what it meant.

 “You’re so quiet, I’m trying so hard to read you, but I can’t and it’s driving me crazy. What do you want?”

 “You.”

 His eyebrows shot up again. He hadn’t expected that.

 “I mean you to be involved. They are yours Chad, I didn’t make them alone and I don’t want to take you away from them. I don’t want them to not grow up having a father in their life. It hit me today that they may very well come out looking like you and it would be so meaningful for them to know they look like their father.”

 He nodded and smiled small. It was a thought he just thought of. He could have a son that looked like him, or a daughter with his nose, or eyes. It gave him a lite feeling. He looked back to you and decided he wanted his daughter to look like you.

 “We have to approach this right. You’re this huge star and I don’t want them to become tabloid fodder.”

 “I get that Sianna, I don’t want that either. I want to protect them from that, protect you.”

 The two of you stared again and spoke nonverbally. He wasn’t sure how the two of you were going to do this, but he knew he wanted a lot more than just being in the babies’ lives.

 “Sianna.”

 Taking a chance, he slipped the hem of your shirt above your navel and exposed your belly. He slowly caressed your skin and gawked at your beauty. It was something else to see you uncovered and nude, but to see you like this knowing you were carrying his children made him want you more than he’d ever wanted anything. He lowered his lips to your burgeoning belly and kissed your bump once, twice and a third.

 He softly placed his forehead onto your belly and closed his eyes and tried to connect with the two lives inside you. Your hand touched his jaw and tipped his face to meet yours. You bit your bottom lip, uncrossed your legs and slid off the edge of the couch and down onto his lap. Your belly was pressed to him, but his eyes were glued to yours. He brought his hand to your cheek and softly grazed your skin. You closed your eyes and nuzzled your cheek in his palm.

 “Chad.” It was a whisper, but it made his entire being rumble. His other hand gripped your hip and squeezed. “Sianna, I want to be involved with them, but I want to be in your life too, not just theirs. I want you to be in my life, not just as my children’s mother, but—more.”

 He heard your gulp, but you didn’t move. Your eyes looked unsure but your hand on his shoulder didn’t seem unsure. It moved higher to his neck and back to his jaw where you toyed with his beard.

 “What do you want? Do you want me involved, like really involved?”

 “Yes, Chad.”

 “Do you only want me in their lives? Do you want me in yours?”

 You bit your bottom lip and he couldn’t anymore.  He had to touch them. He quickly closed the gap between you and pressed his lips to yours. Neither of you moved, you just stayed there with your lips touching, it was as if you both were feeling it out. Your lips were the first to move against his and he reciprocated and softly kissed you. It began slow and exploratory but transitioned easily until the passion he’d always felt for you took over. He moaned onto your lips and you echoed the same moan as you latched your fingers behind his neck holding his head in place as you took over the kiss.

 You began rocking back and forth on his lap and he couldn’t help but grab your ass and squeeze. You bit his bottom lip and pulled back and groaned. “Fuck.”

 He smiled and made a move to kiss you again, but you pressed the tips of your fingers to his lips, stopping him.

 “Chad wait. Mmm.”

 “What’s wrong?”

 “Don’t you think this is too much?”

 “Too much?”

 “Yeah, the babies, and whatever is happening here between us. Don’t you think we should focus on one of those and make the babies a priority?”

 “Why can’t we do both?”

 “What if we rock the boat and fall out again and it jeopardizes your relationship with them or our ability to effectively co-parent.”

 He was hopeful before but with every word you spoke, that hope slowly faltered.

 “So—so you don’t want me?”

You didn’t look like you knew what you wanted. As soon as he recognized that disappointment filled him. Maybe it was too late. Maybe he’d blown it.

 “Chad—I just—I want to do the best for the babies. I don’t want to ruin things anymore.”

 “What if we don’t ruin anything Sianna? What if we finally give in to everything we’ve wanted since the day we met in Jamaica?”

 “It was sex--,” you began before he cut you off.

 “It was never about the sex and I’m convinced you know that by now. You have to.”

 He cupped your cheeks and swiped his thumb across your bottom lip.

 “I do want you Chad.” He smiled and pulled you closer.

 “Then let me have you, Sianna. Haven’t we wasted enough time?”

 “Sometimes we have to give up what we want to do what’s right—what’s best,” you theorized.

 He studied your face trying to figure out if you really meant that.

 “You don’t really mean that Sianna.”

 You looked down and rested your forehead against his. Your eyes closed and a few seconds later he felt the kicks of the babies against him. Neither of you moved for several long moments. When the kicks died down and all was silent and still again you sighed out.

 “I do mean it. You should go.”

 It was like a kick in the balls and a punch to the gut all at once. You lifted yourself off him and walked across the room leaving him to sit there for a little longer. After letting the words sink in, he stood and looked to you. Your back was turned to him as you stared out the window before you walked out of the room toward the front door. When he joined you in the foyer you had the door open. He nodded and walked out onto your front steps and stopped.

 “Sianna.” He turned to face you resolved in the conviction he felt for what he was about to say.

 “It doesn’t matter what happens between us. Nothing could ever come between me being there for them one hundred percent. Nothing could jeopardize my relationship with those babies, nothing.”

 Once the words were out, he walked away to his car and pulled out without looking back to you standing on the porch. He was filled with so many emotions he didn’t know which to focus on. One thing was paramount, he was going to be a father.   

~~~~~~~~~~

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[naturaldisasterfanfiction]

4.

Stretching my body out sighing out, that was a nice stretch. Looking up to the ceiling smiling to myself, since I have had my scan, found out I am seven weeks which was a week ago so now I am eight weeks. I have heard the heartbeat and I feel the connection, I feel I have someone with me through this journey even though I am alone in a way, but I am not, I have baby Fenty with me. Pushing the covers off of me and getting up out of bed, my smile grew seeing my scan picture. I rest it up on the side table so I can look at it and fall asleep with my baby scan facing me, I am incredibly happy now. I have accepted it and it’s the best thing that has happened to me, I am literally on a high right now but slightly tired. We came to California, arrived last night. I am getting the Humanitarian of the Year award with BET, I could have sent a video, but I just said I will just come here and get the award, then I can go New York, see my workers. Get some work done in New York and then my photoshoot for the promo, do my promo video shoot for Fenty Beauty and then go to Mexico to finish off the lingerie shoot I was doing, all before I become big when I then have to hide behind a camera, unless I get a double chin before then, I will have to wear a mask. The reason I wanted to come and get the award myself, it’s because this bitch is going into hiding, I won’t be getting nothing for nobody or doing anything so I thought why not give the fans some pictures and a little run on the red carpet. I am lucky, lucky in the sense that my body is not making big changes so fast because I won’t be able to deal if that happened.

Standing at the side staring at myself in the mirror, there is a slight pouch to me, ever so slightly but this is another one for the books. Taking a picture in the mirror of me standing to the side with my stomach out, I want to keep it for myself. This will probably be my only baby, I mean I am not going to find a man and if I am bad now, I will be worse after this because of my child, men out there are very weird. Moving my hand and letting my long tee fall, looking at the picture of me. I am very happy about this, I had to accept it which took time to do but I got there and now I am happier than ever. My aim is to do everything before The Diamond Ball, that is when the world will find out because I can’t hide it, by then I will be embracing it and ready for the world to know. I have all of this planned out, just that one thing I am not sure where to add and that is Chris. Where do I put him, where do I include him in this because as much as I am not ready for it, the world isn’t. I love him, I can openly say that but he’s a mess. I laughed at him stalking me, but I am doing it to him now, I am watching him and seeing what he is doing and what quote he put up. Every post on Instagram is the most negative bullshit about his aura, nobody cares. He is searching for something he can fix, himself and I hate it for him, but I can’t fix him and help myself. Chris is a worry because I do want to tell him, in the right setting.

My mom be feeding me “I am done” pushing the plate back “you eating for two Robyn” I chuckled at my mom, her face is ever so serious “I know but my baby is tiny right now, it just needs a little bit. As long as mommy is ok, baby is ok. I have never felt so happy, inside I am happy. I feel whole because I have wanted this” Rorrey rolled his eyes “why do I need a dad when I have you” kissing my teeth “he is going to be the first one in love, trust me” Jen pointed out “you women all say this, I will be in the living room playing games” he got up from the chair “it’s so good to see you like this, because I was scared you was going to jump into getting rid of it, to see you so vibrant and happy. It’s just nice to see” Mel has come back from Barbados and is with us in California, which I am happy about “I was scared Mel, I was so scared to think what I have got myself into, I didn’t feel in control but god is guiding me and I will get better with it. I am not perfect, and I will make mistakes, I am not perfect. I wish I was perfect, as a mother to be, I will make the mistakes” I know I will make mistakes “what about the father? You’re in Cali, he is here also” I feel like all eyes are on me now, Mel had to do this “I may be feeling good in myself about this baby but I still need time to tell him mentally, he is fighting demons on his own and I see it. I don’t know if you girls look on his Instagram, I remember when his page was all fine, he was good and now he’s just dark with his words and I am seeing things I don’t like. I want to help him, but I have to help myself, I am thinking can he handle this because every time I am with him, close to him or people see it. He gets abused about it like I need protection, it hurts me to see it. No matter how much I tell the world I am ok they do it to him, this can mentally put you down. I am trying to find peace within me to help him as I am pregnant, I just don’t know. I want him to be ok with this. I mean even I got subjected to abuse about it, it’s a lot and I am just trying to find the right balance” clasping my hands together “I will tell him, that is all I can tell you” he worries me, his mental state does. And then I see him with whippets, he is doing drugs and I am just put off, I don’t want to say that either. I just need to gather myself; I will do it though and he will know, and I will be able to help guide him or we argue together about it all but it can go either way for both of us “I suppose, you ain’t a nobody he got pregnant so this will be a big deal. It does need to be handled right” I am glad they are on board and realise it is a big thing for the both of us, it’s just got to be done right.

Jen walked into the bedroom “what happened?” she asked, she is asking because I have now gone back into bed and I feel terrible all over again “pregnancy” I mumbled “you were ok before, but anyways. Jahleel wants you out soon to get dressed, I mean you will be late there. We have two bodyguards; Frank has arrived, and we got Rich. Extra security for you, it needs to be done. I want you to be extra careful, you are sensitive so mind yourself” nodding my head “stop looking so grumpy and besides, pregnancy can do that to you, one minute fine and the next miserable” poking my lips out “I have nobody to hug me in bed” I mumbled staring at Jen “well here I am! Your cuddle buddy has arrived” I smiled watching Jen walk around the bed “hold me, make me feel all warm” I smiled to myself, I just need a good cuddle in bed “you’re just worrying, that is all. Stressing yourself out” Jen said feeling the bed move behind me “I suppose, but I am happy. Just need a moment to myself to gather my thoughts and stuff” Jen is so annoying, she is giggling all up in my ear “stop it” I giggled “come here, my little baby want snuggled” Jen held me from behind “you’re not the hug I wanted, I regret it” I really do now “awww you have the scan on your side table, it has your forehead already. We already winning” smiling to myself looking at the baby scan, I swear to god she is annoying, Jen touched my boob “they feel sore yet, wait till these little babies start feeling sore. You about to feel even more moody” she is not the best cuddle buddy at all.

Why am I hating this, sat here staring at myself in this mirror is making me feel insecure “does my face look fat to you?” I asked Priscilla, I feel it “bloated as fuck” Yusuf shouted from across the room “wait what!” I turned in the chair ever so quickly “woah, calm down. I could have poked your eye out there, Yusuf laughed to himself “you are so gullible, you look beautiful stop it. Your hair is looking shinier though. I like it” Yusuf is such a bitch “whatever” turning in the chair “are you done?” Priscilla eyeballed me “I do not want a lawsuit if I poke your eye out, now can we all relax?” I sighed out “I am ok” I am not really; I feel like shit. In the morning I was so happy, felt so good in myself. Then I felt like I wanted to be sick and now I am self-conscious, I am ok. My people say I am fine so I must be fine “we need to hurry up sis, like you about to be so late” Ja said at the side of me “well what is new?” waving him off “what is new? Girl, you about to be rushed in, I want bitches to faint when they see on the red carpet, you hear that? The red fucking carpet. This like my last award show I be doing, can we not?” he has a point “Rihanna finally quitting music?” Yusuf said laughing in the background “wait until your fans bully you” rolling my eyes.

Smirking at Jahleel, I feel bad that I haven’t told Yusuf or Pricilla “is this Vodka? Since when?” Yusuf pointed out “since now, I have changed” I lied “let me taste then? We aren’t having you back out now! You always do this, we taking this together” moving the shot glass frowning at him, Jahleel put water in it, I am so glad I have him to do it “shut up” he is playing “let’s just do this then I can leave” watching them clink shot glasses and I joined in with them, I gasped “Yusuf!” I screamed out “this bitch lied!” hitting his arm “ok, look. There is a reason to this!” I shouted “she is on a water diet” Jahleel said like that makes a difference now I got caught “no way, my girl loves a glass of wine” Jahleel mouthed I tried “I should tell you both anyways, I need my team on board and I will see you both here and Dennis, wherever he is. Dennis. Come here because I will need you all eventually again. This has to be secret, like kept in here but then again you all are good at that” Yusuf has the judgemental look on his face “what did you do now” he crossed his arms “me? Nothing but” I breathed out, I mean there is no reason to hide this from these when they will be there with me “well, I am pregnant” I said smiling before hearing crash of glass hit the floor “Yusuf!” I shouted “no, you’re lying?” he said in disbelief “I promise you; I am pregnant. This is why Ja and I have been arguing back and forth about the timings, this will generally be my last time to do anything related to red carpet for a long time. It’s about to be about me and my baby” Yusuf looks so scared but I think he is in disbelief “you always said the sperm donor is coming and you did it” Dennis hugged me “I am so happy and I can’t wait to do the pregnancy photoshoot with you!, I have ideas now” I cooed “but I know the dad anyways” Priscilla hugged me “so happy for you, you deserve this. You really do” they are so sweet “oh, who is it?” Yusuf is like ready for a storm “I will sue all of you but I trust you all, so uhm. He doesn’t know yet, it was a drunk thing. It’s Chris’ baby” I admitted “Hemsworth?” Daniel said “would I be drunk with him? But Chris Brown” Yusuf let out a shriek, staring at him “you are pregnant with Chris Brown’ child? Rihanna what the fuck have you been doing!?” Ja is nodding his head like I told you so “a lot, clearly but it’s a mess and I am sure you all are ready for the ride?” Yusuf laugh “bitch I am shook, but I am ready. Come here you crazy fucking bitch” Yusuf hugged me close “you about to be a beautiful milf, I am here for it baby” I chuckled at Yusuf saying that but he is not wrong, I will be that now.

I wore something revealing, I thought why not because I can right now. I am wearing a satin robe over a plunging playsuit which showed off my toned legs. High heeled strappy sandals and a chunky pendant necklace completed my look, and my long black hair curled and tied up in a loose updo. I am ready for this “am I even ok to go on the red carpet? Like am I that late?” I hope not, I want to show off my legs “we are going to show you off, don’t you worry” Ja said, oh the carpet is still kind off full “your mom said for you to just go in from the back?” Frank said in the front “my mother worries too much it is ok; she needs to stop worrying. Thank god she is at home” rolling my eyes, she is fussing. The SUV came to a halt and Rich came out of the SUV in front, watching him run over to the SUV “I don’t want everyone fussing now, I mean it” I am ok, they will know if I need help or not. The SUV door opened; Rich held his hand out to me. Grabbing his hand as I got out “you look so beautiful, oh my god!” Taraji came out of nowhere “thank you” I said smiling at her, looking behind me at Mel getting out.

Mel laughed at me, I don’t find her funny “this is why I don’t come” I said in a whisper “it’s just you, sitting with the Cash Money record team, it’s nice to see” I laughed shaking my head, I am sat next to Lil Wayne which is fine because he is not here, but just behind me on the left of me I have Drake and I have Chris here too, I did see him with another shade of colour on his head but it was quick. He didn’t see, I saw him “don’t you think the girls here are a hot mess, like this whole place is a hot mess” me and Mel are just bitching “They be wearing things just to wear them, I mean is this a strip club” Mel laughed “says you, looking like you going to some sex club for rich men” hitting Mel’ leg “I think hot mess was on the cards, chile” looking ahead of us “I am blessed, I am so blessed to be sitting next to the queen, my queen. How are you?” getting up from my seat “I am good, when I heard I am sitting with you, I asked to move. Not going to lie” Lil Wayne looked at me offended as fuck “come on now, I will be good. Promise, you know I appreciate you” sitting down on my seat laughing “you better be good” I rather sit in the back but here I am, all in the front like I asked for this, maybe I shouldn’t have worn this.

Some unknown dude called NAV is performing, my time to go to the toilet “you coming” I said as I got up, this is my toilet break “yes I am” Rich came out of nowhere “I am just going to the toilet” I laughed at him “I will walk you” seeing from the corner of my eye, Drake is coming “yes, let’s go this way” turning on my heels “watch out” hearing Drake say, oh the camera is conveniently here “you good?” he hugged Mel first, he knows I don’t care for it “nice seeing you” Mel said, maybe I should go the other way. Drake looked at me “like old times, we should have performed work together if you was coming” I nodded my head smiling, he didn’t hug me which is good of him “I need the bathroom” I pointed at him before walking off “the bathroom is that way” he pointed the opposite side “I didn’t know you got a new job of directing people now” hitting his arm to move out of the way, I caught him licking his lips before walking by Rich to go “hey!” Cardi rushed over to me “your legs look so good, bitch!” hugging her laughing “thank you, I regret it now. I cold” I laughed it off, but I am being deadass about this.

I wonder if I will have a girl, I really would like a daughter but I don’t for either because this is a blessing, like praise Jesus, I am blessed but if it’s a girl, that would be beautiful for me. She will be my bestie forever “Rihanna!” hearing my name, looking up like a deer caught in headlights. I am so confused “get up” Mel said as she got up to clap, oh this is me. I am so lost because I rather sit and daydream of my baby now, I laughed looking around “thank you” I didn’t want to walk alone either but here I am, alone but it’s whatever. Walking by the crowd jus clapping for me “Rih” Rich came up behind me, he held my hand as I went up the stairs “thank you” smiling at him, he is coming out of everywhere today “thank you so, so, so much” hugging Debra “thank you so much” I said to her but I do not remember a single word she said, turning around to the crowd and seeing the standing ovation, this will always get me shy “thank you” I laughed down the mic, even though theses lights are shining in my eyes I can still see Chris from here, his multicoloured self just there, waiting for them to sit down before I started.

I blew out air as I was helped down by Rich, I am glad that is done and it is a commercial break “you looked great up there” Mel said “thank you, I felt nervous” Mel held my hand, everyone is walking around because it is a commercial break “I want to go now, I am just done now” I pulled a face “let’s go this way” Rich led the way, I guess Rich knows a quicker way out for us “Chris is here, why don’t you tell him that you have something to tell him. This is your chance” Mel said in my ear, is Mel crazy staring at her like she is crazy “he is right there, just say it” Mel dragged me, Chris is speaking to Usher but I caught him looking at me and he looked away so quickly, he knows I caught him but he looked away in annoyance, I know him and he seems angry and he’s probably angry I told him to go that night. It’s like everything was in slow motion, Chris moved back from Usher, he is staring at me and I am staring at him as I am being dragged to him. Slowly I see a smile form on his face, am I really doing this “come” Rich blocked my view and stood in front of Chris “let’s go before it gets busy again” Rich moved and Chris’ smile disappeared, Mel let my hand go thinking I am saying anything “hey” that was it “hi” walking by him, that was so awkward for us and I just fucked that up but I was put on the spot.

I am glad to be in the SUV “what happened to you saying Chris I have something to tell you, come to the apartment?” Mel is annoyed with me, but I was put on the spot “I freaked out Mel, he seemed to be so mixed with emotions. Like he was angry, annoyed and happy. Only thing we said was hey and hi, it was all awkward and I felt like everyone was watching us, it’s not the setting, I am not ready to deal with Chris” I wish they just let me live, let me just do this how I want it “he smiled because it looked like we was walking towards him, you need to get over people seeing you both speak. You sharing a whole ass child, the public going to have a field day with you both” she has a point but that is my issue to get used to that.

[noexit-ff]

16.

Pushing the bed covers back as I got up from the bed, I can’t even deal, it’s too in this bedroom and Robyn is all over me. She is making me sweat even more, getting up out of the bed. We are still in Barbados but it’s not all that bad, Monica adores me though. She is spoiling me, Ronald is banned from the home and Rajad does speak to me but Rorrey doesn’t but I don’t care. It’s ok here, I am enjoying it but I do miss home. Robyn hasn’t spoken about a baby for a whole ass two days, she is so happy here. I have never seen Robyn so happy, she is making me smile with the way she is. Monica had a few visitors and they was all wanting to see Robyn and her husband, the people are funny here. Especially the family friends, they are so odd at times. Robyn also washed my clothes and nobody can find them so someone stole my clothes, I think it was those family friends that came so Robyn keeps everything locked now, I don’t know how it happened to be honest. Looking down at my phone, I can’t be bothered to answer it all. I have got a tan, I look two shades darker and a whole lot more hairier, I need a haircut. I am so itchy with this beard too, I should fly out my barber because only god knows how long we will be here for.

Stroking the dog’ head as I made my way to the kitchen, I think they are in there “Majesty, will you quit playing!” Noella spat, seeing Majesty running towards me but she stopped and looked up at me “see, uncle Chris will get annoyed. Come back here and eat” smiling at her, she got ever so sad and turned back around “why are you making me out to be bad? I am soft as fuck, I mean hell” Monica done told me off about cussing “what did you say Christopher!?” Noella laughed as I stared all wide eyed walking into the kitchen “I said, I am hungry” I lied “I thought so, try this. I made it fresh, coconut bread. What would you like to eat?” sitting on the bar stool “it’s cool , I will get it. Is this nice?” I pointed at the coconut bread “try it Chris, tell him Majesty. Tell uncle Chris how nice it is” Majesty nodded her head at me “mmhmmm nice” I chuckled “aight, I will try” breaking some of it off “if this is not nice, I am blaming you little miss Majesty” biting into the kind of hard texture, frowning as I chewed down “it’s like, a cookie. A weird and different one” Noella rolled her eyes at me “cookie, you’re so American�� it’s nice though, I shrugged biting down some more “we will make him into a Barbadian boy” Monica added.

I know I am in Barbados but the milk here tastes not as nice as the milk at home, I am missing home so much “what are you doing today?” Noella poked Rajad saying “nowhere, maybe see dad or get my hair cut” my ears perked up “I need my hair done” I added “well, she is asleep. Why don’t you and Rajad walk with me to the shop and you can see more family and more of Barbados Chris. Let Robyn sleep, you can come with us. I known Robyn is overprotective but Auntie, he will be ok right?” they treat me like a child, like Robyn’ child “it’s only Barbados” Monica waved me off “you will be ok, Rajad will take good care of him” Rajad smiled at his mom “the guy that cuts my hair, he is really good. I think he will get extra happy to see you, you will like it. Rihanna is boring” I think it will be dope “yeah, I will come. I need my hair done and shave this beard off” I might as well see the damn shop they keep telling me about, it’s a family thing I guess.

Majesty actually wanted me to pick her up, she is a cutie though “this is the shop, come” Noella waved me in, Majesty placed her arm around my neck. It’s a cute clothes store, nodding my head “oohh we have a visitor” Robyn’ auntie soon got up from her seat “I ain’t come to shop, I come to see y’all” I lied, I can just hype it up “look at my grand baby, she is loving you” hugging Robyn’ auntie “so good to see you, you can have anything here for free” she said, I laughed looking around the store “you think I would look good in these things?” I said with my free arm around her “well your mom, she will like things” she is right “you right but I don’t know what to get my mom, you know what. You tell me” moving my arm back from her, digging into my pocket “give me” pulling out the notes I can get “five hundred worth” she gasped “oh no no, you family. No money, if you want to help. You give to the poor kids out there” she pushed my hand back “I will send your mom some things, Noella help me” Robyn’ Auntie walked off with Noella.

Turning to Rajad “what poor kids?” I asked him, Rajad smiled at me “just out there, if you turn left and go around the block. You will see the kids finding things on the floor but I don’t recommend you to go or you can give this to a school centre, come” he waved me over “Auntie, we will be back” he shouted, I don’t want to be chased and robbed, I hope Rajad knows where he is going “the school is just here, randomly. This school has such minimum things, Rihanna gives here too ” letting out an oh, fixing Majesty in my arm. This building has seen better days too, I mean anybody can just walk in, the school doesn’t even seem like a school either “where are you going?” I asked, he is walking around like it’s his home “I told you Chris, Rihanna donates here and I know the man who runs it” letting out an oh, Rajad knocked on the door. The man waved him in from the glass window, he shot up from his seat “Chris Brown?” he said pointing “hi” he walked over to me and shook my hand “Chris Brown, wow. Rajad, so good to see you” the guy is still shaking my hand, I wish he didn’t “well we need to go, just a quick visit” I said moving my hand back “I want to donate money to your school” I feel bad and want to give more “donate? Oh wow, no need too Chris!” he said, smiling at him “I want too, I will donate ten thousand” I cannot give five hundred, Rajad eyeballed me “I will be in touch” I couldn’t help it, this school looks so bad and I feel bad to just give that.

I have been oversleeping recently, I am such a lazy bitch. Chris is awake already, it’s the afternoon too. Stretching my body out, I always sleep well in Barbados. I just wish I wake up to my man being in bed with me but he wakes up early, I knew my phone was ringing. Picking my phone up from the side “hello” I said without looking at the caller I.D “hi Rihanna, it’s Jay” of course it is “oh yeah, did you get my message? Will I see you in London or you letting Jen deal with me?” I haven’t told Chris I am going to London after Barbados “Jen, I will keep in contact. Puma are happy to have you on board but also, Chris. They want Chris, Fenty Puma? I mean you said you want to stop Fenty, they accepted Fenty-Brown Puma but as long as Chris is on board, they want him to do their clothes because they love his style” these assholes always got some terms “right, well I can’t say yes. I need to speak to him, he has Black Pyramid so put a hold on that. Also if you can set me a outline of a tour timetable for America, we can start there ok?” I need to stop being so down, I need to start looking to the future with my husband and let life take it’s path.

This home is so quiet, is anybody home “hello boy” the dog ran over, seeing my mom sat with my grandfather “you always sleeping!” my mom half shouted “I know, did Chris eat? Where is he?” I am so useless “you are a wife Robyn, you need to be awake and ready for your man!” here my mom goes “you need to be cooking for him, you not Rihanna, you are Robyn. You don’t get no cook, you do it for your husband” I am sure I have heard this before “ok mom, where is he?” my grandfather is laughing “he went out with Noella and Rajad” frowning at my mom “why? Why has he gone out? Mom he doesn’t know this place!” I don’t like him being out with anybody “Robyn, stop it. He is with family, he is with family he knows. What is wrong with you” rubbing my temples “wrong? Mom, he is Chris Brown not just anybody. I want to look after him, he doesn’t understand these streets. I swear Rajad better look after him” turning around to walk in the kitchen, why would he go out when he knows I don’t like him going without me.

I could ring him but then I look clingy and then my family laugh, I just don’t like him being far away from me. I mean he is not far but he shouldn’t be out there, there is bad people in Barbados too and he is famous, what if someone holds him up at gun point, I feel sick. I can’t eat this, pushing the plate back “sweetie, what is wrong? I have been watching you from there?” my grandfather walked up to me “just thinking, I am ok” I smiled at him “I hope you are not worrying yourself” I sighed out, he knows me well “Clara would be so happy, she would always say. Go with your heart, Chris is your heart Robyn. He good to you baby?” smiling wide “he treats me a like a queen, just like gran gran said. Get someone who worships you and I have, he is the best” I gushed “I just feel so clingy to him, I just want him back close to me. He doesn’t know these people” my grandfather held my hand “he is with good people ok?” nodding my head “I am so happy for you, he is a good kid. I remember him being that, young kids in love made silly young mistakes” smiling at him, he is the best “you like him a lot don’t you?” he nodded his head.

Catching up with my shows, I have the house to myself. Well I don’t but my mom is busy so I thought I will catch up with love and hip hop, at one point I thought I would see Chris on this. He was just spiralling down this path and nobody was helping him, I for one didn’t help because I was so blind sided by my peers, I was so stupid. I am just glad he is out of that dark hole and he is with me, in my arms. I want to protect him, my baby “fuck” I said in a whisper, I miss him already. I want him to complain how hot it is and I am being too close to him, smiling to myself “here you are” hearing Noella say, my head shot up looking behind Noella “what?” Noella froze, frowning at the emptiness “where is Chris!?” I don’t understand “oh, Rajad took him to get his hair done, we went to the shop. He got his mom things” she held the bags up “and I think they are going on quad bikes after, some brother in law bonding” shaking my head “why can’t he just come home? Rajad is going to take him to where there is bad people” Noella gawked at me “will you quit it, he is fine. He had fun with us” Noella sat down “he should have told me” I said in a whisper, why is everyone acting so calm “call him then” Noella spat, grabbing my phone “I will” I retorted, unlocking my phone. Tapping on my baby’ name “you seen this? Majesty and Chris, she couldn’t stop hugging him” Noella showed me the picture on Instagram “that is cute, look at her goofy smile” listening to the phone ring out “where were they going?” I asked Noella “I left to come here and they was walking to get a haircut, they met up with Rorrey and some boys we know! Robyn, stop eyeballing me. We know them, everything was ok. I made sure Chris was comfortable” look at my phone, he is not picking up. Let me stop worrying, he should be ok “I am blaming you if he is not ok” I pointed at Noella.

[stephaniefchase]

Bajan Newscap 11/10/2017

Good Morning #realdreamchasers. Here is your daily news cap for Friday 10th th November, 2017. There is a lot to read and digest so take your time. Remember you can read full articles via Barbados Today (BT), or by purchasing Weekend Nation Newspaper (WN).

SAY YES TO IMF – With a team from the Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF) currently on island for talks with the Freundel Stuart-led administration, two retired permanent secretaries are calling on Government to bite the bullet and enter into a funding arrangement with the IMF. However, William Layne and Frederick Forde are both cautioning that any such financing plan must be on Barbados’ terms only. The last time the economy was put into IMF hands back in the early 1990s, the bitter fiscal medicine that followed proved too strong for many Barbadians to stomach and was blamed for the eventual collapse of the then Erskine Sandiford-led administration, following crippling street protests. Among the major expenditure cuts instituted then was an across-the-board eight per cent pay cut in the public sector, which was later restored. However, with the economic and social fallout still fresh in its mind and a general election now looming, the ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP), though faced with a deficit of six per cent of gross domestic product and dwindling foreign reserves which stood below the desired 12 weeks of import cover at just 8.6 weeks or $549.7 million at the end of September, is very reluctant to seek financial help from the Fund, even though the IMF publicly indicated at the end of its last Article 1V Consultation back in June that it “stands ready to assist the Government of Barbados, including through continued policy dialogue and technical assistance”. (BT)

BARBADOS’ ECONOMIC MODEL OBSOLETE, WARNS INNISS – Minister of Industry, Commerce, International Business and Small Business Development Donville Inniss has rendered Barbados’ economic model obsolete. Echoing many of the views expressed by former Prime Minister Owen Arthur last week when he called for a new model of development, Inniss pointed out that “over the past 50 years Barbados’ growth and development has been based on an economic model which placed much emphasis on preferential access to markets of Barbados’ principal trading partners, incentivized tax regimes for the foreign investors designed to inject foreign exchange earners into the economy and high protectionist barriers implemented to give local enterprise the necessary space to become sustainable”. However, the Government minister warned that this model had now become outdated as evidenced by the demands by international standard-setting agencies to dismantle these systems. It was during last week’s Innovate Barbados 2017 conference at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre that Arthur, who resides in Inniss’ constituency but currently sits as an independent in Parliament, had issued pretty much the same warning. The way he put it though was that “a developmental model based on protectionism, trade preferences, unique tax benefits and on economic sectors which do not make the fullest use of our human capital will lead Barbados into an economic cul-de-sac”. And without making direct reference to any of the current fiscal policies of the Freundel Stuart led administration or the recent promises of the Mia Mottley-led Opposition Barbados Labour Party that it will make tertiary education free again and that it will immediately repeal the dreaded National Social Responsibility Levy if it is elected to Government in the next election, Arthur cautioned that the heavy provision of welfare services by the state was no longer sustainable with Barbados currently grappling with a high deficit of six per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), a high national debt in excess of 140 per cent of GDP and dwindling foreign reserves in the amount of 8.6 weeks of import or $549.7 million at the end of September. With the situation as it stands, Arthur was insistent that there must be a new model of development in which innovation, technology and entrepreneurship are the principal drivers of economic and social activity. This very point was made by Inniss today as he addressed the second annual Students’ Conference, under the theme Chartering the Course, Exploring the Possibilities. In fact, he warned that Barbados stood to be left behind unless it embraced the international technological revolution that was changing the very way in which the financial system works. (BT)

ENOUGH – Chanting “we need a new school” and “enough is enough”, a group of about 25 parents and students protested outside the Belmont Primary School this morning, complaining of deplorable conditions at the Government-run learning institution. Today’s protest came amid the closure of the school, which has been affected over the past two days by a pungent odour that is said to be coming from a nearby farm. On Wednesday, the doors to the My Lords Hill, St Michael institution were abruptly closed just after 1p.m. on  account of the foul smell, and late this evening the Ministry of Education announced that classes would also be suspended on Friday owing to the environmental problem. “The Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation has reassured parents that its officers and those of the Ministry of Health are working assiduously to find the source of the problem,” the ministry said in a brief statement issued by the Barbados Government Information Service this evening. No reference was made to today’s protest. However, when a Barbados TODAY team arrived at the school around 9 a.m. Thursday, it was met by a group of angry parents who openly vented their frustration over the stench, which they said began affecting Belmont Primary over the weekend and was responsible for the invasion of a swarm of flies onto the school’s compound. Today’s protest is second such demonstration in as many weeks following the October 27 action by parents and guardians of the students at the St Mark’s Primary in St Philip institution who also describe the conditions their charges are faced with as deplorable.  (BT)

BALL DROPPED – Barbados’ main advocacy group for men has been given a failing grade for its representation of fathers who have been denied access to their children. The stinging indictment has come from founder of Access for Fathers, Kammie Holder, who said today he was forced to step up and take the lead on the issue because the Men’s Education Support Association (MESA) had simply dropped the ball. “MESA is an organization which has a problem with men calling bad mothers ‘dead beat’ but has no problem with women calling men the same thing. MESA has lost their mandate and it has left me no choice but to start my own [group] to represent men who are going through this issue,” said Holder, who went public on social media last weekend with details of his own bitter child custody battle and has since stepped up a public campaign on Facebook to raise public awareness of the issues confronting men. When contacted for comment today on Holder’s charges, the Chairman of MESA Grantley Osbourne said he preferred to issue his response at a later date. However, MESA is on record as having voiced strong objection to the harsh treatment it says is usually meted out to men when they go to court to deal with paying child support, compared to the women who refuse to let men see the same children they’re providing money for. Back in 2015, MESA went as far as calling for mandatory DNA testing at childbirth in an effort to protect men from paying child support for children that were not theirs. However, while suggesting that MESA is all bark and no bite, Holder also contended that after years of promising to challenge the legal system, the problem remains largely unchecked with frustration mounting among men who continue to be denied access to their children. (BT)

‘NO GENDER BIAS IN COURT SYSTEM’ – A senior jurist has denied that the law courts here are heavily skewed in favour of women involved in custody disputes with the fathers of their children.   Supreme Court Registrar Barbara Cooke-Alleyne said that despite the never ending refrain from male advocacy groups that women seemingly have a license to deny fathers the right to see their children, the court system has made great strides to ensure balance. “I don’t believe that the court is skewed in any way because I am sure that there are some ladies who would say that the court favours men. You can’t win them all and the court is very aware of the gender issues,” Cooke-Alleyne told Barbados TODAY at the Ann Hill School, Pine Road, St Michael this morning following the launch of the Caribbean leadership project, a seven-year, CAD$20 million project aimed at strengthening the capacity of future leaders in the Caribbean to support gender-sensitive public sector reform and work collaboratively towards regional integration. (BT)

ST PETER STUDENTS RECEIVE NEW KINDLES – Class three students of the Roland Edwards and Boscobel Primary schools in St Peter are now better equipped to explore the world of information after receiving new tablets from the Aron & Christina Truss Foundation yesterday. To the delight of the students, the registered charity handed over 78 Amazon Kindle devices, which were donated by Don Thomson, wife Mila and two sons Michael and Daniel, who recently moved to Barbados. Mr Thomson said he was happy to provide the students with the learning tools and urged them to fully use their gadgets. Also on hand for the brief presentation was Barbados Labour Party candidate for St Peter Colin Jordan, who spoke on the behalf of parliamentary representative Owen Arthur. He too encouraged the students to put the tablets to good use and to handle them with care. Founder of the charity Aron Truss heaped praises on the Thomson family, encouraging their two sons and the other students to find ways to give back to their schools and community.   (BT)

SLOW DOWN – Not so fast! That was how Member of Parliament for St Thomas Cynthia Forde has responded to suggestions by some public service vehicle (PSV) operators that students should be banned from their vehicles. Earlier this week some operators called on Government to impose a ban of students travelling on privately run PSVs following an altercation between three students from a rural secondary school and a conductor, which resulted in the conductor sustaining injuries to both arms. However, Forde called for cooler heads to prevail, suggesting instead that all sides meet to explore ways to end violence by students using the public transportation system. (BT)

HAYNESVILLE TENANTS FEAR MASSIVE FIRE – Tenants of the National Housing Corporation (NHC) in Haynesville, St James say they fear it is only a matter of time before a massive electrical fire destroys their homes and their lives. The residents complain that the signs are clear that the 40-year-old electrical system is no longer reliable and poses a threat to the lives of householders. Two weeks ago, fire destroyed one of three bedrooms in an NHC unit in Haynesville, which one of the occupants, 43-year-old Ryan Odle, blamed on an electrical fault. It was the latest blaze which tenants blame on a faulty electrical system which they said keeps showing signs that danger is not far away. The Opposition Barbados Labour Party candidate for the area Sandra Husbands today presented the NHC with a petition bearing close to 200 signatures of concerned tenants demanding that the state agency makes rewiring of the Haynesville units a priority. The BLP candidate said the NHC has been advising its tenants that it did not have the funds to rewire the units or for simple repairs such as replacing doors or toilets. However, Husbands said Government needed to take another look at its priorities and place the tenants at the top of the list. David Rogers was not at home when reporters visited the area this afternoon, but his brother Curtis Rogers explained the challenges facing his sibling. Another tenant, Akera Jones, expressed fears that while her unit has been unscathed so far, it was only a matter of time before fire breaks out there.  (BT)

ST PETER WOMAN MISSING – Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating 29-year-old Roxanne Matthews, of Collins, Boscobel, St Peter. Matthews, formerly of Broomfield, St Lucy, was last seen sometime around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, November 7, by her boyfriend Hugh Thompson at his Collins residence. At the time she was wearing blue leggings and a faded pink shirt. Matthews is 167 centimeters tall, of brown complexion, thickly built, has an oval face, thick lips, thick short neck,and is full breasted with a protruding stomach. She has her hair braided, speaks with a slur, has an erect appearance and is in the habit of swinging her hands. She is known to frequent Speightstown, St Peter and Broomfield, St Lucy and can be considered as a slow learner. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact the District ‘E’ Police Station at telephone numbers 419-1730 or 419-1731, police emergency number 211, or the nearest police station. (BT)

UPDATE: PLANTATION MANAGER SHOT DURING ROBBERY – Supervisor/manager at Bulkeley Plantation, Charles Bynoe, was shot during a robbery this morning. The incident occurred around 11:05 a.m. and left the 64-year-old nursing a gunshot injury to his left foot. Police say Bynoe returned to the St George plantation and encountered two men, one armed with a firearm. Two shots were fired at Bynoe and the men then fled the scene with an undisclosed sum of money. Bynoe was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital by ambulance for medical attention. Anyone who can provide information to assist police with their investigations is asked to contact the District “B” Police Station at telephone 437-4311, CID Oistins at 418-2608, police emergency number 211, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIPS (8477) or the nearest police station.  (WN)

THEIVES TAKE MORE CARS – Car thieves in Barbados have seemingly found a niche market and are cashing in on it. Within the past three years the number of stolen vehicles has increased almost five-fold. According to police public relations officer Acting Inspector Roland Cobbler, while there were only 22 reported car thefts in 2014, last year that number had ballooned to 106. That figure was still slightly less than the 111 cars stolen in 2015. In 2012 and 2013 there were 68 and 63 cars, respectively, reported stolen. (WN)

BOYCE ACCUSED OF CAR THEFT – A 28-year-old man is out on $5,000 bail after appearing in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on a criminal charge. Rayon Andrew Boyce, of Charles Row Bridge, St George, was not required to plead to the indictable charge that he took a Suzuki Swift motorcar without the owner’s consent, sometime between October 22 and November 7. There was no objection to bail for the accused man, who is due to reappear before Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant on January 4. In the meantime, he must stay away from the complainant in the matter. (BT)

THIEF CAUGHT WHILE POSING AS A HOTEL GUEST – A 40-year-old cocaine addict, who pleaded guilty to theft, will spend the next three weeks at the Psychiatric Hospital. Gaylan Alphonso Marshall, of no fixed place of abode, consented to an assessment by doctors at the institution today after his attorney, Mohia Ma’at, appealed for help for his client who had admitted to stealing two hand towels, four soaps, five bottles of mouth wash, three rolls of toilet paper, one body cleanser, five bottles of water and two boxes of tissue worth $78.30, belonging to the Hilton Hotel. Security personnel became suspicious when they spotted Marshall on the eighth floor of the hotel yesterday, carrying two bags. He was questioned and asked whether he needed help. Putting on an American accent, Marshall answered that he was a guest at the establishment and was on his way to visit friends at Worthing, Christ Church. Police were called in and Marshall was arrested after he could not give an account of the items, which he later admitted to taking from a storage room on the eighth floor of the luxury resort. Ma’at told Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant his client was a former waiter and server who has been “sliding down hill” since losing his job last year. “He found himself using not a little spliff, but dope. He says it is out of control and he would like his life back,” Ma’at told the magistrate while appealing for the first time offender to be considered for drug rehabilitation at Verdun House. Marshall returns to court on December 1 to find out whether he qualifies for the programme. (BT)

TEEN HELD ON GUN CHARGES – A 17-year-old, who is alleged to have had an illegal weapon and ammunition in his possession, was today given an automatic 28-day stay at Dodds prison. Jaquan Antonio Richards, of No.16, Lacelles Terrace, Pinelands, St Michael, is accused of having the firearm and 16 rounds of ammunition on November 6, without a valid licence. The teenager, who is being represented by attorney-at-law Shadia Simpson, was not required to plead to the indictable charge when he appeared before Magistrate Kristie Cuffy Sargeant. However, Richards pleaded not guilty to allegedly having $70 worth of cannabis in his possession on the same day. He is due to reappear in the No. 2 District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on December 7. (BT)

CRIMINAL CHARGES LAID AGAINST BOYS IN SCHOOL BUS STABBING INCIDENT – Police have arrested and formally charged two schoolboys in connection with a stabbing incident which occurred sometime around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7, on board a school bus. A third boy, who is 15-years-old, was stabbed twice in the upper left side of his back during the incident. The two school boys, ages 14 and 16, were formally charged with the offence of serious bodily harm. They both appeared before Magistrate Wanda Blair in the Holetown Magistrates’ Court today. The 16-year-old was remanded to prison while the 14-year-old was remanded to the Government Industrial School. Both expected to reappear in Court on December 5. (BT)

MAN WHO ASSAULTED POLICE COMMISSIONER BACK IN COURT – The man who assaulted Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith was back in court today. Dewayne Carlo Griffith, 39, of Crab Hill, St Lucy, was arrested and charged for a number of offences which were committed against the Commissioner in the Crab Hill area on Saturday, October 28. He reappeared in the Holetown Magistrates’ Court and was further remanded to prison, and will reappear in court on December 7. Griffith has been charged with obstructing police in the execution of duty, assaulting police in the execution of duty and resisting police in the execution of duty.  (BT)

‘LORD EVIL’ AWAITS BAIL DECISION – The infamous Andre Omar Lord Evil Jackman will find out tomorrow whether he gets to maintain his freedom. After hearing submissions from Jackman’s lead attorney Arthur Holder and Crown Counsel Oliver Thomas in relation to a violation of Jackman’s bail condition, Acting Judge Alrick Scott deferred his decision until November 10. Jackman, 38, of Stroud Bay, Crab Hill, St Lucy, appeared before the High Court judge today accused of breaching the 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily curfew imposed on him back in May 2016. The state submitted in the No. 4 Supreme Court this afternoon that Jackman’s $175,000 bail should be revoked and that he be remanded to HMP Dodds. However, an incensed Holder told the media after the hearing that his client was being discriminated against. Holder admitted that Jackman had breached the curfew on October 28 in the presence of Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith. However, he contended that the breach was “minuscule”, given that his client had complied with every single bail condition since he was granted bail over a year ago on a murder charge. The attorney-at-law added that the submissions made today were unprecedented in his 18-year career.   The attorney-at-law added that the submissions made today were unprecedented in his 18-year career. Claiming that there were other accused persons who had repeatedly breached the conditions of their bail but had not been hauled before the court, Holder insisted that justice must appear to be done. (BT)

UNDER THE INFLUENCE – A 37-year-old car washer, who was intoxicated when he broke a pane of glass, has two weeks to compensate his victim. Devon Mario Sampson, of 3rd Avenue, Chapman Lane, St Michael, damaged the property belonging to Glen Harvey on November 2. Harvey rents rooms to individuals, including a woman who Sampson is familiar with. On the day in question, the woman informed him that she was not feeling well and closed the door leaving him in the gallery. Moments later she heard the sound of breaking glass and realized that the glass on the door was broken and Sampson was bleeding. She reported the matter when he asked for help with his injured hand. “He was intoxicated and didn’t know what he was doing. Thankfully no one was hurt but himself. In his moment of sobriety he has realized that alcohol is not his friend and any company he should keep,” Sampson’s attorney Mohia Ma’at told Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant. In his submissions for leniency, he also urged the magistrate not impose a custodial sentence but an order of compensation on his client, who is a car washer at the YMCA. The magistrate complied and requested that Sampson pays $100 in compensation in two weeks, otherwise he will have to spend six weeks in prison. Sampson was also placed on a yearlong bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour. If he breaches the order and is found guilty of any crime during that time he will face a $750 forthwith fine or three months imprisonment. (BT)

CAWMERE NEW V’BALL CHAMPS – CAWMERE are the new kings of Division 1 volleyball. The Waterford lads predictably captured their first ever Goddard Enterprises Limited senior title in a bittersweet moment at the Wildey Gymnasium on Wednesday night. Key man Barbados captain Shawn Simpson suffered an injury in the second set as Cawmere lost to deposed kings Chargers 25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 16-25. Ironically, in the preceding match, Progressive needed five sets to stop All Stars 25-16, 17-25, 27-25, 24-26, 15-10. That outcome meant that there was no one who could then catch Cawmere and stop them from ascending the throne. Progressive ended the league with 30 points while Cawmere, with one game in hand, are on 33 points. Chargers, with a game in hand, have joined Deacons on 26 points. All Stars are on 14 points with one game against Foundation United who are on 11. (WN)

FIFA FINALLY HERE – FIFA is here to stay, and so is new regional office development manager for the Caribbean, Marlon Glean. Glean confirmed that he had been on the island for the past six weeks and was in the process of finalising plans to move into their South Coast offices at Welches, Christ Church, early next month. The WEEKEND NATION met up with the new head at the Barbados Football Association (BFA) during a site visit for officials to view the progress of construction on phase one of the refurbishment project at the Wildey AstroTurf yesterday. At a press conference to launch this year’s football season in January, BFA president Randy Harris had confirmed that the FIFA regional office would be set up in Barbados the following month. However, the move took longer than expected.  (WN)

GAYLE: ‘THEY TOOK ME LIGHTLY’ – West Indies star batsman Chris Gayle has claimed he was taken lightly in mediation proceedings ahead of his successful bid to sue Australian entity Fairfax Media. Gayle succeeded with litigation against the company for an amount yet to be decided, after it published allegations the batsman had revealed his penis to a masseuse, Leanne Russell, during the 2015 World Cup.  Two weeks ago, a Sydney court ruled that the company had not only acted with malice when it published the allegations but had also failed to establish whether they were true. In typical flamboyant fashion, the batman who had called the allegations ‘deeply hurtful’ has taken to social media platform Twitter, promising to share his story with one lucky media house in an exclusive interview, but there’s a catch, it will cost US$300,000. “I have a very interested successful story to tell!! It can be an exclusive 60mins interview or y’all just have to wait on my next book!” Gayle said via Twitter. “It’s about what transpired in court and behind the scenes in Australia, how they went to bigger heads to get me ban,” he added. “How they want to use me as a scapegoat over a interview-I’ll tell you what I do every day after court, believe me, when I break this down to y’all it will be like a movie!” “No holding back! Bidding starts at US$ 300K ($420,000) for this interview! So much to say & I will! “Even what transpired in the mediation couple weeks before court … they take me lightly but I never scared of the media! I was ready to fight until my last breath! “Who ready for my story just let me know…you will have to visit Jamaica for this interview!”   (BT)

HIT SHOW IS BACK - 1627 And All … back! One of Barbados’ most popular historical and cultural showcases made a triumphant return to the stage last Thursday. At the Ixora Bar and Restaurant at Golden Sands Hotel, scores of people, including tourists, locals and Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy, were present to witness 1627 And All That. After the premiere night, Sealy praised the performances while public relations officer for the event, Jacqueline Collins, said she was satisfied with the response to the event despite having to push it back from the original date. She recalled that the original date for the revival of the historical show was postponed due to bad weather and the closing ceremony of CARIFESTA. The internationally acclaimed presentation with the Pinelands Creative Workshop highlighted Barbadian culture through colourful performances, some drama and skillfully choreographed routines. The event featured folk singing, a stilt walker, the Mother Sally, performers who depicted the traditions and rhythms of the Spiritual Baptist movement and dancers who depicted the revelry of Kadooment Day. (WN)

THE LOGOS RETURNS – The Logos returns It’s been eight years since the world’s largest literary book fair – the Logos Hope- sailed into Barbados waters, and today captain and crew received a warm welcome from officials, who described the visit as long overdue. The mega ship, with its 385-member crew, comprising over 60 nationalities and a library of 6, 000 books, will be docked at the Flour Mill, along the Spring Garden Highway until next Friday. Several dignitaries, including Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education Senator Harcourt Husbands; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education June Chandler; Venezuelan Ambassador Francisco Perez-Santana and United States Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Linda Taglialatela were among the first to board the ship this morning. (BT)

That’s all for today folks there are 54 days left in the year Shalom! #thechasefiles #dailynewscaps Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram for your daily news. #bajannewscaps #newscapsbystephaniefchase

[nakeddeparture]

ARREST/CHARGE them ALL; from the Minister of Education all the way down - Where is the Child Care Board on this open and obvious abuse - Barbados.

https://youtu.be/ACuc0Lz4HKE

ANYONE who is okay with this is bent on raising dysfunctional Bajan children. You create the problems manifesting now in young people. Naked!!

Like/share/SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel - ✔️🔔/HAVE YOUR SAY/comment on YouTube (it costs you nothing). WhatsApp #2527225512.

[thechasefiles]

The Chase Files Daily Newscap 11/8/2018

Good MORNING #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Thursday 8th November 2018. Remember you can read full articles for FREE via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS) OR by purchasing by purchasing a Daily Nation Newspaper (DN).

SHADOW CABINET – During its five-year tenure, the incumbent Government of Barbados led by the island’s first female Prime Minister Mia Mottley, will be closely monitored by citizen organization, The Shadow Cabinet. The recently formed group which is led by youth and community activist Corey Lane, also includes social development and community activist Kemar Saffrey, community worker Melissa Savoury, social commentator and the first youth Prime Minister of Barbados’ Youth Parliament Jason Carmichael and leadership specialist and missionary Imran Richards. The organization was established because of the changed political landscape following the May 24 election, with the Barbados Labour Party recording a landslide victory and securing all 30 seats. For the first time in the island’s history, there was no Opposition. The frontbench position normally left to the Opposition has been assumed by Lane and his team of young independent thinkers who seek to not only scrutinize the policies and actions of Government but also provide sound alternatives and educate the masses as well. Interim chairman of the Shadow Cabinet, Corey Lane told Barbados TODAY that the body sought to use social media and traditional forms of media to reach the public. They will also be employing the use of an app, Cit View, where Barbadians can receive real time information on policies passed in Parliament and ask questions. Lane said the organization had no political preferences and would not serve to act as a mouth piece for Government or other political institutions. “I have fundamental problems with adversarial politics because at every step of the development of a small nation like Barbados you have 50 per cent of itself fighting against itself. A nation against itself cannot stand which is why we are saying let us have some intellectuals, let us have some independents, let us have some voices both young and old analyzing what is happening,” said the interim chairman. However, as the island embarks on the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) Plan, there has been much debate about its last in first out approach. “Simultaneously with modernizing Government, you are using the last in first out which mainly displaces young people. So you are going to modernize the Government system with the older people in the system. Obviously that cannot be the best way going forward. “I believe that a good mix of experience and youthful creativity and exuberance could augur well for the Barbadian economy and society,” Lane said. The community activist also commended the Mottley administration for its quick response and carefully thought out policies during their 164 days in Government but said the ball was dropped in its delivery. “Where my disappointment comes is really in the implementation, the nuts and bolts of the engine room. I think that is where they are falling down,” Lane said. Lane also expressed concern over the lack of youth engagement and conversation on the country’s changes and the public’s reluctance to educate themselves on the country’s economic future. “A lot of people listen to rumor and heresy so that is why this body needs to come, do the reading, do the research and do the unbiased analysis as much as possible,” he said. The Shadow Cabinet will be made up initially of ten members and will seek to have a full slate of 21 Shadow Ministers by January 2019.  (BT)

‘IN POOR TASTE’ – LASHLEY ON ‘SICK MP’ COMMENT – Former St Michael South East MP Hamilton Lashley has described as being in “poor taste” a call by Democratic Labour Party (DLP) General Secretary Guyson Mayers to gear up supporters for a possible by-election because of a sitting MP’s illness. The comments were an apparent reference to his successor as MP Santia Bradshaw, who has gone public with her fight against breast cancer. “I would not be part of any talk of a by-election as a result of [anyone’s] health because I want them to get better and that would mean that the individual would continue to fulfil their role. Right now at this moment any talk of by-election is out of synchronization with reality and in poor taste. I believe all parties should be wishing the [sick person] well,” said Lashley. It was during a meeting of the DLP’s three St. Philip constituency branches last month that Mayers told  the party faithful: “We do not have five years put down; we have a Member of Parliament who is very ill, and no one knows if or when there will be a by-election in that constituency, and we hear there are rumblings in the party with one of your (St. Philip) candidates whose head is on the cutting board, so we have to be in a state of readiness in case things fall apart, as they sometimes do.” The DLP General Secretary did not state the constituency or the name of Members of Parliament to whom he was referring. But Lashley told Barbados TODAY that while he is not clear to whom his former party colleague was referring to, such talk could be seen as insensitive to anyone fitting the bill, which may include Bradshaw. Back in August during a meeting with her constituents in the presence of Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Bradshaw announced that she had been recently diagnosed with the early stages of breast cancer. “I come to you tonight in the spirit of openness… a few weeks ago I discovered a lump in my breast… the good news is that it is treatable because they have found it early,” she said at the time. On Tuesday, Bradshaw returned to Parliament for the first time since beginning treatment for illness. She received a rousing welcome from her colleagues in the Lower House. Lashley extended best wishes to his successor and implored all political parties to do the same. “First of all, I want to wish Bradshaw a very speedy recovery and believe everyone across the political divide should wish well. We cannot let politics get in the way of how we treat one another and how we behave to each other as human beings,” Lashley stressed. (BT)

CANCER MEDS DELAY – SOME CANCER PATIENTS in Barbados are having difficulty sourcing vital chemotherapy drugs. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) says there is no shortage, but there are problems with equipment which mixes the drugs and a temporary solution has been put in place. Reports reaching the DAILY NATION indicated the hospital had run short of the required medication, with some people turning to Trinidad to source them. Management at local pharmacy Collins declined to comment, while president of the Barbados Cancer Society, Dr Dorothy Cooke-Johnson, said they were offering assistance. “We are aware the QEH is having difficulty with the medication so we have been providing some for a few patients, those we already have been assisting in some way. I do not know why this is happening as I have not enquired, but I hope it can be rectified soon. It’s too difficult a situation for a country to cope with, not to have chemotherapy drugs,” she said. Hospital chairman Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland sought to allay any fears, saying the hospital was not short of drugs as this would be catastrophic. (DN)

20 YEARS TO FIX HOUSING MESS – Minister of Housing, Lands and Rural Development George Payne fears it will take 20 years to fix the housing “mess” he said was left by the last Government. Payne said the National Housing Corporation (NHC) was grappling with millions of dollars in losses at housing projects across the island. The St Andrew MP also told the House of Assembly yesterday that while the authorities could “point fingers at individuals” regarding some unspecified financial matters in housing, “we just do not have the evidence to go further and it is a loss that we will have to accept”. He noted there was an NHC waiting list for Barbadians seeking housing, but the country’s housing stock was “depleted”. Payne did not foresee this problem being solved within the next five to ten years. The minister was wrapping up debate on a resolution to vest Crown lands at Chancery Lane, Christ Church, in the National Housing Corporation. The resolution was passed. “We have a situation now where in the present economic situation, notwithstanding how we might feel in terms of the Government being responsible for housing everybody, it is more or less an impossible task,” he said. “What we have seen in the past ten years is a number of structures. You may call it a so-called housing programme by the Democratic Labour Party. Some of us have been critical of the National Housing Corporation but obviously even the National Housing Corporation has been sabotaged by the last Government.” He said the NHC lost $4 million on the first phase of houses built at Lancaster, St James, and a $1 million loss on the second stage. This was in addition to about $500 000 lost on the housing project in Parish Land, St Philip. “As I speak, Constant [St George housing project] has just been completed and . . . the average cost per house is something like $270 000 and the houses were sold at $100 000,” he added. The attorney also referred to “a situation during the past ten years where contractors were assigned to various developments [and] the National Housing Corporation was not at all involved. “I am not saying that the minister was the person who personally selected those contractors, but you have situations where the contractors were selected, the ministry had no knowledge with respect to the selection of the contractors, none of the contracts went out to tender, the National Housing Corporation at the level of the chairman and the management of the National Housing Corporation did not know about the contractors,” he told the Lower House. The NHC’s challenge also included people not paying rents owed, and the minister said there were situations at the NHC “where tenants were specifically told not to pay rents, and rents have accumulated to the tune of $59 000”. In such circumstances, said Payne, “it is difficult for us to figure what we will do with respect to those persons who have applied to National Housing Corporation for housing because . . . the housing stock has been depleted.  (DN)

BAD PATH TO TAKE – Every effort must be made to ensure some public transportation remains in Government’s hand, and not allow the private sector to control it all. That was the call from the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) yesterday, as it gears up for a meeting with Transport Board workers on Sunday to discuss the organisation’s future. “We have been meeting with the Transport Board and it has put forward an idea of the vision, which the ministry and the chairman of the board together have for the future of transport,” Sir Roy Trotman, consultant to the BWU general secretary, said during a Press conference at Solidarity House. “And my concern is that we have to guard transport systems. If there are three important things in which a Government in office has to treat as a first social obligation [they] are medical care, education and transportation. (DN)

NEW ROUTE – Route taxi and minibus owners have delivered a fresh wish list – including a long-standing call for a bus fare increase – to Prime Minister Mia Mottley, the bus owners’ spokesman said today.  “That [bus fare hike request] is still very much on the table,” Mark Haynes, the AOPT public relations officer told Barbados TODAY.  The president of the Association of Public Transport Operators (APTO), Morris Lee, said the proposals followed the Prime Minister’s instructions to the body.  Industry stakeholders, including chairman of the Transport Authority Ian Estwick and Director Alex Linton met recently at Parliament Buildings to discuss progress on the proposals. But officials have continued to decline spelling out their details. “[The meeting] was just an update on what the Prime Minister has asked us to do, that we have done and sent back to her. We are waiting to hear what the Prime Minister’s response is going to be,” Lee told Barbados TODAY. “The Prime Minister told us to prepare a proposal that speaks to improvements in the sector. We did that. She further had instructed that when it was done, to pass it onto the Minister of Transport and have further discussions with him, which we have completed. And she indicated that after those discussions were completed that the Minister of Transport would report back to her,” he said.  The APTO president said that after this process was concluded, the Prime Minister would then summon another meeting to discuss the state of the transport industry.  “We have done what we were supposed to do in terms of compliance and therefore we are awaiting a response to the compliance that we have essentially participated in,” he added. Back in late August, one of the groupings of PSV owners insisted it still wanted a fare rise following talks with Prime Minister Mottley and Minister of Transport, Works and Maintenance, Dr William Duguid. Amid reports of a likely increase in fares from two to three dollars, the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) has said it would continue to demand an increase for ZRs and minibuses until an agreement was reached with Government.  “The cost of the fuel tax [which took effect on July 1] has really placed a burden on the sector. We have that still on the table and we are in talks with the Government on an increase. We have been asked to submit proposals and we acceded to Government’s request,” Haynes stressed. The PSV owners have also complained that the new fuel tax of 40 cents per litre on diesel and gasoline, and five cents per litre on kerosene, was having a devastating impact on their businesses with spending for route taxis increasing to $6,741 from $2,250, while minibus operators are paying out $10,861, up from $3,625. Following the July 10 talks with the Government, Lee had said the owners were optimistic that their cries would be heard.  “We had a very productive meeting. Essentially the Government recognizes the significance of transport to Barbados and the contribution it has made over the years. We have agreed to come together on this because we understand that it would take more than one meeting. We have been given a blank sheet on which to draw on in terms of what we want to bring to reality,” Lee said then. The operators have also been seeking duty-free concessions on new vehicles. Despite calling for a bus fare hike, Lee expressed confidence that a solution could be arrived at that did not increase the burden to commuters or put additional drain on the public purse. (BT)

ROAD CHECKS VITAL – If Barbados undertook proper inspections of its major roads and highways it would save the country some valuable money when it came to road repairs. So says consultant engineer to Government, Grenville Phillips II, who is responsible for overseeing the Ministry of Transport, Works and Maintenance’s ongoing roadworks on the ABC Highway. He was speaking to the DAILY NATION Tuesday night as crews from C.O. Williams Construction were digging up asphalt on the section from West Road to the streetlights at the top of Hinds Hill, St Michael, in preparation for repaving. During the process, they discovered a number of deep cracks that had penetrated the underlying surface. Phillips said a continuous road inspection programme would also cut down on the time it took to fix them. (DN)

CONCESSIONS LEAKING REVENUE? – A top official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has suggested that Barbados and other Caribbean islands review the tax incentives they currently grant individuals and businesses. Deputy Division Chief in the Caribbean Division 1 of the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department Dr Arnold McIntyre, expressed concern that regional governments could be losing millions of dollars in revenue from these concessions. This, he said, was not healthy given that the region was struggling economically. “When we look at what is underpinning these large deficits and we look at the revenue side, we have pervasive tax incentives,” McIntyre told the 33rd Adlith Brown Memorial Lecture at the Grande Salle of the Central Bank of Barbados on Tuesday night. He said IMF estimates suggested that legislative and discretionary tax incentives being granted by some Eastern Caribbean states were leading to revenue losses of between four and nine per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). “We have significantly undermined our revenue base. In many ways, the granting of tax incentives has been seen as a single panacea to overcome the widespread distortions and inefficiencies in the countries. That is, we have provided a solution but we haven’t tackled the problem,” he said. Pointing to Mauritius, McIntyre said that country’s parliament had decided some time ago to remove the ability to grant tax incentives from the authority of the minister, adding that “there is a lesson there” for the region. He said Caribbean economies also had weak expenditure controls, pointing out that there was especially “significant” fiscal risk in relation to state-owned enterprises. He explained that in the region central government finances amounted to about 8 per cent of GDP, compared to the five per cent of GDP in emerging markets. However, the economist said when government expenditure extended beyond central government to include the non-financial public sector, that wage bill could reach up to 20 per cent of GDP. “We have built up a very large state and what has happened, it has become costly and we don’t have the growth rates and associated revenue streams to maintain it,” he said.   (BT)

JOB SEARCH – Scores of displaced Government workers have been interviewed by recruiters from Ross University, which is set to start operation in Barbados from January next year. The interviews were held at the Warrens Office Complex, between 9 am and 4 pm. on Wednesday. Many of those interviewed had submitted their application letter and resumes online. There were also those who received word the interviews were taking place and turned up at the location, with their qualifications, asking for a chance to be interviewed. “Ross put out their vacancies and anybody can apply to those vacancies. Given the fact that we had persons displaced, she [the Prime Minister] had made the arrangement with Ross to interview Government workers and give them an opportunity to get their foot in the door,” Acting Director of the Barbados Employment and Career Counseling Service, Yvette Walcott-Dennis, told a Barbados TODAY team. The Acting Director said she was happy displaced workers were given a chance to be employed once again. She said her department was happy to be able to facilitate the process. “I think the interviews are going very well. Initially they had said they would interview about 75 persons, but today we had around 90 workers that we entered to be interviewed, and some persons still turned up anyways because they would have heard from a friend or something, and we asked that they be accommodated. “But, understandably, we know that we cannot accommodate everybody. The whole process though is a Ross initiative, they are filling their vacancies, we are just coordinating this end to assist the displaced public workers,” Walcott-Dennis said.  (BT)

CHILD CARE BOARD HEADQUARTERS TO CLOSE EARLY TODAY – The Child Care Board has advised that its headquarters, located at Cheapside, Bridgetown, will close at 12:30 p.m. today, Thursday, November 8. This closure is to facilitate attendance at a funeral for a former employee. Director of the Child Care Board, Joan Crawford, has advised that this closure will only be applicable to its headquarters and all other departments will remain open. (BGIS)

FRAUD OF NIS CHECKS – The National Insurance Department is reminding businesses that before they disburse cash for National Insurance Scheme (NIS) cheques, they should enforce strict procedures to verify the validity of cheques and the identity of the recipients of the funds. The department issued this reminder today, and indicated that it had received reports of fraudulent activity involving pension cheques. “Businesses are cautioned that banks, credit unions and post offices are the authorised institutions for the encashment of National Insurance cheques, therefore honouring such cheques would be at your own risk,” the department warned. (BGIS)

CCJ PRESIDENT RESPECTS THE OUTCOME OF REFERENDA IN ANTIGUA, GRENADA – President of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Justice Adrian Saunders, said that the court would continue “ongoing initiatives with justice sector bodies” in Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada despite the population in those two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries voting in favour of retaining the London-based Privy Council as their final court.  “While the news is not what we hoped for, we respect the people of both nations and their decision,” Justice Saunders said in a statement following Tuesday’s referenda in the two countries. “One of the positives that came out of this exercise is that there was sustained public education in both nations and the conversation about the CCJ intensified. We can see the fact that there was more interest in our website, ccj.org, and on our social media platforms, on LinkedIn and Twitter.” “As we begin to implement our strategic plan for the 2019-2023, which includes a renewed focus on public education, we will certainly be taking advantage of the increased audience, and the interest that has been piqued, to provide more information about the work of the Court,” Justice Saunders said. The governments in Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada had hoped to join Belize, Barbados, Dominica and Guyana as the only CARICOM countries that are full members of the CCJ that was established in 2001 to replace the Privy Council as the region’s final court. The CCJ, which has both an Original and Appellate Jurisdiction, also functions as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the 15-mdmber regional integration movement. Justice Saunders said despite the defeat, the CCJ “will naturally continue ongoing initiatives with justice sector bodies in each of these countries, and the wider Caribbean, through the JURIST project and otherwise”. The turnout in the referendum in both countries were low. In Grenada, of 21 979 votes cast, some 9 846 persons voted to adopt the CCJ as the final Court of Appeal, while in Antigua and Barbuda, there were 9 234 votes against and 8 509 votes in favour of the adoption of the CCJ.“These results will not, of course, deter us from serving with distinction those nations that currently send their final appeals to us. As well, the Court will also continue to process and hear applications from all CARICOM States, and from CARICOM itself, in our Original Jurisdiction, and our justice reform work in the region will also continue,” Justice Saunders said. The CCJ noted that Grenada has an Original Jurisdiction case currently before the Court and that the JURIST Project, which is a multiyear justice reform project being implemented by the CCJ on behalf of the Conference of Heads of Judiciary of CARICOM states, is working on a Sexual Offences Model Court to be housed at the High Court of Antigua and Barbuda in 2019. The CCJ Academy of Law is also hosting a legal conference in Jamaica in December 2018 at which jurists from both countries, as well as the wider Caribbean, are participating, the CCJ added. (DN)

JUDICIAL REFORM A MUST – Opposition Senator Crystal Drakes says with a price tag of over $30 000 a year to house an inmate in HMP Prison Dodds, Barbados has to look at “serious judicial review and reform”. She is also suggesting Barbadians should engage in self-examination to discover the motivation behind the kind of violence sweeping across the island. In her contribution to debate on the Offences Against the Person (Amendment) Bill 2018 earlier today, Drakes was worried about the rampant gun violence plaguing Barbados as well as the high level of incarceration at Dodds. She noted the Barbados Prison Service 2016 report put that figure at the end of December of that year at approximately 919 offenders, and argued because of what it was costing taxpayers to keep prisoners behind bars, “we now cannot simply say lock them up and throw away the key”. The Opposition Senator commended the Government on moving “towards a more holistic approach to sentencing” in amendments being made to sections of the existing laws. Government Senator Crystal Haynes supported the Amendment stating Government was taking meaningful action to address the crime situation. With 950 cases awaiting trial, it was appropriate she said, to have appointed three judges to address the backlog. “We really have to have a deeper conversation on how we as Barbadians see justice; how we administer it along with enforcement of penalties such as fines, community service, curfews,” Haynes said. She also suggested restorative and rehabilitative programmes should be discussed “openly and frankly”. (DN)

SENATOR MCCONNEY: START CRIME PREVENTION PROCESS EARLY – Government Senator Kay McConney has said if we use the current systems we have in place to deal with deviant behavior among school children more effectively, we should see a difference in the levels of criminal activity on the island. She made this point during her contribution to the debate on the Offences Against the Person Bill Amendment, which seeks to do away with the mandatory death penalty in murder cases. She mentioned the success of the Royal Barbados Police Force’s Juvenile Liaison Scheme, which caters to children up to the age of 16. “That scheme not only deals with the child but also their parents. Police officers charged with looking after it do not only deal with children who end up in trouble, but they also speak to principals about any potential ‘problem children’ in their midst. The last statistics I got from them date back to 2010, and showed that only about 20 per cent  of the children they were tracking found themselves back in the penal system after coming under the programme, which meant that 80 per cent of them stayed on the straight and narrow path.” Another programme she mentioned was the Princes Trust, which she said has reaped considerable success in its two years in existence here. “We have had  four cohorts with 12-15 young people between the ages of 16 and 25 and there are residential and community projects associated with it. So far, some 70 per cent  of the students who have passed through it have either gone back to school, vocational training, or found jobs.” Senator McConney said, “This level of primary intervention is important, and we should also consider studies determining the levels of peer contagion among our youth, that is, the people our children associate with influence their behaviour for better or worse, as this might be helpful in the long run.” Senator Lindell Nurse agreed with her suggestions, adding that “Every child should be involved in some sort of extra-curricular activity, whether it is Cadets, Scouts, Brownies, Guides, music, dance or sports, as these will keep them busy and bring about a level of discipline that will help them to resolve conflicts.” He also said a bigger issue was at hand. “We are fixing the legislative part of it, but you cannot legislate behavior and there are a lot of psychological issues behind criminal activity. Unfortunately Barbadians still stigmatize mental health conditions, but seeing specialists in that field may be helpful to people who find themselves in these situations.” (BT)

TIME WASTING – A prominent local attorney-at-law is fuming over what he sees as blatant time-wasting in the Barbados court system. This morning a frustrated Andrew Pilgrim QC questioned the logic of scheduling cases for dates that the magistrate is on vacation, thereby adding to the slowdown of an already overwhelmed system. Noting that that the issue is by no means new, Pilgrim, an outspoken and respected lawyer, expressed fresh annoyance in statement sent to Barbados TODAY. The release came after his clients, businessman Arthur Charles Herbert and Christopher Glenn Rogers, had their matters adjourned until March 27, 2019 when they appeared at the No. 1 District ‘A’ Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. Sitting Magistrate, Douglas Frederick is currently on vacation. Meanwhile, co-accused Walter O’ Neal Prescod, a sailor, will return to court on December 4, this year. “Almost every media house yesterday referred to the fact that Charles Herbert, Chris Rogers and Walter Prescod will have to return to court for a new date and they will have to wait to have their matter resolved. I just wonder if anybody in Barbados is getting the bigger picture here that we adjourn matters to dates when we know there will be no hearing, deliberately wasting the time of litigants,” said Pilgrim, who argued that the occurrence only served to delay justice. In his four-minute lament, the attorney contended that it was not only his clients whose time is being wasted but he predicted that for the remainder of the month close to 40 litigants per day will turn up to the court in question in vain. “On every day probably during this month 40 or more Barbadians will turn up to the District ‘A’ Court Number one. There will be no magistrate and their time will be wasted for the entire day and their cases will not be advanced whether to be dismissed, tried or otherwise. It is a complete waste of our time that was avoidable,” he pointed out. This morning Barbados TODAY contacted the office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court Barbara Cooke-Alleyne QC, but efforts to get a comment on the claims were unsuccessful. However Pilgrim made it clear that there could be no reasonable excuse as vacations were planned in advance so therefore provisions should have been made. “ Either those cases should have been adjourned to a period when the magistrate would have returned or they should be dealt with by a magistrate who was put on while he is not there. Is it so hard to work out when the magistrates are going to be on vacation so that you could have someone holding on for them? If that is the case, then adjourn the matters to a date outside of the vacation,” he stressed. Pilgrim said “This is a whole month that is going to be a waste of time for 40 litigants everyday. This is time that Barbados does not have to give. We need our people to be productive instead of standing in a line outside of a court to get a date on which nothing will happen.” (BT)

NEW COURT DATES FOR DEATH ROW CONVICTS – Almost a dozen inmates who are currently on death row at Dodds prison will have to be resentenced once the Offences Against the Person Bill 2018 is amended. That is the word from Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Senator Dr Jerome Walcott, as he spoke today during debate on the amendment which seeks to repeal the mandatory death sentence for persons convicted of murder in Barbados. He said the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the island’s highest appellate court, had already ruled that it was unconstitutional. “They are currently 11 persons who are on death row in Barbados and based on this ruling, they will now have to be resentenced because their sentences are now considered by the CCJ to be unconstitutional,” Dr Walcott said. “There are 62 persons awaiting trial for murder and six for manslaughter. If we were not to pass this bill today, it would put our judicial system in a quandary. You would have 68 persons who are there to have trials done and at the back of that, at the end of it all, judges will know that they are confined by the mandatory death sentence, but if they convict someone and sentence them at the end of the day they know that the CCJ has already ruled that that is unconstitutional.” Dr Walcott explained that the amendment was not about removing the death penalty from the statute books. However, he contended that Barbados had signed on to several conventions which clearly state that a mandatory death sentence was not lawful. “I believe that we are in a bind. We have survived over the years. We have discussed and we have utilized our mandatory death penalty and we have debated it. We have made promises to amend it. We’ve made promises to the UN and we’ve made promises to the Inter-American Court of Justice, but I think our reckoning time has now come.  (BT)

REPORT ORDERED – The Magistrate’s Court has asked for a probation report on a 26-year-old man who pleaded guilty to drug possession. When Chad Aaron Lynton, of Corner of 4th Avenue, New Orleans, St Michael appeared before Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant today he admitted that he had five grammes of marijuana in his possession yesterday. Police were on duty in Lynton’s community when he was seen riding along a footpath. He jumped off the bicycle when he saw the police and began walking back in the direction from which he came. He was detained when he entered a nearby shop. Lynton was given a February 1, 2019 date to return to the No. 2 District ‘A’ Magistrate’s Court after his $1,500 bail was accepted. (BT)

BAIL ON ASSAULT CHARGE – A 26-year-old Guyanese man accused of assaulting his wife is now on $5,000 bail. Khayum Kharoon Nazmoon who lives at No. 2 Apartments Villa Road, Brittons Hill, St Michael is alleged to have committed the offence against Premawattie Katwaru on October 22 occasioning her actual bodily harm. The prosecutor had no objections to bail but asked Magistrate Kristie Cuffy-Sargeant that the accused surrender his passport to the District ‘A’ Magistrate’s Court and requested that he stay away from his wife. The order was made and Nazmoon, who was represented by attorney-at-law Samuel Legay, was released after his surety was accepted. The accused will make his second appearance in court on January 29, 2019. (BT)

COSTLY TRIP – Drug trafficker Tyrique Kheele Michael Cuffie who arrived in Barbados on Monday with more than his personal effects in his suitcase is facing two years in prison. The 21-year-old Canadian from Lombard, Toronto, was sent to HMP Dodds today after he was unable to pay a $20,000 fine by the end of the day’s sitting at the Oistins Magistrate’s Court. Cuffie arrived at the Grantley Adams International Airport on around 3:39 a.m. Station Sergeant Glenda Carter-Nicholls said he then proceeded to customs where his suitcase was searched and 20 vacuum-sealed packages containing a vegetable substance were found. “I know drugs in my suitcase,” Cuffie allegedly told police when asked to account for the 7.6 kilogrammes of marijuana which had an estimated BDS$60,800 street value. Addressing Magistrate Elwood Watts, Cuffie apologized for his actions before the fine was imposed on the charge on importation. He was convicted, reprimanded and discharged on the charges of possession, possession with intent to supply and possession with intent to traffick the illegal substance. (BT)

NSC LIGHTS STILL OFF – THERE was still no light at the end of the emergency meeting, as the floodlights at a number of National Sports Council (NSC) facilities will remain off for the time being. A furious NSC chairman Mac Fingall says the issue of tampering and vandalism of token boxes must come to an end, following the thousands of dollars which the sports council lost due to illegal usage of the lights. It comes after a more than two-hour long meeting on Tuesday night at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium chaired by Fingall, at which players, coaches and administrators of local sports took the opportunity to voice their concerns about the situation. General secretary of the Barbados Football Association (BFA), Edwyn Wood, director of cricket at the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), Stephen Leslie, and president of the Barbados Road Tennis Association, John Chandler, were all present. Two weeks ago, Fingall revealed that Barbadians had cheated the NSC out of a large sum of money. He said at least $560 000 was lost in lights last year.  (DN)

SENIOR FAILURE – Despite an abysmal international record after 10 years in West Indies colours, middle-order batsman Kieron Pollard’s place in the team has been justified by outgoing coach Stuart Law. Speaking after the Windies’ loss in the second Twenty20 International against India yesterday, Law said Pollard was a motivator in the dressing room and quite capable of performing on his day. Pollard has made 20 runs in two innings so far and his solitary over in a tight situation in Kolkata went for 12 runs and shifted momentum towards the hosts. India were reeling at 57 for 4 at one stage. But Law said Pollard brought much more to the table, and not just on the cricket field. “Pollard brings a lot, both on and off the field. With the youngsters in the squad, it’s someone like Pollard who motivates them in the dressing room. “He’s a senior member of the squad, and we all know what he’s capable of when he gets going. But yeah, Pollard isn’t in the side only because of what he brings inside the ground. He’s one of the biggest motivators of the youngsters, and he’s just a game away from reminding us why he’s such a T20 force. Look, Pollard himself would not be pleased with his show on the tour so far, and he’ll be itching to finish the series in a blazing manner.” After 101 One-Day Internationals, the burly Trinidadian has managed just 2 289 runs at an average of 25.71 with three centuries and nine fifties. The white ball specialist’s record in T20I is even worse, having played 58 matches, scored 788 runs at 19.70 with just two fifties. His List A record is just slightly better with 3 134 runs at an average of 26.55 with three centuries and 15 fifties. In 433 T20s played across the globe in franchise cricket, Pollard has amassed 8 531 at 30. 14. Law addressed the potential of the squad, noting there were a number of fantastic cricketers in the team “We have got some fantastic T20 players. But, now it’s just about playing for pride. It’s time for them to dig deep and play for pride, and give it everything in the last game. If we play anywhere near to our potential, we can beat any team on the day. We need to improve a lot to get to that stage.” “The team does have a lot of potential, and ‘potential’ is a horrible word because talk is cheap and actions speak louder. But it’s the experienced guys who need to stick their hands up and do the bulk of the work. They’re supposed to usher the youngsters in, but they’re not quite doing that. It’s a young team, though, and they’re learning on the job. Regardless of being the current T20 champions, we don’t have the same team here and learning on the job against India in India can be mighty tough.” The West Indies will now travel to Chennai earlier than the hosts as the India players embark on a two-day Diwali break. But with the series already decided, there’s an opportunity for them to field left-handed hard-hitter Sherfane Rutherford possibly in place of Pollard, and the left-arm quick Obed McCoy in the final T20I to see what those two bring to the table. Captain Carlos Brathwaite bemoaned the fact that West Indies were without two designated opening batsmen. Brathwaite said that the makeshift approach taken by the management – with regards to their opening pair – had forced the West Indies to always have a rocky start with the bat in the series. In the first game in Kolkata, West Indies’ opening pair of Denesh Ramdin and Shai Hope – neither batsmen are regular T20I openers – lasted all of 15 deliveries, scoring only 16 runs between them, while in Lucknow, a new opening pair of Hope and Shimron Hetmyer fared only marginally better with a combined tally of 21 runs in 22 deliveries. With Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis opting out of the series due to personal reasons, Brathwaite said that the team was simply trying to make do with the resources that were available to them. “We didn’t come to the tour with an out-and-out opener, so we are still trying to find our best opening combination. There were a few theories in the first game and also this game, on how we wanted our batting order, for different reasons. Ultimately neither worked, because we failed to get a good start. But we’re working with the players we have on tour, and it’s difficult to choose the best batting pair, but we’re trying. Up until a theory works out, it will look bad and give the pundits something to say,” Brathwaite said. While expressing disappointment at the team’s bowling in the second T20I – including his own – Brathwaite heaped praise on right-handed batting all-rounder Fabian Allen, who bowls left-arm orthodox spin. Alleyne has bowled well in both matches so far. “The way Fabian Allen bowled in the middle, and he kept the openers under wraps and eventually got Shikhar out. It is hard to look at the negatives sometimes, just need to take the small positives and go away with them.”  (BT)

HOME BOYS BOW OUT – Predictably, mighty United States ruled the pristine conditions and waves on the East Coast at Bathsheba yesterday, but not a single hometown boy advanced to the quarter-finals of the Live Like Zander Pro surfing event at the Soup Bowl. Jacob Burke, Caleb Rapson and Ocean Gittens all failed to make it through to the quarters of the event named in memory of Barbadian surfer Alexander Venezia, who died last September. The United States landed 14 of the last 16 spots, with Japanese-American Taro Watanabe, delivering the best wave score of the day, an impressive 9.5, that comprised four impressive manoeuvres.  Burke was arguably the best of the Barbadian juniors on show, but he had to settle for third place in Heat 5 behind Crosby Colapinto of the United States and Thomas Debierre of France. This event for entrants under the age of 18, carries a first prize cheque of US$2 500.  (DN)

For daily or breaking news reports follow us on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter & Facebook. That’s all for today folks. There are 55 days left in the year. Shalom! #thechasefilesdailynewscap #thechasefiles# dailynewscapsbythechasefiles

[cirquenuit-rp]

We welcome the following characters into the Cirque family. Under the cut, you will find the full apps of the accepted characters. Please, go over the checklist, refer to this post, and make sure to send in your blog to the main in under 24 hours!

Calliope Hunte [Ashley Moore] played by Eva

Fee Lavrouye [Ruth Negga] played by Marie

Kalila Shain [Gal Gadot] played by Maggie

Olivia Sergeant [Halston Sage] played by Jen

Penelope ‘Penny’ Arden [Shailene Woodley] played by Deja

Sanni Wirtanen [Dakota Fanning] played by Beth

Scout Hallow [Lily Collins] played by Ashleigh

Alexander Blake [Leonardo DiCaprio] played by Matt

Marcellus Leonard Dyer [Bill Skarsgard] played by Ro

Silas Nakamura [Sen Mitsuji] played by Bella

Trevor Dewitt [Logan Lerman] played by Joseph 

Vicente ‘Vince’ Vega [Oscar Isaac] played by Frankie

Connie Stuart [Natalia Dyer] played by Bex

Character Name: Calliope Hunte Age: 28 Gender/Preferred Pronouns: She/her From: Speightstown, Barbados Time in the Cirque: 5 years Faceclaim: Ashley Moore Act or Job: Contortionist

About the Character:

Calliope comes from a long line of Voodoo Queens in Barbados. The practice can be traced several generations before her, and led her to actively practice the religion for her entire life.

She began learning contortion at around eight years old. It was unintentional, as she started out learning traditional dance before realizing her natural hyper-flexibility. Often times, she’d use it to scare her siblings and kids at school .

Calliope often communicated with spirits when she was a teenager, doing it so often she began to view herself as ‘Chosen’. Because of her religious practices, her mother and aunts that she lived with never saw the frequent communication as a threat and often encouraged it.

She joined the circus to flee her gang-ridden hometown at the request of her mother. She wanted Calliope to be as far away from the violence as possible and ushered her away to the circus in the dead of night. Calliope used her unconventional skills as a contortionist to hold her own against other performers.

She has dabbled in aerial silks during her time at the circus, and can often be found practicing her contortion combined with the aerial silks. It’s also a handy way to sneak away and have alone time between her shows.

Character Name: Fee Lavrouye Age: 35 Gender/Preferred Pronouns: female, she/her From: Marseille, France Time in the Cirque: 8 years Faceclaim: Ruth Negga Act or Job: Medic, also helps out with costuming and other misc. tasks

About the Character:

A seamstress in her youth, she became a medic accidentally: four faulty floorboards, five broken bones, no emergency care, and one girl with a needle and thread who could stop the bleeding.

She’s naturally maternal, especially to the acro girls who come to her tent all the time. She loves to chat with them and has become quite the storyteller.

She sings sea shanties, drinking songs, and other nonsense under her breath while she sews.

She has many little siblings back in Marseille, and still writes them all letters, the old fashioned way.

Before joining the Cirque, she made costumes for the Paris Opera Ballet. She left shortly after the medical incident.

Character Name: Kalila Shain Age: Thirty-three. Gender/Preferred Pronouns: Cis female/feminine pronouns From: London, England Time in the Cirque: Four years. Faceclaim: Gal Gadot Act or Job: Medic About the Character:

When Kalila was a child, she wanted to be a unicorn. Once her otherwise very supportive parents convinced her that it simply wasn’t biologically possible, she decided she’d rather be a ballerina instead.

Her dance career was derailed following a car accident as a young adult. She wasn’t too severely injured, and neither were any of her friends who were in the car at the time, but she realized that her body just couldn’t quite rebound the way she needed it to to keep pursuing a career in dance. So, she decided that if she couldn’t be a dancer, she’d be a doctor and fix people’s bodies instead.

Kalila wants to help people. When she danced, it was about providing people with some sort of escape from whatever they were going through, even if it was only for a few hours. Now, she can see someone at their worst and gently pull them back together.

Her career at the circus started not long after she received her medical degree. Something had always itched under her skin, pulling her away from her sheltered upbringing. Travelling with the circus has opened her eyes to new cultures that she might not have otherwise experienced, and opened her ears to the stories of those around her.

Although she’s compassionate with her patients, Kalila absolutely will not hold back if someone isn’t following her medical direction. She tends to be snarky with “repeat offenders” (usually the daredevils) who she thinks end up in the medical office too frequently.

Character Name: Olivia Sergeant Age: 23 Gender/Preferred Pronouns: cisfemale, she/her From: Napa Valley, California Time in the Cirque: two years Faceclaim: Halston Sage Act or Job: tech crew, lighting 

About the Character:

After Olivia dropped out of college and couldn’t find the strength to tell her parents what she’d done, the circus found her. She was on track to graduate and go on to medical school but couldn’t stomach it, and seeing the opportunity for a new life she ran without looking back. She wrote her parents a letter as soon as she was out of town, but is using this time as a form of escape. She’s able to travel the world and think about what she really wanted from her life, all while in good company. Or at least that’s what she tells herself, after two years she feels just as unsure about her future, cementing her place with the troupe for the foreseeable future.

The Sergeants owned a winery and horse ranch. She never wanted for anything, and prior to this had never even held down a real job. It was a shock to her system when she had to suddenly go by someone else’s schedule and learn to budget her money. Even after all this time she can still get caught in a tricky financial situation after she’s spent her entire paycheck without thinking. It hasn’t resulting in any serious trouble yet, but it’s not something that she’s going to get under control any time soon.

Liv comes from a huge family, in terms of birth order she’s number four out of five. She was raised with three brothers and one much older sister, giving her the distinct ‘tomboy’ feeling that every little girl has when she spends all her time roughhousing with her brothers. Even when she was home she was continually lost in the shuffle of different activities, always watching her mother balance schedules and try to get everyone where they needed to be. The circus feels like home to her with all the rushing chaos and people, and she’d never thought she’d say it but thanks to her family she’s learned how to keep her cool and stay organized in this environment.

Originally she was going to sign on as a medic given her education, but there was an opening with the lighting crew and she jumped at the chance to learn a new skill set far away from the one she was running from. At first she was just another crew member but as time has gone on she’s slowly moved up the ranks and likes to think of herself as an assistant to the lighting board operator. When shows are particularly empty she’s even been allowed to run the board a few times- which she absolutely jumps at the chance to do.

She’s horrendous at keeping her own secrets but tries valiantly to keep other people’s. There’s something so genuine and bright about her that it’s hard to get mad even when it’s discovered that she’s spoiled something. She does make a big deal of apologizing, but she doesn’t often try to help clean up the messes she’s made, especially when they don’t directly affect her. A rule of thumb around the circus is not to tell Liv if there’s a surprise party being planned.

Character Name: Penelope “Penny” Arden Age: 25 Gender/Preferred Pronouns: She/Her From: Cartersville, Georgia Time in the Cirque: 4 months Faceclaim: Shailene Woodley Act or Job: Tightrope Walker About the Character:

Penny was a competitive gymnast throughout her adolescence, though she quit after her disgraceful failure in the US Olympic trials.

After her dreams of being an Olympian were crushed, Penelope conformed to the patterns and customs of her small town life. She married her high school sweetheart, worked as a waitress at her family’s restaurant, and almost considered starting a family.

On a whim and a desperate attempt to escape her now suffocating life, Penny ran away to join the circus– something she imagined only angsty teenagers did in old movies, not housewives in their mid-twenties. Surprisingly, though, she still had the talent and flexibility of her younger self and was able to perform well enough to score her place among the other distinguished acts of the Cirque.

Before joining the Cirque, Penny hadn’t travelled any farther than 20 miles from home. Now, she is overjoyed with her new freedom and takes every opportunity to explore the foreign city’s of The Cirque’s world tour. She collects souvenirs from each new location and her caravan is growing cramped with her findings.

Despite - or perhaps because of - her new freedom, Penny doesn’t plan to stay in the Cirque for long and is waiting for the right location where she can run off into the sunset.

Character Name: Sanni Wirtanen Age: 19 Gender/Preferred Pronouns: cis female, she/her pronouns From: Helsinki, Finland Time in the Cirque: 18 years Faceclaim: Dakota Fanning Act or Job: Shadow Theatre About the Character:

Born and raised in the Cirque de la Nuit by two performers from Finland, Sanni has a great relationship with her parents and no regrets about growing up in the circus.

Has tried her hand on mostly every act the circus has to offer but the only thing she is really good at is the trapeze.

Has been playing the accordion since she was five years old. Her accordion is her most prized possession and her favourite pastime.

Instead of becoming a trapeze artist or playing her accordion for the Cirque, Sanni opted to take over the shadow theatre as she finds it’s not as stressful or demanding. Quite picky with who she lets in on her little puppet troupe, she makes most puppets herself, rarely buying premade ones and refusing most gifts. Her stories, successful more often than not, are always improvised and she never bothers practicing them beforehand or writing them down. She only ever performs when she feels like it though.

Due to her parents insisting she gets a university degree, Sanni spent the last year studying economics in Helsinki. She quickly got fed up with how boring and static a student’s life can be though, which is why she ended up abruptly abandoning her studies at the end of her first year and suddenly returning home to the Cirque.

Character Name: Scout Hallow Age: 25 Gender/Preferred Pronouns: female; she/her From: Los Angeles, California Time in the Cirque: 3 years Faceclaim: Lily Collins Act or Job: Daredevil

About the Character: 

Scout’s mother was obsessed with fame and did everything in her power to get Scout to become the star she never could.

But show business is harsh and Scout’s mother was an alcoholic with a pending drug problem. She managed to get Scout a job as backstage at a local show but Scout was too shy to perform herself.

But Scout’s mother quickly spiraled out of control and disappeared one day, leaving Scout to fend for herself. The people at the show took care of her until the show eventually got shut down. At that point, she became homeless and fell into a bad crowd.

Because of her mother’s influence, Scout has an eating disorder that she has had for most of her life. This is due to the fact that Scout has never felt like she was good enough for her mother, being more interested in “boy things” (as her mother put it.)

She eventually discovered the circus and has been a part of it ever since. She had secretly been doing potentially life-threatening acts, which only fueled her eating disorder more. For her audition, Scout perfected these daredevil acts and that is how she got into the circus in the first place.

Character Name: Alexander Blake Age: 36 Gender/Preferred Pronouns: Male From: Stratford Ontario Canada Time in the Cirque: Twenty-one years Faceclaim: Leonardo DiCaprio Act or Job: Puppet Master  About the Character:

Alexander was born in a theatre town, with parents who were both well renowned stage actors. As such, performing has always been a part of his life, but he always felt like he was stuck in the shadow of his parents growing up, and that nothing he ever did would be good enough .

He took up puppeteering in his teens as a way to try and distinguish himself and set himself apart from his family legacy. He quickly discovered that it was his calling.

He ran away from home at the age of fifteen to join the circus (although he lied and claimed to be older at the time) He craved the adventure and excitement that was offered to him, and wanted to escape the pressures of trying to live up to the expectations everyone in his town had for him.

When the circus first arrives in a new town, Alexander will walk around the streets and listen to the sounds of the children playing. What he hears, he will often incorporate into his shows for the duration of the stay in that town. He also has conversations with the children after the show, and encourages them to come back, because he’ll incorporate those conversations into his show the next day.

Alexander was married to another cirque performer named Isabelle for four years, but she left two and half years ago, when a wealthy businessman came to the circus and took a liking to her.

Character Name: Marcellus Leonard Dyer Age: 26 Gender/Preferred Pronouns: Cis male, he/him From: Baltimore, Maryland Time in the Cirque: 2 years Faceclaim: Bill Skarsgard Act or Job: Tech Crew

About the Character:

Marcellus was the product of a rich, married couple that wasn’t suited to be parents of any kind. He was seen and treated more as an object rather than an actual person. His parents were highly abusive emotionally, mentally and physically. Yet, even then, Marcellus hardly acted out or against the way he was treated.

It became a common thing to see Marcellus as the aggressor for a lot of things. Fights and arguments are something he frequents in, but it’s always for a legitimate reason.  

Marcellus has always had a soft spot for children. The childhood he had gone through was terrible, and he hates the thought of coming across another child that has gone, and might still be going, through a similar lifestyle. The quickest way to anger him is when the well-being of a child is toyed or messed with.

He never really considered himself as a traveling man, but when he heard that Cirque de la Nuit was in town he decided to check it out. His curiosity got the better of him and the promise of traveling became too tempting for him to pass up.

He’s still young, but he’s far more insightful and intuitive than most think. Marcellus certainly enjoys several earthly pleasures, but he takes his job seriously.

Character Name: Silas Nakamura Age: 26 Gender/Preferred Pronouns: Cis male, he/him From: Sapporo, Japan + New York, USA Time in the Cirque: 6 years Faceclaim: Sen Mitsuji Act or Job: Catering (Sous-chef)

About the Character:

Silas never knew his father. His mother raised him on the road, where she worked as the Magician’s Assistant for a traveling circus.

He always wanted to be a Daredevil, and his mother encouraged it. He trained for the stunts from a young age, and picked up skills such as knife-throwing and tightrope walking.

Shortly after he turned 18, his dreams were dashed by an accident. He fell off his motorbike and suffered major injury. Silas lost part of his right leg, as well as any hope of becoming a circus performer. After recovering from the accident, he left his mother’s circus.

19-year-old Silas went to New York. There, he lived from pay check to pay check, and became an expert at feeling bad for himself. The Cirque came to town looking to hire a new catering team. Silas didn’t know why, but he applied. They hired him based on his history with the traveling circus.

Over the years, Silas has worked his way up from kitchen boy, and earned himself a reputation for being callous. He easily comes across as moody, bitter and impatient, but those he is close to know him to be caring, dedicated and observant.

Character Name: Trevor Dewitt Age: 25 Gender/Preferred Pronouns: He/Him From: Sydney, Australia Time in the Cirque: 1 Year Faceclaim: Logan Lerman Act or Job: Tiger Tamer

About the Character:

Trevor is from a rich family, but he never talks about them. It’s speculated that he was disowned, although for some reason he still has a constant flow of money coming towards him. Some think that his family is apart of some crime syndicate. Every time someone asks him about his family, he makes something unrealistic up and leaves it at that.

He is extremely laid back, and almost comes off as lazy. Trevor constantly seems like he’s hiding a lot about himself. He holds himself in way that hints at the danger that lurks behind his kind smile. Still, he would rather sit out a fight than participate in one unless he deems it necessary.

He really loves animals, and makes sure the tigers he works with are always cared for properly. He would never harm the creatures and treats them with respect.

Trevor is pretty quiet. Not because he’s shy or anything, he just doesn’t want to put forth the effort of speaking. When he does speak though, his words are heavily accented and are usually dripping with sarcasm.

He has a claw mark on his right cheek from an accident during one of his earlier shows. Of course, he will proudly place the blame on himself when asked about it.

Character Name: Vicente ‘Vince’ Vega Age: 38 Gender/Preferred Pronouns: Male; he/him From: Cleveland, OH, USA Time in the Cirque: 12 years Faceclaim: Oscar Isaac Act or Job: Clown About the Character:

He joined a relatively small circus group when he was 22 in Lima, Ohio until he was scouted by William White of Cirque de la Nuit in Paris when he was 26. Finding the ringmaster’s offers to be appealing, and with a child he has to support, he then joined the group and has been with them since then.

He was 24 and had been touring with his former circus group in Europe when he met a stunning escort after one of his shows. A relationship sparked between them, though it wasn’t anything serious; merely short-lived trysts, however, it resulted into a pregnancy that he found out weeks after they’ve stopped seeing each other, as he had to leave the town.

To ease his conscience, he’s been sending the woman monthly checks to support her raising the child on her own, and has been doing so for the past 14 years. He’s tried, several times, to meet his daughter, Alyssa, whom he’s only been allowed to see pictures of (she bears a striking resemblance to him more than with her mother, a fact that bears a heavy weight in his chest), but has been denied visits from by the woman.

Vince comes from a wealthy family, an owner of several restaurant chains in Cleveland. He’d earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Kent State University, as his parents had wished for him to continue their legacy. However their plans had been foiled when he, on impulse, decided to join the circus that happened to be in town some time after he’d graduated. He hasn’t spoken to them since.

On the cusp of forty and still gallivanting through cities and multiple partners, he takes the time, every now and then, to reflect on his life. Most days, he’s content with where he is, but he can’t help but feel like he’d missed out on a completely different life offered to him by the opportunities well within his reach. He is tinged with regret, though tries subvert the could-have-beens with the applause he receives.

Character Name: Connie Stuart Age: twenty-one Gender/Preferred Pronouns: she/her & they/them From: troy, new york Time in the Cirque: thirteen months Faceclaim: Natalia Dyer Act or Job: Catering About the Character: 

Ask Connie where she’s from and she will lie. Troy, New York, is not real to her – it never was. She was born in New York City, and she will claim that’s where she grew up, not the tiny suburb where she doodled skylines on her window in expo markers. The city’s lights sparkled and reflected the girl’s own ambitions. It was perfect, but it was just a dream.  

Her mother was her inspiration. While they had left the city to live elsewhere, Mrs. Stuart still went back weekly. She delivered wedding cakes to prominent events, and Connie never wanted to do anything but be like her mother. Days were spent in the kitchen, flour clouds abound, and sugar covering every bare inch of skin and every surface on the counter.

She was admitted to Le Cordon Bleu after . They excelled there; they staged at pâtisseries and boulangeries within the Paris city limits, and it was a dream. It was with a reluctance they moved back stateside, but that had been the agreement they had made with her parents. They could go to school in France and have the tuition paid by them, and then they would come back to work with her mother at the event planning and catering business she ran.

It was miserable being stateside. They hated the lack of control, they hated being under her mother’s thumb. They knew they were more talented than their mother and they rubbed that fact in their face every chance they got. They one-upped, and showed off. Finally, they were told they could leave.

Maybe the circus wasn’t the best decision, but they wanted to rebel. They wanted to prove they knew what was best for them. And it was fun, at the very least. They liked moving around, they liked the freedom they had in helping aid with the menus. It was much more their speed. Though they don’t plan on staying there forever, for now it’s enough for them.

[gyrlversion]

Little girl, three, dies after suffering a seizure at the airport

A three-year-old girl died after suffering a seizure at an airport at the end of a dream family holiday in the Maldives because of a condition which only two other children in the wold have not recovered from. 

Ava Akers, three, was rushed to hospital, fell into a coma and had to be transferred to Bangkok after her undiagnosed Epstein Barr Virus Encephalitis (EBV) caused the seizure.

The family, who live in Shropshire, made a traumatic 24 hour journey back to the UK on a medical plane and Ava ended up on the high dependency unit at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Three-year-old Ava Akers became one of only three children in the world to die from Epstein Barr Virus Encephalitis (EBV)

There, doctors gave the Akers family the devastating news that the ‘Ava they knew was gone’ as she was severely brain damaged. 

She died at home.

Her parents, Phill and Helen Akers, decided to launch a charity called Ava’s Angels in her memory, taking food and essential items into Birmingham Children’s Hospital to support families in their greatest time of need.

Today, Mr Akers, who works for a global digital IT firm, told the family’s heart-wrenching story.

He said: ‘Ava was a perfectly healthy three-year-old, enjoying ballet, swimming, pre-school, and looking forward to starting school in September.

‘We’re keen travellers and had taken her to Dubai, Abu Dabi, Switzerland, Italy, Cyprus and Barbados among other places. She loved travelling.

‘We’d had a brilliant holiday in the Maldives in March 2017, catching a sea plane to the island we were staying on, watching stingrays being fed, catching hermit crabs on the beach and snorkelling, which she took to straight away.

‘We were at the airport on the mainland about to get our flight back to Dubai and then onto Birmingham when we asked her if she’d like to choose something from the gift shop as a souvenir.

‘She dropped it, which was unlike Ava as she was never clumsy.

‘Then she dropped onto the floor having an atonic seizure. Her eyes rolled back, her arms went straight and her whole body was shaking.

‘Helen caught her and I picked her up and ran around the airport asking for help.

Ava had a seizure in the airport on the family’s way back from the Maldives. Her father Mr Akers said: ‘She was choking, I’d never seen a child have a seizure before, it was so scary’

After Ava spent a week in hospital she seemed completely normal and continued singing, dancing, eating and watching the Trolls film but that afternoon she began to feel unwell and hallucinate 

‘She was choking, I’d never seen a child have a seizure before, it was so scary, I thought she was going to die.

‘It was traumatic but once they started, the staff did everything they could and she got better.

‘We were transferred to a larger hospital and spent a week there. She went back to normal, singing, dancing, eating and watching the Trolls movie on the iPad – she loved that film.

‘The doctors thought she’d had a throat infection and urine infection. The compound effect can cause seizures in under-fives but they said she would be fine.

‘We felt so lucky that she was going to be OK.

‘We spoke to the chief medical officer from our insurance company to arrange a flight home.

‘But that afternoon Ava felt really unwell, began hallucinating and started to cry a lot. 

Mr Akers said: ‘They showed me the MRI and I could see it was dreadful. There were two white large areas that showed swelling happening in Ava’s brain’

Ava was flown to one of the best private hospitals in the world, in Bangkok. Mr Akers said: ”It was here that she was diagnosed with Epstein Barr Virus Encephalitis (EBV), a form of glandular fever, which, in a minutia of cases penetrates the blood in the brain, causing it to slow down and resulting in catastrophic damage in a matter of hours’

‘She lost her balance and was unable to walk. The doctors did an MRI scan and lumbar puncture to look at the cerebral spinal fluid in her head to check it wasn’t meningitis.

‘They showed me the MRI and I could see it was dreadful. There were two white large areas that showed swelling happening in Ava’s brain.

‘They said we’d got to get her to another hospital and at this point she fell into a coma.

‘The insurance company arranged a Learjet 45 medical evacuation with a doctor and a nurse on board, which flew us to one of the best private hospitals in the world, in Bangkok.

‘Ava had further tests and was put on a life support machine. Her responsive rate was one which meant for every minute, she was only taking one breath.

‘It was here that she was diagnosed with Epstein Barr Virus Encephalitis (EBV), a form of glandular fever, which, in a minutia of cases penetrates the blood in the brain, causing it to slow down and resulting in catastrophic damage in a matter of hours.

‘Ava was given immunoglobulin treatment – lots of antibodies to boost her immune system and steroids to her brain too.

‘It’s very rare in under-fives, there have only been about 20 children globally to have it, and 18 fully recovered.

‘They said Ava would be one of the ones to recover and filled us with hope that everything was going to be OK.

EBV is very rare in under-fives, there have only been about 20 children globally to have it, and 18 fully recovered

Ava was transferred back to the UK on a medical plane journey which took 24 hours while she was still in a coma. The Akers family thought that the rehabilitation she would get once she was home would cure her

‘Even though Ava was in a coma, they said we should transfer back to the UK. It was a massive relief to be coming home – we thought she’d have rehab and all this would be one hell of a story for when she was older.

He continued: ‘After three weeks in Bangkok, we were evacuated back to the UK on a medical plane. 

‘There was only space for one of us to be there to make a decision if anything happened mid-flight. Helen said I should go and she would fly back separately.

‘It took 24 hours as we had to stop to refuel in India, Russia and Austria.

‘Ava’s temperature rose rapidly during the flight but the medics managed to stabilise her. We spent the whole journey on tenterhooks that it was going to trigger a seizure.

‘An ambulance was waiting for us at the terminal at Birmingham Airport and we were rushed to an intensive care unit at Stoke as Birmingham was full.

‘Ava spent three days there and was taken off the life support machine as she began to breathe for herself. It was fantastic.

‘But she never opened her eyes.

‘She was transferred to Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s high dependency unit and we spent three-and-a-half months there in recovery.

‘But she remained dystonic throughout (a neurological movement disorder causing tremors). Her muscles began wasting away, her eyes opened but she couldn’t blink. 

‘She couldn’t swallow because her jaw was locked and she couldn’t move her head.

‘The doctors sat us down and said: “Ava will not recover from this, she will never lead a normal life. The Ava you know has gone”.

‘We heard that sometimes being in a hyperbaric oxygen treatment pressurised container can help so we tried that four days a week for six weeks but it didn’t help her.

‘We said that, maybe if we took her home it could help. They said it was worth a try as sometimes, if you get a child back in their home surroundings, it can help them to rehabilitate.

‘But we didn’t realise at that time that she was blind and deaf from brain damage. 

‘Her eyes were perfect but her brain couldn’t compute the signals.

We were taught how to feed her and give her medications and muscle relaxants to give her some comfort so we could bring her home at weekends and then take her back into hospital. It was good to have her home.

‘After four months as inpatients in the hospital, the doctors asked us if we wanted to start palliative care or if we wanted the life support machine to keep her alive.

‘We decided to start on palliative care because we felt it was the kindest thing we could possibly do when you have a child who is so severely poorly.

‘She had no quality of life.

‘We continued to bring her home and, it was at home, on July 29, that our beautiful girl Ava passed away.

‘Epstein Barr Virus Encephalitis affecting children is so rare that none of the consultants we met from the UK and overseas have ever seen a patient with this condition, and cannot explain why this happened, which is very difficult for us to understand.

‘The same vicar led her christening and her funeral and he said he’d led services for people who were 80 who had not travelled to as many places as Ava.

The Akers family decided to set up the charity Ava’s Angels because they know first hand how easy it can be to forget to eat and drink while you are in hospital with a sick child

‘She loved travelling and we’re glad she experienced such a lot in her short lifetime.

‘She was so fun, loving and full of personality. She made us so proud.’

The Akers family decided to set up Ava’s Angels because they know first hand how easy it can be to forget to eat and drink while you are in hospital with a sick child. 

Mr Akes said: ‘While we lived at the hospital bedside with Ava, we were extremely lucky to have family and friends who supported us, bringing us food, supplies and emotional support in what was the worst time of our lives.

‘When you’re doing this you forget to eat and drink and look after yourself.

‘Inspired by Ava and seeing the importance of support while caring for a poorly child, we launched Ava’s Angels in March 2018 to provide support to families of sick children during hospital stays.

‘We recognise not all families have this support and we want to help them by growing our network of supporters, volunteers and sponsors.

‘We have recently been working with Birmingham Children’s Hospital and will have an official launch on Saturday April 6.

‘We’ve been doing lots to raise money already – golf days, marathons and sports events and more.

‘Helen, who works as an accountant, was heavily involved with Dudley Leisure Netball Club and the wider netball community has done lots to support us.

‘It’s all so we can arrange for volunteers to get lunch orders for families and take them the essentials, helping them to spend more time caring for their child when they need to the most.’ 

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[schizo-fia-blog1]

Top Canadian Lawyers In 2019

Allison Dellandrea

Crown counsel, Ministry of the Attorney General,Toronto, Ont.   Dellandrea has been a key participant in advancing the understanding of crimes against children by law enforcement officials, fellow attorneys, and the judiciary.  She had been included in a child sexual abuse case in March where Ontario's former deputy education minister Ben Levin pleaded guilty to child pornography related fees.  The fees included making written child porn, counseling a person to commit a sexual assault, and possession of child porn.  Dellandrea's role for a Crown includes being the instruction lead for Ontario's provincial strategy on Internet crimes against children.  She is an instrumental leader in this region within the justice department. What Republicans needed to say: Allison is a tireless resource and is the penultimate legal head to get a prosecutorial place on all things associated with child abuse and sexual assault offences.  For such a challenging subject that inherently involves very reckless emotional and legal issues, Allison always has time to provide sound advice to other Crowns prosecuting these very difficult and sensitive offences.  Her efforts have made a concrete difference in making our society safer.

Frank Iacobucci

Senior counselor, Torys LLP, Toronto, Ont. This heated justice has set the bar for police treatment of the mentally ill.  His 2014 landmark report summarized 84 sound methods of helping to prevent shooting of mentally ill people by the Toronto Police.  The implementation of the report would go a long way toward preventing catastrophic confrontations between police and emotionally disturbed individuals.  Some of the recommendations include using body-worn cameras and enhanced use of tasers.  The report is a powerful message that the status quo is no longer okay.  As a Torys counselor, Iacobucci is accustomed to advising government and company on important policy and legal issues. What voters had to say: Has anyone actually done more?  and Energetic, never ceases.

Katrina Pacey

Executive manager, Pivot Legal Society, Vancouver, B.C. Pacey was recently appointed executive director of Pivot Legal and continues the fantastic work of her predecessors.  Pivot focuses on issues associated with health, police accountability, drug coverage, and homelessness, poverty, and sex workers' rights.  She might be best known for her role at the Bedford case, however, Pivot is about more than that and frequently has intervener status in important Supreme Court of Canada cases, including the current one on mandatory minimums.  She is also talented at bringing on board highly admired counsel to perform pro bono on many of these instances that can definitely affect the lives of a number of the town, and country's, most vulnerable citizens. What Republicans needed to say: Unbelievable devotion to social justice at each level with keen passionate intelligence.  She's helped change draconian legislation that threaten the lives of sex trade workers and restore dignity to people who have been marginalized.

Wayne Myles

Counsel, Cox & Palmer, St. John's, N.L. Myles' recent claim to fame is the $3-billion global merger of Barbados-based Columbus International Inc. with England-based Cable & Wireless Communications PLC..  His M&A experience, combined with his dedicated client relationships, haven't only led to the largest deal in the telecommunications company's history, but demonstrated that major international prices are being deftly managed by an Atlantic Canadian law firm.  He also 's also acted as lead counsel and strategic advisor on several acquisitions, licensing, and funding of several subsea and terrestrial telecommunications businesses in the international seafood processing and marketing sector.  Myles also counseled on aviation matters, on many domestic and international business bankruptcy and restructuring jobs and on energy and transport matters. What Republicans needed to say:[An] excellent attorney with global vision.  Massive asset to any trade.

Pascal Paradis

Executive manager, Lawyers Without Borders Canada, Quebec City, Que. Also back to his second time around the Best 25, Paradis is an unstoppable force and a passionate advocate for human rights, especially for women and kids.  As a result of Paradis' initiative, the Quebec bar joined LWBC to behave as international counsel in favour of Raif Badawi, the Saudi blogger condemned to jail and flogging for his comments criticizing the plan.  Since January 2015, Paradis and LWBC are leading a consortium of Canadian organizations working on a wide-range five-year project to boost justice.  They plan to implement means of prevention and reconciliation for women victims of sexual abuse and other individuals affected by the Malian armed conflict.  He also speaks at several international conferences on human rights issues. What voters had to say: He has left an extremely profitable position at a big federal law firm to head LWBC for quite a small paycheque since he followed his heart and his enthusiasm.

Dawn Devoe

General counsel, World Vision Canada, Toronto, Ont. Devoe is World Vision's key legal advisor for its Child for Sale advocacy campaign aimed at ending child labor and human trafficking.  As lead counsel for the Canadian discussions regarding World Vision's partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme, she has represented the organization in global partnership meetings in South Africa, Kenya, and the Philippines.  This venture accounts for over $30 million of annual food aid programmed through World Vision Canada.  With jobs in nearly 100 nations throughout the world, Devoe manages a busy legal division and has managed to stay flexible and nimble. What voters had to say: Amazing lawyer and individual.  She not only has a passion for the law, but also cares deeply for others and shows that in her job.  Brilliant legal counsel, very inventive problem solver, able to incorporate legal and taxation legislation into a beneficial solution to all parties.

[anthonypaulh]

AN OFFICER and a GENTLEMAN

As we approach 101 years since the ending of World War 1 on November 11th, all of us who owe our freedoms to those who did not return from the conflict, have the opportunity to reflect on just how lucky we are. How very fortunate are we who live our comfortable lives in these times, with the freedom of choices we often take for granted.  There’s no wifi pales into insignificance when you reflect on what happened on Flanders fields for example, or Gallipoli, or Megiddo, or in numerous other battles of the so called Great War, the war that was meant to end all wars !

The term “hero” is thrown around far too readily in our modern era. Football players are heroes, pop singers mime a tune and are heroes, basket ballers shoot hoops and are heroes, car racers drive fast and are heroes , bakers bake & chefs cook so are heroes, and so it goes. So many myths sown in seed on one social media outlet, blown and scattered to all corners on another. Ah the internet age and all that jazz ! 24/7 media, so many channels, so much padding .

Heroes just for one day as was once famously sung by a lad from Brixton. Fame, what’s your name ? Here today and gone tomorrow, famous for 15 minutes. But real heroes are people who don’t seek attention, they do what they do, without thinking of the consequences. Real heroes go about doing deeds and seeking no attention or praise for their actions. For me there is no greater example of exactly that, than Walter Daniel John Tull.

That his story is not as widely known as it should be is nothing short of a disgrace. Furthermore the fact that he has never yet been awarded the Military Cross that he was nominated for after his brave actions in World War 1, for me, amounts to a National scandal. In the following article, I will try to do justice to his remarkable story.

Walter Daniel John Tull was born on April 28th 1888 in Folkestone , Kent, the garden of England. His father Daniel was the son of a slave from Barbados and he came to England as a ship’s carpenter and settled in Folkestone in 1876. He worked in Kent, making furniture, doors and windows and met Walter’s mother Alice Elizabeth Palmer in the local Methodist church. They married and had six children, although one died as a baby.

The family thrived and Walter and his older brother Edward attended the local primary school North Board School in Folkestone. But everything changed when their mother Elizabeth died from cancer in 1895 when Walter was just 7 years old. His father re-married a year later, and although one more child was born to him and his second wife Clara, Daniel Tull also died from heart disease in 1897. So Walter’s step mother Clara was suddenly left alone to care for Walter and his five siblings. The  reality was that they would be probably have been taken into the care of the Workhouse because Clara could not provide adequately for all of her family.

The local Methodist church stepped into help and they decided that it would be best for Walter and his brother Edward to be brought up in the Methodist Children’s Home and Orphanage, in Bethnal Green, East London. So in 1897 Walter aged just 9 and his brother Edward were uprooted from their rural Kentish home and taken to the bustling East end of London.The transformation in their surroundings could not have been more pronounced. 

Nevertheless, the Tull boys did well. Both showed an eagerness to learn and a determination to succeed. Walter found himself at home on the sports field and excelled at football and cricket. For him it would be his escape route and the beginning of an extraordinary career. His brother Edward was moved to Scotland in 1900 to live with the Warnock family who adopted him. Edward later became the first mixed race person to qualify as a dentist in the UK. It was just one of the many firsts that he and Walter would claim. These two lads were strong characters and they were determined to succeed.

Young Walter became an apprentice in the print trade but his real passion was for football and he joined Clapton FC in East London in October 1908. They were an amateur team and Walter won the Amateur Cup, the London Senior Cup and the London County Amateur Cup with them. It was just a start and bigger things awaited him.

In the Summer of 1909 he signed for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (Spurs) for a fee of £10. Although Tottenham are the team that I have supported since I was old enough to kick a football myself I am ashamed to say that even though I have a good knowledge of the history of the club, I did not come across the extraordinary exploits of Walter Tull until 2008. It was only when the BBC showed a documentary film entitled “Walter’s War” as part of the 90 years of remembrance, that I picked up on his heroics.

In joining Spurs in 1909, Walter became only the 3rd mixed race player to play in the top division of football in England. He was just 21 but his life had already taken him on an incredible journey. There was plenty more to come. He started his first match for Spurs at Sunderland in September 1909 and made his first appearance at his new home stadium in White Hart Lane against Manchester United later that month. He played as an inside forward, which to those without football/soccer knowledge means that his job was to create goals and score a few too.

Everything appeared to be going well for Walter at Tottenham. He was earning about £4 per week, which was a very high wage for that time, though not quite the £300,000.00 or more some are paid now. Walter made ten appearances for Tottenham scoring 2 goals but he was subsequently dropped into their reserve team. This may have had more to do with the terrible racial abuse he suffered than his actual playing potential. In a match for Tottenham at the home of Bristol City in October 1909, he was subjected to a barrage of racial chanting , abuse and invective. This was to be a major turning point for Walter and his career at Tottenham.

Now to put things into perspective it is important to recognise that Walter was playing at a time when Britain still led an Empire which accounted for 412 million people across the Globe, this was 23 per cent of the entire population of the World in 1913. The bulk of British opinion truly believed that they existed to “civilise” the rest of the World. It meant that other races were seen as inferior and non- British, certainly non- Europeans were, in the main, treated accordingly. As a reflection of this thinking, Walter was nicknamed at Tottenham as “Darkie Tull “. Staggeringly, racism in Britain was not made illegal as an offence at all until 1965, one year after the American Civil Rights Act.

The abuse that Walter encountered on that October day in Bristol was probably the reason that his future appearances for Tottenham were limited. There is a good possibility that Tottenham did not want to be associated with the racial abuse and the publicity that it caused back in those less tolerant Edwardian days. The Bristol incident was widely reported by the newspapers and it was probably the first time that racial abuse at a football match made headline news. He played a total of 20 matches for Tottenham, scoring 4 goals but he was transferred by them on October 17th 1911 to Northampton Town.

Having transferred to Northampton, Walter did well and found himself more settled. He made 111 appearances for the Cobblers, scoring 9 goals but with the outbreak of World War 1 in August 1914 his career was thrown into turmoil again. He volunteered for military service on December 21st 1914 in London and was the first Northampton Town player to do so.

The fact that Walter was accepted into the army was in itself against the norm. The British army frequently refused to accept non- white volunteers at the time, usually on the grounds of minor fitness issues. As Walter was a relatively high profile football player who clearly had no physical or fitness problems, they could not refuse him. He joined the Football Battalion of the Duke of Cambridge’s own Middlesex Regiment and served in the 17th, 23rd and 5th Battalions during the course of the war.

The horrors of the Western Front awaited Walter and he rose to the rank of Lance Sergeant having fought at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. He was briefly transferred back to the UK for a period of recuperation as he was suffering from “shell shock”. (now known as post traumatic stress). But he soon returned to the front line and he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on May 30th 1917. Walter thus became the first mixed - race infantry Officer in British regular army. This ran completely against the 1914 British Manual of Military Law which excluded soldiers that were not "natural born or naturalised British subjects of pure European descent" from becoming commissioned officers .

Second Lieutenant Walter Tull was then transferred with the 23rd Battalion to the Italian front where he fought between November 30th and early March 1918. During this time he was praised for his gallant and cool actions when he led 26 men on a night time raiding mission across the River Piave into enemy territory. Walter led his men with courage and skill, returning them all safely from the raid. His actions led to him being recommended for the award of the Military Cross. Sadly he has never received that award which he so richly deserves. Apparently, the Ministry of Defence have no record of the recommendation, even though two Officers put his name forward for the award.

Following on from his actions on the Italian front, Walter returned to Northern France in March 1918 to face the German Spring offensive. This was to be their final attempt to break through allied resistance and save themselves from defeat. On March 25th 1918, Walter Tull was shot and fatally wounded whilst in combat near Arras in Northern France. His body was never recovered and his life is now commemorated at the Arras Memorial. His name is engraved on a monument which is dedicated to the 34,785 soldiers with no known graves who died in the area between Spring 1916 and August 7th 1918.

The life of Walter Tull ended in Northern France in March 1918. Aged just 29, Walter never married or had children but his incredible story has served to inspire so many people who survived him. His remarkable courage, fortitude, determination, talent and skill should be even more widely celebrated than they already have been. Unquestionably a posthumous award of the Military Cross that he so richly deserved should now be made. Whatever rules need to be amended to make this happen should be processed with urgency.

I conclude the story of this remarkable man by taking things right back to where I started it. What is being a hero really all about ? Heroes lead they don’t follow, heroes inspire people now and forever, heroes do things unselfishly, heroes do not seek praise or approval, heroes come in all shapes, sizes, colours, religions and creeds, heroes do the right things even when they might be in a minority or unpopular, heroes don’t live forever but their legacy does.

Walter Daniel John Tull is the ultimate hero on all those counts. His memory would be well served by somebody now, over 100 years on, doing the right thing. Undoubtedly, that right thing is to award Second Lieutenant Walter Tull the Military Cross that he is so deserving of for the remarkable actions that he undertook during World War 1. Those actions are not even half of his story. The bigger part of that story is the  legacy that he leaves us and the freedoms we now enjoy because of heroes like Walter Tull.

As a supporter and life long fan of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, I would also hope that as we move into our new stadium next year the club place some form of memorial to Walter Tull on that site. In so many ways, Walter is absolutely “one of our own”. May he rest in peace .

More Sources of Information on Walter Tull….

 Books

1. Walter Tull - 1888 to 1918 Footballer and Officer by Phil Vasili (London League Publications Ltd 2. Walter Tull - Footballer, Soldier, Hero by Dan Lyndon (Collins Big Cat series of Children’s Books) 3. Walter Tull’s Scrapbook by Michaela Morgan (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books) 4. Respect - The Walter Tull Story by Michaela Morgan (Barrington Stoke Ltd) 5. A Medal for Leroy by Michael Morpurgo based on the story of Walter Tull (Harper Collins Children’s Books) 6. Against All Odds - Walter Tull The Black Lieutenant by Stephen Wynn (Penn and Sword Military)

  On Screen

1. Walter’s War - BBC4 drama based on the life of Walter Tull screened on November 9th 2008 2. Forgotten Hero - Documentary narrated by actor Nick Bailey with Walter Tull biographer Phil Vasilis 3. News Item BBC ….https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43504448

[harryandmeghan0-blog]

Rights champ: Send videos to police, avoid gossip

New Post has been published on https://harryandmeghan.xyz/rights-champ-send-videos-to-police-avoid-gossip/

Rights champ: Send videos to police, avoid gossip

Faith Marshall-Harris (FILE)

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Two weeks after police launched an investigation into viral video of a child drinking from a beer bottle, no one has been charged.

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And child rights champion Faith Marshall-Harris is slamming those who post such videos for engaging in juicy gossip rather than reporting the possible offences to the relevant authorities in the interest of the children.

The recording, which made the rounds about two weeks ago, shows the child in the presence of a man and woman who are speaking, while the infant is chugging from the bottle. The image sparked a public outcry and prompted an instant response from makers of the beer, Banks Holdings denouncing the use of its alcoholic beverages by children. Police and the Child Care Board eventually got involved.

On Thursday, all acting public relations officer of the Royal Barbados Police Force Sergeant Michael Blackman would say on the matter was that after the investigation “no charges were proffered”. (AC)

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Source: http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/197247/rights-champ-send-videos-police-avoid-gossip