Its neither Hollywood or the silver screen in our reference to Home Again.
This weekend we are reading the stories of our fishermen grabbed in Trinidad waters by the Guardia Nacional, and the deportation of Venezuelans held recently in our detention centre and repatriated to Caracas.
In fact, this was “a tale of three cities” Tucupita, Port-of- Spain, and Caracas.
Our fishermen were said to be reluctant to return while, fingers were pointed at our authorities, suggesting that they bungled the return. One politician even accused government officials of failing the fishermen.
A similar claim was made in the handling of the Venezuelans in detention for several weeks.
They claimed refugee status and relied on Living Water for support while expecting their situation would be confirmed so that they could remain in Trinidad.
Both these stories tug at the heartstrings as the wife of one of the fishermen claimed that he was the primary support for the family and left without money to buy food.
Food was also at the heart of the Venezuelans’ claim as they recounted the shortages on the shelves back home while appealing for the opportunity to be saved from the deteriorating situation there.
As the fishermen were welcomed home in Cedros and able to enjoy the company of their family and friends again, the Venezuelans did not return to such a welcome.
We hope that the situation in Venezuela will improve so that many of their citizens will not see the need to flee.
Windrush anxiety
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley described the United Kingdom’s treatment of Caribbean people who worked to rebuild that war ravaged country after the Second World War as “callous and offensive.”
For someone who studied in Britain, it must have been a situation that harked back to his student days when he experienced the country up close and very personable.
Prime Minister Theresa May, who served earlier as Home Secretary, had the unsavoury task of apologising for suggested civil service bungling.
The timing of the threats to thousands of people who responded to a call to repair the mother country could not have been worse, at the hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London.
Research revealed that the Windrush was previously a German vessel that was part of the reparations after the war. History has a way of repeating itself and in ways that sometimes delivers pain and anxiety.
Gayle force
These days we are buoyed by any news of a good performance in any format of cricket game. Hence the headline “Gayle blasts 11 sixes in 104” serves to remind us that there is still joy in our cricket.
