Child.
Sit down let me tell yuh someting.
In November, de woman stand up in front of de whole region and call out “de polite paralysis of consensus politics.” Mi was in de yard listening to de speech on radio. Mi neighbour shout out de window. We clap. Because finally somebody saying out loud what every Bajan know — dat CARICOM does move slow because nobody want to embarrass nobody. We been polite to death.
And now? Six month later? Same woman. Quiet.
Three day in Kingston. Three day. And de Chair of CARICOM — de woman who chair de whole thing in November when dis framework get tabled — not making a statement. Not a tweet. Not a press release. “Private engagement” three day in a row. Child, what private engagement going on for three day at de same time as de meeting yuh chair only six month ago?
Mi will tell yuh what going on. Calculation.
Trinidad going veto. Mottley know it. Everybody at de Hilton know it. De question is whether Mottley want her name on de losing side of de vote. If she stay quiet, Trinidad get blamed alone. If she speak up, she lose with Trinidad blaming her for forcing de vote. So she let de small island states fight de fight, and she keep her hand clean for de July summit when she can come back as de mediator.
Mi understand de chess. But mi don’t have to like de chess.
Because de people who pay for dis chess is we. De Bajan auntie buying yam from Guyana. De fisherman exporting to St. Lucia. De manufacturer in Spry Street trying to sell biscuit in Kingston without paying tariff dat make di biscuit cost more than de British biscuit at Massy. We pay for de silence. Mottley don’t pay. Trinidad manufacturer don’t pay. We pay.
In November, “polite paralysis” was de villain. In April, it look like polite paralysis is also de strategy.
Mi nuh know which Mottley to believe, child.
But mi watching.
And every Bajan auntie in Speightstown to Holetown watching too.
Three day silent. We counting.